Once in a while, it’s interesting to play those “what if?” games. For today: As in, what if a perfumed fairy godmother showed up on your doorstep and offered to give you three bottles of scent. The only catch? All three have to be from the same house and the scents have to be in current production.
So today let’s play with Chanel, in honor of their recent release of three new extraits for 1932, Jersey and Beige, all of which BTW, I can’t wait to try.
Right off the bat, I know I’ll have to have Coromandel. My fall and winter months just wouldn’t be the same without its deep, rich sophisticated goodness and patchouli charms. Each time I wear it, I always feel a little mysterious and beautiful. And de rigueur for summer would have to be Chanel’s amazing Eau de Cologne, which IMHO, is the best cologne out there. As colognes go, it lasts fairly well, I think. And happily re-spritzing it is one of the joys of warm weather.
But for No. 3, oh dear. I’m torn in several different directions. Love Cristalle (old and new) but the Cologne does kind of cover a bright, warm weather scent for me. I really enjoy Coco, although Coromandel does take care of the sultry, spicy vibe. Also Nos. 19, 22 and 1932. And are they still making Bois des Iles extrait? If so, that’s going to be a big contender as well. Decisions, decisions.
So, as I try to round out my perfume wardrobe trio, guess I’ll go with No. 22, as it helps bridge the territory between my other picks. I see the bottles I didn’t choose giving me dirty looks, but the fairy godmother says, a limit of three, please. 🙂
What about you –- what would be your three-fer gift from Chanel?
Not the biggest Chanel fan myself, and I’ve not tried any of the extraits so I can’t fairly consider them, although asking for 3 extraits and keeping them to trade or sell if not liked sounds strategic ;),
however on taste I’d take:
Cuir de Russie
Egoiste
and No.18
And if the perfume fairy was not restricted to Chanel, I’d def be getting a bag of Roja Dove goodies!!
“A bag of Roja Dove goodies” … just add a side of RD while you’re at it, dear Perfume Fairy Godmother … Me, too. Love it, Elia!
I envy you!!! It’s on my wish-to-try-list but even a tiny amount of sample is so darn pricey…
I’m not sure if your reply here was to me (Ann) or someone else. But I am saving my pennies for sure for the tiniest dab of the extraits.
If I had to choose just three Chanels to be in my collection, those would be No.19 EdT, Bois des Isles (extrait) and Cuir de Russie (extrait) but since I have No 19 in mycollection already, I’d say that the third one would be Beige extrait.
Hi, Undina! I love the extraits you mention as well. Have you sniffed the Beige extrait yet? I have to admit Beige EDT didn’t knock my socks off when I first tried it, but am willing to give it another go, especially as parfum.
No, I haven’t tried it yet but since I like Beige EdT AND I have everything else that I want to have from this house, I decided to go for the imaginary free bottle of Beige extrait.
I would like coromandel
Bois de isles
Number18
Hi, Pearl! I’ll have what you’re having — especially No. 18, which is such an unusual and often-overlooked beauty. Thanks for the reminder.
Oh dear, Chanel is my favorite house, too. There are a few of Les Exclusifs I haven’t tried yet. But if I had to decide right this minute:
No 5 parfum
Bois des Isles edt
Bois des Isles parfum
I already own Coromandel, Cristalle edp and a big honkin’ bottle of Eau Premiere which is one of my very favorite perfumes, period.
Hey, Suzy Q! I love that you’ve got a big honkin’ bottle of EP; it’s really the only No. 5 that really agrees with me. I’m with you on stocking up on the BdI — good thinking!
Of the relatively few Chanels I’ve tried, my favorites were: Coco, Coromandel, and…Chance Eau Tendre.
Nice choices there, Laurels. I love your first two, but don’t think I’ve tried the Eau Tendre — must remedy soon.
Only 3? Can I choose twice? 😉
Choice 1 – 28 La Pausa (own), Coromandel (want/need), No22 Extrait (own)
Choice 2 – Cristalle Eau Verte (own), Sycomore (want/need), Chance Extrait (own)
Choice 3 – Coco (own), Coco Noir (own), Bois des iles (want/need)
Oops I chose 3 times, sorry!
