Chypres

Congratulatons! I think chypres are the most difficult of all the perfume familes for many.
I was a chypre wearer before I even know what one was.

Flathorn, there are sub-categories of chypres just as there are sub-categories of florals and orientals. Le Baiser du Dragon (Cartier), however, is an oriental and so is Madness. Sometimes chypres are easily recognizable and sometimes not -- as in the case of the original Fendi. To me, that one walks a fine line between oriental and chypre and *feels* more oriental than chypre to me. I only learned a couple of years ago that EL Private Collection is a chypre -- a green chypre, I believe. Not sure why, but I always thought it was an oriental though today it's obvious it's not.

I see you have Agent Provocateur in your wardrobe. It's a chypre, too. Cabochard is one that you may want to try. Femme by Rochas and Yvresse by YSL take you in a different direction yet are chypres. EL Knowing, Ma Griffe, Wrappings, and Ysatis, yet another direction but still chypres.

Chypres are a magnificent group of fragrances.

A chypre wearer here too. Ladylonestar's suggestions are all marvellous!

My favorite floral chypres are Chanel # 19, Coriandre, Hiris and recently La Perla. There is a sense of glamor surrounding me when I put them on. I also tend to like certain coolness (aloofness?) about them. Diorella (if you can find it), Ivoire, Knowing....

Fruity chypres are another story -- as based on raving reviews from another mod ;D, I bought Mauboussin blind and do not regret a single minute of wearing it. I have worn Champagne and Femme for many years. The only one that does not "sit" right on me is Mitsouko, but I have not totally lost hope. 8-)

Editing: How could I forget Paloma Picasso!? ;D

Fruity chypres are difficult for me. I lean toward the "basic" chypres, green, floral and leather/animalic. One of the reasons that Miss Dior Cherie intrigues me is that I've seen it called a gourmand chypre. Even if it's targeted to a younger market, at least it's a chypre and not just another watery/fruity/floral. Miss Dior is one that I still want to sample. Something tells me that I'm going to love it.

Lucky you, I say! Chypres are challenging for me. First, from a chemistry aspect they often turn rather...stale..and don't stay true on my skin. Also, it's taken some time for me to not be..well...intimidated by them. They can be very bold and the juxtaposition of notes is such that it creates almost a "tension" within the composition, and that has taken some time to get comfortable with. Sort of like listening to good jazz, I would imagine...it takes some time to appreciate it fully.

Chypres were almost totally alien to me until a couple of years ago when I decided to tackle them and try as many as I could. Good move! I found Mitsouko, Jolie Madame (this one is indeed a must-try!), Bandit, Ma Griffe, Y, Yvresse... also Cabochard, Femme and Le Parfum de Thérèse found their way to my heart and my collection.

I like most Fruity and leather Chypres. Green Chypres can be difficult for me.

Oh yes, I'm a chypre person too. Absolutely my favourite, especially the fruity chypres. I am truly drawn to them, and have a hard time staying objective about, say, aldehylic fragrances or intense greens like Eau D'Issey. Those are the hardest for me to wear, and when it comes down to it I just don't like them. Mitsouko is pure poetry on my skin, I don't smell coumarin at all. Femme is delicious, pure elegant sexuality. Yvresse is also good, though I find it contains a strange bitter metallic note on my skin that I can't identify, but the plum goes a long way to make up for it. Y ... well, Y seems to simply dissappear. I don't know why that is and I do wish it would stay on long enough for me to experience the drydown. I look forward to experiencing all the chypres, and then some of the orientals. Florals I seem to have problems with, except for some strange reason the humble L'Air du Temps, which smells delightful on me. In fact, I didn't even think it was a floral until recently.

All is not lost, Flathorn -- it's a floral chypre! Â*Yay! Â*An "exotic floral chypre". Â*(I believe I read that at Escentual.co.uk. Â*I think Perfumeworld.net classifies it as leathery chypre or animalic chypre, can't remember which -- which is probably what the "exotic" means in "exotic floral chypre".)


I love and wear many florals. Â*No problem. Â*I just wear what I love to smell no matter the category, what I think smells good on me, and what makes me feel good -- chypres, florals, Orientals, greens... designer, artisanal/niche... high-dollar, inexpensive... whatever! Â*


And I read it as one Red Hot Oriental! Â* Â*Mauboussin and Aromatics Elixir, both chypres, *feel* Oriental to me as does Fendi, as I mentioned earlier. Â*Jan Moran, in one (maybe both) of her books (Fabulous Fragrances and Fabulous Fragrances II), discusses fragrance categories and mentions that categorization is subjective and that there's often disagreement among perfumers. Â*Sometimes we also find differences in listed notes among the various websites.

