All Invited! >> Sniff 'n' Speak Saturday, March 1, 2008 >> Chypre

Here's some of the one's I'm thinking of from my little collection of samples:

Guerlain - Mitsouko (from everything I've read, this seems to be the current benchmark. Am I right?)

Dior - Dioressence (Floral Chypre, per OsMoz. Probably my first choice for the day.)

Serge Lutens - Chypre Rouge (it's in the name so it counts, right?)

Estee Lauder - Knowing (Floral Chypre, per OsMoz. 2nd choice for the day since I don't remember the last time I wore the mini.)

BTW - for newbies like me, last years SnS Chypre thread is incredibly insightful (and gives good tips for training your cat!).

For me, it has to be the fragrance that I blame for starting me on this obsession - Giorgio for Men (1984) by Giorgio Beverly Hills.

It is a classic mossy woods with orange, carnation, cinnamon, patchouli, amber, vanilla, benzoin, honey and oakmoss.

It was my signature scent for more than twenty years!

The last few drops of my Bandit sample, will do nicely.

Hmmm... I think Chanel No. 19, or maybe even Coco Mademoiselle. Depending on mood.

sakecat, you're right about the past thread thread being really helpful. I also like the infos on OsMoz. Hey! Miss Dior Cherie is marked as chypre and I haven't tried it yet!

I'm thinking of Bandit too... it was created by a woman too neh? Germaine Cellier if my memory serves me correctly?

I'll be visiting in NYC- getting ready now !
But my beloved Mitsouko will join me...

My first perfume purchase, at age 11.
And Cabochard will come along, too !

Ah, the perfect opportunity to wear the lovely Ysatis Extrait

Not only a Chypre, but also a fragrance created by a woman. Because I intend to wear only fragrances from female 'noses' in March.

Mitsouko Extrait - Recently Bought
Bandit - Buying soon
Bandit Light pour Homme - Recently paid for, still to receive

yay-chypreness!

I've got my list of chypres at the ready. I'll decide which ones to wear at the last minute.

I think I've finally made up my mind about which scents to wear tomorrow Sotd will be Megumi.I.. think,sote most probably Aromatics Elexir.

Morning all!

I'm celebrating Chypre day in Bandit as I had planned. What's everyone else wearing today?

It's 23:57 here, but i'll be wearing Bandit tomorrow too, and I'm eagerly waiting for my Bandit Light pour Homme to arrive !

Tempted to join the band of Bandits!! But - thanx to Dee Olive's MASSIVE research and protean sharing I've got TONS of choices I didn't realize I owned!! There's Libertine - and Cabochard - and then Wolfie sent me vintage Mitsouko.......and Kyra's responsible for the divine 1000....

Decisions - decisions....

And he's wearing Bandit (EdP)!! Unfortunately, from a sample

Hmm, it opens very green, but with a feeling of wetness, which then goes onto the animalistic leathery-ness with subtle hints of vetiver, I presume the oakmoss will come through soon

Tis almost 12 hours since I applied and all I seem to be getting now is vetiver and maybe a bit of oakmoss (I think?) I don't smell any leather :S

Double challenge for the Chypre SnS! A chypre and a scent created by a female nose. Initially, I wanted to join the Bandit wearers, but it just isn't a Bandit day. I needed something softer, so I chose a "new" chypre:


The perfumer is Nathalie Lorson and the notes are Bourbon black pepper, Bulgarian rose, orris, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss.
Although it doesn't seem very soft if you judge by the notes, it is very smoothly blended with no harsh edges. Elegant (as a chypre should be) but not stiff. Not entirely my style, but very pleasant!

Guerlain Mitsouko--A greens-peach chypre. My all time favorite
Guerlain Parure--A woody-plum chypre. Excellent autumn scent.
Chanel 31 Rue Cambon--A chypre without using oakmoss. My recent favorite. Luca Turin says this is the most beautiful chypre he ever smelt in the past 30 years.
Rochas Femme--Delicious woody-peach chypre
Sisley Eau du Soir--Used to be a favorable scent but not anymore. Too heavy and raw!!

S & S in Rochas - Femme.

