#40 Chypre Perfume

Chypre ~ (n.) a nonalcoholic perfume containing oils and resins

Citrus • Floral • Incense

Cyprus, the Mediterranean island & birthplace of Aphrodite lends its French name to one of the most successful and long-lasting fragrance families, the Chypre.

Home to the oldest perfume factory in the Mediterranean four thousand years ago, abandoned after an earthquake, the first distilling device was found among its ruins. Analysis of receptacles found at the site has revealed traces of some of the first raw materials that were used at the time to make perfumes.

Recreated with similar botanicals found at this site, this perfume is built around a resinous accord. It’s structure starts with a powerful blast of fresh citrus notes followed by a floral heart of rose, neroli & jasmine absolutes. The base combines smooth incense-amber-like labdanum with a touch of angelica, orris root & nutmeg.

The result is a unique layering of olfactory sensations where bright shimmering top notes contrast sharply with the musky and balsamic warmth of darker base notes. The effect is magical & it’s no wonder perfume lovers are often partial to the Chypre style of scents.

Staying historicity accurate, there is no bergamot, oak moss or patchouli yet in the 18th century chypre. The Chypre scent is associated with sophistication, the highest coveted of perfume families to date & is perfect to wear on cooler evenings.

The Chypre fragrance family is the “feminine” counterpart to the mostly “masculine” Fougere fragrances.

Welcome to our perfume library! Years in the making, inspired by beautiful, unique words, this new collection of natural perfume has been created for one to layer, merge together, apply ritually, creating their own unique signature scent.

Our own smell is personal to us, and completely unique. How we smell is predetermined, and comes from the same genes which determine our body’s tissue type. We all have our ‘scent blind spots’, smells which we cannot pick up. This means that we all smell things differently, and the scents we enjoy are entirely unique to us.

Since time immemorial, people have approached fragrance ritualistically, layering on multiple oils, or attars. To have the most surprising effect, it’s important to blend fragrances that have diverse facets. Some scents that you can’t put together in the same bottle or formula, because they’re too extreme and turn out smelling horrible, are actually wonderful when you blend them in a layering process. Perfume layering is the best way to explore new aromas, merging untraditional ingredients to create one’s personal story upon the flesh.

What does your story have to say?

15ml clear glass apothecary bottle.