Hi Flathorn,

You may want to give Guerlain Coriolan a try. It didn't really work with my chemistry, but I imagine this chypre as being exquisite & classy when worn by a woman.

Cheers,

#

Coriolan, Bel Ami and Minotaure... Love them all, and I hope they love me back....

;D ;D ;D Nicely put! ;D ;D ;D

Some florals are borderline between just being a floral/green floral and a chypre. Some examples would include: Aliage, Norell, Givenchy III, Chant d'Aromes. Wear them and enjoy! Also, many chypres are borderline between being a chypre and an aldehyde floral, like, say Rive Gauche.

At the moment I am interested in fruity-dry puppies, like Robert Piquiet Futur. I know somebody has it and likes it. What do you say about the balance of fruity and chypre in this one?

Chergui abused me, too! It has so many huge fans that it's fun to read that someone else had my experience with it. Thanks! haha

I'm a green floral and a green chypre lover too. My attraction to the chypres has several components. Perhaps the first component is that they contain on the average more of the ingredients I like and wear well, and fewer that I dislike, although the dryer chypres containing those birch tar and leather notes tend to smell sour on me, and often seem too masculine to suit me. My least favorite category is the orientals, but there are exceptions there too, such as Moschino, Balenciaga's Prelude, Cadolle le No. 9, Dioressence, vintage Chantilly, Isadora, and le Must de Cartier. I tend to like florals if there is a significant green element in them, and not a lot of cedar, vanilla, and/or sandalwood.

The second thing I like about the chypres is that exciting combination of cold AND heat that more easily provides the multitude of scent impressions which suit my personality. I'm not the soliflore type, and I like perfume to give me as many experiences in a bottle as possible.

Favorite Chypres in no particular order: vintage Intimate, Miss Dior, Ma Griffe, Coty's Chypre, Paloma, Coriandre, Le Temps d'Aimer (a fruity chypre by Alain Delon), Chimere, Masumi, Nueva Maja, Aphrodisia, Givenchy III, Diva, Alexandra, Faberge's old F#, Mouchel's Divine, L'Histoire d'Amour, Patou's Caline (I consider it a chypre), Patou's Cocktail, Colony, Quadrille, Le 5 de Molyneux ( long discontinued fruity chypre).
Some other faves occasionally also called chypres: Fashion (the OLD one by Leonard), Vivre, Jil Sander Woman Pure, Deneuve, Ivoire, Complice, Magie Noire, Lancetti for women.

Similar to Paloma, in my opinion, but not as good: Maroc, Eau du Soir, La Perla, Animale, Yardley's Chique
Some other chypres which don't work for me but might be good on others to try: Jolie Madame, Miss Balmain, Parfum Rare by Jacomo, Crown of Gold, Ubar, Shocking, Anouchka, Crepe de Chine (Long Lost Perfume Company has a good copy of this one), Patou's Que Sais-je?, Partage, Ricci's Fille D'Eve, Diorama, Diorling, Lancome's Sikkim, Azuree, Cabochard, Geminesse, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jovan's old Mink & Pearls, and maybe some others will come to my mind.

Unfortunately, chypres have not been that popular in recent years, and the reluctance of mfrs. to use oakmoss has possibly been a contributing factor.

The way I began to understand chypres could be appropriate for anybody.
Just try to find vintage Chypre by Coty.
And then try to go by historic way - Mitsouko Guerlain, etc...

Oh- I love how chypres smell- in the bottle, on blotter, and on others! On my skin it's a whole different story. For the longest time I kept a large splash bottle of Aphrodisia. It had been my mother's and I kept it for sentimental value always hoping that someday I'd develop the skin chemistry to wear it as beautifully as she had. Well, after trying many chypres from florals to greens to fruities to leather/animalic I have come to the conclusion that they just don't work well. They are saddly musty, dusty, "old smelling," sour, bitter, overtly loud getting stronger as they dry out, smell of gasoline, burning rubber and one even smelled of chlorine on me! Even borderline ones such as Sublime and Hermes Rouge dryout as chypre on my skin. I was so excited that I could wear Feminite du Bois and Boudior - however they must be anomalies or not true chypre pyramids as they are fine, even into dryout, on me.

I still persist in trying them, but am usually not disappointed in my skepticism. While I would hate to not be able to wear all the girly florals that I love so much, I am envious of those that can pull off the lovely complexity and sophistication that chypres bring to the perfume world.