Hello! I like chypre! My list:
Jean-Luis Scherrer Edt (deep green with hyacint)
Guerlain Philtre DAmour Edt (modern with fruits)
Carven Ma Griffe Edp vintage (smooth,velvety)

Nice reviews so far!

I started the day in a "sort of chypre", Creed's Cypres-Musc, but now I've changed into one of the epitomes of this fragrance family (although it's also a big fougère): the green English Fern by Penhaligon's.

This one has a very natural feel on me from start to finish - clear and refreshing green notes, lavender, patchouli and oak moss in the drydown. It has an elegant velvety-moss feeling to it that I really like. I have a feeling this one will work even better in very hot weather, as though you're resting in the shade of a forest filled with huge trees.

For Chypre Sniff n' Speak Saturday I wore (thanks Kyra!) Aedes de Venustas/ Molinard Histoire de Chypre.

Topnotes: bergamot, mandarin, neroli, jasmine and galbanum
Midnotes: jasmine, Bulgarian rose, osmanthus, and iris
Basenotes: patchouli, oakmoss, musk, and amber.

Wow, wow, wow. This stuff is wonderful on first spritz. To expand on a description from Angela on "now smell this," wearing Un Histoire Chypre feels a bit like wrapping oneself in an irridescent moss-colored shawl of loosely knit mohair. This is how I imagine wood nymphs might smell.

On me, the neroli and jasmine at the middle of the scent make it uncomfortably waxy-floral for me at that point, but the start and the lovely woodsy drydown make up for it.

How beautiful you all smell!

I wish I had reversed the order of my chypres today, though the choices remain the same. I spent the day in the beautifully elegant Terre d'Iris by Miller Harris. From their website:

Bergamot, rose and iris, all mossy and earthy notes. This scent is inspired by the heat, citrus, moss, pine and sea air of the Cote d’Azur.
Wear it whenever you can, as it is a light and unusual feminine scent that works fabulously on the skin.

This evening I changed into the singing, ringing, Trussardi:

Top notes:
Corinader, hyacinth, galbanum, bergamot
Middle note :
Ylang ylang, jasmine, rose, tuberose
Base note :
Cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli, styrax

Ahh, tomorrow, I shall wear another Chypre, a new acquisition of mine: Mitsouko Parfum. Let's hope the peach isn't prominent

I chose Bandit for my Sniff 'n' Speak.
I bought the EDP last year after an initial sniff proved interesting. However, I quickly discovered that it was not for me. I'd heard that Bandit was raunchy, but on me, she proved rather frigid.

It's a cold, grey day and the sky is a pale, uniform grey. A British Racing Green sports car is parked on the side of the road. Bandit sits inside on the chilly leather seats and shivers. An air freshener - something vaguel floral - hangs from the rearview mirror. Bandit's beau is trying to make out with her but she's cold and tired and not in the mood. She slaps his hand away. Outside, it begins to rain...

Bandit extrait, however, is another story.

She isn't parked by the side of the road; no. She's driving fast, and she laughs as her beau tries to slip his hand up her skirt. The windows of the car start to steam up; she pulls over and drags him into the back seat, careless of the flowers he bought for her. They roll around on the warm leather. There's a scent; crushed petals, leather, hot bodies. This Bandit is another woman entirely.

....and I'm on my way to get it RIGHT NOW!!! Whew!!

Couldn't get logged on to Basenotes for some reason yesterday. I wore Ysatis by Givenchy a perfume that I have always liked, and occasionally tested, but never bought. Maybe its age thing but it has never smelled so good on my skin as it does now. Clear and 'soapy clean' at first it dried down to a lovely soft spicy musk blend. I think the notes include vanilla, iris, rose, amber and clove. The latter I am not usually fond of but it is perfectly blended in Ysatis, adding a soothing herbal touch. Chanel No.19 is my all time favourite chypre but I think there is a space on my wish list for Ysatis.

First I applied a little bit of my Ava Luxe Dark Chypre sample to the inside of my elbow for the double word score, and to help me make sure of my next choice-- Fantasque by Louis Feraud for Avon. I've been feeling nostalgic for my old perfumes of days gone by lately, possibly because I'm having trouble settling down with anything contemporary, so I indulged in an old bottle of this from ebay.

