Chypre

This review is of a vintage Coty Chypre Eau de Toilette from the 50's. Chypre is generic, in the sense that it established an entire genre of fragrances with one simple structure: citrus, resin, lichen. In this case - bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss. A central structure so flexible yet high quality that it allowed thousands of fragrance ideas to come to life. The chypre is probably my favorite type of fragrance. It always hits the right spot, as long as the chypre "smell" is there. So, yes, Chypre is generic because it has that "chypre" smell, but smelling this vintage juice from the 50's is kind of like stumbling upon a lost city in the wild where all taboos and societal limitations run free. It is a timeless accord, paired with a civet note that couldn't have been done any better. There are very few animalic chypres out there, but Coty was able to pull off civet with a fleshy, sexual warmth better than any Guerlain ever could. And, it's not to say that Guerlain sucks at civet - Jicky and Shalimar are both awesome fragrances. However, Chypre is MY kind of civet. While I do smell a faint resinous labdanum note in Chypre, the supporting structure (middle) is decidedly floral, with prominent notes of jasmine and iris lending to that signature "starchy" smell of a chypre. There's also a strange "fishy" note in there, but it's not intrusive or unpleasant. The base is a faint mossy green smell. Overall, Chypre EDT takes about 5 to 6 hours to evolve on my skin. I've heard people say before that Chypre de Coty is a dark, green, bewitching fragrance that is hard to love. I don't find it evil at all - in fact, I find it just as friendly as Mitsouko. Chypre is like Mitsouko's wild, unchained sister. It's the perfect fragrance for a hippie that likes to smell nice. It's a crime that Chypre, one of the most important fragrances ever, has been lost to the world, and I'm going to try and get as much as I can of it before it vanishes for good. Hopefully someday it will come back in all or most of its former glory. Also, in terms of what the original Chypre is closest to, it has the starchiness of Mitsouko, but it's not fruity at all. It has a greener character, sort of like Givenchy III.

[1300] Coty Chypre is significant, as it is the perfume that originated the scent family of the same name. I have a tiny vial of the parfum version of Chypre from Perfumed Court. As it is only marked as "vintage" I can't decipher its era, but it is truly brilliant, encompassing all that I love about this genre. As a chypre fangirl, I have long wanted to try this. Chypre is indeed an old-fashioned chypre, classic in style, a truly brilliant example of its genre. No wonder it spawned a whole scent family. The legendary Mitsouko was Guerlain's response to this, going on to become the reference and gold-standard chypre. Chypre opens with tart bergamot, as fresh as if it had been added yesterday. I get some orange alongside it, enhanced by the orange blossom note that paves the way to the spiced floral heart. The floral notes are bold and realistic, dry and powdery in the manner of vintage perfumes. I get rose and jasmine in particular, with carnation adding clove-like spice. The oakmoss emerges alongside the bouquet, developing in the background and paving the way to the chypre accord of the base. It complements the florals to perfection, lush, earthy and dark. The animalic base follows, dirty and musky with a prominent civet note, the kind of base that doesn't exist anymore. It remains dry and woody, with a pinch of patchouli adding earthiness to the chypre accord in the later stages. The powdery florals fade from view here, with just remnants remaining. It is full-bodied and dense, very well-blended throughout. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting. It is unisex, as is the case with most classic chypres. The original chypre, and a contender for the best if it had been preserved. A piece of perfume history. 5/5.

Coty's Chypre...This may be the most beautiful scent I have ever worn, and I wish with all my perfume-loving heart that they would re-issue it exactly as originally formulated. I bought a bottle of vintage EdT, which I'm forcing myself to use slowly. In the opening moments, there is citrus, including a lovely bergamot; quickly followed by a hint of civet, and then flowers---rose, jasmine, orange blossom, perhaps. Then I smell something spicy, and a bit of deep, rooty iris scent. There is a lightly green quality at this stage, with almost a mint smell, and a rich bed of oakmoss and the dry styrax underlying all. I don't see them in the notes, but I feel as if there are some resins in this: labdanum, especially. The first several applications from my older bottle seemed to have a pronounced powdery vintage note (a la Coty face powder) which took a while to dissipate, but subsequent sprays have much less of that quality, for some reason. This is not, on me, a strong perfume. Sillage is pretty close, definitely within arm's length on a warm day and more subtle even than that on cooler days. Duration is perhaps four hours. It clings to cloth, but loses some of itself; what I smell lingering in clothing is jasmine, rose, and civet, more reminiscent of Joy than of Chypre. I will seek out the re-issue of this from 1986, which is said to be rather different but still beautiful; but I will always be watching for bottles of the older Chypre, in any form. For me, this perfume is like coming home to oneself---one's best self, sensual and smart and in touch with all things ancient and profound. Chypre is the scent of a woman dancing between the green earth and starry heavens, beautiful and mortal and ecstatic...

