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

  • Neva says:

    For me Cristalle always was their favourite. Close second is No 19. Their greens with a touch of powder are superb.

  • Maggiecat says:

    It’s funny how we change in our perfume loves. Channel is a favorite house of mine, and I used to wear Allure and Allure Sensuelle, but never No. 5. It’s the opposite now – I love the lighter forms of No. 5, but not those 2. I also have 3 of the Eaux, Coco Noir, and the Coco Mad L’eau Privee. I remember liking Coromandel, but my husband decidedly did not, and I like him even more, so…

    • March says:

      Ooooh, you do sound like a Chanel fan, even if your individual scent rotation changed… yes, keep the husband if he’s a keeper! I really need to get myself together and try some of the eaux.

      • Maggiecat says:

        You know he’s a keeper if I chose him over Coromandel
        Do try the Eaux. They’re well done and accessible. I have Deauville, Riviera, and Venise and love all three even though they’re quite different.

  • alityke says:

    I do love many Chanels. It’s well documented I have a number of bottles of OG Cristalle edt. Still not tried the new iteration.
    Next favourite is Pour Monsieur. I’m presently out of it but will be truffling round resale sites & discounters next year.
    Coco edt, No5 edt, No19 edt, Eau Premiere are all workhorses in my collection.
    No22 edp, 31RC edt & Beige edt are also much loved. My Beige is 200mls & about half used but I need to get a crack on. It’s turned dark & the top notes are teetering. 200ml is just way too much!
    Coco mad, Coco Noir & Gabrielle were misses for me.
    On its release I adored Allure, really adored it. Then we recruited a new member to our small, tight knit team. She turned out to be a lazy, mean girl. Whispered for attention yet was vicious when there were no male medics to impress. She wore Allure. I never did again

    • March says:

      Ha! That is A LOT of Beige! I remember liking the scent very much but the name … ehhhhh (although I get the point.). Oooh, I’ve had that happen to me — the “wrong” person wears a scent and it’s a powerful no-go from then on.

  • Musette says:

    Well… you know me and No5.
    For someone who couldn’t wear a single Chanel piece of clothing w/o getting laughed at, I can wear the living daylights out of No5. I haz it in e every form: soap, body get (vintage, don’tchaknow), creme, lotion, Fragments (the gold gel, which is gorgeous in Summer)… everything except the dusting powder – and that’s just because I keep forgetting about it. Perfume and EdT in a myriad of iterations and vintages.

    NOT the EdP, though. It’s pretty… but there’s something Not Quite No5 about it…

    • March says:

      Next time I’m there I’m going to sneak into every one of your stash items — I haven’t tried a single body product from Chanel and clearly I am missing out! Good to know about the EdP, I should probably spring for my own bottle.

  • rosarita says:

    I am a Chanel fan through and through. I was gifted No 19 edt in high school and I still love it, now own different vintages. Coco was a hands down favorite and still is. And No 5 in several iterations, also Allure, Egoiste, Coromandel (in samples and decants) and I’m sure there are others. My daughter wears Coco Mademoiselle as her signature, so while I really like it, I don’t wear it. Chanel prices these days are a shock so I hunt for vintages.

    • March says:

      Yes, Chanel like so many things has gone up! But at least they’re not constantly introducing / discontinuing things in the main line… lovely that your daughter wears Coco Mad. I’m always happy to smell it in the wild.

  • cinnamon says:

    Chanel is not my house. I’ve tried — and wore No 5 back in the late ’80s. I recall being very excited about the Exclusifs and enjoyed Coromandel. But if I were to have to pick a Chanel it would be Pour Monsieur which sat better than the feminines on my chemistry.

    • March says:

      That chemistry is definitely a thing. I feel that way about some houses. Especially Caron, off the top of my head — I’m not getting what other folks are.

  • Maya says:

    I’m a fan of No5. I have a pristine vintage bottle of the edt. I wish it were longer lived on me. Other than that, Chanel perfumes don’t interest me much and once they stopped online stores from selling samples, they lost me completely.

  • Devon Rubin says:

    I have never liked No. 5. I’m also a Coco fan.