Kizzers, you know what you like (and need), that’s for sure! And as I mentioned above, it’s nice to see 28 La Pausa getting a bit of love. 🙂
For myself, Beige, Chanel no 5 and 1932 in extrait forms. Chanel was my first love. Everyone in my family wears some form of Chanel, so I really love them all.
So Katherine, when you have a family reunion, I guess there’s a whole lotta Chanel going on! Let’s hear it for the extraits — can’t wait to try the new ones.
Yes! I am a Chanel girl from waaaaay back. My mother’s much-cherished bottles of Chanel perfume were the little beauties who started me on the path to becoming a Perfumista.
I love ALL the Chanels. I can happily wear ALL the Chanels, but my favorites are:
Coromandel
Coco Noir
Allure Sensuelle
Gwenyth, you were a Chanel baby from the get-go, weren’t you? And lucky you to be able to wear them all; sure wish I could.
I would chose 31 Rue Cambon, Jersey and 28 La Pausa
Nice choices there! And so glad you mentioned 28 La Pausa — what a beauty, and what a shame I tend to forget about it. But not this spring, ha!
Hi Ann I could go well beyond three. My choices are: Cuir de Russie extrait, Sycomore and #19. Then there’s Coco Noir, Eau Premiere and on and on!
Cheers!
Me, too, Bevfred! Another CdR extrait lover, too, yay! My choices didn’t necessarily reflect this, but it’s probably not a bad idea to choose your three based on cost and availability. So you are spot-on selecting the pricey, hard-to-find extrait.
Hi Ann! What a great, though difficult, question. Chanel is one of my favorite houses, but since I own Chanel No. 22, Coromandel, and vintage No. 5 extrait, I’ll pick my next top three for my imaginary gifts: Bel Respiro (in the big bottle, since that once is soft and fleeting, though so darn beautiful); 31 Rue Cambon, and Chanel Coco.
Hi, sweet Suzanne — so happy to see you today! I like your idea of rounding out your collection with your “gifts.” I’m glad you mentioned Bel Respiro; I think it sometimes gets overlooked and it is so lovely. Also, the 31RC; I’m hoping they’ll come out with that in extrait; I think I would find more love with that than with the current version.
Ann,
Chanel is my favorite house, so this is actually hard for me because there are so many things I’d like to choose. I have used up my decant of 31 Rue Cambon, so that would definitely be on the list. Also, I have really enjoyed my 2 samples of 1932, so I think I’d get a bottle of that. I’ve always wanted to try the extrait versions of Bois des Iles and Cuir de Russie (I have the edts of both). So those two would have to fight it out for the third spot, I think. But, then again, I’ve used up my mini bottle of Eau Premiere, and we all know how easy and wearable that one is, too! See my dilemma?!? 😀
Howdy, Dina! As Portia pointed out farther up in the comments, those extraits are just 15-ml bottles, so I’m thinking the PFG should let two of those count as one choice. You can have extraits of both BdI and CdR — dilemma solved!! 🙂
This was hard since Chanel is not my favorite house. Something about many of them just don’t sit well so I’d have to go with No.5 Eau Premiere, Coco Mademoiselle, and Beige.
Good choices there, Tiara! Sorry to hear that Chanel is not a fave for you, but I understand; I can see how in some ways it can be a hard line to love. I think we all have a house or two like that, that for some reason just doesn’t click with us.
This is a no brainer for me. If it could be any house: Roja Dove (I am currently trying to figure out how to budget to get these; have to win the lottery, I think 🙂 ): 1. Diaghelev; 2. Fetish; 3. Bergamot (amazing simple perfection).
Now if they had to be Chanels, and not vintage, I’d go with: 1. 1932, 2. 31 Rue Cambon, and 3. No. 18
Hi, dear Sherri! Yes, I’m thinking a lottery win would be just the ticket to obtaining the Roja Doves. I, too, love Diaghilev, but oddly enough, more so in the EDP than in the parfum. And so glad to see another 1932 fan, too.
Perfume Fairy’s dropping off three bottles for me??
OOOH. Okay, well, since I’ve already got No. 19 (which would be my top pick) in vintage EdT and current EdP, as well as some wonderful vintage No. 5 parfum…
1932 extrait (haven’t smelled yet, but I loved the short-lived EdT)
31 Rue Cambon
No.5 Eau Premiere (my decant is almost gone!)
