Chypre

[Koumori]

Violet, neroli, lavender and white musk. A late Medieval European blend, based on a formula allegedly worn by Charles V.

I ordered a sample of this one hoping for a nice "medieval"-smelling scent I could wear with period costume. While I don't know how medieval it is, I do know that I like this scent very much. I don't like too much floral in a scent, but I don't like too much sharpness either, so ordering a mainly-floral scent is always risky for me. The florals here aren't overpowering; the violet and lavender are unprepossessing, and on me, they ride over the musk scent in a way that provides a very pleasing balance of both, and I ended up ordering a bottle. It's a lighter perfume, great for everyday wear.

EDIT: A note from your friendly neighbourhood review mod! If you're looking for reviews of the Twilight Alchemy Lab blend also named Chypre, they're here. --Shollin

[Gothabillywench]

Purpleness!

 

This smell is purple! Not an in your face bright purple, this is a dusky mauvy purple.

 

The initial hit is lavendar & plenty of it. After a minute or two the more sinister purple slither of violet peeks through. The white musk is the platform from which the two distinct purple smells vie it out in a bttle for supremacy. Lavendar is the clear winner all the way through, but the violet has left it's mark on it & made it presence known.

 

Odd as normally I despise lavender but like this & LOVE Old Paris. Sonething about the combo's Beth puts the lavendar in makes it bareable, even lovely to my nose. I am a mega violet fan, but can find it cloying at times, in this scent I get the violet hit I crave without it running amok & taking over & getting a bit too much. & that musk floats like a cloud under it all, riegning them both in a bit.

 

I like it. Probably not one I'd buy, maybe ona guy this would work better. But it's lovely nonetheless.

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: A big lavender punch in the face.

 

Second Impression: Why can I only smell lavender when there are three other lovely notes blended here???

 

Final Analysis: It took hours of drydown time for the lavender to pick up and leave. What was left was very similar to Veil. I adore Veil, but I don't think I can bear the lavender trail to get to it.

[hypothermya]

So, um, I'm kinda on a White Musk binge. Which is to say that I've found every perfume that the lab has to offer with White Musk in it, and am trying to get a hold of every one of them. And so this is why I got Chypre. I was also curious about it, since it had so few reviews, and was interested in whether it was a truly "masculine" smelling oil or whether it could pass for feminine.

 

In the Bottle

 

Wow, lavender! And that violet scent right behind it (although it's so faint!). The only reason I recognize the violet is because I used to eat these little violet pastilles, and I recognize the faint, powdery fragrance. This is a very pungent, and, well, purple scent. Not a drop of sweetness, which is a nice reprieve from other scents that I've been trying out. I haven't quite gotten the scent of neroli, but this isn't surprising, since I doubt I could regonize it anyhow.

 

Wearing It

 

Wet, I get a green smell -- just like crushed lavender stems. It's interesting: Beth's lavender always reminds me more of the stems than of the flowers. As it dries, the lavender remains the top note, with the violet remaining a soft, almost powdery presence underneath. As usual, the white musk is taking its time emerging.

 

Perhaps it's because I use Lavender Mint shampoo and Tea Tree Lavender dishsoap, but this scent really smells like soap to me. Not a bad soap smell, mind you, but a very herbal, pungent, clean soap. Reminds me of a high quality, home made bar of lavender soap with bits of flower stuck in the bar. It's only the violet underneath that occasionally reminds me of something more perfumy than soap.

 

On my guinea pig -- er, I mean, boyfriend -- this smells even more soapy. This is a scent that fades really quickly on him (we've found that this is typically for him), and it leaves a very gentle lavender/violet blend, in which the violet is more prominent than on me...but still second to the lavender. He says that he probably won't wear it because it smells a bit too clean/soapy for him, and he isn't a big fan of lavender.

 

On my the scent is light and not overpoweringly lavender only after half an hour of wearing it, but the first half hour is like I just emerged from an entire bush of lavender. The lighter scent lasts for about 4-5 hours.

 

 

 

This is a really nice, gender neutral scent. It's about as masculine as Azazel, which would work really well on a man, but could definitely be worn by a woman. Clean, like Embalming Fluid, but not nearly as refreshing/cool. It's more of an herbal/pungent smell, with light musky florals underneath it all. I bet that this would be stellar as a Black Rayne/Black Phoenix soap...But I suspect that I'm a bit biased, due to the former scent association thing. Not my thing, but probably a must have for any lavender fans.

[ninglor]

Oh, I'm in love.

