Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer (2023) + Forever Chypre Giveaway

 Manuel Cross Chypre Noir for American Perfumer

 Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer courtesy of Manuel Cross

Good design is eternal: if it’s beautiful now, it will always be. ~ Ida

 The above is a Meister Maxim – one that bears relentless repetition, if I’m honest. I feel that this holds true for all forms of art, and that definitely includes perfumery. The talented artisan perfumer Manuel Cross of Rogue Perfumery has very recently composed a limited edition perfume for American Perfumer entitled Chypre Noir – and it is a Forever Chypre, one that embodies everything we adore about floral leathery chypres past, present, and future.

I am a great admirer of Manuel Cross’s work, and have purchased quite a few (from different genres) based on their originality, mastery and wearability. Rogue Perfumery excels in composing the sort of artistic fragrance that will not simply sit upon your shelf gathering dust: they are long-lasting, comprised of fine quality materials, a joy to wear – and they won’t break the bank, thank heavens. In this day and age, these factors alone are remarkable.

Manuel Cross of Rogue Perfumery

Manuel Cross of Rogue Perfumery photo courtesy of American Perfumer©

“The main drive behind Chypre Noir was my love of chypres, tuberose and leather; my favorite genres. These accords can be found throughout my fragrance line. I wanted to create a chypre with a darker tone (as the name suggests).” ~ Manuel Cross

Some prime examples of these fragrances include Flos Mortis (tuberose, leather), Champs Lunaires (tuberose), Tuberose & Moss, leather in Derviche, Chypre-Siam, L’Homme M. Lacroix. Chypre Noir is such a welcome edition that I hope it soon becomes more widely available; it would be a shame to relegate such an elegant perfume to the ‘here-and-vanished’ fate which can often become the case with limited releases.

Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer

Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer 1/75 limited edition bottles image courtesy of American Perfumer©

Indeed, Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer possesses a beautiful bone structure, and a lineage which is readily traceable to the greats of yore: vintage Cabochard de Gres, created by Bernard Chant in 1959 (musks, leather, oakmoss), and Germaine Cellier’s vintage Balmain Jolie Madame, 1953 (artemisia, tuberose, musk, oakmoss, leather). Both fragrances are growlingly animalic – but they utilize civet and/or castoreum in the process, whereas Manuel has chosen costus root – a potent vegetal musk which smells divinely of the unwashed scalp of the beloved. Once you become acquainted with costus, you will always remember it; it imparts an additional leatheriness that we associate with other musks, and it can help anchor a scent – so it performs double duty in Chypre Noir. Indolic, enchanting tuberose maintains its lustre here, never fading into the background (in the afore-mentioned leather chypres, one finds jasmine, ylang-ylang, and gardenia instead). Bitter herbs enhance its sophistication without the use of galbanum; while not listed, artemisia comes to mind immediately. Musk ketone is sweetly fatty and persistent, contributing a rondeur which is so appealingly reminiscent of great chypres; it feels as if the perfumer has not stinted on the oakmoss, either – always such a delight: earthy, shadowy, and rich.

Chypre Noir is absolutely [sic] timeless. It is suavely arid in the most becoming manner, as befits many a fine chypre. You are perfectly dressed, regardless of what you wear; that’s the magic of a masterwork. It transforms you without dominating the room, or overwhelming your own personality. Although it’s early into 2023, I foresee Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer appearing upon my best of the year list; it’s certainly become one of my Rogue favorites.

Notes: herbs, tuberose, musk ketone, costus, oakmoss, leather

Sample provided by Dave Kern of American Perfumer – many thanks!  My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

 Rogue Perfumery Manuel Cross Chypre Noir

Manuel Cross Chypre Noir for American Perfumer photo by Senior Contributor Rachel Watson (who purchased the 21st of the 75 limited edition bottles)©

Thanks to the kindness of Rogue Perfumery who put a bottle aside for this giveaway, we have a 30 ml bottle of Chypre Noir for one registered reader in the USA. You must register here. To be eligible, please tell us what you enjoyed most in Ida’s review of Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer Perfumer. Do you have a favorite Rogue Perfumery scent? Would you like to see Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer become a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection? Draw closes 4/4/2023

Rogue Perfumery was Michelyn’s Best Artisan House of 2021 and Lauryn’s Best Artisan Perfumer of 2022

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41 comments

  • What I enjoyed was learning about the costus root in this perfume. I don’t have a fave Rogue scent. And I have no opinion on whether Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer becomes a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection or not. US

  • I have not tried Manuel Cross perfumes though I have read enough about them on Cafleurebon that I would love to try them. Liked and agree with Ida’s quote in the beginning of this review. I like chypres and love earthy, deep, dark, leather, incense, oud perfumes, and Manuel Cross Chypre Noir seems to fit the bill. Glad to know Manuel Cross Chypre Noir is reasonably priced, which is not the case with many good, and regrettably some not so good, perfumes. I would like it be not a limited edition perfume, so many people are able to enjoy it (not sure if the question “Would you like to see Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer become a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection? ” implies it will become a limited edition – if the question is asking if it should be a limited edition, my preference is against it. Anyway, thanks for the review and draw. From continental United States.