The notes as copied from an old listing on ebay France:

Notes de tête: Rose, jasmin, osmanthus et tubéreuse et épices.
Notes de coeur: Mousse de chêne, géranium bourbon
Notes de fond: Bois de santal, labdanum et de vetivier.

I spent some time sniffing between my wrists and elbow and while I'm not great at picking out notes, I can see the similarity that makes these chypre-y. And now I recall that same thing about Ysatis and Paloma Picasso, two more old favorites. In fact, this day has helped me see that I've tended toward chypres often over the years-- Knowing, Jil Sander, Safari (I currently have Narciso Rodriguez, but don't really "get it" here). I think it's time to revisit The Perfumed Court and see if I'm not really a Wolf in Chypre's clothing!

The florals in Fantasque start big, especially the jasmine and tuberose (I think), and it reminds me a lot of Ysatis. These sit up nicely for a couple of hours on some green/woody-ness and what must be the oakmoss (mousse de chene). Both this and the Dark Chypre are somewhat "soapy" to my nose, but less so with the Fantasque. The bottle I have now is the cologne, and to my memory seems a little sharper in the middle than what I once had. Perhaps it is a bit off. After the florals back away, the sharpness comes and goes, and then a creamy green forest smell settles in. It's fading now (about four hours), but that's okay. I'm looking forward to my stoe: Paloma Picasso!

P.S. Never applied PP, the Fantasque has lingered all evening. I thought it was fading, but it hung in thru making dinner, watching a movie, cleaning the kitchen, suffering the web... and I expect I'll wake up in it tomorrow. Yum!

Scent twins with Lievje, Rochas Femme for me as well today. (I'm wearing the current version, edp.)

A glorious fruity chypre, sensuous, full bodied and voluptuous, with loads of sillage. Big and bold, it also has an intimate, close quality that evokes the scent of warm, sweet skin of a woman just waking from sleep. Perfume for a woman, not a girl.

Couldn't log in today but spent the day in the wonderful Un Histoire de Chypre - twins with ComDiva.
Though this isn't by a female nose - I wore it in honor of the ladies here who initiated me in my first ever bottle split

:wave::wave:

I wore Mitsouko today for Chypre day. It was my second time to give it a try, my first wearing being less than successful. And today was about the same ... Mitsouko does not love my skin.

I saw so many of you wearing Bandit today, and I wish I would have worn it also. Bandit is 100 times better on my skin than Mitsouko. I guess I don't think of Bandit right away when thinking of Chypres. I admit to being more than a little confused by this Chypre classification. I mean, it's easy when oakmoss is listed in the notes, but it gets a bit vague when oakmoss is not listed.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy the Sniff n Speak days so much. It allows me to stretch a little and wear something I normally wouldn't wear. It allows me to learn a little more about the different classifications. It allows me to read other's views and thoughts about some fragrances I'm not familar with.

Back to Mitsouko. I admire and respect Mitsouko, even if I don't like it much.

Here is a Wolf in Chypre Clothing reporting: Miss Balmain for me today -- female name and light and fresh roses all on the background of Balmanesque "erasers" so perfect for a nice first day of calendar spring.

Bandit refuses to work for me, I promise I tried!

Me neither.

Sleeping in Trussardi as a finale. I like everything about this EXCEPT the dreadful bottle!

Couldn't log in yesterday - so reporting this morning.

Started the day in Dior - Dioressence (floral chypre).
Green violet powder. Fairly high sillage for the first hour or so. Begins to develop that hint of musk as the sillage calms (about 90 minutes or so). Then spice and orange notes - the orange appears as a tart note. Get a bit of “fizziness” 2 hours in (the aldehydes?) mixed with the main green floral powdery note. Becomes closer wearing. At 5 hours - a spicy benzoin vanilla. Very pretty. Lasting much longer this time. Showered after 6 hours.

