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bar1967 – :
It took me a long time to be able to pull this off and it only happened recently. It is like trying an unknown style and discovering that it actually works well. It is surprising to see that something so modern by its complete composition was done almost 100 years ago. It’s the definition of an abstract smell that is not a composition of identifiable elements but a new one all together. And all this in 1921…. I think the EDT is the best compromise to wearing something close to the real thing, the extrait version (current one as I did not smell the vintage original). The extrait is the most beautiful, more floral, deep, round and warm. However, I don’t know what happens but staying power (of the extrait) it totally disappointing. I have extraits of Guerlain and while they don’t have a long sillage, they clearly have longevity. None of which happens in the No. 5 extrait. Did something happen to it?? The EDT gives all that but does not have the much bigger floral depth of the extrait. And the EDP, what can I say, that’s a more unfortunate cousin. The opening is bright and reminds the extrait but then 20-30 minutes in, a synthetic screechy cheap powdery note of sandalwood comes out and does not want to leave anymore. Very annoying and such a pity as an EDP concentration that could bring the brightness and depth of the flowers from the extrait with a bit larger sillage would have been just perfect. But it is not. So for who wants to try it I would recommend the EDT and the extrait as an indulgence.
andryuha1983 – :
Wow, this is just yummy. It’s the best. Warm, sweet, but not at all cloying, it has character. It’s distinctive, it has a clear personality and presence and yet is not overpowering. Wow. I’m so glad I have this. I can sure understand why this is considered such a classic fragrance and a universal favorite.I remember my gran had this, but she didn’t wear it much! She was probably saving it for something special. I wish she had worn it! (She was such a thrifty gal.) Anyway, Nan, I’m thinking of you and I plan to wear this a lot!!! Someone I read here said this didn’t stay long but was like a great glass of champagne. I LOVE CHAMPAGNE, so yay!
TYMAN – :
A timeless fragrance that exudes class and glamour.
kykla1 – :
This is a new love for me, and man do I LOVE it.
Story time –
My mother sold antiques, ran estafe sales and did interior design so I was constantly around older things growing up. One of those “things” happened to be lots and lots of perfume bottles at estates – both old and new. Growing up around these things, I always had an appreciation for the life they themselves had lived. “Did this bottle live on a beautiful vanity? Would the woman or man who wore this have sprayed with abandon or dabbed in strategic areas?” My mind always ran wild.
While I had an appreciation for these older things growing up, my nose did not. Every sampling of a scent I would try smelled like bug spray to me. I’d lift the lid, sniff the juice and crinkle my nose. This continued throughout my adolescence, where I wore sickly sweet fragrabces that closely resembled a mixture of play doh and sugar cubes.
Fast forward about 10 more years. Hello nose, glad to see you finally arrive (LATE!) to the party.
My first realization that the No. 5 line wasn’t as grandma-y as I had imagined came when I sniffed Eau Prémière. A coworker had mentioned it smelled like a luxurious soap, nothing of what the EDP smelled like. There I was in Sephora, nose to wrist, breathing in a scent that really felt like “ME” – I was sold. I purchased a smaller 50 mL bottle that day.
Wearing Eau Prémière to work was nerve-wracking. Some would say I smelled delightful and others would ask who was wearing baby powder. “How could they just smell baby powder?” I would wonder. “Do they not smell the other magic that lies right beneath the veil of cleanliness?” They didn’t. I stopped wearing it to work but continued to wear the scent everywhere else, because you can’t deny my nose of smelling it.
My next exposure to the No. 5 line came at the CDG airport in Paris. Looking around at all the perfumes, I sprayed the EDT on my wrist. I had read it was the next version after the Parfum to be created and I wanted to see how similar Eau Prémière really could be to the “original”. Besides, if I wound up smelling like my grandmother at least no one else in Paris would ever see me again.
I was quickly hit in the face with the famous No. 5 aldehydes. While nervous, I was comforted to recognize a vague outline of the Eau Premiere I had come to love. “Could I.. like this?” Only time would tell.