  • hippononamus says:

    The use of costus in lieu of traditional animalics as well as the high praise that this will likely make Ida’s end of the year list most intrigued me about this scent. I’ve only tried his Fougere L’Aube, which I found lovely. Would hope this makes the regular rotation. I’m in the US.

  • Morgana62 says:

    Well, you had me at Cabochard and Jolie Madame, two of my all time iconic perfumes. I have a small amount of Cabo and almost full vintage bottles of JM. Have not tried Rogue perfumes. Truly Chypre Noir is a must for me. Thanks for a chance to experience it. I’m in USA.

  • Belladonna says:

    I have been so curious about this one! Love reading Ida’s thoughts! Now I know I can try Flos Mortis to at least get an idea. I would really love to try this one, so I hope it does become part of the permanent collection. I have only tried a couple Rogue – my favorite is Rostracto! in the US. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

  • Steve Fernandez says:

    I like how Ida said that Rogue Perfumery will not sit upon your shelf gathering dust: they are long-lasting, comprised of fine quality materials and they won’t break the bank.

    I’m interested to try Chypre Noir, a timeless piece according to Ida. The Costus root in this fragrance sounds intriguing.

    I don’t have any Rogue fragrances in my collection. This would be my 1st if I win. I will be looking into these fragrances now that I know more about perfumer behind the Rogue house.

    Yes, I like to see Manuel Cross Chypre Noir become a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection.

    Los Angeles California USA

  • Dubaiscents says:

    Dear Ida, you have described this beauty so much more elegantly than I could ever do! It truly is a classic leather chypre with a bright green and herbal start. I truly hope it becomes more widely available so more people can enjoy it! Bravo Manuel and thank you American Perfumer!

  • Parfumnut says:

    Ida your review makes me long to try this beauty. As I am aging I am no longer interested in jumping on the newest and hottest perfume bandwagon. I rather appreciate more vintage creations with a modern twist and a stand out quality. I am familiar with 2 of Manuels fragrances Mousse Illuminee and Chypre Siam which I Love Love Love. So reading about Chypre Noir made my heart smile with anticipation. Thank you so much for this amazing generosity.

  • I agree that Manual Cross is so gifted at creating perfumes which to me hark back to the good old days of perfume. My Champs Lunaires is a favorite. I love tuberose and I love the chypre style, so I am assuming I will love this! I’m not sure about the unwashed scalp part, but I’m willing to roll with it. 🙂 I am in Texas. Thank you for the review and the draw.

  • Jill Clements says:

    “It transforms you without dominating the room…” Swoon! I always love Ida’s turn of a phrase. Chypre-Siam is one of my absolute favorites of the last decade, and I am denying to give this one a try. Indolic? ✔️. Leather? ✔️ Tuberose? ✔️. Oakmoss? ✔️ This sounds divine!

  • . I have a small amount of Cabo and almost full vintage bottles of JM. Have not tried Rogue perfumes. Truly Chypre Noir is a must for me. Thanks for a chance to experience it. I’m in PA,USA

  • Interesting, I’m Sold. I couldn’t really find anything about this fragrance. I think exclusivity and unique scents are fun to wear. Solid award winning house and perfumer, Id love to try it and give my opinion on including it afterwards. USA

  • I like the idea of bitter herbs being used in this fragrance. Green is my favorite scent accord during summer months in my garden. One of my favs is Mousse Illuminee. Thanks for the opportunity to sniff. Mich USA

  • Ken White says:

    Ida did a great job describing this scent but I’m not getting this one in my mind. I’d love to try it though. NJ, USA

  • I love all of Ida’s reviews and the perfumes she chooses for them. I’ve definitely bought and love several after reading her articles. When I saw Manuel Cross and American Perfumer I screamed(one of my favorite perfumers and Dave from American Perfume is one of my favorite purveyors of fragrance) and immediately ran to the American Perfumer site to see if it was available. Then I came back to read this review and screamed again when I saw that tuberose will be the star floral. I will be getting a bottle of this no matter what. Manuel’s work with Tuberose account for some of my favorite perfumes in my collection and Flos Mortis is in my top 5 favorite perfumes ever. I definitely think Chypre Noir should become an American Perfumer staple. I live in Missouri, USA

  • Ooh I adore this house!! I love my Tubérose & Moss so much. I feel divine when I wear it. And my Chypre-Siam is such a mysterious and unforgettable scent… you really are transported with his creations! I love à Chypre so this latest one is absolutely amazing, I’m just sure of it!
    Thank you for the giveaway opportunity. I am in USA.

