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'Chypre' is a name used to describe a family of perfumes, usually based on a top note of citrus and woody base notes, usually from oak moss.

Contents

History

Style

Sub-families of chypre

References

History

The word ''Chypre'' is French for Cyprus. It was first used in perfumery by François Coty, who created an influential perfume of that name in 1917. However, perfumes of a similar style had been created throughout the 19th century.^[1]
Before the 20th century, perfumery was generally an art of recreating nature. According to perfume expert and biochemist Luca Turin, the two fragrances that began to abstract that idea were Coty's Chypre and Chanel No. 5 (created in 1921).^[2]

Style

Modern chypre perfumes have various citrus, herbaceous, floral and animalic notes, but all tend to have a "warm" and "woody" theme, and contain oak moss and usually amber. Further common notes include patchouli, bergamot, rose and rock rose (Cistus ladaniferus).^[3]

Sub-families of chypre

★ Floral chypre, such as Knowing by Estée Lauder

★ Fruity chypre, such as Rochas Femme by Rochas or Citrus Bigarrade by Creed

★ Green chypre, such as Chanel No. 19 by Chanel or YSL Y by Yves Saint Laurent

★ Aromatic chypre, such as Sous le Vent by Guerlain or Aromatics Elixir by Clinique

★ Chypre leather, such as Cuir de Russie by Chanel

References

1. See Musées de Grasse, the International Perfume Museum
2. Chandler Burr, ''The Emperor of Scent'' (Arrow Books, London, 2002), ISBN 0-09-946023-8
3. Definition of the chypre family from Musées de Grasse