Or, I could be unselfish and ask for Egoiste to give to my older son, or Coco Mademoiselle for my sister.
Howdy, Mals; so glad you stopped by. Yay for another 1932 fan! I can’t wait to try the extrait either. And the Eau Premiere really is the only No. 5 that I can wear, so I’m right there with you on that. I’m guessing that because you’ve been good and are thinking of others, that the perfume fairy godmother might tuck an extra bottle or two in there for you. 🙂
Only 3? 🙁 hmm. BdI in extrait, 31RC, and no 3 is hard. I love Cuir de Russie but some leather perfumes make me wheeze, and unfortunately this is one of them. So it’s either that anyway (in extrait of course)- because it’s FREE, so maybe Coromandel.
Extraits aren’t available here (only the 200ml at $350 a pop- so I doubt I’d be able to afford one anyway!) but I do wish 31rc was available in extrait…
Hi, Lynley! So sorry to hear that the CdR makes you wheeze 🙁 Happy to see another Coromandel lover here. And I’m with you on the 31RC in extrait; maybe that will be in the next batch that they introduce.
Well, I’m not completely familiar with Chanel, but I would choose:
1. Coromandel
2. Sycomore
3. No. 19 (which I’ve never smelled, but I think it’s a green floral. Or, at least it’s green. Correct me if I’m wrong.)
Looking at the choices of the other participants, I realize that I need more education about this house. I don’t know why I’ve never delved into the offerings from Chanel.
Hiya, Martha! Nice choices there, and I think you’d like the No. 19. And even if you didn’t, it was free 🙂 and I’m pretty sure you could find a good home for it. I hear you on trying the Chanels; since the Les Exclusifs are only available in the boutiques (and maybe Bergdorf Goodman and another store or two — Nordstrom Seattle flagship?), they’re not easy to try. Thank goodness for samples from decant services.
Martha,
I splurged and got 2ml spray samples of the whole Les Exclusives line from Surrender To Chance. I used them to get to know the house and now use them as my reminder sprays.
Portia xx
Great idea, Portia — that’s a perfect way to get to know the whole line!
Now before anyone gets aggravated with me 😉 in the spirit of fun,these are NOT the only Chanels you can have. Just the ones you’d request as gifts from the perfume fairy godmother. My choices didn’t exactly reflect that, so I’ll change out the more readily available No. 22 for some Bois des Iles extract, please.
Chanel only?
🙁
I already own the two I want, but can find a place for the third:
(1. bois des iles – any conc)
(2. Chnale n°5 – extrait only)
3. n° 19 (edt)
May I ben the rules? I have A FEW big lemmings from Guerlain:
1. Songe d’un Bois d’Été
2. Sous le vent
3. Chant d’aromes
4. Samsara
5. Liu
6. AA herba fresca
7. Jardins de bagatelle
8. Cuir beluga
Yes, many, many of my perfumes come from guerlain (Mitsy, Shalimar, VDN, Chamade. Lys soleya, l’HB, Attrape Coeur, l’eau imperiale), and I am still not done with it!
Smart lady, Zazie, to stock up on your faves. Why not, when the PFG is buying? And bend away with the Guerlains — there’s lots of good stuff to go around. Your list reminds me that I’ve never tried the Liu, although I do have and love the lipstick named for it. Thanks!
Only 3 – blasphemy!!
Well, if you insist:
1 Cuir de Ruisse Extrait – simply perfect
2 No 5 EDT – my first perfume and wears better on me than the extrait
3 Coromandel -spicy, wintry perfection, and living in Canada, a cold weather Chanel is essential.
Tena, it’s not so bad when you think of it as three free gifts from the perfume fairy godmother; remember, you’re not stuck with those exclusively. Happy to see another CdR extrait fan; as I mentioned above, I just sampled it recently and loved it. And Coromandel does sound like the perfect pick for your Canadian winters.
No.22, Cristalle, and Coco.
Howdy, Poodle! You’ve hit on three of my faves there, and they’re great for a variety of occasions and seasons.
Oooh this is tough. There are many Chanels I haven’t properly tried so it’s hard to make an informed decision.. so I’ll make a (mostly) uninformed one instead! Wheeee!