  • I haven’t yet smelled any Rogue scents yet but would like to get my nose on this one. I love chypres in general and costus as a note. I’m in US.

  • Rogue is a great indie house and Manuel Cross is so very talented. Thank you ida for explaining costus. After reading about him here on Cafleurebon i bought a discovery set and went on to buy Bon Monsieur. I like so many including chypre Siam L’Homme M LaCroix and Derviche 2. Definitely home American Perfumer adds to their collection because I went to buy it and it’s not there. It’s not on Rogue site either.

  • Wonderful review by Ida, it is a pleasure to be reminded of how timeless these classic Chypres are, such as Cabochard by Gres, which I own on a vintage formulation. Manuel’s new creation sounds fantastic in his vision of the classic type Chypre, with a darker side. Manuel’s Rogue creations are something i have been lucky to sample, and i own one of them, Derviche, which is one of my favorites from his line.
    Without having sampled his new creation Chypre Noir for American Perfumer, i would think it will make sense for this to be a permanent entry into his line of perfumes, as they are simply beautiful creations.
    Thanks for the article, and here is hoping i am lucky enough to win a bottle of such special fragrance!!
    JohnHenry. I’m in the US.

  • I adore Manuel and the entire Rogue lineup. His penchant for taking classic structures and adding an unusual or exotic twist always keeps things interesting. Chypres are also my favorite style of fragrance so this would be right up my alley. It’s a pleasure to see that he chose tuberose as the floral focus in this one. I tend to like my chypres with a bit of indolic funk and Ida’s review has asssured me that such elements are present here. I certainly hope Manuel would perhaps consider making this a permanent addition to his line. These American Perfumer exclusives tend to sell out very quickly and I would hate for people to never again have a chance of getting their hands on it. As far as his other offerings, I love several and my “favorite” tends to alternate between a small handful. Chypre Siam, Mousse Illuminee, and Bon Monsieur are all wonderful. Rostracto, though, is my current “favorite” as I’m completely enamored with it’s unapologetically thorny take on rose. Hopefully, though, I can get my hands on this new Chypre Noir and it will be a contender for next months top spot. I live in NC, USA.

  • johnmadison says:

    I love this review, and I am so curious about costus root! I love musks and animatic tones in fragrance so when described as the unwashed scalp of a lover, wow! Love it.
    This sounds like a beautiful bouquet, and truly timeless. The fact that tuberose has a role in this fragrance really captures something I would truly love to wear.
    I’m sure this would definitely be a top tier contender to be a permanent addition to the American Perfumer Collection.
    -John, Minnesota USA

  • I absolutely love the two vintage perfumes that Ida cites as in the DNA of Chypre Noir, Cabochard de Gres and Balmain Jolie Balmain, and I love the idea of a sexy chypre that is less animalic and more vegetal than these. I’ve also loved a lot of the scents in the American Perfumer series and am heartened by the fact that they often get re-released! My favorite Rogue Perfumery scent that I have smelled is Vetifleur. I am in NY, USA.

  • Trinity33 says:

    I was introduced to Rogue Perfumery through CaFleureBon and purchased a discovery set based on the review. I love every sample I’ve tried. Chypre Noir sounds like another great Rogue fragrance. Manuel Cross uses tuberose really well and I don’t think I’ve ever run across a chypre with that note before. Favorite Rogue scent is Mousse Illuminee. If Ida thinks Chypre Noir is worthy of a permanent slot, I’ll follow her lead. MD, USA.

  • RonaldProkes17 says:

    Ida’s review was fantastic! It’s clear from the start that this is one of her favorite perfumes of the year. I was really intrigued by how Ida described how the animalics are used – especially the use of costus root. I have never heard it described as vegetal and like the unwashed scalp of a beloved, but my oh my does that make me interested in this perfume. I also loved how detailed Ida was with all of the notes and how the minty-ness and tuberose come out in this composition!

    I would love to try this modern yet timeless transportive scent on myself.

    Located in California, USA.

  • bhernandez says:

    Manuel Cross is an amazing perfumer, and a humble person.
    I still remember the interview with Steven that Manuel was very kind, nice, and honest.

    Chypre Noir sounds like a wonderful fragrance. I like he is using costus instead of animalics.
    I am thinking on getting Rogue, and if I win this, it would be a nice way to honor an American perfumer like Manuel.

    Best regards from Massachusetts.