 

In the bottle, this scent is abrupt and intriguing. The lavender is dominant, but once I dabbed some on my skin, the white musk showed up as a well-blended foundation. Now, after about an hour and a half, the violet is in full, glorious bloom. Somewhere in the drying process, I was reminded of purple candy hearts and violet jellies. Very glad I went on instinct and got 5ml.

Edited July 13, 2004 by ninglor

[Ishtar]

Well, I am in love too. Ninglor, can we share?

 

In the vial and when wet, Chypre smells exactly like lavender. I mean real lavender, stem, flower and all.

I was thrilled to smell this, since I grew up in Southern France where lavender is everywhere and I adore its scent.

 

After a good half hour the white musk shows up, imparting a fresh, light and slightly powdery tone to the blend. The initial accuracy of the lavender note is now gone, and I don't even care because this scent is turning into something gorgeous.

 

Chypre takes its time settling down, and it is only upon complete drydown that I get my first whiff of violet. By now it is all soft and smooth, calming and comforting. I am glad I tried this oil in the evening, I think it is going to lull me to sleep.

 

As you can tell I obviously love this on myself, and not once was I reminded that it is supposed to be a masculine blend. I can see how this would be wonderful on a man, though. I might need to resume my quest for a soulmate, if only for BPAL-testing purposes

 

A definite keeper that I will enjoy wearing by day when it is warm out, but that I am even more likely to use as a bedtime scent in alternance with Nocturne.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: beth included this oil as an extra, but i really like the description. it is STRONG. i mean, everything just hit me at once: the lavender, the musk, the violet, and, especially, the neroli. i'm either going to love this one or loathe it.

on: this is very bright on me. i'm just getting a sharp punch of neroli, with other scents in the background. it's really cheery and refreshing.

1 hour later: this is getting a bit sweeter (from the violet, i assume) and the musk is coming forward. it's more of a dusty, powdery scent now.

2 hours later: this is now a nice musky, floral, powdery blend. it's slightly masculine, but still beautiful.

3 hours later: this has lasted pretty well on me. i can't pick out any individual notes, although it is a bit sweet, with a floral/herby powderyness to it. it's still nice on me.

overall: why does everything turn so sweet on me? i really like smell of this during the first few hours or so, but it isn't very interesting after that. however, that's entirely my skin's fault. i think this will be great in my oil burner and if i only need my perfume to last for a little while. i probably won't be getting this again, unless i get another imp of it.

[Alice Aforethought]

First on, it's lavender and nothing but, but this mellows after drydown to allow the other components through. The violet isn't too sweet, and the musk makes Chypre smooth and elegant. It's beautiful on my lovely; refeshing yet comforting, complex yet 'clean.'

[TheDarkMother]

In the bottle, it is lavendar with a minty tang to it. I'm not certain if that is the musk or not. I love lavendar though, so this should be one that I really like.

 

When I first put it on, the musk really tanged though, but now, its just lavendar. I love the smell of lavendar, I use it in my bath to make me sleepy when I have insomnia, like I have for the past 3 weeks now. It is making my wrist tingle just slightly, and I'm hoping that the oil doesn't tinge my skin yellow again, like some of them have been doing. Oh well.

 

There is a slight soapy smell to it, like a lavendar body wash or something. I knwo its not me, since I don't have a lavendar body wash, but I think I might get one now, just from this scent. There is starting to be a slight lemony scent in the background of Chypre also. It compliments the lavendar very well.

 

I love this, this is very nice!

[ismene]

This scent is a very very pale purple color, like a drop of gentian violet put into a saucer of milk and mixed in. I really like the medieval assocations, but the lavendar is way too strong for me. There's also something sharp and slightly bitter as an undertone - possibly the neroli? It's an interesting and very unusual blend, but too overpwoering for me.

[reina]

got this imp courtesy of ismene, and here's what I think.

 

to put it in one sentence: if I were a man, I would've loved it.

that being said, I'm not a man.

 

that punch of lavender is pungent, and a little does go a long way. it's soapy, but not in a bad way.

 

I have a feeling that violet and I don't get along. I tried Lush's Bathos the other day and it triggered a headache. here it's definitely not as intense so no headache, but either my skin or my nose don't dig this note.

 

I'll give it a try on a lover, maybe he could benefit from it. as it's a sweet blend, I think he'd get along with Chypre very well. Thinking of him smelling like that actually makes my mouth water.

