Chypre
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Chypre is a name used to describe a family (or concept) of perfumes, usually with a top note of citrus and woody base notes derived from oak moss and ambergris.
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[edit] 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 Luca Turin, the two fragrances that began to abstract that idea were Coty's Chypre and Chanel No. 5 (created in 1921).[2]
[edit] Style
Modern chypre perfumes have various citrus, herbaceous, floral and animalic notes, but all tend to have a "warm" and "woody" theme, which consists of a base accord of:
- Oak moss
- "Amber" (ambergris and related synthetics)
Civet or another animalic note is usually added to this accord as a fixative and to give it fullness. The most common modifiers to this basic accord include patchouli, bergamot, rose and rock rose (Cistus ladaniferus).[3]
[edit] Sub-families of chypre
- Floral chypre, such as Knowing by Estée Lauder
- Fruity chypre, such as Rochas Femme by Rochas, Citrus Bigarrade by Creed, or Liberté by Cacharel
- 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
- Leathery chypre, such as Cuir de Russie by Chanel
[edit] References
- ^ See Musées de Grasse, the International Perfume Museum
- ^ Chandler Burr, The Emperor of Scent (Arrow Books, London, 2002), ISBN 0-09-946023-8
- ^ Definition of the chypre family from Musées de Grasse