I continued to peruse around the duty free shop, sniffing my wrist every other minute. The top notes quickly settled in and I could detect musk – but it still smelled like ME. Like the most feminine version of myself – all washed and scrubbed, moisturized and powdered. I felt equal parts vintage and edgy, for there are likely not many 26-year-olds to wear this confidently. The duty free shop was having a buy two deal so I purchased a huge 100 mL bottle of this along with a smaller 50mL of the EDP. Go big or go home?
My time in Paris faded away and here I am – sniffing my wrists and wondering why I’ve never given this scent the time of day. The most interesting part? I get no objections from coworkers with this formulation. No “It smells like powder” or “grandma” comments. I just get a lot of “mmm. What is that?!” And a lot of confused looks when I tell them what it is. Compared to the EDP, I still think this concentration is the winner. It’s warm and sensual without being too loud or dusty with the perfect amount of vintage charm. It’s a classic for a reason.
VitalyRozhdaev – :
I feel like wearing a yellow-violet-green dress made of ylang, iris petals and greenery…. wafting a beautiful dreamy, youthful, absolutely feminine and classy scent. Elegance bottled!
Alexzvona – :
It is such a shame that Chanel no.5 type of perfume is not easy to find nowdays. Are all the women like to smell candy sweet ?! I don’t think so … I own an older 100 ml no.5 and I think that this one of the most beatiful fragrance on the world .
михаил0987654321 – :
I have changed my opinion about No5 after having owned it for five years and deleted my old favourable review. Although others give me compiments when I wear it, I don’t particularly enjoy the animalic part of it. It’s slightly too dirty for me.
I appreciate the complexity of the smell and the brand heritage though.
k79 – :
A glamorous older woman, mother to a popstar, sits next to me at work. She wears this all day and spritzes herself with it before she goes to meetings.
I smell gorgeous ylang-ylang every time and I’m in la-la land.
I can only think of two words to describe this fragrance, and those women for whom it is their signature: divine and deluxe
Радислав Погорелкин – :
Quite different from the edp. Especially in the opening; less floral, more citrus/candy/musky. In the dry down I get more of the orris root (almost leather?) (compared to the lighter/softer edp).
At this moment I prefer the edp.
kantza – :
Smells so sweet and exactly like honey on me!!!! Im in love!!! Just bought the bottle today, such a beautiful and timeless scent!
Бумбик – :
I have longed for Chanel no5 for many years, i could never afford a bottle but now ive finally taken the plunge and got both the edt and the edp.
I got tye edt because it looks as though this is the only current formulation thwt resembles the true original,but it is extremely light and needs to be applied with a heavy hand. Im going to try layering the parfum and this one and see whst happens.
About the actual scent itself; theres not much that I can say that hasn’t been said, its one of the most famous scents in the world, a feminine classic.
Powdery, floral and musky. Grown up but not ” Old”, I hate labeling a fragrance by age, ive smelled a lot of different Chanel fragrances and my love has always been for the good old No5. Ever since I was a little girl.
Deroxsplmi – :
Che differenza c’è tra EDP ed EDT?
Le note olfattive di cui si compone sono le stesse ma non può essere identico …
Grazie a chi mi risponderà
Paola
Proviron 25 mg – :
VINTAGE FORMULATION
A strong, powdery goddess that lasts for hours after first application. You wouldn’t need to reapply that often, if at all. It smells so clean and sparkles as though it were an expensive drink. Nothing bad about this exists, at least to my nose.
CURRENT FORMULATION
The magic is still there, just for less time and at less of an intensity. Where to vintage made you feel elegant, even when you have a cigarette in hand, the current makes you feel a little less. Especially when you own both and can compare both days apart. Frustrating.
igorshcher – :
Amazing just 1-2sprits and you draw people closer
What is that lovley smell
Bypepseub – :
I so desperately want to love it.
It smells so nice on everyone else. Unfortunately my daughter said : ” whats that you’ve got on, it smells like toilet cleaner”. Yes thats right Chanel number 5 smells like cleaning detergent on my skin. Naturally this does not make me happy. On the bright side it smells lovely on lots of people just not me.
Oh well theres always Tauer!
