You may be familiar with the olfactory offerings from luxury jewellery and watch brands such as Bvlgari, Boucheron and Cartier. But what about Chopard?
The Swiss company founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860 has been in the fragrance biz since the 1980s. The debut classic Chopard Happy Diamonds (1986) has been discontinued. But judging from the perfumes I’ve smelled, the company has more than enough quality current perfumes to go around.
“Sustainability” is often just a corporate buzzword, but from the admirably detailed product info, Chopard seems to be doing more than most to ensure their fragrances meet their “do good, feel good” philosophy.
The brand emphasises its commitment to responsibly and ethically sourced ingredients (many of them naturals) from certified partners.
We take you through the best male, female and unisex Chopard fragrances. Where known, the name of the perfumer is included after the name of the fragrance.
* = female
** = male
*** = unisex
Our Top 10 Chopard Fragrance
Chopard Casmir EDP* (Michel Almairac)
This earlier release from 1992 set the tone for the house’s perfume releases: quality ingredients interpreted in a bold and distinctive style.
Perfumer Michel Almairac is the legend behind classics such as Dior Fahrenheit, Giorgio Armani Bois d’Encens, Gucci Rush, and Joop! Homme, so this should come as no surprise.
The opening brings on the tropical ambiance, with notes of juicy mango and milky coconut. A large dose of peach accentuates the fruity vibe.
The florals that follow – geranium, jasmine, and lily-of-the-valley – are given the sumptuous powdery treatment.
Featuring an amber accord, vanilla, and musk, the drydown is complex and woody.
Sweet and sophisticated, it’s statement stuff.
Chopard Mille Miglia EDP** (Olivier Polge & Bruno Jovanovic)
The sexy black, silver and red bottle alone should tell you that this 2013 release means business.
Chopard is the official timekeeper of the renowned classic cars race 1 000 Miglia and this EDP is also inspired by the watch range with the same name. The creators behind the perfume are renowned perfumers Olivier Polge & Bruno Jovanovic.
It starts in clean, fresh and aromatic mode, with notes of lavender, juniper berries and bergamot.
True to its inspiration, there’s the unmistakable smell of a love-it-or-hate-it asphalt accord. Powdery violet and animalic leather add to the intrigue.
An amber accord, wood and coffee notes keep the thrills coming in the drydown.
Chopard Oud Malaki EDP*** (Dominique Ropion)
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. At the price, this superb 2012 release from the brand’s Middle East-inspired Malaki Collection is definitely not a “real” oud. But Dominique Ropion (Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower, Mugler Alien, YSL Y EDP) masterfully creates a damn fine approximation.
Featuring notes of grapefruit, lavender and artemisia, the opening is brisk and fresh.
The temperature increases with a combo of caramel-y tobacco and spice.
The synthetic oud is quality stuff and captures the warm and sweet muskiness of the precious ingredient in an accessible style. It’s accentuated by synthetic ambergris and wood notes.
Don’t let all this talk of synthetics – the backbone of modern perfumery – put you off this EDP. They’re used in the right way, so you wouldn’t even know the difference.
Chopard Amber Malaki EDP***
Inspired by the luxury of Chopard jewellery, this 2015 addition to the Malaki range is seriously good stuff.
Subtly smoky and spicy incense meets the fresh sweetness of orange blossom in the intro. The smokiness is given aromatic woodiness by a papyrus note.
Not to be confused with the precious stone, the amber accord in this EDP builds on the intro and takes in vanilla bourbon, mostly likely sourced from Madagascar, with its honey-ish nuances. Cistus adds to the ambery depth.
Gently sweet, warm and cosy, it’s eminently elegant and irresistible.
Chopard Néroli à la Cardamome du Guatemala EDP*** ( Alberto Morillas & Nathalie Lorson)
All the big designer brands have added private ranges to their repertoires in recent years to maintain an air of exclusivity and superior quality.
This 2017 EDP from the Chopard Collection captures the brand’s haute parfumerie approach rather nicely.
The citrusy, green hues of neroli bigarade is partnered with sweet mandarin orange in the opening for a summer effect.
