Chypre Accord

Note Profile

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About

The chypre accord is a structure, not a single material. It is a bright citrus opening over a base of oakmoss and cistus labdanum, usually with rose and jasmine in between. The accord is the contrast. A sparkling citrus top burns off in about thirty minutes and leaves something dark, damp and mossy behind.

Scent Profile

Mossy oakmoss character dominates. Under it, cistus labdanum brings a warm amber-resinous, balsamic weight, and a damp earthy quality reads as forest floor, wet earth after rain and old books. A bright, almost aggressive citrus sits on top and is gone within about half an hour. Dry woody depth comes from oakmoss and patchouli together, and a rose and jasmine floral heart is layered over the base. Below those, musk adds a light powdery softness and a faint animalic edge, patchouli a cool camphoraceous lift, and labdanum a thin leathery streak. The drydown has a slight inky, smoky edge.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeBase · ~24h lasting

Family Woody & Earthy, Amber · Musk · Leather, Fresh & Citrus, Floral

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can build Chypre Accord from materials such as:

Cis-3-hexenyl benzoate orchid · balsam · green

Smell words come from published sources.

A given perfume with this note may use some of these, or something else.

Origin

The accord is named after Coty's Chypre of 1917, which fixed the structure the whole family is built on. Chypre is the French name for Cyprus. It is a compounded accord assembled from named materials, not one product with a datasheet. The parts are citrus top notes, a middle centred on cistus labdanum, and a mossy-animalic base from oakmoss, with patchouli and musk in support and a floral component from rose and jasmine oil.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers build the accord rather than dose it. It is the backbone of the chypre family and of the leather, floral, fruity and green chypres that grew out of it. Bergamot carries the top, labdanum and oakmoss carry the base, and patchouli deepens the drydown. The point of the accord is the contrast between the two ends. Since IFRA's 43rd Amendment in 2008, oakmoss is restricted because of two skin sensitisers. Many modern chypres use restricted-grade oakmoss or synthetic substitutes such as Evernyl.