Chypre

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was born in Cyprus, a Mediterranean country that inspired a whole genre of scents known after the French translation of Cyprus, Chypre. The concept of all chypre fragrances is a combination of varying notes of citrus, flowers and wood, layered delicately to create a symphony of love. 

François Coty, a perfume pioneer, created the chypre scent after being inspired by Cyprus and in 1917, he sold his perfume, simply called, ‘Chypre’. It was mossy, animalistic and oozed sophistication. This scent family became a cornerstone of the perfume industry, with scores of perfumers having adopted the chypre accord.

Just as Coty created his chypre to illustrate his love of the island of Cyprus, Diptyque has created their new fragrance, Eau Capitale, as an expression of their love of their home city Paris. Their great fondness of Paris is encapsulated gracefully through their interpretation of chypre in the Eau Capitale. 

The scent of a chypre perfume is the most suited metaphor for love, with its brilliant intensity and fusion of varying notes. The smell of Eau Capitale is layered and detailed, starting with vibrant top notes of bergamot spiced with pink peppercorns. The heart is centred on a bouquet of roses and has a set of base notes derived from patchouli. The scent is elegant and captures the essence of Paris with its careful blend of familiarity and innovation.

The luxury scent brand Diptyque started its olfactory journey in the French capital in 1961 as a homeware store and branched out into scents in the company’s infancy. After releasing a small line of candles with great success, Diptyque has become a huge name in the high-end perfume industry, thanks to their keen attention to detail.

This chypre scent is a first for Diptyque, whose definitive scents usually centre themselves around one idea or story, like Fig Tree or Rose. Diptyque’s passion for classics has combined their original scents with the chypre family to create a hybrid perfume that encapsulates the love of Paris. Diptyque has created a limited-edition candle, Paris en Fleur, that celebrates Paris, by combing fresh rose with petals and patchouli.

Diptyque wants to channel their love of their home city and of chypre in both Eau Capitale and Paris en Fleur, in the hope that people will experience the vibrancy of Paris through their new scents.

Find out more at Diptyque.com