Reviews of Cyprès-Musc (1948)
by Creed

Starts off with something jarring, discordant; I think it may be the mint disagreeing with the galbanum. That lasts for a few minutes. In fact, the first time I tried this on my skin, I was very put off by it. After a relatively short time (perhaps 15–20 minutes), however, things start to smooth out and the cypress begins to come out and dominate (or at least tame) the earlier accord. Then the scent becomes quite elegant and manly in a woodsy, musky sort of way, with a touch of the Creed signature ambergris rounding it out and mellowing it; and, voilà, the caper is pulled off smoothly and seemingly effortlessly!

Something must be wrong with my nose because I absolutely despise this stuff. Creed hatred or not, I gave this a chance. Other cypress scents have turned me off but... is this really cypress? It's very similar to cedar but cypress is more bright while cedar has a darker tone to it. Like a major 6th augmented chord versus a minor seventh. Smells watery at times. There's a mint note that counteracts the cypress, or is it playing with the cypress? I don't know. Don't like this one but honestly, give it a try if you can you just might!

Cyprès-Musc was the first Creed I tried and it remains a favorite of mine. I see it as a scent of ‘cool-warm’ contrasts: a cool, crisp Cypress wood, wrapped in a warm musk, supported by oakmoss. I think of it as an autumn scent: it suggests to me a walk in woods on late day in Indian Summer. The scent of pine needles on the trail fills the air; the heat of sun is felt, but in a quiet way. Intensely coniferous in its opening, I realize it won’t be for everyone. A rather simple scent, but unique. It lasts 12+ hours on me.

Green and musky and slightly medicinal all at once, with a strong sillage that isn't to be believed from a non-Millesime Creed.

I'm very fond of cypress-heavy frags, but know that not everyone will be as enamored of them. Do yourself a favor and order a sample of this one first.

Here's one of those scents that I can respect, but not enjoy. Cypres-Musc roars out of the bottle with bold conifer and lavender, riding on a tidal wave of soap. This opening is forcefully masculine in a very old-fashioned way, and smells to me both like a barbershop and like the freshly cleaned men's room at a pretentious luxury hotel. A mossy foundation soon becomes apparent, and while the lavender subsides the cypress and soap settle heavily atop the moss.

It's well over an hour before the musk makes itself known on me, and when it does it's very clean and blends right in with the brisk cypress. Cypres-Musc persists for some time on me and offers plenty of sillage. While it's great to have a Creed fragrance that lasts for more tha na couple of hours, I have to admit that this one is just too soapy for me. Give me dirt any time.

“A wonderful green and woody fragrance with fresh top notes of Spanish bergamot, woody cypress on a base of oakmoss, ambergris and musk.” Creed website
Cypres-Musc is the fragrance I’ve been looking for! It is superb. There is a good opening blast of bergamot (not just a basic citrus, this really has the ‘Earl Grey’ tone). Very quickly, incredible cypress resins emerge, the best I’ve encountered. They are green, coniferous, woodsy and give an incredible nature/forest smell. They have a deep, haunting quality that is irresistible. This scent makes me lose sense of time and be caught in the moment. It is very distinctive and dry, but it is not heavy and stays close to the skin. The resins are softened but not tamed by soft musk. This is not as turpentine-y as Eau D’Hadrien or Eau Trois (excellent dry scents in their own right). Enjoy its brilliant moments, and re-apply as needed. I am a huge fan of coniferous and woody smells, and this is one of the BEST!

Notes:

Top: Bergamot
Heart: Cypress, Galbanum
Base: oakmoss, ambergris, musk

Originally created for french actor Maurice Chevalier in 1948, Cypres-Musc (CM) is a gritty, manly yet at the same time beautiful fragrance.

While most cypress, cedar or juniper dominated scents come off as one dimensional and incomplete, CM succeeds because of its brilliant rendition of a high quality cypress note. The cypress is allowed to showoff with minimal interference by complementary notes. It’s obvious from the get go, and is punctuated by hints of citrus and herbal notes to create a refreshing coniferous experience without being too lumberjack. When drydown approaches, the cypress has mellowed in intensity, and a “green” musk with layers of moss indicates that its time to stop hunting deer and head home and relax infront of the fireplace.

