Description
No 18 is the prestigious address of the Vendome palace, in which the mysteries of fine jewelry had been glorified since 1997. This palace was truly a kingdom of mademoiselle Chanel. She walked trough it every morning and evening, on her way from Ritz to Cambona.
No 18 is a radiant floral fragrance, precious like a fine jewel. Rear ambrette – with its jewel-like flowers – is at the centre of this enchanting bouquet, with fruity, sweet notes in trail. No 18 is a light, woody, floral – fruity fragrance, unique, intensive and different.
It belongs to a luxurious collection Les Exclusifs de Chanel and is available in a 200 ml bottle. The nose behind this fragrance is Jacques Polge.
ionserban – :
I finally found something that goes well with my original first issue No. 18 EDT that has frustrated me to no end, because the jus is weak and transparent. This miracle worker is Voluspa’s “Yoshioka Gardenia” candle. When l first bought it, it had an amazing, beautiful strong Gardenia scent that l would sneak some and apply to my skin like a solid perfume (it’s that good!).
Effectually l burnt the wick down and the scent changed because it now that burnt candle smell along with it. But strangely this new effect kind of smelled like Frankincense. I was wrong. Turns out l have been smelling burnt Tuberose and clove…
Undaunted, l still want to make use of this “turned scent”. I slathered some on and sprayed No 18 and l was in instant heaven. It was love; No more cursing the company for making a stronger version of it leaving me short changed for an inferior product.
This combo smells a bit like Feminite du Bois by Shiseido. I’m not joking. The plum fruit and the cedar wood. So much more depth and warmth is introduced. The ambrette musk is dialed way up, with its warm sweetness and the glorious tobacco and Brandy impression. A hint of spice. Ambiguous creamy floralcy but l can still make out earthy, cold, powdery iris. There is waxy aldehydic frankincense candle effect eventually turns rubbery. Hmm…
eod947Unlogrere – :
edt on wrists
this is a sparkling intense sweet fruity luxury shower scent. yummy and intense. clear, shimmering, radiating, the sun and the moon on their wedding…
щщщ – :
Where is the rose listed in the notes? Because this has a lot of that boozy kind of rose absolute in the opening and heart. Later it settles into that Chanel style cool, metallic iris and eventually a lovely dirty musk courtesy of the ambrette but the rose dominates for far too long for a rose hater like myself. Otherwise a very nice unadorned Chanel style fragrance.
melen2006 – :
This must be designed to be a skin scent – literally to delicately scent the skin with such subtlety that it blurs the boundary between the scent of the skin and that of the perfume. No 18’s sillage is so soft that you could safely spray every inch of the body without the fragrance becoming overwhelming. It is very beautiful with a coolish ginger effervescence in the top, settling to a gentle, indefinable scent, like a tenderly innocent caress, enhancing the fragrance of the skin.
salo111 – :
From all Les Exclusifs releases, No.18 sticks out as a high modern masterpiece, showing what an outstanding team Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake were – Les Exclusifs in their original Eau de Toilette concentration almost seems to be the legacy creations of Polge – taking back some Chanel classics back to scene and adding some new classics here – Sycomore, 31 Rue Cambon, 28 La Pausa deserve utmost attention of course as well, but No.18 clearly heading in terms of novelty and wit – and good news, this might be one of the few ones that stayed intact even after it’s reformulation to EdP …
husan7979 – :
The Chanel EDT Oddball. First glance seems almost futuristic.
Ginger Ale and Grappa opening. Then an abstract artist’s notion. Ambrette streaks across the Universe to meet a singular note of a Floral Essence Rose perfection. Then a snap back to a notion of something Icy and soul-less. Pure and Austere.
Very soon a fade into a memory.
Beautiful and very nearly Transcendent.
A humongous bottle of this in EDT I am search of.
So I may jump right in.
unliniFut – :
The most underrated (and possibly misunderstood) Chanel.
So say I, a Chanel ‘liker’, but not always a Chanel lover.
THIS (not very Chanel-like) Chanel…I love. I found it impossible not to love her. I tried to pretend it was just like. Save myself a few coins. I’ve failed in my efforts to keep this relationship casual.
