Chypre | A journey of a perfume to an accord.

       Chypre is a genre of perfume that spawned in the  Mediterraneans and holds a lot of stories from the past about the creation and evolution of perfumery. This one particular family of perfumes has inspired many a modern scents and for better or worse has changed much more than any other style of perfumery. Chypre De Coty, a creation that was designed by François Coty in 1917, gracefully holds the baton of being a yardstick to judge a chypre perfume, although Chypre perfumes were created even before Coty’s version of it. The reason for its importance can also be credited to the fact that it was the first Chypre to be produced for the masses. Most of us have zero clues as to what Chypre De Coty smelt like and we might not even get a chance to. Perfumers of the modern era thrive to make it like it was once made and the enthusiasts enjoy it in all of its forms. The history behind chypre is fascinating which gives an insight into how they came into existence and it might serve a road map to understand them.

History and evolution of Chypre

  Chypre was essentially a green fragrance before it found its ways to the many interpretations and eventually took form of an accord. It is a branch of perfumery that has seen the most shifts in the history for fragrances from its early creation to the modern world of perfumery. In ancient Egypt perfumes were considered very holy and a personal property of the Pharaoh and the priests who considered it as a symbol of power, while in Cypress perfumes were used by everyone and even produced at a domestic level, girls were anointed and perfumed regardless of their social status.

  There was a time when the scents were more focused on florals or citruses and the perfumes were made for the royal families and their subordinates but eventually the shift happened and anyone who could afford perfume could wear it. The harems were scented with such perfumes and the commoners were wearing them just as much. This created a demand for a more complex structure of perfumes and that started the era of Chypre and other complex scents all over again. Eugiene Rimmel in 1880 created a Chypre for Catherien of Russia and later in the year 1913 Malhame Bichara made Chypre De Limassol, but it was Chypre de Coty which opened doors for chypre for the modern perfumers.

Historical events and the role of women in them play a vital role in the progression of Chypre. The early 19th century was a time when fashion industry took a big hit due to the wars. While women worked even before the war but not in huge numbers and they were intact with ongoing fashions and its changes, war changed a lot of things and especially the role of women in it. During the First World War when men were on the frontline fighting for their respective countries, women had started working in factories, hospitals, as drivers for the ambulances and many such places. This slowed down the fashion industry and since perfume is a part of it, that took a hit as well. 

         The end of war came with a new wave of perfumes; Chypre de Coty was introduced around the same time followed by Guerlain Mitsouko which introduced the peach note in structure of chypre making it the first fruity chypre. With more creative minds making an attempt to create their own style of chypres the notes kept getting added and the formulas started evolving with oakmoss and labdanum being  at the core. Vetiver and Patchouli were used for their green earthiness to give more strength to the base, Civet to support Labdanum’s animalic base, green and fresher notes like Galbanum and artmeisa for their greenness, rose was also being used which introduced a floral chypre. There were many such changes leading to the several branches of chypre. 

     Until 1970, Chypre was a medium of showcasing command and independent nature of women, they wore it more for its complexity and it’s depth. It was something different as compared to the other perfumes. Before YSL introduced its Opium, an oriental perfume for women and brought about a huge change in the perfume industry and challenging the chypres with their novelty. 

 

Notes

The first note that comes into our minds when we think of a chypre is Oakmoss, a note in perfumery which has sadly been advised to be used in restricted quantities by IFRA; they must have right reasons to do so. The other notes that form an important part of the accord are Bergamot, Orris Root, Jasmine, Patchouli and Labdanum. This was the earliest structure of a chypre perfume as we know it through Coty’s version and as time went, perfumers with their talent and love for the art made numerous iterations of it which led to a few branches of chypre, Floral Chypre, Fruity Chypre, Leather Chypre, Aldehydic Chypre, Green Chypre, etc.

