A chypre is a perfume family built around a classic structure of citrus top notes, a floral heart, and a mossy, woody amber base — and the name simply comes from the French word for Cyprus, the island whose aromatic materials inspired the style.

A Name Born From a Landmark Perfume

The category takes its name from a famous 1917 fragrance called Chypre de Coty, itself said to be inspired by the scents the perfumer associated with Cyprus, blending bergamot, oakmoss and labdanum into something that felt both bright and deeply grounded at once. That structural template — bright top, floral or spicy heart, mossy amber base — became so influential that “chypre” turned into a whole fragrance family rather than a single perfume.

How to Recognise One Today

Modern chypres vary widely in exact ingredients, especially since oakmoss itself is now heavily restricted, but the signature feel — sharp, sophisticated, slightly bitter-green at the top, warm and earthy underneath — remains recognisable across the family. Our fragrance families guide covers chypre alongside the other main scent categories, and it is part of the complete guide to perfume.