I'm blessed to have a friend who turned me on to this scent back in the earlier 1990s, and am now sitting on a decent-sized stash of this wonderful perfume! Many younger perfumistas tend to view Mitsouko as the archetypal chypre, and if they dislike Mitsouko, they give up on all chypres. Don't know if it is an idiosyncrasy of my nose or not, but Mitsouko does NOT smell to me like most of the perfumes which I consider a chypre, such as Coty's Chypre, Crepe de Chine, Intimate, Paloma Picasso, Miss Dior (the original), Ma Griffe, and many others. In fact, I've never cared for Mitsouko, with its fruitiness and a host of Guerlain oriental spices mixed into the base. Guerlain's traditional bases have never worked well with my nose or my chemistry. And it doesn't matter how many paeans are written to their glory, the only thing that matters when you spray on a scent is whether it appeals to your nose. What I love so much about Coty's Chypre is that it also has an elegant, perfuminess about it, allied to the green honeyed, mossy freshness of the chypre basenotes. The base holds onto this perfume-y character so that one feels ensconced in the beauty of the floral notes. | p.s. Bandit, alike mentioned as a big chypre, is also not necessarily a typical chypre. It's a very dry, leathery type of chypre, and it's on the far side of the spectrum at one end. Bandit and Cabochard have never been anything I could stomach either.

Heartbreaker Chypre I have a reissued 70s (maybe early 80s? I'm not sure when this was finally discontinued) bottle of Coty Chypre Eau de Parfum strength. And I love it. This is one of the most lovely perfumes I have ever worn. CC possesses almost human characteristics of grace, dignity, beauty, and hope. When I wear this I want nothing more than to sit quietly, concentrate, and just experience. The top bergamot, lemon, and lime notes in the head notes are not only intact, they smell incredibly fresh and dense and they last for well over an hour. The floral part is interesting, because at first CC becomes a bit spicy and smells like carnations paired with civet, but that fades into a stunningly perfect blend of iris and sandalwood and ylang ylang, supported by incense and a bit of rich musk. That part lasts for hours and hours, and it is so gorgeous. The base surprisingly is light, and smells like woods, incense, and oakmoss. The lasting power is very good, well over 8 hours, but it wears close to the skin. You know you have those big bombastic 70s green chypres, or 80s rose chypres, whose elements seem huge and encompassing? CC is nothing like those later chypres. In fact it is extremely delicate and refined and balanced, nothing is loud or trying to outshine anything else. CC is almost otherworldly, it gives the sensation of being just out of reach, something you can sense but not take hold of.

I just acquired a small bottle of Chypre parfum from around 1960, and with so many opinions already written, there really is no way to prepare for how it actually smells. I expected to be reminded of Mitsouko, and in a distant way I am, but I was very surprised by the opening, which made me think more of Ma Griffe. Chypre is full of oakmoss, top to bottom, and with it the opening has bergamot and sage for a slightly tangy green start (here's where I catch aspects of Ma Griffe). Civet startled me a few minutes in when it briefly darted out like a kitten lunging for my foot but then disappeared just as quickly. As the heart comes into focus, I get lots of orris, jasmine, and a touch of rose joining the oakmoss. It's at its most powdery here, never too sweet, but definitely more "feminine" for a little while. About two hours in I realized that the labdanum in the base was warming up and joining the overall glow. This was in some ways what I expected and in other ways very surprising. The initial impact was amazing to me, though it was in the rather quiet drydown that I really smelled the shadows of perfumes to come. I am so glad I finally had the chance to smell this incredible perfume.