 

Oakmoss is used as a fixative in perfumes which helps in elongating the life of perfume and often dominates a chypre with its velvety texture, its majestic powdery nuance and subtle earthiness; it gives character to a perfume and sometimes even takes control of the entire perfume. Oakmoss is essentially a green fragrance which feels very damp or moist but it is strong and it can be offensive to few.  Oakmoss has a history of its own. The Cypriots made chypre but the idea of using oakmoss as a fragrant material is even older. It was the Etruscans who used it first and the Romans inherited its application from them, which would explain the name given of Francesca Bianchi’s perfume called Etruscan Water. ‘The public opinion was convinced that the oak (vis, roboris, which in Latin refers to both the tree of the oak and to physical and moral strength) transmitted to man its own strength and resistance through the moss, which had absorbed the lifeblood of the tree.’(Belgiorno, Maria Rosaria: - The Perfume of Cyprus: from Pyrgos to François Coty the route of a legendary charm.)

 

Labdanum is a resin obtained from the shrubs and it is oily and waxy. They contain essential oil that smells divine. Labdanum is very much a mysterious resin, it starts off smelling sweet, warm and when tried as an essential oil it would remind anyone if a few Ambre fragrances since it forms a crucial part of the Ambre accord. Labdanum has also some history to tell, it was used in making Kiphy in Egypt and also used in incense sticks in Jewish temples, its use is also mentioned in the bible. When smelt in its raw form it tends to give off the incense vibe but at the end of it, labdanum feels animalic and yet has hints of incense.

          

Iris/Orris Root is the name of the flower, of very ancient origin has been attributed in the Greek pantheon to the goddess Iris the messenger of Gods. Iris is an exceptionally alluring ingredient that contributes its sweet talc like essence to the perfume; it is soft and glossy in texture. The only challenge with this note is that if it is added in large quantities it could end up making the perfume smell like baby powder and it will not let the other notes play their part. There has always been puzzle as to which part of the plant is the oil extracted from, it is the roots, hence called orris root and it is often called Orris butter for its creamy character. It is also famous for being one of the most expensive ingredients in perfumery. Iris was used in many forms such as powders, pomades, gloves were scented with them, and sachets of them were hung in Royal courts. The scent of orris usually interested the women for its floral and tenacious nature at the time when it was especially crafter or extracted for the royal families, it made a statement and it was exquisite. 

   

    

 Bergamot is probably one of the most used notes in modern perfumery for its tarty, sparkling and joyous character. Almost every perfume enthusiast is familiar with this note because of its application in a number of perfumes. It was first used somewhere in the 1686 by a Sicilian gentleman who managed to extract the essence of its peel, while in 1706 Paolo Feminis developed Cologne water which was heavily commercialized in their very own town by his son-in-law, Gian Maria Farina. The fragrance of bergamot is pretty simple but it is an important note for it gives a fresh, zesty and tart like start to a perfume if added in large quantities. It is usually added to the top of a perfume and blends well with other citruses on the top to make a fresh accord.

Jasmine, a symbol of purity and love gives off a very rich, warm and opulent scent. The two most knowm types of Jasmine used in perfumery are Jasmine Grandifloraum which is spanish Jasmine that smells creamy and fruity and the other one is called Jasmine Sambac which is an Arabian Jasmine, its is lighter and has more sweetness. The Jasmine which gives off a slighty indolic scent is an aroma chemical made in the lab. The mix of natural and aroma chemical of Jasmine to obtain a fragrance that’s sweet, indolic and creamy is possible and often attempted.  The importance of Jasmine isnt just limited to the various cultures but also across various beauty products where it plays a vital role. In perfume industry it is considered as one of the most exquisite and treasured scents and it can be well observed in all genres, especially chypres. 

Perfumes :-

1) Chypre Siam created by Manuel Cross of Rouge Perfumery, who is a chef by profession. His fascination of perfumes motivated him to study the oils and aroma chemicals on his own and learn the art of perfumery. Chypre Siam is known and acclaimed to be one of the closest recreations of Coty’s Chypre which in itself is a huge compliment to the perfumer and his creation. 

The notes are: - Lime, Basil, Jasmine, Ylang- Ylang, Oakmoss, Civet, Benzoin, Spices, Leather, and Sandalwood.

