The word “Chypre” is something you may have come across in your fragrance journey. But what even is Chypre?
For a long time, I thought it was a way to describe a type of Green fragrance for Women. This is partially true, as Oakmoss played a big roll in the style of a Chypre, but it is no longer allowed in fragrances. Because of this, Chypre fragrances are not what they once were.
Chypre ~ pronounced ‘Sheep-Rah’ ~ is the French word for Cyprus, as in the island in the Mediterranean.
It references a fragrance made with distinct notes of citruses, especially Bergamot, Flowers, Labdanum, Patchouli and Oakmoss, all of which are/were sourced from the island of Cyprus.
Labelling a fragrance as ‘Chypre’ essentially describes it as a scent with a specific combination of notes versus its style, family or category.
These fragrances were bold, woody, earthy, animalic and sensual. They were described as warm and dry with woody and Mossy facets. Fresh and woody, strong and senual, chic and assertive…essentially light meets dark.
In 1917, Francois Coty released a fragrance called ‘Chypre’, aka ‘Chypre de Coty’, which really popularized this type of scent, and is said to be the inspiration for all other Chypre fragrances to come after it.
Classic Chypre scents were the original Miss Dior(1947), Guerlain Mitsouko, Paloma Picasso, Rochas Femme(Femme de Rochas), Givenchy, Ysatis, Lagerfeld Classic for Men, Givenchy Gentleman, etc.
In my mind, fragrances that have the classic Mossy, earthy, floral, woody, powdery aroma, that people oftentimes describe as ‘old lady’ or old fashioned, encompasses the Chypre scent.
This may be because of the wave of sweet, fresh, aquatic, fruity, airy scents of the 90’s and 00’s. Chypre being almost an exact opposite in style, would certainly be seen as ‘old fashioned’.
This, paired with Oakmoss being a banned fragrance ingredient as of 2017, essentially “killed” the heyday of the Chypre perfume.
Today, there are fragrances being made that are described as ‘Modern Chypre’, which are quieter, sweeter, more Musky fragrances made with the same model as the traditional Chypre.
Bergamot -> Flowers -> Woods, Patchouli, Oakmoss
Modern Chypre scents would be Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Narciso Rodriguez for Her, Creed Aventus, Nishane Hacivat, Ormonde Woman from Ormonde Jayne, The Afternoon of a Faun from Etat Libre d’Orange, etc.
Think…..autumnal forest, mulch, damp earthy, flowers in the woods….this paired with fruits, sparkling citruses, clean accords, Musk, and sometimes Vanilla.
So, a scent can be described as a Chypre when it opens with sparkling citruses, blooming flowers in the heart, and a base of Woods, Patchouli and a Mossy base.
As you can see, talking about Chypre scents is a very complex topic. Hopefully all of this helped to gain a better understanding of this type of scent.
Again, Chypre fragrances are not as common, or as big of a category of fragrance as they used to be, but you may be smelling a Chypre scent without even realizing it.