  • Ida saying that the perfume is a timeless scent sells it for me. These certain scents that have the ability to have a long shelf life appeal to me. I’ve been wearing Paco Rabanne Pour Homme lately and that’s celebrating its 50th birthday this year. I wish Manuel Cross and Rogue are around to celebrate theirs. Bon Monsieur is my favorite from the house. Another timeless fougere in my opinion. Please try it out if you haven’t. Thank you for the opportunity, Southern California here.

  • First time reading about costus root and really interesting to see how they used it to add to the leather notes within this fragrance. I don’t currently have a favorite fragrance from Rogue. I think it would be great to have Manuel Cross Chypre Noir to be a permanent edition. From TX, USA.

  • recursivemask says:

    I’ve never head of costus before and I liked that. I don’t have any experience to answer those two questions. I’m from the US.

  • I love Rogue Perfumery, and I love chypres. Chypre Noir is therefore a must-try for me! I always enjoy Ida’s elegant reviews, and appreciated the connection to perfume history, and the discussion of materials in this one.
    As far as my favorite Rogue scents… I love many, but especially Chypre Siam, Rostracto, and Flora & Fauna.
    Thank you for this amazing giveaway!
    I’m in WV, USA

  • foreverscents says:

    I am a big fan of Manuel Cross and Rogue Perfumery. I love Vetifleur from this house. It is such a sparkling and glamorous fragrance that is appropriate for any occasion. Chypre Noir, with its tuberose, leather, and costus notes sounds heavily and heady. I hope this becomes a part of the permanent collection on American Perfumer.
    I live in the USA.

  • Huge fan of Manuel–Mousse Illumine is a masterpiece. And I can’t think of anything I’d rather smell than “indolic, enchanting tuberose.” Can’t wait to try this. In the US.

  • Dave at American Perfumer curates a wonderful selection and his shop’s limited editions are always of interest. Manuel Cross is an exceptionally capable perfumer, and known for his appeals to traditional fragrance design, so a classical floral-leather chypre is right in his wheelhouse—complex musks, animalic flourishes, indolic tuberose, and complex accents. It sounds like a worthy addition to the catalog of American Perfumer originals.

    I’m in the USA. Mousse Illuminee is my favorite Rogue Perfumery scent. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Chypre Noir really sounds like a great chypre fragrance, and that makes it so appealing. It is fantastic how, in this olfactive family, there are so many variations, so many wonderful fragrances, all having in common the structure, but managing to be so unique. CA, US

  • Gnossiennes says:

    Thank you, Ida, for another amazing review!
    I love Manuel’s boldness to use all ingredients, disregarding the IFRA regulations. Its resemblance with Cabochard and Jolie Madame instantly lifts Chypre Noir to be a must-try for me!
    Greetings from San Mateo, California.

  • hshinkoda says:

    Very interesting fragrance!!!! I don’t have many leather perfumes and this one I really want to try…Dark, strong , woody, rich… I’m from Massachusetts, US.

  • Beautiful review by Ida. What I enjoyed about Chypre Noir is its timeless and that no matter what you’re wearing you still are well dressed regardless. Also it could appear on a best of the year list. Thanks for such an amazing giveaway! Greetings from the USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the nice review Ida.

    The beauty of Manny’s work is it is always an ode to the past – either his heritage or the perfume’s.

    The use of costus root in this is pretty cool – a wonderful bridge from the indolic nature of the tuberose to the greens and oakmoss.

    My favorite is probably Chypre Siam.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Michael Prince says:

    I loved Ida’s review of Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer Perfumer. Manuel Cross of Rogue Perfumery was inspired by vintage Cabochard de Gres, created by Bernard Chant in 1959 (musks, leather, oakmoss), and Germaine Cellier’s vintage Balmain Jolie Madame, 1953 (artemisia, tuberose, musk, oakmoss, leather). The classic floral, leathery, and oakmoss chypres that also carry animal facets of civet and castoreum where Manuel Cross utilizes costus root – a potent vegetal musk which smells divinely of the unwashed scalp of the beloved. My favorite Rogue Perfumery scent is Ishtar. I would love to see Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer become a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection. I am from the USA.

  • Laura Groves says:

    Love the work of Manuel Cross! Wish this new perfume were available for shipping to Europe 🙁

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Wonderful review Ida! What i enjoyed most in Ida’s review of Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer Perfumer is learnng that he uses costus root instead of civet and/or castoreum to create a growlingly animalic base of vegetal musk that smells deliciously human and complex. i love animalic fragrances and am just recently developing an appreciation for vegetal musks.

    My favorite Rogue Perfumery scent is Derviche! i would definitely like to see Manuel Cross Chypre Noir For American Perfumer become a permanent edition in the American Perfumer collection! I live in the US.