No.18 is tender, and completely disarming. I’ve been charmed. I’ve been enchanted. I’ve been unwillingly, but inevitably it seems, lured into her palm.
No.18 is so free in feel, that I didn’t recognize the risk. Now that it is too late, I know I should have recognized the signs. Like wearing a small spritz on my wrist even as I wore another fragrance, checking the Chanel website, searching through Fragrantica for mention of it.
*sigh*
Too late.
I don’t actually find No.18 overly floral or fruity, despite the category label and the slightly flirty quality, not uncommon in floral/fruities. Don’t get me wrong, you will experience both floral and fruit notes in this composition, but ambrette (musk mallow) is the star. It has never been more lovely than in this creation. It has never been more rounded and soft, which is saying something because it’a always both. I find neither the floral nor fruit notes easy to separate and distinguish. They inhabit supportive roles, a choir all dressed in the same sweet, flowery robes. Indistinguishable. They are tempered… filtered by the thread of emotion I feel when wearing 18. Despite the free and natural spirit here, there is a thread of melancholy. Just enough to make you pensive. Think solitude on a beautiful rainy day and you may have No.18 OR you may just have my personal relationship with it.
Noteworthy Notes
–Ambrette, normally a bridesmaid, the beautiful bride here.
–Soft, distant wood notes
–Soft, even more distant water notes
–Floral/fruit choir
Projection
personal
Longevity
Long enough to inspire my senses
Chanel sometimes gets it exactly right, for ME.
ilgizok01 – :
This fragrance is the most intriguing Chanel creation – is unlike other existing perfumes in this prestigious portfolio.
It is cold, manages to suggest a specific cold metal (probably want to suggest wearing a metal jewelry) in the least naturalistic way, obviously minimalist compared with Chanel style, but without down a bit the aesthetics level of a Chanel product.
It seems as a Chanel perfume from a parallel universe and its source of inspiration is, most likely, a side less known of Miss Chanel personality – the determination, the extreme pride, the perseverance to achieve the business success.
When I smell Nr.18 and Allure Sensuelle (that is, by the way, the least sensual fragrance from Allure series), I see Anna Mouglailis alias Gabriele Chanel in “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” and, given the statements of Jacques Polge according to which is most loved of all Les Exclusifs, I think it’s as the result of a great effort and apart inspiration of the perfumer.
Fragrance 10/10
Projection Medium
Longevity 8 h
seryoga3 – :
First spray and I smell… olives, not from the tree, from a freshly open vase of the most delicious delicatessen olives. Very culinary . Very fast it settles down to a unique, perfectly balanced, skin scent. And then I want to spray some more. I don’t really get it, the idea behind the scent but I know I love it. It is only the third time I wear it, in a very hot weather, I can’t smell any fruits or flowers.
Roma008 – :
OK I’ve had this perfume for so long now I feel that I’ve finally “got it”. This is my experience of it when I douse myself in it. My advice is Not to wear any sweet perfume with it, no. 18 can smell screechy sour and herbal like Valerian root in comparison to the other
The opening is a tart blast of a peppery, Carrot-like vegetal iris with a bit of Musty, dusky rose. There is a smooth boozy, alcoholic vibe, presumably the ambrette. It actually smells like a gin cocktail with citrus sweetened with a dollop of lychee syrup. The lychee with its aqueous, fresh, delicate, rosy, sweet taste is mouth watering. Delicious and refreshing concoction ! Alongside the hint of powder it has a dark, vintage smell.
Truly one a kind smell at this stage. Wish that could last. If only…
As the top notes fade, the fragrance lightens considerably and gets progressively dryer and dryer. Ambiguous dry/drying fruits appear. Raisins, stone fruit (Apricot? Plum?) . It also warms up with a spiced brandy like smell. Dry fruits soaked in brandy.
I swear I also get a physical sweaty sensation. Maybe cumin to accentuate the musky, animalic nature of the ambrette.
