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Cypress, a widespread conifer
Cypress is a tree of the Cupressaceae family and grows in temperate to warm regions of the northern hemisphere. Today there are at least 30 varieties. Very popular as an ornamental tree, the cypress grows as much in culture as it does in the wild. It is representative of the Mediterranean region and is famous for its triangular scale-shaped leaves, arranged in pairs and completely covering its twigs. For a very long time, the cypress has a very strong symbolic connotation. Greek antiquity made it a symbol of eternal life. Indeed, the foliage of the cypress is always green and its wood is almost rot-proof. Likewise, its smell close to that of incense makes it an almost sacred tree. Thus, cypress is the wood that is used for making the coffins of the popes.Likewise, it is very often present around graves. Besides this somewhat ghoulish appearance, cypress is commonly cultivated as an ornamental in gardens and parks. In Asia, it is customary for it to be placed around temples. Likewise, windy regions use it as a windbreak hedge.
The woody scent of cypress
Although the cypress is very famous in the Mediterranean basin, it also grows in the United States, Kenya, India and China. It allows perfumers to obtain an essential oil that is woody, fresh and aromatic at the same time. Its scent is obtained by hydro distillation of its leaves and twigs. This makes it possible to obtain a kind of oil with a slightly yellow color. Integrated into perfumes, cypress gives them a woody and invigorating flavor that is somewhat camphoric. In general, its scent is more suitable for male juices. Nevertheless, the cypress sometimes manages to interfere with feminine scents. At the same time, it is a very popular ingredient in aromatherapy and recognized for its decongestant, rebalancing, antibacterial and toning properties.
The Acqua Di Parma house particularly adores cypress and, as such, paid tribute to it with the Blu Mediterranéo Cipresso fragrance. However, cypress also very often appears as a base note in species such as in 1881 Collection by Cerruti, A * Men Pure Wood by Thierry Mugler, Armani Code Ultimate or Bois Marocain by Tom Ford. However, note that cypress is not exclusively reserved for dark juices. It even came to decorate the limited edition of Ck One Summer by Calvin Klein, in 2014.