Coty's iconic Chypre is a classic right up there with Chanel No.5 but alas a treasure now lost. I imagine my mother wearing it when she was a sylish young woman in the 1950s before her marriage, although I don't know that she ever did. Heavy with oakmass and civet, it will not be to everyone's taste and may indeed be deemed unwearable by those used to a more casual lifestyle or brought up to today's 'clean' scents. I own a little bottle of Chypre perfume that I take great pleasure in but confess to only sniffing, partly because it is a precious commodity in short supply and partly because it makes such a formal statement that there are few occasions in my own life where I could imagine wearing it. Catbuiscuit's review provides an excellent description of this vintage beauty, I can only add that if you are seriously into perfume you owe it to yourself to seek it out.

Who bought bottle after bottle in the late 70s-80s? I did. And I possess an early 80s splash bottle that is pristine, unchanged, and carefully kept, so much so that I rarely use it. On a whim, I reached into my perfume cabinet a few days ago and touched it to my wrists. And then I was transported back not just to my adolescent years but also the roaring 1920s (it's fun that it will be 2020 soon...). From a beaded flapper shift dress to an elegant cocoon wrap I can imagine a woman going through her days and nights, her hopes and dreams freshly surrounding her, while she fairly skips on city streets. Her cloche hat sports a peacock feather, her chiffon dress floats around her calves. And her Chypre transmits her confidence and joy.

I have in my Coty collection both a 70's/80's rendition, and some that are earlier, but I'm not sure exactly how old. Certainly one is from ca. 1940's, in a tiny, rounded bottle with a brass jacket, the other perhaps earlier in a square glass flacon with a bakelite lid. The earlier juices are more camphoric and intense, with a deep green, soulful heart that will recall soiled sheets, ancient forests, and diminishing flowers. The progenitor of so many wonderful descendants. This is one worth searching for.

The original vintage extrait, well-preserved, is a revelation! In that iteration, I feel like I truly see the connection between fruity aromatic bergamot, oakmoss, indolic jasmine-leaning florals, and balsamic notes. The civet, animalics, iris, and coumarin give the base a sort of "skin-like" sensation, which harmonizes quite well with the fresher and more bombastic top. The overall impression is like a floral-citrus soap that lingers on someone's skin.

The day finally arrived in which I sprayed Chypre on left wrist, and Mitsouko on right wrist. I waited for the notes to develop. Mitsouko is sweeter, fruitier, ladylike proper, a piano sonata in a moonlight setting. Chypre is downright sensuous, running free and teasing, enticing my loved one to tango. It's the CIVET, friends. One sniff and I want the fantasy to go on forever. Why did Coty turn off the music on this jewel?

Contrary to those who believe more modern offerings of this genre have improved upon the original, I will hold fast to this, Coty's Chypre. It is so mellow compared to Mitsouko with none of the high notes, so warm compared to Y, while still maintaining its "green". The moss note is incomparable. I will treasure my supply and save the bottle when it's gone.

As a lover of chypres (Knowing, Coriandre, and Magie Noire are favorites), I find Coty’s Chypre stunning. It starts out with a blast of oakmoss and as others have mentioned, it initially reminds me of Magie Noir but with less galbanum. The dry down is sweet, powdery, with resins, and similar to Youth Dew Bath oil which I have and adore.

Parfum is serious, brutal, tough and full of tension. Mainly bitter and dry green oakmoss and thick dark isobutylquinoline. There is not much floral aroma, but the presence of nitro musk can be found. Original version of Chypre is a scent that's hard to forget once you've smelled it, embodying Coty's pioneering strengths.

Would love to know which version users are reviewing as the EDT and EDP from the 80s or 90s smells almost nothing like the earlier perfume. I love both but they are basically two entirely different fragrances. They really should have two separate entries on Fragrantica. Both fragrances are near perfect creations though.

I have one of the bottles from the 1988 re-release, ad am astounded at how much they go for on e-bay. I love it as a fresh, "green" scent. Whenever I'm in the mood to wear green Coty Chyphre is my go-to fragrance, I love how it is both light and lasting. I hope that Coty brings it back again.

perfectly blended florals riding on a smooth oakmoss and musk to give a soapy scent but with more bite and sharpness without the often bitterness of oakmoss; sort of like Mitsouko with the floral toned down a notch, the oakmoss up a notch and no aldehydes

Still miss this beauty. Why hasn't Coty brought it back? Then again, it most likely would be reformulated. I am only familiar with the 80's edition. Many years later, many perfumes later, many Fragrantica suggestions later, I still hope.