The perfume is anchored by soapy aldehydes. Out of all the notes, it is the heaviest, like luxury triple milled French bar soap. There is a cyclical effect like breaking out beads of sweat (kind of unnerving) to cool clean, freshly bathed skin. And so your skin is left with a gorgeous sheen
In the dry down, it gets so dry, it’s completely dessicated. Imagine the traditional Asian”sweet” of super dried plums, leathery skin, pit and all. Here it’s ground into a condiment. It’s a dry, peppery, dusky, musky, grey admixture of old spices alongside the dry bar soap. A very peculiar, distinctly aged smell. Lived in, dishevelled. A musky, wrinkled white shirt with traces of tobacco. Cardboard? Old books? Evocative of things like that.
Going with the oriental theme, I wonder if there is osmanthus in it. A floral that has a natural peachy, smell to it. I’ve only smelled it in dry form as tea. It might be there. It’s said that there is a leathery facet to the natural blooms as well. Sometimes there is a clash between warm and
Cool… The cold iris soap against the intense dryness l smell mothballs.
I also think there is a lot of ISO E super (“white amber” in the given schematic) which makes the perfume very light and the like a perfume yet not a perfume quality. It’s known to have a vague, flat, cedar smell. When I spray a lot on l think of peppery cardboard. It’s used heavily in male perfumery. For that reason I skew the scent as a little more masculine as a dry, tart, aromatic,fruity fougere perfume.
The reformulation of this basically includes two ingredients: coumarin and benzyl salicylate. They serve to artificially sweeten the perfume and lend more “body” or presence. Vanilla + iso e super forms a woody white amber accord. The official website classifies this as a fruity oriental perfume. In this version l find that the gin concoction now resembles the “Aviator” with a dose of sweet Japanese ume plum cordial: umeshu.
Sigh. If the are going to make an oriental perfume, I’d rather they go all the way. I’m thinking a hybrid with la pausa, cuir de Russie and Coromandel. Leather, lychee, iris, rose, plum, osmanthus, mandarin, patchouli, ambrette, soap, sandalwood, spices, incense. It would be heavy, dark, rich and very, very expensive. One can dream.
In sum I just think of this as a unique, thoroughly modern perfume that straddles both old world and modern perfumery in a very intriguing manner.
I think the notes are citrus, iris, rose geranium, lychee, iris, fruity notes, dry woods, ambrette, aldehydes
starttrackerplus – :
Scent – iris, fruits & woods.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the warmer months, day or night.
Projection – I didn’t get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 2hrs consistently.
sibirar – :
Dry, musky skin scent at first, a touch medicinal. Then a touch of sweet fruit and powdery carrot iris. Extremely dry scent overall, even the fruit seems dried. Classic take on an animalistic skin scent.
SarmSpete – :
No. 18 is effortless and unassuming. There`s something very clear and sober in it too. I love how un-dramatic it is. Its very here and now, and not about some distant excitement or the dramatic journey there. Take it or leave it, seems to be the attitude here.
I think its totally unisex-smelling since the flowers are very abstract and de-constructed, and the musk is very prominent. Alot of `greenness` going on.
Janna90 – :
Number 18 took a while to grow on me…but I love it now and will purchase a bottle as I need it in my collection. I received a sample from the Chanel SA and at first spray, I didn’t think it would suit me – that’s because I was so enthralled by 1932 and Beige that I didn’t think much of no.18. Now that it is cooler and I have given my sample some use, I am finding that it is a very lovely scent – very different to what I am used to wearing but I am glad that I persisted and gave it another chance. It is like a sparkling jewel, very refreshing and dries down to a musky skin scent….very enjoyable.
Gramila777 – :
Chanel 18 wasn’t love at first sniff, but it was definitely intrigue at first sniff. Initially, I dismissed No. 18 as cold fruity-floral that seemed somewhat mature. Why was my nose glued to my wrist? Mature fruity-florals are typically not my thing—and was I smelling rose? Then it became a mystery and I was the obsessive detective, completely fascinated and ready to neglect my family and even kill if I had to. I kept spraying and snorting, spraying and snorting. WHAT IS THIS? Acid. Olive. Rose. Shakespearean musk. Powdery, yet green and tart. Retro, yet strangely accessible. Familiar, yet perplexing. I could wear this. This could be my formal perfume, my big girl perfume.