Jose – :
I just layered this with eau duelle edp. The chanel definitely dominates so far but the cool thing about layering 5 w vanilla dominated perfumes is that the chanel fades and a beautiful chanelesque vanilla drydown appears later
elopaymablyXT – :
I just purchased a 1990 edt. it is light and elegantly humble powdery scent, woody and musky. Couldn’t think of anything quite like it. A winter night scent in my opinion. Very classic and beautiful in its own right.
alex_3078 – :
pretty GORGEOUS. I recommend it to each of my friends.
Kamil Kotora – :
I hated this as a teenager (1980s) – too strong, too overpowering. Ugh. Some element in it was so overwhelming I couldn’t even ID anything else present.
A couple years ago I got an almost empty purse spray that is obviously vintage, and I absolutely love it! Like Pavlova, it apparently has to be allowed to age and mellow, like fine wine, before I can tolerate it. [I myself may have aged, but haven’t mellowed much!] I can sure smell the Ylang Ylang in mine, which my poor youthful nose couldn’t even locate in the store bottles I’d sniffed.
I’m certain that God’s Wife wears Ylang Ylang 😀
Skalolaz – :
I’m a 22 year old straight guy testing this, and i love it on me. It’s like something from Zoologist or Le Labo, yet with a people-pleasing Chanel undercurrent. Really mesmerizing and i imagine it will get me plenty of compliments
jopplom – :
Couldn’t say it any better than rebemario! Clean!fresh,powdery! Enchanting!❤️
rukogashu – :
I’m 45 now and I’ve been wearing this on and off since I was 18 so we know each other number 5 and I. I love scent, all kinds. I’ve gotten into sweet, spicy, fresh, woodsy, all kinds and there is one stay all these years and it’s this little guy. It’s warm comforting, clean, fresh yet powdery. I love that people can smell this on me and I can too slightly but it doesn’t overwhelm or annoy. This is my favorite concentration as well. The EDP is beautiful too but not my favorite. I also like to hunt down vintage on eBay too lol. Anyways, I think I shall always write about this one. My mainstay, my comfort and it doesn’t hurt that he presents well, extremely classy. Love this, always
31031983 – :
Non, je ne regrette rien.
C’est payé, balayé, oublié.
Je me fous du passé!
/Edith Piaf – Non, je ne regrette rien/
If you are mature enough to understand these words by your heart, then you´re mature enough to wear this perfume.
Fresh, bright & clear aldehydes, old-worldly /in the best sense of the term/ iris scent, mild vanilla, creamy jasmine, a hint of bergamot oil & sweetly spicy sandalwood /noticeable especially in the drydown/.
I think this perfume never comes out of style. It´s a classic thing, a milestone in the perfume universe. Enough said.
azamat.1979 – :
Is this the only concentration that still has the same notes as the 1920s formulation?
406854 – :
Well I’ll be… I tried to stay faithful to my No. 5 edp, but somehow a bottle of the edt came in my mailbox lol(I ordered it from ebay lol). I sampled it at Belk & wasn’t expecting to like it. I gave myself a big spray on my lunch break, went back to work, and kept smelling my wrist like a crackhead or something. I have been courting her for almost a month now, and oh yeah she’s good. I still love love love the edp formulation, but I could not deny the love that I have developed for this beauty.
In comparison, all I could think of was that the edp is like a Cashmere coat, aldehydic but deep and does not give a dam. While the edt is like a satin scarf, aldehydic but bright and sparkly & sweet like ginger bread.
I get about 5+ hrs of longevity, and the sillage is quit impressive for about the first hr or 2, and then it becomes a cozy satin skin scent for the remainder of the time.
Spounty – :
At first spray this reminded me so much of the Wind Song perfume I loved when I was a kid.
Pritguififs – :
Strangely, out of all the No. 5 concentrations that I’ve tried so far (L’eau, EDP, Colonge, etc.), the ‘current’ EDT is one that at first I was unsure about, but now this mystical scent is one that I’ve worn the most so far!
The opening is something I can’t exactly describe. You really do have to try it yourself to feel what impression you get out of it. For me, I feel like I enveloped myself in a clean, almost airy, spicy soapiness that is so comforting and energizing to me. What’s amazing that each time I wear it, I notice a note that I haven’t realized previously. One particularly being the civet note, and it’s ever so slightly dirty and musky vibe to this scent.