So why the neutral rating? (Creed) Epicea. While based on the essence of Russian pine, I feel that Epicea overlaps with certain characteristics of CM. To my nose, pine and cypress share some olfactory vibrations. While less piney than Epicea, there is a certain degree of similarity between the two. Epicea renders a realistic pine note supported by clove and spices while CM is more categorical in its execution. Part of the private collection CM is also far more expensive, and hard to come by in 2.5 oz. bottles. Epicea, being an EDT, can be had for much less. With that said, if you are looking for one of the most exquisite cypress notes in perfumery, CM is a must try.

Much more wearable than most cyprus scents, I find the balance here to be excellent. It starts big and strong but not harsh and drops off into a lovely, persistent fresh accord of cyprus, green minty notes and musk with good projection.Like many creeds from this era, it "does what it says on the tin" in an uncomplicated way and with panache.

As usual, Foetidus's review leaves little room for adding any additional insight - the man is a great reviewer. Still, I'll take a shot and add my two cents. Cyprès-Musc won't win any awards for complexity, but for what it is, and what function it serves in my wardrobe, it's wonderful. It's is one of the more overtly masculine Creed scents, possibly the most masculine. The coniferous aspect of this scent is strong and striking. It reminds me of the topnotes of CdG's Zagorsk. Both have a heavy, turpentine-like quality to that coniferous note. It's not as creamy or smooth as Baie de Genievre - Creed's other outdoorsy, masculine scent - nor does it have the spices of that scent. To my nose Cyprès-Musc is mostly cypress and musk, with a touch of herbal mint to sweeten and soften the mix. The musk here is somewhat like the musk in the base of Orange Spice or Musc Ravageur: a noticeable, warm animalic, but not overwhelming, musk. I mention this specifically because it perfectly fits the muskiness of the great outdoors, the environment this scent most evokes. This is no white musk or cashmere musk. Somehow the musk makes the cypress last all day. I have no problem still smelling this when I return home from work. This is the one I reach for when I want something mature, masculine, simple, and casual.

One of the best Creeds IMO. Starts fresh and sparkling, then calms down to a soft, deep, relaxing fragrance. There's a perfect balance of the fresh, green notes and the musk: it's green, but not sharp; it's musky, but not sweet. A timeless masterpiece, suitable for any occasion and with surprisingly good longevity.

Many of these cypress or cedar or juniper dominated fragrances open with a blast of coniferous aggression—it’s part of the character of this kind of note. Cyprès-Musc is no different—it blasts away with a cypress note that’s potent and seems tinged with a turpentine edge. This is an interesting opening. It is not smooth but its quite catching. Once the opening notes settle some, the cypress takes on a different character—it is joined, I think, by some herbaceous green notes, which round out and take the edge off of the cypress. The accord is very green and clean, there’s a bare hint of mint, it’s slightly resinous, and slightly medicinal. After about an hour, the cypress note is a shadow and there remains a very comfortable nice dull green accord supported by a quiet musk. Cyprès-Musc is an excellent scent and I’m pleased to find a Creed that lasts longer than two hours.

Cyprus Musc is for one who wants to exude individual style, confidence, and intellect. The juice is masculine and conveys a forst atmosphere from the mint and cyprus that minigles. If you like the way the great outdoors smell as you stand in a forest looking out onto a lake with mountains in the background, you will love Cyprus Musc!

Another fan here.

Cyprès-Musc is not a "pretty" scent but I like it's rugged individuality and it's very unlikely to be recognized. Here are my notes from a few years ago:

sharp rather than mild but the edge softens somewhat in the drydown.
dry not wet. good longevity.
green + piney + resin = coniferous

AZTEC

Cypres Musc is one that just does not work at all. The cypress wood, english mint, musk and green notes smell just like pine needles, sawdust and Ben Gay to me. This is the most medicinal fragrance I've ever smelled. It is unique for sure, but to me it plain stinks.