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 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 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
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
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