Thursday 23 May 2019

CHIENOIR by Amanda Beadle

Chypre fragrances have made a huge comeback in the past few years, although some would say that they never really went away. Many companies merely started to refer to them more as “woody” scents, because it was easier than explaining the term “chypre,” but they also started to pull back on the mossy quality of the perfumes. This forest-floor earthiness was what truly defined this style and so it is wonderful to see it alive and well in Amanda Beadle’s award winning fragrance, Chienoir. This self-taught perfumer has stripped back the chypre and revealed the glorious layers that have been hidden for too long.

So, a little bit about chypre fragrances. This style of perfume has been around for centuries but it really came to prominence with the release of François Coty's Chypre in 1917. The combination of oakmoss, bergamot, patchouli, and labdanum within the composition provided a dry warmth reminiscent of a woodland walk, and it truly defined a whole family of scents. Mitsouko by Guerlain followed in 1919 and could be said to have smoothed off the rough edges of its predecessor, which is why it’s seen as the perfect example of this style, and really inspired so much of what came after.

When Amanda Beadle released Chienoir in 2017 it was the fulfilment of a dream that she’d had since childhood. Amanda was always very artistic and had wanted to go to art school but a more “sensible” route was offered to her in the form of accountancy. She succumbed but still had the creative drive within her and, after her children were grown up, it came back to the surface in the form of perfumery. Lots of self-study followed before she finally formed her own company, BedeauX, and launched her first three fragrances, Chienoir, Chouette, and Hibou.

Chienoir was inspired by the Black Dog Hill Vineyard in East Sussex. Now, using a location as an inspiration is not always as easy as it may sound because you have to focus in on what aspect you want to recreate. One of the key parts of the vineyard is the chalky soil mixed with the vegetation, and it’s this that Amanda locked onto very quickly. This combination pushed her in the direction of the classic chypre style of fragrance and would ultimately led to her first Art and Olfaction Award in 2018. Accompanied by Amanda Beadle's artwork, which comes with every perfume, it’s time to discover the perfectly formed Chienoir.

It opens with a mouth-watering blend of bergamot and sweet orange that instantly brings out the sunshine, although the addition of pink pepper and neroli also perfectly capture that first glimpse of the vastness of the landscape. Chienoir builds to the appearance of the oakmoss by first revealing a vine-like juniper berry with its woody nuances before the true chypre quality arrives. The oakmoss is almost textural, the patchouli adds just the right amount of roughness, and a note of vetiver gives a delicate earthiness to this classic structure. Chienoir is crisp, green, and wonderfully dry.

Chienoir is available from Amanda Beadle’s website at bedeaux.co.uk and is priced at £30 for 15ml, £50 for 30ml, and also as a 2ml sample for £5 [Sample provided by BedeauX]

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hello Barry, it's definitely got that chypre/fougere quality that you've mentioned you enjoyed. So, worth a try. Best, Stephan

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