Chypre 1942

From time to time I make confessions about certain olfactory families. So, I must confess that I love a beautiful Chypre on female skin. A Chypre is, in my opinion, the true realization of the word perfume, with regard to women. When I think of a female perfume, before the gourmands, floral or fruity, I always remember first of the Chypres. The biggest problem of most perfumes in this category is the “old” aspect, which many call "the scent of the old ladies". It is very rare for a Chypre to develop with elegance, without result in something too powdery or uncomfortable. But in this Italian creation, the result is extremely satisfying, because it shows the most luxurious and sophisticated side of Chypres, which brings me back to women of garbo and class, who are no longer young and have a special place in society. According to the manufacturer, this perfume was dedicated to Italian actress Anna Magnani, a spontaneous woman, full of charm, impulsivity, and beauty. It brings notes of bergamot, Mandarin orange, and orange blossom, in the output; tuberose, jasmine, Damask rose, and styrax, at the heart and, finally, oakmoss, vanilla, amber, tonka bean, sandalwood from Mysore and patchouli. It is a Chypre floral, whose result is formidable. The orange flower is the first to arise on the skin, quickly followed by the floral tones of Tuberose and Jasmine, which are very evident. The base makes the scent creamy, sensual, and warm because of the vanilla and amber. The sandalwood adds creaminess and the final touch is the patchouli, slightly bitter. The sillage is strong and the longevity is beyond reproach. No wonder that is part of a line of supreme fragrances called Fragranza Suprema from Nobile 1942 House. I never met Anna Magnani, but I can imagine Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her success, with her beauty and glamour recognized worldwide, as representative of this fragrance. Beautiful perfume!

I am intoxicatingly in love with Chypre 1942, though what I sense in it has nothing to do with the notes listed (except a bit of tonka, perhaps). When freshly sprayed, it smells to me like dark liquid honey – the sort that you let ooze from large spoons into your yoghurt in Greece. I also get note of lavender syrup (recently bought myself lavender syrup and was like "omg this is the first opening of Chypre 1942)". After a while it develops into a soft and sweet incense – not the cold Catholic type that you smell in Gothic cathedrals, but rather the warm incense of small Orthodox churches, only without the bitter smell of burnt resin that usually goes together with incense. I also like its overall powderiness. And the bottle is also so beautiful! Definitely one of the gems of my perfuem collection.

Chypre only by its name, this is oh so fabulous fragrance without any discussion. It's so classy and very mature but not boring for one second. The way this perfume evolves through time is one of the most unusual things I have ever encountered. On me Chypre has a very bold opening, very leathery but then it quickly rolls over the most luxurious and nourishing soap, where it stays for just a few seconds. Then it moves on again and becomes woody, deep and almost smoky, playing the masculine game. The drydown is the complete opposite. Rich, comforting, femminine and warm and even though I tend to stay away from vanilla and tonka, this I love.

It's a great experience when I try something that I expected not to like and then I love it! I actually thought from the description that I would find this too heavy or "old lady-ish", but I was wrong! It turns out that it is just lovely. I think others here have already described it well enough. I find it just so pretty! And sophisticated. I feel as if I am not quite sophisticated enough for this perfume. I feel privileged to be wearing it. Does that sound crazy? Ha! Well it's true! This is flowery, confidant, sophisticated and well-groomed, and beautiful. It's a, "how can you NOT like this" fragrance.

I know I already reviewed this, but 3 years later I wanted to say some more: My Goodness is this beautiful! So lush! So warm! This is that feeling that you have in the late summer when you've just had a splendid day in the sun, and you're with good friends, and you've had more to drink than you probably should have, but that's OK because your heart is warm with love. And you laugh and enjoy the feeling as you watch the sunset. Ah, love. Everything is OK in the world right at this moment, right now. No need to think of anything else. A moment of bliss.