Chypre ( or ) is the name of a family (or concept) of perfumes that are characterised by an accord composed of citrus top notes, a middle centered on cistus labdanum, and a mossy-animalic set of basenotes derived from oakmoss. Chypre perfumes fall into numerous classes according to their modifier notes, which include but are not limited to leather, florals, fruits, and amber.

History

The term chypre is French for the island of Cyprus. Its connection to perfumery originated with the first composition to feature the bergamot-labdanum-oakmoss accord, François Coty's perfume Chypre from 1917 (now preserved at the Osmothèque), whose name was inspired by the fact that its raw materials came predominantly from Mediterranean countries. Although perfumes in a similar style had been created in the 19th century, Coty's 1917 composition was so influential that it inspired many descendants. It ultimately became the progenitor of a whole family of related fragrances sharing the same basic accord, which came to be known as "chypres."

Chypre in popular culture

Style, concept

The chypre concept is characterised by the contrast between the fresh citrus accord and the woody-oakmoss base; often patchouli is considered an indispensable element as well. The chypre accord is used in both male and female perfumery. Modern chypre perfumes have various connotations. There can be floral, fruity, green, woody-aromatic, leathery, and animalic notes, but the chypre concept is to be easily recognized by the "warm" and "mossy-woody" base which contrasts the fresh citrus top, and a certain bitterness in the drydown from the oakmoss and patchouli. The chypre accord consists of: The composition is usually enhanced with a floral component through rose and jasmine oil. Animalic notes such as civet can be added to this accord to provide richness, but are less popular in modern perfumery. The most common modifiers to this basic accord include patchouli, bergamot, vetiver, ambergris, sandalwood and labdanum resin.

Subfamilies

The chypre fragrances generally fit into the Oriental and Woody family of fragrance wheel classification. They can also be classified into several styles:

Notable examples of chypre-type perfumes

Chypre by Coty was so well known its name still can be confused with other chypre perfumes labelled "chypre".