The freshness continues with orange blossom and is expertly contrasted with the resinous spice of cardamom from Guatemala.
Ambrette seeds – the naturally derived musk – bring floral silkiness to the woody drydown.
Also recommended from the same line: Vétiver d'Haïti au Thé Vert and Or de Calambac EDP.
Happy Chopard Lemon Dulci EDP* (Dora Baghriche)
The Happy Chopard Collection was launched in 2018 and takes its cue from the scientific research on the link between feel-good scents and their influence on mood.
Although not marketed as such, it has a younger feel than the other Chopard ranges but has broad appeal.
The opening is all uplifting citrus freshness, with bergamot, mandarin and, in particular, primofiore lemon essences from southern Italy on show.
Shiso leaves and mint add a zesty green element, while notes of orange flower water and apple bring a delicate sweetness to the composition.
It’s the perfect choice when you’re moody AF.
Happy Chopard Felicia Roses EDP* (Dora Baghriche)
Gosh, isn’t this 2018 release pretty, although I didn’t notice it at first after the flamboyance of Love Chopard (see below)!
The rose nuances of the notes of pink pepper and raspberry extract are played up in the intro, while pink grapefruit essential oil brings an element of citrus crispness.
Notes of Bulgarian rose bud and absolute create a fresh and dewy ambiance, with blackcurrant bud absolute adding to the greenery.
The drydown is gently woody, with cedarwood essential oil from Alaska, of all places, mingling with the vanilla tones of Brazilian tonka bean.
It all adds up to produce a perfume that’s beautifully natural smelling. Probably all those natural essences.
Happy Chopard Bigaradia EDP* (Dora Baghriche)
The bigarade (or bitter orange) tree has a special place in perfumery. Apart from its fruit, its blossoms, leaves and twigs are steam distilled to produce neroli and petitgrain respectively.
This 2018 release makes the most of it in a warm and sunny way.
It opens with the freshness of bitter orange, neroli and petitgrain oils. The effect is uplifting in a tart and green manner. A carrot note adds an element of powderiness.
The sun keeps on shining and the composition gets sweeter with the appearance of notes of orange blossom water, Chinese Sambac jasmine and honey from Provence.
After all that lightness, it’s the turn of Indonesian patchouli and cistus labdanum to bring earthy depth to this immensely likeable composition.
Chopard Love Chopard EDP (Alberto Morillas)
Billed as the company’s glamorous tribute to roses à la the Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet (Chopard is an official partner of the event), it’s roses from top to bottom, including Turkish rose infusion, Bulgarian rose oil, Moroccan centifolia rose absolute and rose damascena absolute from Turkey.
It starts out fresh and dewy, with hints of pink pepper and cinnamon in the background. Bravo to the brand for admitting to the use of the synthetic rose molecule Roseolate, with its fruity nuances.
It gets spicier and warmer as the fragrance progresses, with notes of jasmine sambac and orange blossom adding to the richness. There’s a lot going on in the gourmand drydown, featuring patchouli, honey, cacao and vanilla.
This 2020 release is sufficiently different and multifaceted enough to stand out in the crowded category.
Chopard Black Incense Malaki EDP** (Alberto Morillas)
Wowzers! Inspired by the ancient tradition of royal frankincense, the most recent addition to the Malaki Collection (2020) is standout stuff. Some people might even use the dreaded phrase, “niche quality”, to describe it.
The fresh aromatics of lavandin oil from France is distinctive among the various spices of the opening.
There’s plenty more spice of the smoky and resinous frankincense kind, courtesy of the essential oil sourced from family-owned company Neo Botanika in Somaliland.
Perfume geek alert! It’s given a leather-licious feel thanks to “a pyrogenation process [which] sublimates the original note”, according to Firmenich. I’m not quite sure what that means, but the effect is intoxicatingly dark and potent.
The dense drydown sees Indonesian patchouli taking the lead, with its earthy and musky properties.
Richard Goller is a fragrance and grooming blogger. His blog is called Fragroom. A senior editor with 20 years' experience, his blog allows him to combine two of his passions: engaging content and the always-intriguing world of fragrances. When he isn't blogging, you'll find Richard indulging in his newly found passion for balcony gardening.