Sublime is more of a semi-oriental. Woodhue is an oriental, as is Emeraude. Tigress is a floral. L'origan may be another semi-oriental. Aphrodisia was the only well-known chypre of that Faberge group. F#, which wasn't out for long, was another Faberge chypre, but more of a fruity chypre. A glorious fragrance.

One chypre that you must try is Nikki De St. Phalle. On the right body chemistry, it can be absolutely intoxicating. Beautiful bottles & bath product containers as well. Start out with a small bottle of EDT, and if you really love it, I'd go for the parfum full strength over EDT & EDP. The genuine parfum evokes the truest interpretation of all the notes.

I agree about Niki de St. Phalle. It's a tricky fragrance but if it works for you, it's wonderful. The body cream and bath oil are great, too.

Others I like: Paloma Picasso, Halston (although I wore it to death "back in the day" I still like it), Ivoire and Jolie Madame.

Floral chypres seem to work best with my body chemistry.

Fruity chypres take on a thin, harsh sour note. I've tried Mitsouko many times and although the start was promising, I can't wear it.
I wonder which note or combination of notes is the offender?

Hi everyone. Not much going happening on the men's side so I thought I'd pay a visit over here and boy am I glad I did! I love this thread. It is so informative.
I guess I am a chypre kinda guy. As I as reading thru the posts and seeing all the fragrances being listed I was like "yah! I love that....ooo and that....and that one too". Who knew I had a penchant for chypres?
When I saw paloma54 mention GEMINESSE I was floored! I Thought I was the only one to remember that gem. I was quite the "sport" 25 years ago alternating between my Aramis and Geminesse. 8-)
Actually looking back I also used to wear Niki de St. Phalle whenever I could wrangle a few samples off the girls at the perfum counter. I also used to wear Quartz by Molyneaux but I'm not sure what that is classified as.
Anyway thanks for the education. I've been looking for something different and unusual to try during the holidays and I am being very tempted to try Lauder's Knowing. I probably smelled it years ago but I don't remember anything about it. What do you think? Could a guy pull it off?

I tried and tried and tried and tried to wear Mitsouko, spurred on by its reputation. But nowhere along its drydown timeline did it smell appealing. Good to read Dog's comment and learn I'm not unique.

I am wondering if chypres go through some special chemistry when they age? My first encountrance with Mitsouko was not so pleasant; it had that bitter and musty smell even in the bottle. I understood later, when I smelled the real thing, that it must have gone bad. I don´t know if it´s imagination, but I have got this bitterness from old sample vials with woody/mossy scents that have been lying around for a while; they smell distinctly different from the first sniff. It is like the basenotes have taken over and developed to something really sharp.

Unfortunatley I have problems on my skin with the more complex chypres too. Both Mitsouko and Miss Dior undergo the same development that has been described by many others here.

Welcome, Loungeboy. [smiley=beer.gif]


I seem to recall a few men mentioning that they either love it and wear it or are also wanting to try it. I actually don't see why a man can't wear it. I struggled with it for years, thinking it was too manly, too "fougere", which means my nose (or brain) perceived it was constructed more like a men's cologne than a women's perfume. I loved the bottle so much, and I loved it every time I sniffed it, but wearing it was a different story. I have no idea now how many bottles I purchased and either gave away or threw away (shocking now, I know) -- 3 or 4, I guess. :'(

It never ceases to amaze me the difference individual body chemistry makes in the way a scent develops and the quality of the fragrance that is created by the interplay of the ingredients and the chemistry of the skin. On me, there is nothing lovelier than a fruity chypre, most notably my passion, Mitsouko. It smells heavenly, light, airy, elegant and very, very sexy. I have been getting compliments on it my whole life and could never live without a bottle of it sitting on my dresser. Next to that, Femme smells exquisite.
On the other hand, I have a very hard time wearing either florals or orientals, as they are overpowering on me with very few exceptions.
So it is with something like awe that I read of other people's experiences with these scents.
How wonderful though, that there is a fragrance out there for each and every one of us!

Hi. I am a man who regularly wears Knowing and many other "marketed to woman's" fragrances with virtual ease. I know there will be plenty whom will have their own perspective, and I welcome and respect that (I have contributed to those threads). I love Estee Lauder's Knowing. It is a strong chypre that is very uplifting and inviting. I also waer Ralph Lauren's Safari for Women. That's one incredible fragrance. How about Estee Lauder's Cinnabar? I'm sure I could go on and on. I love how these smell. I'm totally at ease wearing them. Why shouldn't I be? Oh boy, that's a loaded question for sure!