5/5, but really 4/5 because of poor performance
lizat – :
No 18 has personality, I like it. It’s got a bit of everything. All these notes are in harmony. That’s really good. The longevity is also good. Although I thought it would work well as a unisex scent. Please note, I tested this on a card, It might be better on the skin.
valera294 – :
This is my cool girl fragrance. Sophisticated, edgy. Kind of makes me feel a bit like a superheroin….Where my power is I have seen the future. And it is green. But not a green I have seen before. This is Sfi-Fi green. Could be the smell of nature, experienced by astronauts on a Space Shuttle explorering our galaxy. Because this is the smell of nature, of trees, grass, stones, sandy beaches and mineral musk all wrapped in cellofane. Weird, edgy, restrained and natural.
LOVE IT!
megafonoff – :
Chanel does Minimalistic here very well. A modern fragarance for a modern woman. Smells like rain, the sky, grass, liquor…a green hue. Dry down is slightly sweeter.
Only complaint: silage is low. Would have to keep reapplying. Too bad there isn’t a concentrated perfume formula. I don’t know if I can justify the price tag for something that’s so hard to smell. Maybe it would smell stronger if I sprayed it on my clothing, too.
Update: I’ve had this on for a few hours now, and the scent still lingers. At first blush, silage seems low, but could it be that the composition is simply soft in general? I’m smelling a sweet, velvet, liquor aura upon my movements. It’s still there….it’s just either very quiet, or very tricky!
ulvi070 – :
Pardon me, but inspiration is failing me to prize this frag.
You say terrific, I say terrible!
You say splendid, I say slender!
You say artful, I say artificial !
You see a precious jewel , I see only a fake in it though
It smells so synthetical, so medicinal from the head to the toes that I’m unable to distinguish any floral or fruity note whatsoever here-just sharp musky and metallic taste in my mouth that sets my teeth on grinding….
And it’s so camphoric and farmaldehydic that it immediately casts my memory back to the surgery theatre and to the morque where I once studied the matter of life and death, and minded over matter then..repudiating and repudiated indeed.
So if there is any flowers in this precious bouquet, it must be only a bunch of white lilies under snow on the grave stone.
Ostentatious and cold, with a steely character- that is how I feel this perfume.
Some like it hot..though.
Update: Oh…there is some heat in the air-the aroma of welding is hitting me now. High Voltage! Beware!
The only scent that knocked me off my feet in the same way was Lyra 3 by Alain Delon with its similar medicinal opening, the blast of pure ether that melts somehow into something abstractive and fruity, not totally unpleasant rather more humble and so more or less wearable at least.
Chanel N18 stubbornly stands her own ground….no giving in to me.
10 out of 10 for your character, Lol!!!!
аромашка – :
To me, an odd green aquatic with a musk undertone. Opinions divide on this and I’m sorry to be on the “no” side; I really wanted to like it. This is the first Chanel where I’ve used up the sample in one day, firstly because it needs a good spray or two, and secondly because I don’t want to wear it again. I thought “waterlily” in common with some others here; and if the ambrette is causing this weird taint, I don’t like it, so that’s an education. 2/10. Next, please.
rpq776Diobtetty – :
I wrote a very long review of N18 earlier and honestly, this is a very peculiar perfume and easily the most singular and unique offering in the entire Les Exclusifs range, probably in the entire Chanel range for that matter.
Because of this I find it almost impossible to gather the right words to describe N18!
I’ll still try though..
With N18 I’m not really able to pick out individual notes used in traditional perfumery, it smells more like a blend of different “things” and “elements” to me.
Pencil shavings, dried rose petals, antique paper, wooden, mentholated toothpicks, worn leather, old wool, wet soil, prunes and even rocks.
I smell all of this and more in N18..
It also reminds me of the scent that’s in the air as a thunderstorm closes in.
The only thing I recognize from traditional perfumery is a very strong note of musk which I’m assuming is the ambrette.
However, even this note feels unsettingly different here, compared to the musk that I’m used to smell.
So many perfumes are described as mysterious, but if theres one that’s really earned that title, N18 has to be the one!
A very abstract perfume,
putting on N18 is a different experience each and every time.
My only gripe with this would be weakness in projection and longevity.
I feel like I need to spritz quite a few times to make it stick.