What I love about the EDT is the development of the notes. For me, the opening is the bright aldehydes with iris, civet, and neroli (this is what I can detect the most).
And oh Ylang Ylang, my most dearest note, comes to the forefront at the dry down, and the sweetness from the Ylang Ylang is detected hours after the application.
In the end, I’m glad I gave the EDT a chance, as I’ll be looking into getting the full size bottle.
rwi117InsuffBooni – :
Such an iconic fragrance and still an absolute classic to this day. I know lots of people say it’s an older fragrance but I sitll absolutely love it and I’m in my late 20s. It’s classic, feminine and not offensive. I personally prefer this on myself in the autumnal and winter months as I find the heat on my skin changes it slightly in the summer months. The EDP is a little too strong for myself but I just love the smell. Long may it be the most iconic fragrances.
cвета 73 – :
Wearing this in today’s world of perfumery where feminine seems to equal sweet feels almost transgressive in the very best way. I find myself reaching for this on days when I’m going to wear my black leather jacket. There is nothing about this that smells “old lady” to my nose. Rather it exudes confidence…and no, not confidence in the way of “I have the confidence to wear a hideous overpowering fragrance,” but more of a self-actualized womanly, “I’m not trying to please you by being submissive and hyper girly” confidence.
My two cents on the eternal EDP v EDT debate is that I am Team EDT all the way; the aldehydes have more sparkle and more presence in the EDT and for me, that is a critical component of No. 5.
#chanelno5forever
федя-72 – :
This perfume is an icon in the world of perfumery. I cannot see how anyone can say they do not like this elegant beauty.
There is really nothing else to add, just gorgeous! And I am not a fan of cypres…
avtkvd – :
I got my hands on this vintage beauty from an 80 something year old neighbor lady rummage sale in Malibu. My mother wore this exact same bottle in black with a gold Chanel brand logo on it. It’s out of nostalgia that I bought it. I don’t live near my mother anymore and I’ve been working/studying in Berkeley. The scent takes me back to when I was little and I feel that now in my early 20s I can wear this classic icon perfume. I wasn’t wrong. It blends well with my skin and it smells just as I remember it on my mother but with different notes that come out on me that were not noticeable on her. We all have different skin and chemistries for fragrance. For me this is a luxurious clean aldehyde floral musk, plain and simple. Notes that really stand out from the top- aldehydes citrus notes neroli orange blossom; from the heart, jasmine and lily of the valley, from the base patchouli oak moss civet and sandalwood.
As it opens the fresh lemon citrus and neroli come through with bubbly effervescence. This is my favorite part. This opening is a delicious and sweet citrus scent that also feels wet or soapy with aldehydes. As you can see from my collection of perfume I have very little aldehyde based fragrances. I have heard that alcohol or alcohol denat can sort of pass for aldehyde a chemical thing but the opening to No 5 is a big aldehyde burst and smells like citrus champagne when the bottle pops open and you smell the bubbles. This is very citrusy and fresh as it opens. Great for after your bath or shower. It’s soapy and then turns floral and green with woods and musk.
The mid stage performance of this perfume is floral with what I detect as being namely white flowers. I detect ylang ylang which is yellow floral and perhaps orange blossom so it sort of develops from citrus floral into jasmine. The jasmine plus lily of the valley come through for me. Smells very clean and very fresh as far as flowers go. On my mother it went into patchouli mode and into green floral scents. On her it was rose and jasmine bushes with patchouli and more aromatic and green. On me it’s clean and fresh sweet soapy smells with white flowers. The lily of the valley is absolutely gorgeous. Smells feminine and a bit earthy but with a cleanliness and angelic quality.