;D

Oh yeah, let me not forget to mention the compliments I continuously get from men and women while wearing these.

Best,

~S.

Thanks Ladylonestar and Smitsky! I did a little gloss.com run last night and I went ahead and ordered the new Knowing Christmas giftset and I threw in the Spellbound body lotion for good measure. Heck if I don't like them they will make great gifts! ;D
Breezing thru a bunch of basenotes previous posts have also gotten me eyeing the Aliage, Azuree, and the Private Collection. I'll see how Knowing and Spellbound play out first. From reading this thread I can honestly say I am a chypre lover so hopefully all will go well.
Years ago I do remember trying Cinnabar and thinking that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Of course those were the years when JHL was readily available and that was my preference at the time.
And Smitsky, I worked in a dept store way back then and I used to wear Geminesse alot. Customers always complimented me on that and always asked what I was wearing. I was young and was always too embarrassed to tell the truth so I would always say "Aramis". Thank God we grow up!

"Hey-ya!" Private Collection! Now we are talkin'!

I tested a little on my wrist and went to the moon! I want to spring and pay the $30+ Macy's is chargin' for 0.5 Oz. (let me know if you know where to get this Puppy cheaper anywhere else) and give this a full-wearin'. Jeepers.

Let me know what you think of Knowing (PM me anytime). Now you've gotten me interested in Spellbound. I'm gonna look it up. Aliage & Azuree are on my list as well.

I picked up Histoire d'Amour by Perfums Aubusson yesterday, and really liked the "wrist-test."

Ok, best again.

~S.

Yes- I definitely agree. Â*While unfortunately not one that I can wear, I'm always surprised that Safari doesn't get a lot more press. Â*I think of it as a greenish Chypre. Â*It certainly has that outdoorsy kind of edge, yet also has an effortless elegance that makes for an all-around great scent. Â*Especially if you don't have time to shower and change a fragrance from day to evening.

Does anyone here regularly wear Safari for Women?

Flathorn,

I am a chypre lover too (I also tend toward orientals).

The Oriental and the Chypre families, by the way, have a lot in common:
a) They are the oldest in history (the first perfumes in antiquity were orientals, using resins, woods and spices - it wasn't until much later that we learned how to distill the essences from flowers; chypre bases - perhaps without the bergamot - were made in the isle of Cypress - from mixture of oakmoss, labdanum and spices)
b) Both chypres and orientals are based on a CONTRAST - in Chypre it is the contrast between the fresh-fruity notes of citrus (namely bergamot) with the earthy-mossy base of oakmoss, labdanum and patchouli.
Oriental perfumes are usually based on a similar contrast - citrus top notes and ambery base notes (for ambery orientals).

My favourite chypres:

Vol de Nuit (it has also some oriental or floriental elements)
Mitsouko (Fruity Woody Chypre)
Miss Dior (Green Chypre)
Femme (Fruity & Leathery Chypre)
Private Collection (Green Floral Chypre)
Ayalitta (Green chypre)
Megumi (Woody floral chypre)
Feuilles de Tabac (Leathery chypre)

There are many others that are beautiful, of course... But these are the ones I always want to have around.

[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

I absolutely love green chypres too, Paloma, my all time favorite being Shiseido's Inoui (which costs a king's ransom these days). Paloma Picasso, Genny, Aromatics Elixir, Parure, EL Knowing, and Coty Chypre are among my favorites, too.

I too am a dedicated Chypre girl of long standing. I have found throughout my life that deep mossy woody perfumes are MUCH easier for me to wear and smell fantastic with my chemistry than any floral. This is a great thread / topic and it is so reassuring to see that I am not alone in the fact that light aquatic / ozonic / florals do NOT work on me. :-*

What are the details for the Profumo? I have Profumo de Montecatini but would class that as a floral. Which do you mean?

Also what is Opone - I have never heard of it....

And are these all US-based boutique scents? I miss out on many of those being out here in the UK... :'(

Alas, I cannot wear Mitsouko- it didn't have an awful turn, but the odour was not particularly pleasant, much too strong and not very palatable. Certainly no flowers out of it, maybe dead ones :-/

I have no hope for other chypres if Mitsouko doesn't work. I adore my florientals (the one family that work) but it's annoying knowing I can't really wear anything else with my chemistry.

