Cypress

What it is

Distilled from the twigs and needles of the Mediterranean tree. Related to juniper and to Virginia cedar.

What it smells like

Dry, resinous and slightly sharp, more austere than pine and less sweet than fir. It reads as cold and outdoor, and it is often used where pine would feel too much like a cleaning product.

Where it sits

Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.

What it turns up with

How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.

When it is worn

Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.

Houses that use it most

Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.

Azzaro (7), Gucci (5), Armaf (4), Ajmal (3), Dolce & Gabbana (3), Giorgio Armani (2).