Vintage. Beauty in simplicity. This is simply a wonderful chypre scent. I like it a lot.

(review based on sample from TPC) My first test of this archetypal fragrance was a little disappointing. The opening was fascinating, green and fresh but with an animalistic base (the civet?) that kept it interesting. Alas, on my skin the iris got pushy and kept reminding me of something worn by my grandmother the Avon lady. Still can't remember which one. When I got home that day my bedroom was full of the fresh, out-of-the-bottle Chypre lingering in the air from the morning's application. It was lovely. I was outdoors the day of my second test. The black locust trees are blooming, and that's it! If you've caught the fragrance of those trees in bloom, you know the spirit of this fragrance. Green, fresh, a hint of something heartbreakingly sweet, but something dark and bitter as well. Try this if you can find it, if only so you'll know.

I finally had the opportunity to sample this long-discontinued fragrance...and it was worth every cent! A wonderful, classic scent, elegant, warm, discreet and a tribute to the original Cote house. Chypre is my overall favorite group, and this truly is the original chypre; a brief citrus-bergamot opening, then into a warm and inviting floral heart made deep and luxurious by the oakmoss and patchouli. The civet is there but briefly and is not overpowering. Truly, truly wonderful!

Chypre By Coty (1917) is the ancestor, the Abraham patriarch for all chypre fragrances ever made. This is where it all began. When you buy a vintage bottle from eBay even at the price they are asking for, you invest into having a fragrance of epic proportions into your life. Now where do I start? This smells of late summer breezes and autumnal zephyrs gently breathing and sighing on a cliff populated by cypress trees over the Mediterranean. A wood, an orchard on the island, where one catches whiffs of fruit, flora and green moss on tree branches and roots, where all is green and at peace. Chypre is named after the Greek island of Cyprus and that location is exactly where this fragrance will take you. Smells of an ancient BC perfume oil, redolent with patchouli and oak moss, styrax, and yes styrax was a commonly featured fragrance in perfumery in the Mediterranean by the Greeks and the Romans. Mare Nostrum (Our Sea). This is a fragrance that should be in an amphora! She is a perfume for Aphrodite who was born from sea-foam and was first seen in the island of Cyprus. Think of the Botticelli painting Birth of Venus. It is a perfume prepared by temple maidens as they prepare for the harvest festival. An veil of smoke and incense is the crowning note which gives it that verisimilitude and realism to the ancient world. Starts off with fresh and very aromatic green-and-orange notes. Green: the verbena and the leaves around orange flowers and orange blossoms, and the perfume of citrus. This is a very orangey scent as it begins with distinct notes of bergamot orange oil extract, Amalfi lemon and orange blossom. The scent is like passing through an orange grove. There is also something a bit dry from the start as it lacks aldehydes (had not been invented yet, this is a fragrance from 1917) and the greenery is dominant as a result. The greenish patchouli is almost immediately apparent, with herbal, aromatic tones. There are florals o yes there are florals. They are on the unisex soapy side, you know, like a green bar of soap Irish Spring. The carnation comes through first a green carnation, a cabbage rose, heady jasmine, ylang ylang with it's fresh-fruit scent, a sweet and fresh lilac or violet. These are lovely flowers and evoke a Floralia without going over-the-top. They are flower petals scattered about in honor of Venus. The dry notes are the winner in this cologne. The base is a big staple of chypre perfumery. Following the green theme, there is moss of oak, plenty of dark green moss, like the moss that grows over rocks and trees like in Ireland! This is almost like a swamp with green note galore. There's a lot of patchouli which become both oily and herbal, and there are woodsy notes, musk, styrax, and a touch of musk. There is a real living cive secretion so if you are not familiar with the civet, this might not be for you. It is not an aggressive civet note however nor does it ever turn animalic. It is a subdued civet and a soft and warm fur a la Paloma Picasso. The incense note keeps this warm, smoky, and consequently suited to wear in autumn and winter months. This is a warm and very fragrant perfume. It makes quite the statement. No one I know personally wears this so I stand out wearing it. Like I said before it's unisex and both men and women can pull it off. For men this is a very mysterious and mature Ralph Polo Green type of thing or a less complex Tsar Van Cleef & Arpels as well as Bijan. The notes are as aromatic as any of today's chypres for men but because this preceded the tricks of the trade with less aroma chemicals this is more natural and oily. It came to the point where I felt the act of spraying it on myself was quite strong so I removed the spray and turned this into a perfume oil and put it in a splash bottle instead. Great for wearing in the middle of autumn and winter with like a pea coat, and a trench coat. Very stylish and very intellectual, pensive, moody, serene, and elegant, a very deep fragrance for a deep thinker. Poetic and beautiful.