The dry down is sandalwood musk and something I perceived as of a hint of incense. This has civet in it and when totally dry does turn animalic which I don’t mind. The musk scent is not dirty but more like a warm and woody embrace. Smells like a fur coat. Smells like old money, smells like dames and mink stoles, tiaras, gold jewelry, and something from so long ago I can’t put my nose on it. It has a very old fashioned but glamorous aura. I can see why Marilyn Monroe wore it. She reportedly said she went to sleep wearing No 5 nothing but No 5. I don’t feel this frag was meant to be worn in private to bed. It’s not seductive enough for sharing a bed with someone. It’s more an evening winter time musk based floral. It’s nocturnal, formal, mysterious, alluring, bold, confident, sexy and sophisticated. It also has a spiciness and womanly intellect vibe. I can see why it would work on a very elegant brunette. Jackie Kennedy was said to have worn this and I can totally smell it on her.
This is a very unique fragrance and as it is so famous it often falls into the ‘overrated’ category but like Shalimar it must be worn at least once and can be appreciated by both men and women as one if not the all time greatest and most talked about most beloved perfume of all time. If Gabrielle Coco Chanel had not made this perfume I doubt she’d have had the success she went on to have. She was of course a grand dame of high fashion but without this perfume the aldehyde based perfumes would not have ‘caught on’ and perhaps No 5 would be under a different less popular name/brand. This is the one the only No 5 and I love to wear it once in a while. I don’t live in California all year round and during Christmas or New Years eve trips to the East Coast cities (New York City Manhattan Boston Philadelphia DC) to visit my big family I enjoy wearing this to parties and dinners. No 5 is a masterpiece.
kazandr – :
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST BATH IN THE WORLD:
No 5 BATH OIL or FOAMING BATH ( not both or no bubbly water for long )
NO 5 BATH GEL
NO 5 BATH SOAP
A candlelight……soft music maybe ? ……. bliss…. …. AAHhhhhhhhh !
……….when you get out…..pop on some heavenly …. ,
NO 5 BATH POWDER
NO 5 MOISTURE MIST
NO 5 EDT
NO 5 EDP
NO 5 EAU PREMIERE
Layer them all , Mix it up a bit !
Now smell your skin, you will smell like a beautiful GODDESS !
FACT!!!!!!!!!!
* You can add a hot man to scrub your back and bring you some Coco,
Haha no pun intended 🙂 wine is even better !
Oooooooooh I love this stuff it’s like a guilty pleasure
Is it yours too ???
1949pavlovich49 – :
Obviously, Chanel No. 5 is a canonical perfume – possibly the world’s most famous. I have always enjoyed smelling the EDP in the past. But I got a sample of the current No. 5 EDT with a Sephora order and I think that it smells completely different! The top notes that I get are not jasmine or neroli or anything of the sort – it smells like bug spray! Like simple alcohol and aldehydes completely overwhelm the scent for the first hour. Perhaps the EDT is very different from the EDP? Alternatively, it mmight just be my skin chemistry; it might be that I am only meant to smell No. 5 on others, not wear it myself.
Now, I do give the formulation credit in that it lasts beyond the first hour – when I wear the EDT, I catch whiffs of musk and aldehydes for at least another 6-7 hours. So, if you enjoy the scent and are not an EDP/parfum extrait purist, you could get excellent value-for-money by buying the Eau de Toilette.
LexaSour – :
Chanel No. 5 is a recalibration of the the olfactory sense, especially in vintage formula. I date my EDT bottle at around 1970.
I’m not touting No. 5 as the gold standard for today, but it’s a reminder of what is possible, and what we used to appreciate — a fullness of scent, masterful blending, artistry, and the courage to be different — before we were desensitized ironically by sensory overload. The use of aldehydes was unprecedented until No. 5, and its purpose to enhance other perfume notes was executed immaculately.
Yes, on initial spray, we smell the strong aldehyde, but after it simmers, the notes of ylang ylang and jasmine truly sparkle and are magnificently augmented by this ingredient. The civet is perfectly pitched and adds a luxurious animalic warmth and throbbing, penetrating pulse to this smoldering beauty. Oakmoss presents a subtle undercurrent of tasty dryness that sets one’s senses on edge.
Super warm, musky skin notes, the coziness of sandalwood and the radiance of amber form a lavish base on which these voluptuous sweet ylang and jasmine notes dance. This fusion is strong and rapturous with the notes playing off one another, weaving into a seductive synthesis that’s as smooth as dark honey. Accents of rose, neroli and lily of the valley form a clean accord that elevate the florals even further, yet lend a deep complexity that touches parts of the psyche that calm, stimulate, arouse and sedate all at once. Hypnotic.