Spent the rest of the day in Guerlain - Mitsouko (decided to use this as my benchmark)
Get a sweetish citrus (like orange oil) blast before I get the green floral powder. Then I start picking up a peach/vanilla sillage running through this. The scent alternates between the green floral powder and the peach/vanilla for an hour - but only on the sillage. If you sniff your wrist - it’s the dusty green floral powder. A spice note appears among the peach/vanilla about 30 minutes in and that note begins to appear more often. If you sniff your wrist - you get lotion and the dusty green powder (with a much stronger powder note). Very interesting how different this scent is up close vs. from a distance. Up close - BF deemed it “weird”. More admiringly rather than “please don’t wear that again.” Becomes the pretty vanilla/musky drydown in 4 hours. Still going pretty strong at 8 hours this wearing and finally gone the next morning.

From what I was able to sniff - the similarity between the two is the green dusty note that dominates the top and heart of the scent. The Dioressence is woven with violets. The Mitsouko is woven with fruit and vanilla.

I appreciate both of them, though I'll admit it may take me awhile (like, a few more decades) to really feel at home in Chypres. All of them I have attempted have worn me rather than the other way around. Like I'm playing "dress up". Still, dress up is fun every once in awhile....

Guerlain Mitsouko - Hmm, wanted to wear this for SnS too, so did it today, I'm wearing the Parfum, I get a bit of citrus and slight bergamot, with no aldehydes for about 20 minutes, after this, I get the soft green florals coming through, along with a fair helping of clove which slightly overpowers. I'm unaware of the traditional smell of Oakmoss, but the base still is still slightly remenicsent of a Peachy-Clove, along with a helping of what I presume to be oakmoss, and a bit of dry musty benzoin. I love it. I think because I have an oldish formation of the Parfum, the top notes have mainly worn off, as I don't get the lemon and aldehyde combo that I think would have been fantastic. Thankfully, the peach isn't too prominent on me either!

So, I finished my sample of Bandit yesterday, for SnS. My thoughts on this classic chypre:

- Most chypres have WAY too much aldehydes for my nose - so does Bandit, but the way that they're blended with the top notes (galbanum) and the leather makes them fade into the background just perfectly and allows me to enjoy this fragrance. I must admit that the first two or three minutes at the beginning of application are not my favorite, but it seems that as it sits on my skin and warms up, the scent starts to magically transform itself
- The leather note in Bandit is sharp. For this reason, I enjoy this fragrance during the day and have worn it twice in the hot summer sun and enjoyed it immensely. I don't know if I could say the same for Tabac Blond and/or Mitsuoko, which to me are much darker and scents that blossom indoors.
- I like Bandit because it's florals (rose, tuberose, ylang ylang) are 'butched' up and don't carry too much sillage on my skin
- I now realize that the leather chypres are my favorite category of chypres. Beautiful, but strong (almost brutal) also.

Found this cool ad for the perfume online:

Did somebody say Jean-Louis Scherrer EDT? I've worn it for years, usually in summer. I haven't read anything about it except someone who wrote that it smelled like the inside of an old lady's purse (ouch!) It comes up bitter/spicy at first and then softens beautifully. I think there is a top note of cinnamon. I didn't know it was a chypre (I am somewhat new to the analytical side of this) until now.

Sorry I'm late.

Saturday I wore Patou Colony, a fruity chypre. We had a warm spell that day, the temps were in the 80s.

In Jan Moran's Fab Fragrances II, she says

top notes - pineapple, bergamot;
heart notes - ylang-ylang, iris, carnation, opopanax;
base notes - oakmoss, leather, musk, vetiver, vanilla.

Nigel Grooms New Perfume Handbook has a slightly different pyramid, he says

top notes - pineapple, ylang-ylang;
middle notes - iris, oakmoss, carnation, opopanax, vetiver;
base notes - leather, castoreum, musk.

The pineapple usually gets all the press, but I don't think it is a juicy or edible pineapple exactly. It reminds me of the thick green leaves and rind ground underfoot. The oakmoss/animalic base is what attracts me most...

31 rue Cambon.

31 rue Cambon.

31 rue Cambon.

In tiring decades of nothing special, 31 rue Cambon dawns a new day for this classification.

For all of his otherwise forgettable work, Jacques Polge put the sun back in the parfumerie horizon with this masterwork.

For any self-respecting chypre lover, 31 rue Cambon, currently only available in EDT, steers a new course.

Take it.