You
might have heard the word ‘chypre’ banded about in relation to
perfume. Well it’s not an ingredient, but a type of fragrance,
which is slightly more sophisticated and seductive compared to
conventional, ‘girly’ floral bouquets…
A
chypre traditionally consists of bergamot, lavender and
oakmoss. Bergamot
is a citrus fruit that isn’t eaten but normally used in fragrances
to give them a fresh, zesty top note. Lavender is common in men’s
fragrances, which is why chypre scents tend to have a more masculine
or unisex in character (in the more recent versions, it’s swapped
out for more feminine floral notes like jasmine and patchouli). While
oakmoss – another masculine ingredient, gives this type of scent a
woody, warm quality.
There
are many different types and interpretations of what a chypre
is. Which
makes it notoriously tricky to define, but they broadly tend to be
more ‘dry’ and richer in character rather than sweet and
‘pretty’. You have Diorella by Dior, created in 1972 – which
has more of a fresh, floral bouquet, while Chanel No.19 is a green
and musky affair. And Guerlain’s famous Mitsouko from 1919 is
what’s known as a ‘fruity chypre’ with peachy accords, together
with enveloping notes of jasmine, patchouli, cinnamon and clove,
making this a popular winter perfume. And Clinique’s classic
Aromatics Elixir that your mum probably wore back in the day? That’s
a chypre too –with a rich floral and resinous – almost medicinal
quality to it.
A
modern take on chypre would probably be Charlotte Tilbury’s Scent
of a Dream which launched in 2016.
The typical chypre construction is there, with bergamot, jasmine and
patchouli with a woody base – but also added are synthetic notes of
iso e super, hedione and ambroxan which are designed to enhance your
body’s natural pheromones i.e. ‘pulling hormones’, putting a
seductive spin on the traditional chypre. £49 charlottetilbury.com