In the end, I still adore this fascinating scent tremendously.
A true “love it or hate it” perfume!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE N18!
jonn – :
Chanel No 18 is all about Ambrette.
Bright fruity-floral opening that quickly turns to pure Ambrette and stays that way. Ambrette to me smells like fruit compote with a little leather.
This is pleasant enough fragrance, but a bit monotonic for my liking.
E202KX – :
To me, it’s smells like I eat Powder medicine. very bitter and intensive.
something in this fragrance is reminding me of Iris Silver Mist by Serge Luten. Yes, I added it. because two perfume both have very intensive bitter iris scent.
but ISM becomes sweet time go by, 18 becomes sour fruits smell arise. 18 is very ‘niche’ style.
sd8 – :
I am so glad there are so many new converts to this eau! This perfume is truly unique and mysterious so difficult to define and vague. that’s the one reason I bought this over the gorgeous Sycamore.
I own the original completely non sweet mammoth of a bottle (2007 vintage) I can attest to the musky body odor association. A very lived in, undone, musty masculine odor bordering on skank made more civilized with a soapy aldehyde. This is why I don’t wear it liberally in public on summer days .high temperatures, body heat, generous application, natural sweat all exaggerate the effect. My mother even told me I needed to shower after I doused myself in it recently! So yep, it can be “offensive”. mine doubly so because it offended quite a few internet writers and was quickly reformulated. I suspect it was very first one, actually. So many complaints. The reviewers couldn’t make it past the opening which I find strange and regretful because it is the very best stage of it alluring and compelling.
But fuck that.
I’m not necessarily girly girly all the time. Privately at night I can be a smoking, drinking, disheveled, unpretty reveler too kate moss style! 😀 but still very glamorous don’t ya think?
This naturally unsweetened gem is so versatile as a layering perfume over anything I find too sweet and/or loud. It imparts a musky, plush, ripe, boozy overlay though the effect doesn’t last long. All Thanks to this magical ambrette essence. No wonder mr polge was so taken with this complex and compelling perfumery material!
the prettier, devastatingly fleeting floral aspects only seem to “bloom” at their best in cool temps. that’s when I go all out and get trigger happy in winter.
I have to admit it though, the current reformulated version is a lot easier to wear. And I still regret not getting the early edition of sycamore.
still this stuff is marvelous if you can appreciate the beauty in all all its strangeness. the jean claude ellena of the entire line. Cheers to revelry and libations!
nzn434bedyWelty – :
Brilliant pear shaped diamonds, rooty orris and musky ambrette.
N18 sure is unique, and in a good way for once, I must say!
As soon as N18 hits my skin I sense a very intriguing note.
I have clearly never smelled this element in any other perfume before, and I’m guessing it’s the mystery note ambrette.
It almost smells minty..
What hits me just as potently though is a hefty cloud of iris.
This is an iris with a big I!
It’s the most carrot like one I have smelled up to this point.
At the moment, N18 smells like 28 La Pausa on steroids and it’s flippin’ gorgeous!
This combination of notes up front makes N18 smell like
mint flavoured toothpaste and pure carrot juice, (ambrette+wood+iris)?
Smells MUCH nicer than what I just made it sound like, but this is what I get!
It’s beautifully soft and tender though.
Not harsh or overpowering at all.
The softness works very well in this particular perfume.
As the drydown furthens, the fruity notes emerge little by little.
The most pronounced fruit note to my nose is that of a green pear.
A dry pear note however, not a sickeningly sweet or juicy one, which pear has such a tendency to become.
This pear right here is soft and dry.
Infact, it makes me think of musky, pear scented powder.
If I were to give the scent a color at this point, it would be the softest shade of pastel green.
The floral notes quikly follow, and I mainly pick up the scent of dewy, pink roses.
Finally, I must mention that the most gorgeous, soft wood note is present all the way through.
This is so, so beautiful..
N18 is at once mysterious and romantic.
For some reason N18 mangages not to smell like a perfume at all!
It’s not at all “perfumey” in the traditional sense.
No, N18 is too abstract, like the smell of a hidden memory, place or time.
In my mind this is It the month of May encapsulated in a bottle!