  • Portia says:

    LOVE CHANEL March. All the oldies, M&F. Some of the newer general public launches have left me yawning but I do really like the Eaux series. No 22 has turned on me over the last few years. One close huff and I’m heading for the medicine cabinet for something to sooth the pounding in my head.
    Early on in our time together Jin discovered my Antaeus and snaffled all my older bottles and has gone through them with gusto. He’s on the last one and we went to try the modern version of it last week. It’s pretty similar but MUCH shorter lifespan. It had practically disappeared in less than two hours.
    Portia xx

    • March says:

      Oh no! I still haven’t cozied up to 22. That’s fantastic about Jin and the Antaeus, although sorry to hear the latest iteration is so short lived! I want to try a couple of the eaux, and if I won the lottery I’d buy several Exclusifs.

      • Portia says:

        If you ever come to Sydney I have No 22 from four different eras. I sold my very old parfum on though, even looking at it was giving me headaches.

  • Tom says:

    I appreciate Chanel but it’s not a perfect fit for me. But that’s okay.

  • Dina C. says:

    Chanel is my favorite house. While Guerlain uses vanilla in their Guerlinade, Chanel seems to use a lot of Iris in their Chanel base, and that definitely IS my cup of tea. I have 12 Chanel scents right now between full bottles, vintage, and minis. My fav is No 19 edp. I have and love the edt and the Poudre too. I love many of Les Exclusifs that Jacques Polge created.Fall favorites: Sycomore, 31 Rue Cambon, Bois des Iles; Winter favs: No 22, Cuir de Russie, No5; Spring favs: 28 La Pausa, No 19 edp, Misia: Summer favs: Cristalle eau Verte, Cristalle edt, 1932, 1957. Beige is also really pretty though I don’t own it. Same with Bel Respiro. I want to sample Comete.

    • March says:

      I think I need to get ahold of the 19 EDP (pretty sure this one here is an EDT or a cologne.) We have a lot of the same favorites in the Exclusifs which (in general) I find more wearable. I liked Beige too, separate from its name lol.

  • Eldarwen22 says:

    Amouage and Chanel have a prominent position in my collection. I wasn’t a fan of the Coco Mademoiselle when it came out. It seemed like everyone and their brother was wearing it. I came to love Coco Mademoiselle in the past 3 years. I tried the no 5 hand cream and hated it 20 years ago but when I tried the no 5 parfum, I fell in love. Cuir De Russie was my gateway perfume. It took me a while to warm up to no 22 but I love it now. I am iffy on Coco though and I probably need to try the parfum version or the edit version. Coromandel is a pretty recent one because I am not a fan of amber perfumes.

    • March says:

      Ha! I didn’t love Coco Mad when it came out, for the same reason — it was everywhere. But now I like it a lot. Cuir de Russie is so, so gorgeous. I’ve never tried any of the Chanel body products, Musette loves them.

  • Kim B says:

    Die hard old school Chanel lady here!! My first was a gifted No 5 EDT in my late teens. Didn’t quite fit me but about 5 years later I discovered the EDP and parfum and was addicted. Still wear some version of No 5 most days, it’s my go to work perfume. Back then I also discovered Cuir de Russia, No 22, Bois des Iles, still favourites. Never quite cottoned on to the Cocos.
    Took awhile with No 19 but now love the parfum strength. In the Exclusives, love those that were previously in the original line, plus Bel Respiro.

    • March says:

      No. 5 is an excellent work fragrance — elegant but not too much. I adore Bois des Iles and wish I had a bottle. No. 19 is a surprise for me, it’s gorgeous.

  • Cyndi says:

    Oh wow, where to start. I also love the original Coco and it
    has been a constant in my collection especially in the fall/winter season for many years. I also love Chanel No. 5, especially the edt. I have also worn that for many, many years. Allure edt is great especially in the spring/summer months. I also wore Chanel No. 22 many, many years ago before it was part of the Exclusif line. No. 19 Poudree is also one that I enjoy, as well as Gabrielle Essence. My mom’s signature scent was Coco Mademoiselle. Yeah, I love me some Chanel! Lol!!

    • March says:

      I should try Allure again — it’s gotten several mentions today. I didn’t love it, but I don’t remember why so definitely time to revisit. I should retry Gabrielle too.