“Palatin” comes from “palace”, and Bertrand Duchaufour's new offering for MDCI is truly princely: a proper pyramid fragrance whose development will take you through three equally fascinating stages as though you were wandering from one grand room to another in an Italian palazzo…

Spray it on, and you're drawn into a rich green 70s-style floral chypre, a galbanum-laced hyacinth splashed with bright green clementine with agrestic lavender accents. The hyacinth's rosy facet melds into a rich floral bouquet of rose, jasmine and iris, brushed with clove and coriander.

But it is when it moves into its drydown that Chypre Palatin unveils its opulent far-east undercurrent – addictive, smooth and fairly growling with animalic notes. Amber, balsams, leather? Check. It's been a long time since we've found a fragrance that gives off such vintage-style lushness, and no wonder: Chypre Palatin is overflowing with lush natural essences, absolutes and resins. Once more, Parfums MDCI demonstrates that the spirit of golden-era French perfumery is still thriving. Treat yourself to a scented palace!

Chypre Palatin Fragrance Notes

Green clementine, hyacinth, lavender, rose, jasmine, iris, benzoin, styrax, vanilla, castoreum, costus and leather accord

Chypre Palatin Sizes Available:

75ml

$250

0.7ml sample

If you like Chypre Palatin Eau de Parfum, we recommend you try:

Patchouli Intense by PARFUMS DE NICOLAI

Invasion Barbare by Parfums MDCI

L'Air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes

MEM by Bogue Profumo

M V2Q by Puredistance

Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes

Here's what other people are saying about Chypre Palatin...

This perfume used to be a masterpiece. Easily in my top ten, but its been terribly reformulated. It’s a lot weaker and much too sweet. I don’t know why he would ruin such a beautiful perfume. What a shame. But many perfumers do this. They release a masterpiece, then when there’s a huge cult following, they reformulate it. I have about 10ml left, I won’t be repurchasing this horrid mess unless the house admits what they did and bring back the original. It’s not like it’s not obvious, everyone who’s very familiar with this perfume has been complaining about the reformulation. The color of the perfume you receive is a lot lighter than the one shown here. The original was dark in color.

By Elisabeth - Administrator from NJ on 3/25/2023

This is not an enjoyable scent, It looks like it would be, but it isn't. It smells cheap, it's overwhelmingly sweet and undercomplicated.

By Taphne - sales from Denver on 4/11/2021

where is the oakmoss? in order for it to be a chypre perfume it needs to have oakmoss in the base, an absolute must for a chypre formula. good scent bad name . companies have a hard time making perfumes today.

By none - none from none on 1/25/2019

Good lord, this is gorgeous. A rich, powerful, complex, sophisticated, modern fruity chypre, fully unisex. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Molinard HABANITA, but this is like an ultra-haute, "perfected" version of it. The head boasts a mysterious bitter "narcotic" quality (almost cannabis-like?) that is riveting. The floralcy is discreet, not "perfumey", "femme" or "pretty", it subordinates itself to the larger gestalt. But the base is a noble, "chypriental" confluence, with a luxurious but subtle, airy, warmly "living" vanilla-amber-spice-benzoin quality that is miles away from the more severe chypre drydowns of yesteryear. Worth every penny.

By david lincoln brooks - artist from boerne texas usa on 10/6/2018

On me this a delicious, velvety, and slightly gourmand fragrance with a feminine leaning. The longevity is 12 hours and the sillage is moderate. Full bottle of my dreams.

By Monique - Artist from New England on 4/7/2018

Trompe le nez! So many complete fragrances in one, it is pure hedonism and I must have the large bottle. Tassel completely appropriate.

By Summer - Curator from Los Angeles on 3/4/2018

Starts out sharp and kinda sweet but not too, moves on into what I have come to think of as a vintage perfume type smell, kinda thick, a little heavy, a little hay like, a little like tobacco or maybe a dusty attic. Pleasant enough.

By jerseymaiden - writer from saratoga springs ny on 6/26/2017

Chypre Palatin, have we met? I know I've smelled you someplace before....at the Dior counter a while back. You're that modern Miss Dior "Parfum" who morphs into Miss Dior Original in the drydown!! The fragrance industry is rank with plagiarism. This one didn't deliver. Anyone know where that Palatin is at? I felt the same way after sampling La Belle Helene which is a dead ringer of Gloria Vanderbilt but with a pear substitute for the pineapple. For the record, I do think the Chypre term is thrown around a little too loosely these days. A tad Chypre doesn't make it a Chypre unless it's a Chypre.

By Anonymous - Retired Artist from New York City on 8/9/2016

Terrific, fun and an absolute people pleaser in a good way! Not really a chypre to me, certainly not in the classical sense, more of an aromatic leaning in a green direction . . . but quite unique with an indefinable charm to it. Nothing like it that I have come across before - no gimmicks, just pure, restrained, elegant satisfaction. Congratulations to MDCI for coming up with something so original at this point in the game. I'm onto my second bottle already.

By Morton Wilson - Music Producer from Hong Kong on 2/12/2016

An absolute favorite, and currently in my top 5! I haven’t been smelling my wrists long enough to know exactly what a true chypre is, and for me, Duchaufour’s creations are usually bigger and sweeter than I like, but this is sheer pleasure! I can wear this anywhere, at any time. It’s classy, with a few nuances that keep it interesting throughout it’s life. Opening with effervescent greens, then showing creamy florals, oakmoss, balsam, sandalwood, vanilla and leather. Two thumbs way up!!

By Jim - Not for Profit from Chicago on 1/3/2016

Profound, and a beautiful bust/bottle. A bit too florid for my tastes to purchase, but an excellent fragrance for its type.

By Anonymous Dude on 6/2/2015

This is an absolutely superb masterpiece. I agree the beginning is a bit powdery but it settles down into something so beautiful and amazing. I am a fan !

By Ammar - Engineering Exec from Sunnyvale on 3/21/2015

Brilliant OLD SCHOOL Chypre, opens with a green floral Blast, then goes through a Barbershop accord, then a light but persistent musk, wood, sweet base. Great silage, and longevity, I wore it to work the other day and when I took the shirt to the dry cleaners, the woman behind the counter kept smelling the shirt (little creepy), and said it was one of the best things she ever smelled. Masterpiece!

By JCParodi - Perfume Lover from Brooklyn on 6/3/2013

Personally, I love this beautiful and masculine fragrance. I must admit that my experience is only with a couple of sample vials, but to me, this IS old school, but with a new twist. I could easily see me wearing this daily, or at least more than once a week, lol. This is definitely FB worthy and when the coinage is there, I'd love to splurge and get a bust edition. Why not, when it combines the best of old and new? Highly recommend this one.

By Anonymous - from the South on 6/10/2012

Not really old school at all, IMO. I find it pleasant, but very powdery and not enough oak moss for a true chypre. I like but don't love it.

By Anonymous on 6/8/2012

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Chypre Palatin

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