I would almost describe this as a floral woody musk rather than a fruity floral.
When I think fruity floral, I picture something like Dior’s Dolce Vita, not so much N18 to be honest.
I do get the jewel part of N18, but instead of real jewels, hard, lifeless however bright, N18 is soft, lively and blurred in its lines.
This is like standing outside in the most beautiful rose garden one hazy morning, leaning yourself towards the trunk of an old tree.
As the sun rises above the horizon, you watch all those little dewdrops turn into sparkling stones more beautiful than any diamond you have ever seen.
One of the greatest and certainly most original achievements in Chanel’s Les Exclusifs line.
In particular from the modern collection post 2007.
Exquisite.
o_murchik – :
When I put this one on I didn’t know what was going on. Its very green, and very aquatic. This fragrance changed into this beautiful “just after a rain” mist-like spell on me. A silage a little stronger than Bvlgari’s white tea love-child (Eau Blanc) but smelling it off the bottle can turn you off from it at first.
I love all the Chanel Exclusives, but this one would be my favorite.. it is quite a gem.
vadusik – :
This fragrance was definitely not for me. It’s ambrette and more ambrette with some nice back-up notes that you wish you could really smell, but they are smothered by that overwhelming ambrette. A little bit of ambrette can be good to tone down an excessively sweet fragrance or to add a bit of longevity, but it should never be the dominant note in a fragrance in my opinion.
ТёмА Ф – :
Don`t expect 18 to be an intense rose fragrance with a strong sillage. 18 seems to go more on the skinscent side of Les Exclusifs collection. Even if this one stays quite on skin, it`s not silly; the soft aroma is not a musky commonplace. Instead, it has a subtle rosy and fresh aroma. Never saw a quiet rose like this, with a green edge which is not sour and with a fruity aspect that doesn`t go to a sweet territory. There something slightly boozy at the background. The ambrette seed creates a lovely salty ambered area. 18 seems to stays always bright, fresh and subtle on skin, and it`s Chanel showing how to a minimalistic which is not boring or silly.
ONETEL – :
Chanel No 18 definitely has a soft and subtle understated elegance about it.
The iris blends wonderfully with the fruity notes,do I detect apple?,to prevent it from becoming too sugary sweet like a CK summer concoction.
I always thought that Dior were masterful at blending iris but Chanel obviously has the knack too.
The drydown is smooth and powdery.Iris plays its part here.
More suited to the warmer months I feel as projection is close and it needs the heat to assist it in that regard.Worth trying.Yet another high quality release from a powerhouse perfumer.
Could be classed as unisex.
elvis2011 – :
A happy scent.
I more turned to “dark” scents, at least on Chanel scents, but this one it’s simply happy!
Fruity (I get the fruits) and floral, yet noticeable and strong, it’s perfect as a daily fragrance, but with the signature complexity of Chanel, which makes it different from all you see around.
Wind44 – :
November, 2013
One word: Finally.
I am a Chanel guy. In my imagination, this is what a white or ivory Chanel tweed jacket smells like.
Elegant, happy, playful, and always, Chanel-ish classy.
Thanks to a friend of mine who helped me get this from Bergdorf Goodman.
Finally, and Forever, Chanel No. 18.
-Mr. Almond-
sipagamer – :
I was surprised by an element in this perfume which was unlike anything I’ve smelled before. It is pretty, refined and unexpected. The initial blast of fragrance reminded me of the sense in the sinuses when I take a shot of liquor or liqueur – that indefinable something that is heady and straddling the line between olfactory and taste sensations. The drydown was extremely powdery and a soapy, clean sort of scent. I’m not getting the musk that some others have described, and there’s definitely floral in the mix, but I can’t tell you which. This would equally appealing on a man, I believe.
qvk455bedyWelty – :
Much to my surprise this was a scrubber on me. There is a strange undercurrent in this one, that I just can’t stand. Sharp and dusty at the same time. I wonder if it is the ambrette seed? I have kept my sample in case my nose develops/matures. But so far I don’t hold my breath. Unless of course I am wearing this perfume…*smile*
RANGEROVER – :
Had an interesting opening, with very light fruity notes, and a delicate undertone of citrus. The fragrance stays close to the skin, and develops into a gentle floral. Nice enough, but not full bottle worthy.
bigkorznikow – :
For women? Why not, but this ode to ambrette sure works on a guy. The ambrette tames the iris, fruit and floral scents and announces that the wearer knows and appreciates beautiful things and can make them his own. Warm, powerful, sexy as hell- this sits next to the kouros, antaeus and yatagan in my wardrobe. On a lady? I’d definitely not do anything to piss her off.
