What About Chanel?

Let’s talk about Chanel, shall we? This post was inspired by a dip or three into my housemate’s vintage bottles of No. 5 and No. 19.

Eons ago, when I was a young, broke lass and well before my fragrance obsession, I wanted to be a No. 5 girl – i.e., the sort of young woman who would naturally wear No. 5 as her signature scent, like a second skin. So classy yet bold and smart! Etc. etc. I loved the way No. 5 smelled in theory, with its fizzy florals and woody heart.

Unfortunately, it was like wearing someone else’s gorgeous, well-tailored clothing that didn’t fit me at all. I had a close friend at the time who wore Cristalle EDT as her signature scent. On her it was perfect – young and vibrant but also a little serious. On me, again, it just smelled wrong, almost sour. Classics like Nos. 19 and 22 were a bridge too far at that point.

I eventually found “my” Chanel in Coco, a spicy oriental released in the mid-eighties. It fit me like a luxurious leather glove, and it’s been in my fragrance wardrobe ever since; I have several iterations, including the original stoppered flacon of EDP that I wore every day.

Over the years I’ve also made friends with a couple of easier variations. There’s Cristalle Eau Verte, which is perfect for summer. No. 19 Poudre is a cuddly sweater-weather confection, with the galbanum dialed down and the sweetness brought forward. I wish they’d bring back Une Fleur, a white-flower powerhouse I loved at the time. And I admit to liking Coco Mad, although I can’t help but wonder what Coco Chanel would think of it … possibly not much.  I also had a bottle of No. 5 Eau Premiere which I remember enjoying, although mine seems to have disappeared, sadly.

So, back to that No. 5 – is it any more “me,” almost 40 years later? Gosh, this is gorgeous. (The fact that it’s a vintage bottle of parfum probably helps.) It’s warm and golden and rich, and perfect in this fall weather.

The real surprise, though, is the vintage No. 19. The green, mossy notes and the sharpness I remember are there but now they’re elegant and appealing rather than off-putting. I don’t think the fragrance changed; I did.

Which of the original Chanel oeuvre, if any, do you love? Before Les Exclusifs came along? (Although I get that some of those are resurrected classics; Les Exclusifs would be a whole separate post since I’ve enjoyed so many of them.)

images via Pexels