The first Coty Chypre was introduced in 1917, but since there was a reissue of it in the 1980's, reviews of it can be confusing and even conflicting since one needs to know which version is being reviewed to really understand the comparisons people are making to other chypres like Mitsouko or Miss Dior. I have the 1980's reissue of Coty Chypre in EDP and when I first smelled it I could see why people have said that it contained the "bones" of Mitsouko, etc. It's not sweet or pretty in any way and anyone who leans in the direction of fruity floral type scents, should not bother as it will have you screaming and running to the sink for the soap. You have to be a lover of bold chypres to fully appreciate it. I love it and think of it as a "handsome", meaty, herbal scent. However, reviews for the version BEFORE the reissue state that the two versions of Coty Chypre are actually two different perfumes. Some reviews lead me to imagine that the original was startling and almost brutal. Some said that it was a complete let-down after they finally smelled it and the the reissue was an improvement. Like everyone here, I'm obsessed with perfume, so my curiosity got the best of me and I had to compare the two for myself to understand why the reviews were so mixed and conflicting. I finally managed to nab (spent more than I should have)a small mini that is most likely from the late 1950's (judging from the style of the cap). When I received it, I immediately dabbed it on and let it play out. I would smell my wrists frequently as I moved about the house, working. My verdict is this and it wasn't at all what I expected: At first I was a little underwhelmed by the original version, as just out of the bottle and onto the skin, it's not nearly as bold and neon as the reissue. Instead it's rather quiet and subdued until it's warmed by the skin. There's definitely oakmoss right from the start, along with a soft rose. There is a big, unexpected, note of vetiver. As I wore it I was puzzled because I was never reminded of Mitsouko, in fact, the surprise for me was that this veered more into Djedi territory, so much so, that I applied Djedi to the back of my hand to compare. "What!?", I know you're saying by now, but that's what I'm getting from this original version of Coty Chypre: the "bones" of Djedi (1927) and not Mitsouko (1919). And I also think that the 1986 reissue of Coty Chypre may have been inspired by a combination of Mitsouko and Miss Dior. The Original Coty Chypre and the reissue are definitely two different scents. Which do I like best? It's hard to say as it's like apples and oranges. The reissue is one of my most cherished and satisfying chypres in my collection, but the original is so strangely beautiful, interesting and unexpected that I'm enjoying the pondering of it and already fretting that my new little bottle is not enough.

CHYPRE OR THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS The 1st Chypre Lauded as being the very first chypre fragrance, on me this is a Shalimar or Emeraude. It's definitely an Oriental with citrus notes and mossy oak. It has a lovely development and it's unisex, and elegant. Clark Gable was known to wear this fragrance. It must have smelled amazing on him and I wish I had been one of the many ladies that would have been close enough to his flesh to smell it on him. As it opens, the citruses are strong, astringent, medicinal and Shalimaresque. The citrus aftershave scent is substituting anise or aldehydes. But it's refreshing and enjoyable, and the citrus juice is warmer, like the rays of sun on your skin. The more I inhaled the aroma and let the fragrance induce dreams and free my imagination, the more I felt as if this fragrance was a scented description of the island of Cyprus. It's meant to evoke the Ancient World and the Mediterranean. It's a perfume jar in a Greek home. The citruses wear off and settle down into floral notes of ylang ylang, rose, jasmine, carnation and iris. They are not as powdery as I like despite the iris. It's a heavier carnation fragrance. The carnation is absolutely gorgeous. The florals wrap around you and seduce you like Circe from the Odyssey, the enchantress who seduced Odysseus and for a while had him in her thrall, making him forget his homeland, his queen, and his mission to return home. The floral notes begin to settle down and the iris scent begins to appear as if she had been competing with carnation. The iris is nocturnal and deep. Then I smelled an arragenment of Oriental notes that include: Syntax or a resinous tree bark scent, very earthy Patchouli, the green herbal shrub with a spicy smell Oak Moss: Smells like hanging moss on trees with a burnt incense type of smell Musk: Whether it's civet or some other animal it's a masculine musk and it lingers when the scent dries down to nothing. Beautiful, unisex, elegant, seductive. I wear this fragrance on autumn evenings in my black dresses to dinner dates with my friends. This aroma has long been a winner for me. Everything about it is just right. There's not too much musk, not too much incense, not too much smoke, and not too many flowers. It's classically composed and well behaved. She is a Mediterranean perfume of perfection.

