Čempres

Cypress oil is steam-distilled from the branches, leaves, and young cones of Cupressus sempervirens — the tall, dark, flame-shaped trees that punctuate Mediterranean landscapes from Tuscany to the Peloponnese. The oil is dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons: α-pinene (40–50%), δ-3-carene (15–25%), with smaller contributions from limonene (3–5%), α-terpinolene (3–5%), and α-terpinyl acetate (5–10%). The sesquiterpenol cedrol (2–4%) provides the only meaningful base-note anchor in an otherwise volatile composition. Morocco and Spain remain the largest producers; French cypress oil, particularly from Provence, commands a premium for its cleaner, less terpenic profile.

Scent Architecture

The opening is sharp and turpentine-bright — raw α-pinene pushing through like rubbing alcohol cut with crushed pine needles. This clears within minutes into a dry, green-woody body where the δ-3-carene asserts itself: less aromatic than pinene, more structural, almost mineral. The cedrol fraction surfaces late, contributing a quiet woody-ambery warmth that extends the oil's life beyond what its volatile terpene skeleton would suggest. There is a persistent peppery-spicy thread throughout, sometimes likened to a coniferous black pepper.

Perfumery Use

Cypress functions as a heart-note structural element, providing lift and vertical architecture. Its dry, austere character suits fougère, chypre, and eaux fraîches where coniferous green is needed without resinous heaviness. It brings Mediterranean aridity to citrus accords and sharpens woody bases. Natural bridges include lavender, bergamot, juniper, clary sage, and oakmoss. PREMIEREPEAU sources sustainable cypress oil from France for Nuit Élastique, where it provides a dry, vertical counterpoint to the composition's dense jasmine-indole heart.

This note in PREMIEREPEAU. Nuit Élastique. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.