Looking at the other reviews- ambrette must be quite the odd note; Chanel 18 perfectly tames (“flattens” in the negative language of another commenter) the floral and fruit perfectly- a brilliant success at what I’m always trying to acheive with a little dose of mimosa layered onto a gourmand or floral thats a little too much for a guy to wear.
dinamo13 – :
Chanel, au naturel
This fragrance if you stop to think about it, is probably the most natural smelling in the line, which is antithetical to what they usually offer, ie no.5 and no.22 with aldehydes and other synthetics. I admit I can’t stand by that statement completely as I can’t recall the smell of real rose bushes as we haven’t grown any in the garden for years…
The floral opening is bewitching in an old world way. Rose and iris simultaneously reminds me of old powder and lipstick as they would be scented just like this where the silver screen sirens yore residein my imagination. The soft powdery iris is cold, a metallic sheen. How fitting! fine jewelry on a woman adds only more glamour and allure. The roses aren’t particularly fresh… I can only describe as dusky/dusty. it’s old, almost to the point of decay. I picture a shaded rose bush, petals drying and shrivel ling at the edges replete with somewhat browned woody stems. Or simply a sachet of potpourri.a very expensive one. And musty.
musty is how I smell the entire time I wear this.I attribute this to the ambrette. always in the foreground, it’s green in a vegetal, musky slightly sour-sweet manner. Fruit eventually appears to play up the sweet facet of the ambrette. I can’t make out what it is, but it’s delectable!
At this point on after the sweet fruit and rose die off
it’s a soft lingering skin musk that simply endures.when you think it’s not there, it’s there. even the next day, or imperceptibly so. The woody note is barely detectable, as not to steal the show and to prolong longevity of the frag.
A quiet, quintessential, delicate, almost precious scent… Despite the must y quality itremains a bright warm sheer scent like a flickering lit candle. the cold iris doesn’t last very long, it’s mostly rose that makes a statement. Wear it and be prepared for an aura of lit within glow at dusk.
I agree with a previous poster thar the best jewel this scent represents is pearl. I am a proud owner of a string of iridescent peachy pink pearls. The weight if it sitting on my neck may be cold at first but my body heat warms it up.and I can never stop admiring the beautiful glowing burnished hue
I’ve never smelled anything like it that’s why I got the giant full bottle. True, it isn’t a strong smelling perfume y thing you’d expect from a chanel and price point. but if you appreciate at what the fragrance tries to achieve, as a showcase of real, not to mention rare ambrette seed, it’s worth% it.
Ps. I have a deluxe 4 ml screw top mini of this housed in a white chanel pamphlet box featuring a preface in a dozen languages! I’m looking for a trade it in for a niche or luxury scent.sycamore would be nice.any takers?
gsp73 – :
On me No18 EdT is a pale musky rose with a hint of iris. I was very surprised to see that others have voted fruity notes to be quite predominant, because they are very subdued on the EdT to my nose (on skin and paper).
I bought this in a hurry and did not have enough time to wait for the final development. Had I done that, I probably would not have bought this. This is very pleasant to wear but nothing extraordinary. Every time I apply the opening makes me smile and I wait eagerly what the petals of this sophisticated rose are hiding. Then I remember that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…
This is very office-appropriate, stays close to skin after the first 30 minutes, longevity is excellent for an EdT (6+hours) and is very difficult to overdose. No 18 is nice, but I prefer my perfumes a bit louder and complex and will be getting my rose/iris fix from elsewhere. I left this at my mum’s so I can wear it if I want to. She does not wear perfume, but I noticed that the bottle has been emptying substantially during the last month so she seems to like it 🙂
Panas_S – :
dewy rose and regal iris, lots of ambrette give it