A very classic, if not THE CLASSIC, chypre. The oldest versions from the 1910s and 20s have more depth and complexity, but the newer versions are no less lovely and classic. Over time this is one of few Coty's that didn't warp beyond recognition with formulation (namely Emeraude, L'Origan, L'Aimant relaunch in 90s/00s, etc.). There are undeniable additions of synthetics after the late 60s bottles when Nitromusk's began to be replaced and modern green molecules became much more trendy as opposed to minor supporting notes. With that said, expect a very stereotypical chypre: heavy on the bergamot and oakmoss. However, I've found modern interpretations of chypres to say that they must contain the following in order to be a true chypre: bergamot head, labdanum/rock rose, civet, patchouli, and an oakmoss base. If Coty Chypre contains labdanum, it's very quiet. The patchouli as well. 30s iterations have heavy bergamot, oakmoss, and civet. The oldest ones also clearly contain ambergris and have a saltier edge. More noticeable patchouli and possibly even resin products like benzoin to round out the sweetness in the base. The rose and iris are most prominent and natural heart notes. The rose is not jammy, but quite sharp. It smells like rose otto, but lacks the full-bodied nature and is more translucent. It smells closer to a white rose, but lacking the buttery and peppermint facets. Highly recommend it (especially the older editions) to get an idea of the category of Chypres. It's an excellent example of the classic structure and composition we have all come to know. Quite famous for a reason. Oakmoss fans who don't mind civet should like it very much. The oakmoss is certainly the star here. Also, strangely, my version has noticeable heart notes of lavender and possible small doses of artemisia. A previous vial I sampled was basically pure civet and oakmoss and smelled extremely dated and honestly quite disgusting. This perfume does not always age well! Finding a good one can be quite the task. (I stand by my old review. Some bottles smell strongly fecal and urinous. Definitely don't try it unless you'll be able to grab baking soda to scrub it off if necessary.)

THE FIRST CHYPRE I have a vintage from about 1917-1918 and a reformulation from the 80's which follows the original formula closely. This is a classic vintage lover's dream. If you like Coty's Emeraude you'll love his Chypre. This is also of great significance to the world of fragrance itself as this was the very first chypre perfume made of sandalwood and lots of woodsy notes. I could smell some opening citrus notes followed by iris hyancinth and jasmine. The flowers aren't big players here but they make their presence known. Then you get lost in the green forest that is this fragrance. An immense patchouli note envelopes you and the incense fills the sky. I smelt some oak moss which is not listed. This is an absolutely beautiful fragrance which time has almost forgotten. Don't let this treasure get away. It deserves to be in your home if you're a fan of historic fragrances. For me Francois Coty is the first true modern fragrance name. No it was not Chanel with her No. 5 or No. 22 (created by Ernest Beaux) in the 1900 to 1919 period Coty was the big name in fragrance and selling hit after hit: La Rose Jacqueminot, L'aimant and Emeraude. Chypre was a revolutionary new fragrance and spawned other members in it's fragrance family: Guerlain Mitsouko, Robert Piguet Bandit, and Chanel Pour Monsieur. This can wear like a man's cologne as well, again because of the opening citrus notes (orange, bergamot) and the woods that dominate this fragrance. It's not a floral but it does fall under the category of floral chypre. I will wear this only now and then especially fragrant in the autumn and winter months. The incense also gives it a lot of warmth. Thank you Francois Coty for giving the world your fragrances.

