Chypre is a structure rather than a note, built from a bergamot top, a rose and labdanum heart, and an oakmoss base, and it is one of the most storied families in perfumery.
The name comes from a 1917 fragrance inspired by the island of Cyprus, and the shape it established has been copied ever since. Oakmoss, a lichen that grows on oak trees across southern Europe, is the signature of the family: green, earthy, faintly fungal, and effectively irreplaceable. It is also a powerful sensitiser, and European limits have reduced permitted levels to close to zero, which forced the reformulation of every classic chypre on the market. Modern chypres rebuild the effect using patchouli, moss substitutes, and vetiver.