Vintage is the way to go if you want a keen study on masterful perfumery that surpasses technical construction and enters into a the realm of true alchemy. Like it or not, No. 5 will move you in a way that no other perfume can, except for perhaps vintages of Opium EDT and Shalimar.
As for the current formulations, EDT is drier and woodier, the aldehydes are sharper, the construction is cleaner and overall less sensual. I do really enjoy the current EDT formula too and may add it to my collection. The EDP has more of a rose heart and is a little sweeter. Both struggle to live up to the longevity that the vintage delivers, with the EDP being shorter-lived. Additonally as emt1986 states below the reformulations indeed lack the je ne sais quoi of the vintage.
ichip32 – :
Some people wear this on top of their parfum to heighten the sandalwood in the fragrance whilst helping to keep that smel lasting ,this woody smell does suit people better than the EDP,at training Chanel trainer taught us how to help this classic fragrance to last whilst slightly switching the smell to your acquired taste ,being able to layer different versions of no5 is fantastic ,such a complex fragrance and brings back memories of family !
seryy – :
I am now the proud owner of a 100ml 1995 No 5 EDT. I’m not normally a freak about reformulation, but Chanel has gutted No 5, in both EDP and EDT. The current formulations smell like nice soap, and that’s it. Not bad, but lacking depth and that je ne sais quoi. This 1995 EDT is the No 5 I remember smelling during my childhood. My grandmother swore by No 5 for special occasions and I always adored it and would spritz it on myself. The opening is an airy, luminous, sparkling blend of citrus and aldehydes. Of course Chanel is famous for their use of aldehydes and they really do them best; these are never sharp or bracing as they so often can be. Soon you can smell the warmth of the woods and animalics, the smoky dryness of the vetiver, the depth of the earthy oakmoss. The florals waltz in and out, never the star attraction, but beautiful supporting acts. Needless to say, this reeks of taste and luxury. It’s no wallflower, but it definitely doesn’t bellow its presence either; applied judiciously, it would never be overpowering. You simply can’t go wrong with No 5… it just fits for every occasion.
Side note on the comparison to L’Aimant: No 5 is much less sweet and powdery.
ahern – :
When you wear a Chanel no 5, you have to set your mind to it. You’re wearing a classic. People say it smells like old ladies, but I think it’s just because of how classic it is and obviously the previous generation has worn it as well and we grew up witnessing those generation (moms, grandmas)wearing it and that’s why we associate it with older ladies.
Out of all the concentrations I think the EDT is easy to wear on a daily basis. The EDP is more serious and I’d keep it for those special occasions. The no 5 L’eau version, is a little too light for my taste and it doesn’t really last. The EDT is like someone said, has that coca-cola quality to it. It’s fresh, does not dry down stale, it doesn’t try too hard but smells amazing, just sparkling luxury.
rheu – :
I love Chanel N°5. I remember that I bought the EDT version in my 18th birthday, as my first classy fragrance. So, now I’m 20, and I know all versions of N°5, and I’ll begin with the EDT.
In my humble opinion, the EDT version is more abstract than all N°5 versions… The opening is luminous like the most bright sun, but at the same time is very cold, sharp, like the snow and cold air… Imagine a open field, covered with snow in a sunshine sky. Or a midnight sun in a frozen lake. Aldehydes here is very prominent, but in minutes they low down. Here, an abstract flower bloom… It’s like a flower painted by Picasso, because we know it’s a flower, but we can’t appoint what exactly flower is… If you paying attention, you can notice the Ylang-Ylang and Lily-of-Valley, covered with powder (hello Iris, I’m talking about you) with a hint of Jasmine. And stayed this facet for a couple of hours, until disappear. Longevity in my skin is short, and the projection is discret.
N°5 EDT is good option for you, who wants a classy scent but not too overpowering. Easy to wear, easy to love.