hot reaction, I had been looking for it for two years, for a ridiculous price, I managed to acquire a miniature of the Holy Grail of perfumery, Coty Chypre, I can't date it, Petiteminiature, with a green cap, packed in a small plastic box, with written on it in art deco letters, "CHYPRE DE COTY", wrapped in a gold thread, color, rust due to the time that has passed. I managed to delicately open the bottle, having taken great care, I only had some paper towel on hand to soak the holy liquid on it. Luckily, the juice is extremely, I mean extremely well preserved, the opening is spicy, it reminds me of carnation, we immediately smell the woody side of oak moss, the evolution goes towards a civet note, perfectly perceptible., to then finish on a clean soapy side, with of course this rough Chypre side. I feel like I've traveled back in time and opened a scented time capsule, I'm in heaven. Finally, to my nose, it's a clean, slightly powdery perfume, if I could compare it to other vintages that I have in my collection, it's very similar in its soapy and clean side to Coty's IMPREVU (very strange isn't it?), as if Bernard Champs had copied and pasted the initial formula at 80%, and by its start, it also resembles an old-fashioned Cologne by Monsieur Farina, and also, for the animal side that I smelled, I make a small comparison with Calvin Klein's Obsession, but from afar, for the animal side of the civet.

It wasn't the first, but it put the genre on the map. What I have in my possession isn't even by far the first iteration and argued to be quite dissimilar to the original, but I'd be damned if no one else found this version of Coty Chypre as glorious as I do. The 80s generation I own is stellar, opening with intact bergamot underlined with mildly indolic jasmine and orange blossom, but it is the rooty, earthy, mossy core that steals my heart here. This is the moss that covers stones and fallen limbs, lichen covered boughs and the smell of slender saplings close to the earth, ghostly mist over vernal pools, forest understories dappled with club moss that look like tiny pine trees. The orris reminds me of latest winter and earliest spring, when you get this vaguely sweet, powdery, root vegetable aroma in the air. The musk skin scent is the last decay of the past season warmed by the now higher arching sun, making room for new growth. Let's face it: I am a man of the woods at heart, so my interpretations will lean in a certain direction. It would explain why so much of what is modern mainstream seems alien to me, especially in their dry downs. Chypre Coty 1986 is a dry down that feels very much like home, real, palpable. It's wild to think that this probably could be purchased at a CVS at the time. Something to ponder...

The fragrance that launched a genre: CHYPRE. That classic combo of bergamot-floral-oakmoss which has largely been devasted by petrochemical companies and thier rapacious chemical substitutes. Despite my intense curiousity about this historical masterpiece it still took me some time to talk myself into forking over the $10 for a 1ml sample from TPC. However, if like me you are befuddled about what all the fuss is about after encountering all these modern patchouli-driven 'pink' chypres, it is a worthy learning tool. I now know what a classic bergamot opening smells like (somewhat aldehydic and sparkly), followed by a rather nasty grin from the civet which thankfully is short lived. The segue into the floral heart is sweet and jasminey, always refined and ladylike. It is incredibly, upliftingly beautiful. The base is pure leathery styrax and the bitter dry oakmoss, pulverised into a fine powder and pigmented with the essence of old money, class and elegance. My sample leaked a little into my wallet and a few hours later I overspent on luxury beauty items, feeling as rich and classy as a queen. Dangerous stuff. I am heartily devasted that this magnificant mixture has been lost to the ages and I will treasure my sample for as long as it stays healthy.

THE true definition of a chypre. This was the beginning of chypre scents. And if you are into Jean Louis Scherrer,Rochas Femme,Magie Noire,YSL Y,Mistsouko,Givenchy III, and even Jacomo Silences and Estee Lauder Aliage. Coty Chypre goes on bold...then smoothes out evenly and waves around you warmly. I find no sharpness or "astringent" vibes in this scent. It does have a underlying "soapiness" to my nose,but this type of soapiness I find acceptable. This is "green" for sure, but green in a oakmoss/woody way. This, and my beloved Jean Louis Scherrer go head to head for favorite chypre scent. Coty Chypre....classic...vintage..historic...awesome. Finally sniffed this and finally own it. Sillage/longevity/projection are just right for me too. Masterpiece.............