[Witch's Dagger]

Chypre

 

Preconceived notions:

I originally ordered this because I wanted to wear it to SCA (i.e. Medieval/Renaissance) Events, where I tend to prefer the 14th century. When I ordered it, that's *all* I was thinking about. Then, I read the reviews. Then, I learned I don't like florals all that much... My order consisted of 3 florals and 3 darker scents. Of the florals, I had the highest expectations of this one because of the reviews emphasizing lavender, which I *love*, and the 'masculine' nature, which I figured translated to a sharper, less "sweet & powdery" type of scent.

 

Trying it:

In the vial: a spiky green lavender - the green note is very dark and sharp, almost, but not quite, piney. Ooh! I know - stems, open and bleeding green - it's that kind of an almost astringent green, and I love it.

 

On me:

First impressions: it softens slightly, but the lavender is still there, along with the greenness. There's a bit of powder (oh no!), but it's not overwhelming.

 

Over time: This gradually fades, and in fading, I can detect the powdery quality, but the lavender and the sappy green are sharp and strong enough to hold it off.

 

 

Final Impressions: Yay! A 'light' scent that actually works! I'm keeping this, and may someday get a larger bottle (though, I admit that overall, I prefer darker scents, even disregarding the powder problem).

 

Edited: I was in a Renaissance Faire today, and so I decanted my imp into a necklace perfume holder I got in Russia. It was *very* strong all day, since it seemed to be leaking somewhat or maybe I didn't close it well, or... In any case, even though it was so strong, I still enjoyed the way it smells. Above, I wrote that I 'may someday get a larger bottle', but because of the SCA (medieval reenactment) events I go to, I may have to get a larger bottle sooner than later. This is truly lovely.

Edited September 5, 2004 by Witch's Dagger

[Vaniclion]

I had high hopes for this one, along the same lines as the Vicomte de Valmont or Villain. You know, rich and wonderful with a historic flair. Well, this may be rich. It may have a historic flair… it’s just not for me. I strongly suspect I dislike violet. The flower and scent, not the color. Rather fond of the color, all things considered.

 

Fresh out of the imp, this smells oddly medicinal. Like a southern summer antiseptic your grandmother would have layered on a bee sting to take the pain away which neither took the pain away nor did anything other than make you feel cared for because of the whole act itself. The lavender and violet are loudly in the fore. On drydown, it sweetens and blends into what I’d call a rather gender neutral floral, but I wish the musk came out more to anchor it for me. On me, it’s just too sweet and feminine, so this one sadly is another trade.

[SoapyRN]

When picking out my first order earlier this year, this was the scent combo that sounded like a winner. I could not have prepared myself for how much I loved this scent.

 

I am not sure how many of you all are like this, but I never wore perfume, esp the horrible sprays that line the department stores. When I was introducted to BPAL, I thought I must be crazy to actually be spending hours...'cause I was, reading about the oils and their descriptions.

 

Then my order arrived, with Chypre in it. OMG. I now have a signiture smell. My nose and arm were the best of friends.

 

Great oil, perfect night and day. My all time favorite.

[Lux667]

I love this light, musky scent. I don't pick up a lot of the lavender or violet but it really drys down to a very light, white musky blend that is lovely. It makes me think of the flower paperwhites.

 

The only drawback is that it didn't last long on me at all. I'm going to try it one more time and see if the problem was in application and not anywhere else but I like this one.

[kimberlygem]

I love lavendar, I really do. I don't think that is what I was smelling here. It was masculine and very GREEN to me, almost like Ivy. My chemistry amps anything like that so this never mellowed at all. I think it would work really well on a man but on me it was too strong and too manly. I think I'll be swapping it.

 

 

Kimberly

[heartbeast]

At first, Chypre is all lavender with a little splash of violet that feels more like violet leaf than violet blossom, it's so green. As it settles, the violet comes more to the fore, but it's still a crisp fresh green scent. When I was in my early 20's, I went through a phase where I was absolutely nutty about Yardley English Lavender soap, and at about that time they came out with their spray cologne. I eagerly bought it, but found it too tangy and acrid for my nose; so disappointing! Chypre smells like I expected and wanted that cologne to smell.

 

Later in the drydown, it aquires an almost nutty, smokey note in the background. Something funny is going on here, because this reminds me of the note in Old Sybaris that I thought was the tonka bean, and the note in The Raven that I thought was the sandalwood. I know that this has the combination of violet, neroli and musk in common with The Raven, but it's still making me wonder if Beth's violet has this quality all by itself on my skin. I've worn violet scents all my life--Spiritual Sky, Crabtree & Evelyn, Jabon Gal, various small labels I don't remember--and it's never had this quality before, but neither has it turned powdery as many people find that it does. On me, violet is either almost sugary-sweet, or very green, but always wet and lush. Odd, this smokey/nutty undertone that all Beth's violet scents seem to have on me.