Smammitygaf – :
No 5 toilette was a fragrance that I wore through the 1970’s and 1980’s because it suited me much better than the original old formula parfum and cologne which always reminded me of my mother and a perfume I identified with her signature scent, with all that she was and will always be to me. Though I loved respected admired and adored my mother, I wished to wear a different rendition of the perfume. I found the rectangular shaped bottle of the eau de toilette in Paris during a trip with my husband around 1977. Since then it has become a household item. I keep it behind my bathroom mirror to keep it cool.
Opens with a classic mélange of citruses and roses. The fresh and effervescent aldehyde opening is similar to the EDP though it is far more powdery, soapy and domestic talc powder material. Quite boudoir-ish. This smells great after one has had a bath or shower. The citruses consist of neroli and orange flower, bergamot and lemon out of which the sharp lemon notes keep it quite aromatic and sweet. Then it turns into a very prominent pink rose scent. The rose is heady and very perfumy with a romantic feminine air. This part of the fragrance always reminds me of when my husband and I would go out to dinner in Savannah Georgia, Atlanta or Charleston, and I would wear No 5 because in the late 70s early 80s this was still such an iconic perfume and quite the status symbol. It was not only the fragrance. I would wear Chanel suits in black and white colors (black for evenings, white for day wear) and spritzed on the always reliable old No 5 on my neck/collar and wrists. The scent matched with the Chanel suits.
A jasmine is discernable as is a white lily of the valley with green herbal airs all around it. I can still smell the patchouli and vetiver notes, green and quite soapy like a green bar of soap. The iris is also quite noticeable and it gives the floral heart a powdery very powdery touch. When No 5 is dry it smell of your skin but replaced by a warm coat of musk. The sandalwood comes through as does a bit of other things like a little bit of vanilla but a very hard to miss civet musk. The musk at this time was easy to wear even with civet because it just smelled like your skin, or rather, a woman’s skin. The scent was long lasting and quite fragrant, with super sillage. By definition this is perfume. Everything one used to look for in perfume was in No. 5. I have loved and lost many girlfriends that wore No 5. To me it is the soul of femininity and womanhood. She stands tall and undefeated in a world of ever changing tastes and fashions.
Nowadays the new EDP that is selling at Macy’s is not in the same league as even this EDT. The new formula is quite weak and is so G rated that it becomes nothing more than a faint body spray. I am not spending over 100 bucks on a Bath & Body Works or Victoria Secret fragrance mist. I like PERFUME. No 5 is a real perfume, a classic, a throwback to the Golden Age of Perfume. My husband is in Heaven now and I have grown children but I wear No 5 for my own personal pleasure now. It is a fragrance that I put on at home before bed as a reminder of what it used to mean to me. I close my eyes and the years months weeks days hours minutes and seconds long past come back and I am younger and the perfume takes me to places I loved, people I knew and loved, and events and incidents in my life that I will always cherish.
Insamsenforma – :
It’s like coca-cola, world reknown, ubiquitous, lovely, but it never quite lives up to the first spritz. The first mouthful of coke from a chilled bottle is like nothing else… Divine. Then. It kinda goes, you lose the spark. No 5 is an effervescent, cut glass and ice, champagne joy on initial spritzing…. unbeatable but then…. Never quite get the same hit on the dry down. A classic, but one whose highest pitch of beauty is transient.
Saleex – :
I tested it alongside Coty L’Aimant. one on each hand. They do have similarities, but for me they create different moods.
On me, Chanel n.5 is a warm, woody floral aldehyde which defies classification. Wonderfully blended, at the same time sexy, sophisticated, animalic, warm and comforting.
I can see why it is so well-known and considered a masterpiece. The fragrance, here, is much, much more than the sum of the notes. It goes from floral, to woody, to animalic, to powdery, to bright and aldehydic and to “my skin, but better, warmer and sexier”. And on me, none of the aspects overpowers the others. Like a melody, they come and go, beautifully.
This is really, really well done. I wouldn’t make it my signature fragrance, as I like to have variety, but I sure would like to own a 50ml or so of it to have in my regular rotation.
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Compared to Coty L’Aimant: n.5 EdT is woodier, more animalic, much more complex, mo