What a joy it is to sniff a historical olfactory item. It must have been good perfume karma which allowed me to access this miniature jewel on ebay. It is not entirely vintage since it is part of the brief coty chypre relaunch in the 70's or 80s (?). The opening was very extremly green and mossy, almost as if the perfume were composed primarily of moss. It reminded me a little of the vintage shampoo Herbal Essence when it used to be sold only in a dark green liquid in the early 80s. It remained an earthy green moss for about 1 hr and then softened into a honeyed moss. It then developed into soft, creamy florals. The civet is barely detectable. Reminds me of dense, lush forests where fairies hide and frolick. Maybe Arwen from Lord of the Rings might wear this.

when I was a child aged around six or seven I bought a box set of Coty scents from a village stall with my pocket money. There were four, Chypre, Muguet and, I think a Jasmine, but I can't recall the fourth. I still had them into my early teens but I lost them later, probably in our house move, but never forgot Chypre and after searching for a long time I managed to find a full bottle on eBay. It was expensive but worth every penny - it is one of my most precious possessions and my favourite scent, which I ration rather carefully as it is so rare. My other long-time favourite is Mitsouko, and it's interesting to read here that it was created in answer to Chypre.

This is quite simple but effective. There is some animalic element at first but it doesn't last long, as others have said. It also seems to have some aldehydes but they too are not very strong. I can't say I'd go out of my way to buy a bottle, since I already have the original Armani, which may be my favorite chypre at the moment, but I do like Chypre better than Mitsouko, which to me goes off on an inconsistent tangent with the peach note. If you want a bare, but mild and pleasant chypre, this may be the way to go (you can still find it on ebay once in a while at reasonable prices). Note that believe I have the 1980s EdP.

Not sure why, but my 1980s sample smells like pure civet. And not in a good way. It is so bad that I had to wash it off within about a minute of applying. It's difficult to imagine that the drydown would be worth the opening few minutes making you smells like you've spent an hour in a baked-out porta-john at the end of a festival weekend. Minus the hand sanitizer. Truly repulsive. I'll have to try to find either an original version of this, or a spray version of the Chateau Collection. It either seriously went bad, or for some reason I'm anosmic to the other notes.

I have to respectfully disagree w/ Gigi The Fashionista below when she states that the 80s reissue carefully follows the formula of the original Coty Chypre. They smell nothing alike at all! Two totally different fragrances, each very representative of its time of composition in terms of the style & aromachemicals used. The original formula was very mossy & rustic-smelling....the '86 reissue smells like a late 70s/early 80s style of sweetly-citric musky floral. One would never confuse the old vs reissue, they smell *totally* different.

Vintage EDP version (don't know the decade). A punch of an intense oakmoss right when it touches the skin is followed by the bergamot and fresh bitter flowers. It becomes very beautifull and interesting but i can't really put the finger on it. Develops to this earthy moss with an intense patchouli, slightly smoky and spicy scent. This is really an amazing scent, similar to Chypre Siam in a way, but a rugged, less distant version of it. I would wear this in a heartbeat and i will try it again.

Perfection is a bottle. Chypre, chypre, chypre, and more chypre. An orange blossomsd based blend, with more of citrus, oakmoss, doses or jasmines, carnations, roses, musk, civet, and ylang. I can;t stop sniffing this Chypre fragrance! Super addiction.

It ́s so sad that such a land mark in perfume story, is no longer produced. a real heartbrake. maybe we could sign a collective petition for it to be re-launched (?) I ́m sure it would be profitable

I once had a bottle of this and loved it. It was like it was the definition of perfume. It reminded me of how my aunt and her friends smelled when I was just a little girl.

I have a 1980's 30ml bottle and this reminds me of Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps in some ways. It is quite light. Rogue Perfumery Chypre-Siam would be heavier.

Supposedly Clark Gable wore this. Frankly I don't give a damn. It's a good one. Historical chypre of all chypres

Early 1900s Extrait is pure bliss. True love.... A heavy, dank, mysterious olfactory safari

Apart from "Mitsouko" and "Y", this really is one of the best chypre scents.

Legendary scents... Where are you now ? Lost for ever ? So sad...

Never turns bad, lasts forever...