Chypre Siam opens with sparkling citrus blast of basil and lime accompanied with a green and floral touch of Jasmine. From the very initial stage this let’s the oakmoss through irrespective of the other strong notes. Civet and spices change the heart of the perfume and join in with oakmoss and jasmine. At this point the perfume is at its best while portraying a chypre. 

 There is a very humbling sandalwood along in the drydown which isnt prominent during the entire life of perfume but does acts as a bed for the oakmoss to rest upon and give away it’s last breaths. 

2) Etruscan Water by Francesca Bianchi is yet another stunner when it comes to a chypre perfume. Her style has always been courageous and she manages to put her charm in her fragrances. Etruscan water plays homage to the people who first taught the use of Oakmoss since they had it in abundance. The perfume draws its inspiration from them has also focuses a lot on orris root which also was used as talc and flavor as well. Etruscan water is more like a bridge that connects the old school chypres and the modern chypres.

Etruscan water opens up with heavy dose of oakmoss, orris and caraway. The fresher notes like basil and Bergamot fade quickly taking the caraway away with them. Etruscan water showcases the change addition of vetiver in the base of a chypre structure very well, it lends it’s earthiness to the perfume and also some greenness. Ambergris and Orris are superbly done here to compliment oakmoss with their soft nuance. The heart of the perfume is very well take forward by the Jasmine, the indolic characters of the flower can be well experienced at this stage.  

The dry down here is pleasant with oakmoss and orris being very prominent. It remains green but also has the sweetness and the slight animalic nuances owing to the ambergris and probably the musk. A brilliant take on the genre. 

3) Chypre Mousse by Oriza L. Legrand. 

         Oriza L Legrand was started by Fargeon Aine in 1720, the perfumer and distiller to the court of King Louis XV. In 1811, Mr. Louis Legrand became the sole owner of the house hence the name Oriza L. Legrand. Oriza is the name derived from the Latin Rice , which the house used as powder to me make some of its early beauty products. In 1860, Antomin Raynaud took charge of the perfumery house and managed to built the first steam powered perfume factory. The house is knowm to be a provider to a lot of Royal courts and a preference for some royalties as their personal perfumers. 

    Chypre Mousse is very complex chypre, something that most would not even consider to be a chypre in the first spray. The galore of notes include :- Fennel, Mint, Green Notes and Clary Sage, Oakmoss, Angelica, Clover, Galbanum, Fern, Mastic or Lentisque and Violet Leaf, Soil tincture, Boletus edulis, Vetiver, Chestnut, resins, Pine Tree Needles, Labdanum and Leather.(Fragrantica) 

   The perfume was created in 1914, looking at the notes and the kind of perfumes that were made under the idea of a chypre fragrance, Oriza’s Chypre does seem a bit more daring and unusual. The top of the perfume has a very different story to tell as compared to the base of it. Fresh and sparkling green notes spread their joy around the top, while the earthy and mossy notes stay behind and let the top do their job. Here after the perfume goes in a different direction, leaning towards an earthy and mossy fragrance. The note of soil tincture is what makes this concoction earthier than most of its competitors in the time. A very fascinating thing to note about the perfume is that it doesn’t let the leather note in the base get overshadowed or overwhelmed. The leather along with the labdanum creates the perfect aura the base which is required for it to be a chypre. The green and mossy undertones are still evident and at this stage the perfume shows its chypre character the best. 

 

     It is a genre that is loved by a person when he/she has spent enough time around fragrances, seldom does one love them instantly. It is also because every perfume enthusiast has a journey of their own, they start with things which are simple, then complex and things that are mature and eventually start appreciating perfumes without worrying about the compliments , this is when you become one with any perfume because now, you’re wearing it for yourself alone.

     A chypre is a feeling of a cold wind in a damp forest, a genre that binds us with the history of fragrances, starting from its use by royalties to its numerous iterations and forms whispering in our noses about the evolution of scents. A family of fragrance that is mastered by a few , artistically attempted by many and respected by every fragrance enthusiast. 

                                                          - Rajiv Burad.