 

Anyhow, Chypre is crisp and lovely, very refreshing and elegant, and I'm sorry to see it go.

 

[isyche]

Chypre smells of strong lavender and something else. What's in this? Violet and neroli, huh, I don't really notice them. I mainly get lavender from this, and I think the white musk underneath. It's nice, but unremarkable on me – I may swap it or give it to my mom who loves lavender.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on skin- lots of lavender, ever so slightly tempered with violet. Others have mentioned that it's a purple scent, and I agree, but I see it as a dusty bluish-purple. There's something in the background that mellows everything just a bit, but I can't for the life of me tell what it is. It could be the musk, but it doesn't actually smell like musk.

 

Wearing- this mellows nicely and the lavender isn't nearly so sharp. It's a rather green scent at this point- fresh and refreshing. An hour or two into the wearing phase this develops into such a nice scent. The violet really temperes the lavender, which loses its sharp herbal twang. It has an almost fruity undertone to it- love it, love it, love it.

 

On the drydown this has a beautiful dusty, violet scent and feel.

 

I'm sad this scent was discontinued, otherwise I'd be all over a big bottle.

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Quite sharp. Reminds me destinctly of olives, although I can't fathom why my mind makes that assocation. The lavender is easily the strongest note, but the smoky violets are right there in-your-face too.

 

On me: I'm surprised at how light it is on the skin. The white musk becomes more prominant and helps mellow the scent. The lavender fades into the background and the violets blossom into the foreground; this moves from a decidedly male to a unisex fragrance. It's an imp I shall pass on to my brother, because I think it will smell absolutely fabulous on him.

[olympia301]

According to legend, the scent Chypre is named after the island of Cyprus where the ancient recipe for this blend originated. People have been mixing up their own chypre ever since the invention of dirt! There is even a class of perfumes called "the chypres" which are variations on the theme.

 

Everyone has their own design on the subject, the only thing they all have in common is Lavender, without that...you don't have chypre. I used to make one with: lavender, mandarin, rose geranium oils. Very very different from how Beth does hers. It's like spaghetti sauce, everyone makes it their own way, the only constant is tomatoes.

 

I, of course, love Beth's version which a kindly Forumite gave me. Lavender does indeed start it going. This one is a less ferny type of chypre, that bit of violet makes it shaper going on but softer and more flowery in the drying. Very attractive twist on something which is usually rather green. A beautiful blend and I am sorry it is gone.

 

The icon is a map of the island of Cyprus from where Chypre gets its name.

Edited August 5, 2005 by olympia301

[Lilithlefay]

All lavender with some violets and a little neroli thrown in for good measure. Very green. Becomes less strongly lavender as it wears down but still a little too much for me. This blend also faded very quickly on me, within an hour and just left a dial soap smell. Not something I could see myself wearing, but I'm happy I got to try it.

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): This smells cologne-y, and a tiny bit soapy, but in a good way.

 

Just On: Fresh cologned herbs. Heh, sounds odd, but that's what comes to mind.

 

An hour or two later: Cologne. Not too bad.

 

Around 6 hours: I think there's lavender in here, but it's certainly not overpowering, which is very unusual, as usually it's the *only* thing I smell.

 

12 hours: It's all gone.

 

Overall: Not really a scent for me, but quite interesting nonetheless.

 

After reading other reviews: It seems the other folks got a lot more lavender out of this, which was fine by me.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - part of the discontinued circular swap.

 

Wet - violets *sigh* with a touch of lavender and behind it. I think I might get a bit of white musk too.

 

Dry - I get a lovely hint of white musk behind the violet, but even though this softens once dry, it is still way too violet for me.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 1 .

[Little Bird]

Chypre is a rather sharp, purple and green scent on me. First on it screams of herbal lavender, but soft powdery violets pick up in the drydown. Over the course of the next hour, a green soapy scent begins to take over.

 

I'm not smelling anything that I think is white musk or neroli... the lavender has sharpened and the green soap is lingering in the background. I'm not sure why this has turned so odd on me. I was expecting something sweeter and creamier.

 

This lasted about 3 hours on me. It was just strange and herbal on my skin. Maybe it is the violet that goes soapy and the lavender that is so sharp? Hm...