Does anyone know what characterises a Chypre?
Because according to Wikipedia, they should be fragrances that build on a similar base consisting of bergamot, jasmine and oakmoss. Mitsouko has all three, Azzura by Azzaro seems to be missing oakmoss but is classified as a fruity chypre same as Mitsouko. Can anyone explain?

Dear Elysium,
Susan Irvine describes Chypres as "...family of fragrancesis named for the original Chyptre (Cyprus) created by famous perfumer Francois Coty in 1917. Coty's classic was based on the contrast between citrussy top notes and the pungent earthy odour of oakmoss. All Chypres are variations on this theme. They often include patchouli and woods, and ambery labdanum or animal notes. The heart note is floral. The overall impression is often powdery....."

Please don't worry about not 'appreciating' Mitsouko - she is a very elusive lady to pin down. I must admit my first impressions of her were very similar " a jar of musty long dead flowers.." to be exact. LOL.

I adore chypres and find in my experience that they all share a very dry, mossy, powdery character which is at once very feminine, elegant and withdrawn. This is why many Chypres are perfect for professional / office wear.

Since you already prefer floral, spicy vanillary scents here are a few suggestions for you to try as you begin to explore the misty, elusive, sexy cerebal world of Chypres:

Revlon Charlie classic - underrated, much maligned - should be tried as it is a gentle intro to the chypre genre.
Nina Ricci Deci Dela - fruity with warm vanillary base - but still a chypre
Rochas Femme - a true Classic! I preferred this to Mitsouko for the chypre / peach combo, much more juicy, warm and inviting. Now I ocassionally layer the two of them.
YSL Yvresse - very fruity and 'fizzy' but still a chypre - fruit top note, floral mid notes and oakmoss / patchouli in the base. Remains light - not dense.

I would start with those before then trying such classics as Chanel No.19, Carven Ma Griffe, Ungaro Diva etc. Once you are comfortable with those then you could consider the big guns like EL Knowing, Chanel Cuir de Russie, Gres Cabochard, etc.

Do let us know what you discover and think of the chypres you do decide to try. I do hope this was of some help. Enjoy the adventure...

Cheers Moondeva ;D
That was very informative, and I'll definitely keep those scents in mind on my next frag hunt.

If you view my wardrobe, you'll see the scents which work with my skin (collection) and the ones that don't (mostly in tested, 2* or less)
I've never really found the same kinship with vanilla/spices the way I have with musks/amber.

Hi. Pardon my 2 cents...

but... OzMos has Azzura listed as a Floral - Fruity

I never thought of Azzura as a Chypre. I may be wrong.

Best,

~S.

Edit: Ok, I see, you meant Azzaro by Azzaro for Women. ozMos lists one of it's basenote ingredients as Oakmoss though.

Hi. Pardon my 2 cents...

but... OzMos has Azzura listed as a Floral - Fruity

I never thought of Azzura as a Chypre. I may be wrong.

Best,

~S.

Edit: Ok, I see, you meant Azzaro by Azzaro for Women[/quote]
Nope, I meant Azzura by Azzaro, and I also always thought it was a fruity floral according to its notes, but according to the following link, it's been placed as a chypre

Whoa! That's a very interesting chart! I see what you mean. I see Azzura there. Sure enough... listed as a Fruity Chypre! Thanks for the info.

Regards,

~S.

ooops, double post

yeah, I think they must've made a mistake with the chart as my sample doesn't advertise oakmoss as an ingredient, nor can I detect it on my skin.
But does anyone with a nose for oakmoss know for sure?

Could be just me - but I think the Azzura by Azzaro is the sister of White Linen Breeze. Sometimes I think the perfume sites that sell them don't quite list the fragrances correctly. I guess it is difficult when people will smell a different note or something seems more this or that.

For example, I love Yvresse and want to get something similar. Using the same notes 'Fruity and Chypre' as a factor, I purchased a bottle of Romeo de Gigli and I hate it!

Has anybody else had this problem?

Chypres are probably my favorite category, and I find that I wear them well. However, that's not saying that all of them are attractive on me, or that I even like them.

Favorites are Ivoire (love it, love it), K de Krizia - a bit deeper and a touch fruitier, by not sweet/fruity, and Vivre.

I also like Cinnabar, but didn't think of it as a chypre (although others have listed it in this thread as such). To me it was more of a light oriental, but not as strong as Opium.

Some chypres are a bit too dry for me - Knowing, Chanel No. 19 (also a bit too green). I also felt that Amazone (Hermes) was the same way, but am not sure if that's also a true chypre.

And other chypres are simply too sweet for me. I like them a touch floral, a bit dry and powdery, but not nose-bleed dry.