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Want to learn about Chypres

Evening all,
My wife misses the cologne that I wore in college. Nothing special— just Ralph Lauren Safari. I looked it up and it’s listed as a Chypre. I’ve noticed a couple soapmakers are putting out Chypres. Anyone know a soap or aftershave that’s a close match to Safari? Related but not exactly, I want an aftershave that’s gonna work for my face everyday. Would a “fragrance” house aftershave have as much witch hazel etc. as a soapmaker’s splash?

Thanks in advance,
Badlander13
 
I can't speak to what Chypres to try to reach Safari. I do like Barrister & Mann's Grand Chypres. Will has formulated an asl and edt to compliment it. Nice all together and in and of themselves.

You mentioned the question about conditioning agents a House might blend in comparison with a dedicated shaving company or artisanal shop. Guerlain showed me some serious chops in making an asl in their Homme for Men line. Not only is the fragrance spot on with the signature fragrance profile, but the face feel is also the definition of luxurious. I haven't got the coin to keep buying other examples at this time. But I was seriously impressed. Good hunting!
 
trumpers gft truefitt hill revisor thayer alpa chypre july 20 2015.jpg
trumper coconut oil shave soap kent karve penhaligon racquets june 11 2018.jpg
 
There are all kinds of Chypre frags... woodsy, spicy, green, etc. To know Chypre, you have to understand Coty Chypre, and then some of the others big names from the genre; Mitsouko, Patou pour Homme, etc. There is a Russian Chypre AS that is very inexpensive and interesting. Nuit de Noel is part Chypre, but very complex and difficult to understand I think. But it smells phenomenal. Anyway, I am not certain that knowing Chypres will help you isolate an AS that is similar to Safari. Chypre can be interpreted many ways, it's not just one 'thing'. But learning Chypre is fun, so there's there. I can't recall anything in the shave world billed as 'Chypre' reminding me of Safari- there was a Safari shave soap that was quite good actually, but the fragrance was pretty intense. Really intense. Too intense for me actually.
 
My go to from the chypre family is Le Grand Chypre by Barrister & Mann. It doesn't smell exactly like Polo Green, but it is in the same ballpark. It doesn't have any of that heavy pine smell you get with Polo. Another one I really like is Wholly Kaw Chpyre Rose Concerto. This smells close to the B&M chypre, but with a prominent rose note. Good luck.
 
Whereas Fougeres are considered to be scents for men, Chypre scents are considered to be suitable for both men and women. The Ralph Lauren Safari appears to have been such as scent with versions for men and versions for women.

According to the Basenotes website, Safari for men contains top notes of eucalyptus and bergamot, heart notes of cedar, basil, cinnamon, thyme, lavender, and geranium and base notes of oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, leather, and vetiver. Although it has the bergamot topnote, and the oakmoss and patchouli basenotes, it does not have the typical chypre heartnote of labdanum. Safari is such a complex scent that it is unlikely you will find a soap that matches it. As indicated earlier, the B&M Le Grand Chypre is worth trying.
 
My go to from the chypre family is Le Grand Chypre by Barrister & Mann. It doesn't smell exactly like Polo Green, but it is in the same ballpark. It doesn't have any of that heavy pine smell you get with Polo. Another one I really like is Wholly Kaw Chpyre Rose Concerto. This smells close to the B&M chypre, but with a prominent rose note. Good luck.

Is there a Polo scented soap tallow soap out there?
 
Chypres are woody and contain oakmoss and noticeable floral notes (usually jasmine) in the base.

Unlike fougeres, they don't often have a lavender note. If they do, it's not the star of the show.

What does set them apart is the big fruity/citrus note at the top that everyone will notice.

One of the popular masculine chypres of today, Creed Aventus, has that pineapple note for example. Not to mention the birch tar for that "smokey" note everyone loves.

An oldie like YSL Pour Homme would've had guys smelling like a lemon on the disco floor.
 
This thread has been hugely educational. Does the fragrance subforum have a thread or a wiki about the different families of men’s scents? I’m finding myself curious about Oud vs. Fougere vs. Chypre etc. MisterGrain— thanks for the great explanation of the difference between Fougeres and Chypres. I see that “title” on a lot of soaps and was wondering what to potentially expect.

Thanks,
Badlander13
 
Evening all,
My wife misses the cologne that I wore in college. Nothing special— just Ralph Lauren Safari. I looked it up and it’s listed as a Chypre. I’ve noticed a couple soapmakers are putting out Chypres. Anyone know a soap or aftershave that’s a close match to Safari? Related but not exactly, I want an aftershave that’s gonna work for my face everyday. Would a “fragrance” house aftershave have as much witch hazel etc. as a soapmaker’s splash?

Thanks in advance,
Badlander13
Look ap a website named fragrantica. They have a huge encyclopedia of fragrances, if a fragrance was common in the past few decades, they will have information on it. One interesting feature with most every fragrance in their database is a section given to fragrances that smell similar to your selection. No doubt Safari will be in their database. A breakdown is shown of a fragrances' notes or scents. Also, sources for purchasing are shown. Consumer reviews also appear with most fragrances. While you may yearn for Safari aftershave, a close alternative might also be found. Fragrantica is loaded with information, I suggest you check it out.
 
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