What are chypre perfumes?
Chypre, French for Cyprus, became particularly famous after the successful launch of "le Chypre de Coty" by perfumer Francois Coty in 1917. This complex creation became thé reference for an entire group of perfumes, known as the chypre fragrance family.
The term chypre covers a fragrance genre, or a so-called fragrance family. Typically a chypre is characterized by citrus top notes of bergamot, a full-floral heart with jasmine and rose, and a woody-mossy base with oakmoss, cistus labdanum and patchouli.
Chypre perfumes are not for everyone, only for those who appreciate complexity and layered compositions. However there are also more easygoing chypre perfumes with more musk in the base or for example with a fruity top, like Sublime Balkiss for example. When appreciated, chypres are exciting and elegant, and certainly worthwhile to discover!
Discover chypre perfumes
Where does the term chypre come from?
When Francois Coty created the perfume “Le Chypre de Coty”, it was a perfume with mainly ingredients from Mediterranean countries. Francois probably chose this name in memory of the French name for the island of Cyprus. This creation became the reference and name for a whole group of perfumes, now known as the chypre fragrance family.