1. No.19 (of what I have tried, it’s my favorite)
2. Bois des Isles
3. Cuir de Russie
Good going there, Jennifer! And hey, if you don’t like one of your choices, you can always give it away to someone else (after all, they are free) 🙂
Only three? 😀
My choice would be;
1. Bois des Iles
2. Cuir de Russie
3. N°22
But then, what would I do with Allure Sensuelle and Coco Noir…
Why, keep on wearing them, of course! 🙂 I love all your choices; can’t go wrong with any of them. Have you tried the CdR in extrait yet? I just sampled it and it’s lovely.
Since my favorite fragrance is Cristalle EDP, that would be the first bottle. ( I am wearing that scent right now). 🙂 The next two would be Allure Sensuelle and Coco Mademoiselle, respectively.
Excellent, Cecilia! So glad to see another Cristalle fan. It was my gateway drug to Chanel when it first came out, and I’ve been loving it ever since.
Yes, Bois des Iles extrait is still available on both the Canadian and American websites.
My 3 Chanels would be No 5 extrait, Cuir de Russie extrait, and 31 Rue Cambon. But I would be crying as I held them, tears of sadness over leaving behind No9, No 22, Bois des Iles, all in extrait, and 28 La Pausa. Yes, I am a major Chanel parfum fan girl!!
No need to cry, dear Kim. You can keep all your lovelies; your Chanel three-fer would be gifts from the oh-so-generous perfume fairy godmother. I am so happy about the BdI extrait (now if I could only afford it in real life, ha!).
Hey Ann,
Excellent. 3 bottles from CHANEL?
1. Bois des Iles Extrait
2. Cuir de Russie Extrait
3. Coco Noir (I wouldn’t buy it but I do secretly like it and it’s FREE right)
MMM, now you have me wondering id I should be my own perfume fairy godmother
Portia xx
Howdy! I love it that you’d take the BdI extrait, too, (and the CdR as well). I think we all enjoy being our own PFG sometimes, although I rarely, if ever, get FBs. So I say, go for it!!
Ha Ha Ha! Yes, I should definitely take a leaf from your book but those Extraits are only teensy little 15ml ones. They hardly count.
Portia xx
Oh, mercy — I forgot about the tiny extrait sizes — maybe the PFG should let TWO of those count as one of the three gifts, eh?
Bois des Iles extrait (it is still in production!), No 5 EDT and the Eau de Cologne for me. But this is not an easy game – I want my No 19 and No 22 too. And Coco!
Hi, Sarah! Yay on the BdI extrait!! I should have made it more clear in my post that these were three that you’d take if the perfume fairy godmother landed on your doorstep, not that you had to live with only three 🙂 (sheesh — that would be rough!).
Ineke, Evening Edged in Gold, Field Notes from Paris and After My Own Heart. Or…I could go on all night
Jan, Ineke is such a nice line, isn’t it? My faves from it are Hothouse Flower and Balmy Days and Sundays. Could use some of those right now, couldn’t we all!
oh… this is hard because i don’t really know Chanel that well… but i would like to try this Cuir de Russie, i didn’t even know they made a cologne, so that’s in… and while Chanel Bleu smells deceptively like Cool Water to me (and i have very specific scent memories associated with that)– my third would be Antaeus as i seem to remember someone saying it was a must try.
Hi! I just tried the CdR myself; not long ago ordered a little sample of the extrait. It’s quite lovely. Do try the cologne sometime; it’s perfect for warm weather. And I’d forgotten all about Antaeus, so thanks for the reminder.
Tom Ford: Jasmine Rouge, Sahara Noir and Shanghai Lilly….Killian: Love and Tears, Straight to Heaven and Incense Oud or Good Girl Gone Bad, Water Calligraphy and Amber Oud.
Oh, guess I missed the Chanel part…sorry! That’s what I get for multi-tasking! Feel free to delete!
Heavens, no, Rina — it’s all good! I do love me some Shanghai Lily and Amber Oud, too.
Thus far, I really have all the Chanels that I want right now but my 3 favs are Cuir de Russie (have both extract and EDT version), No. 19 (EDP form) and no. 22. When dealing with Chanel, I must have those three. But my wish would be to have Diorling, Diorissimo, and Miss Dior. Let’s just say that was though because I want Jicky, Mitsouko and L’Heure Bleue in extract form too. It’s just so difficult trying to pick out one.
I agree — it’s tough to choose. But you’ve got some great picks there!