Chypre Coty for women

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

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).

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.

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?

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

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

Iconic - yes. Classy - yes. Dark, deep, woody, green, mossy - yes. A classic - yes. Chypre is inimitable. A midsummer night's dream in a bottle. So rare and so beautiful. It is incomparable.

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.

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.

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.

I am new to the world of perfumes, and am doing my own little study of the classics. I purchased a small sample of Chypre from TPC, and I so wanted to like it, but after trying it on, I just can't! I found it a little too sharp and the best way I can describe it is "acidic," if that makes any sense. Not sure if it is oakmoss or civet or something else that I am smelling - I am still learning to distinguish different scents - but whatever it is, that's all I smell, even after several hours. I respect this fragrance for its historical significance, but unfortunately, I cannot love it.

Update - 11/10/11: I recently purchased a vintage sample of Guerlain's Mitsouko and found that it smelled similar to Chypre to my nose, so I tried them side-by-side on my arm, and to my surprise, I found another side to Chypre that I liked! I still did not get the floral aspect that others have gotten, but I did get a warm cinnamon-and-woods note. I tried it on at night this time, rather than during the day. Not sure if that truly makes a difference, or if it's all in my head, but I'm glad I gave it another chance!

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!

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.

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 scent has lasted forever. I still have about 1/3 ounce left from the last of several bottles I bought in the early 80's. I became obsessed with this fragrance. I researched Coty biography and the fragrance genealogy (before I found Fragantica). I'd spend my last coins saved for lunch before payday to purchase this fragrance if it came back. Nearest to my skin chemistry is Aromatics Elixer. If the fragrance had /has oakmoss, I've been attracted to it, even as a kid.

Never turns bad, lasts forever...

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