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elexiateeva – :
I had a 10ml decant of this. It is an excellent vetiver smell, smoky and great on a guy. This is again one of the perfumes that I passed on to my brother, because I think I would not be able to pull it off as a women. But for those who love vetiver, this should be your go to.
Pirt – :
It’s like the perfect fragrance. I don’t like perfection so I will continue smelling stuff but I guess finding something better will be tough. Makes me feel like an enigmatic person who knows many secrets.
nico – :
Okay, okay, now just hold on a minute. Why is this not advertised for men? Sycomore is vetiver with a light touch, mixed with sandalwood. Very nice. Very, very nice. I wear this one often. So much so that I bought a small bottle of it from Chanel.com. Next time I’ll get the larger bottle.
SLBrest – :
Is it just me that finds this incredibly similar to vintage Mitsouko?
BEMS1980 – :
This is a beautiful dark vetiver fragrance that smells like a more refined version of Lalique’s Encre Noire. The vetiver in this is similar to Encre Noire’s and is the Haitian citric yet dark, slightly smoky, and slightly damp kind. Unlike Encre Noire though, there is something slightly citric and sweet hiding in the background in Sycomore, which is maybe a combination of aldehydes and pink pepper. I also compared it to some Indian khus oil that I have and it smells totally different – with the Indian vetiver being more nutty, sweeter, and smelling like an Indian dessert while the Haitian variety in Sycomore smells more earthy and grassy. Sillage is moderate while longevity is pretty good.
4.5/5
killerand – :
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE this. Just showered myself in the remaining 5mL of this EDT and I smell INCREDIBLE. Nothing gives confidence like this scent does. I smell powerful, I smell strong and I smell like I can do anything. Such an amazing cologne.
golo300 – :
Had an intimate, lovely experience with this herbaecious and green vetiver this evening. Had a date that was the third in total after breaking up with the love of my life: it ended with a ‘sorry, don’t feel the spark’
Currently having a few drinks to make myself feel a little better. But I have Sycomore with me. I spray on a bit and instantly feel invigorated. Warm. Loved. Kind. People talk about the green biteyness making this difficult to wear, I have never found it more beautiful.
Soft violet, tobacco from my cigarette and this, pine and sandalwood. Just beautiful. I’m sniffing my arm in public like a gigantic numpty. Do I care? Not at all, really.
Oh, and obviously vetiver
sanyok7t1 – :
Classy, elegant, nicely put together clean and long-lasting vetiver fragrance although I wonder how much the image and branding of Chanel Les Exclusifs plays a role in the psychology and suggestion of the terms “classy” and “elegant”. It’s good but the Chanel name is what inflates the price to $230 for 75ml.
vum567speagoessenda – :
Sycomore edt reminds me of home, we had this giant mango tree at our front yard, I remember my mother, a sweet Javanese woman, who always have vétiver roots tucked in the corner of her wardrobe, made her smell fresh and cool everyday even in the heat of tropical weather, she usually sat down on the porch late afternoon under that sweet smelling of mangoes tree and the resins that were dripping on it’s trunk..when the sun is about to go down, dinner is warm and prepared with all those fragrantly spices that she cooks with… just filled the house with distinct images of aromas.. she liked to chat with a neighbour whose selling noodle crackers ( we call it ‘kerupuk mie’ ) but that neighbor lady has a special way of cooking those crackers, they’re roasted in burning hot sands on wood fire cooker, so the smell of woods burning outside AND not to forget my mother sometimes also burned a sort of coin of sandalwood inside our house..this is heavenly concoction, just beautiful memory..yet so sad actually
Sycomore is beautiful sweet memories that make me melancholic, I love it so much, I’m very fortunate to have this in my collection, thanks Chanel x
serega0707 – :
Opens with a warm embrace of varnished, hazelnutty vetiver, like peeking your head inside a freshly carved wardrobe. A resolute violet and fatty aldehyde provide a delicate soapy freshness, beneath which lies a dark, dusty sweetness – sandal, tobacco and a slight pinch of leather. It’s like a really faded “Cuirs” by Carner, but with this wonderful textured woody note up front.
It’s perfectly balanced and totally unisex. Love it!
Vattmoitcyday – :
Sycomore is a very special fragrance. It’s different to many of the main perfume house’s vetiver offerings.
This one is a peppery, green vetiver. The mossiness of this is not subdued by the bite that is offered by the pepper and green notes.
This, to me, reminds me quite strongly of Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d’Orange. While there’s not much in common notewise, the vetivers in both are quite creamy. The creaminess seems to come from the aldehydes and sandalwood, which make this more than three dimensional. The violet and what I detect to be iris offers a lovely powder accord and the tobacco is just gorgeous in this. May even be a bit cigarette like.
The EDT is, in my opinion, much stronger than the EDP. The EDP just doesn’t last on my skin which is sad, because it offers an easier to wear version of this. It can be layered underneath the EDT. Less bitier and much less green.
I’ve just secured a 20% full 200mL of the original formula EDT and I’m so excited to see how it relates to the other versions.
jaricus – :
When Chanel launched Sycomore Eau de toilette in March 2008, out of curiosity I was among the firsts to get the 200ml bottle. Since then, I used it during springs and layered it with Coromandel during autumns and winters. It quietly settled in my life and became a permanent resident of my skin. As years went by, Sycomore travelled everywhere with me as a quiet, loyal companion and an appropriate choice for any occasion. Moderate, restrained, Sycomore has neither been loud nor vulgar, it was always smooth, smoky, refined and noble, sitting on my skin quietly. A lifelong friendship.
Siseimmeria – :
Even though it’s labeled as a fragrance for women, it’s definitely unisex, even masculine in my book. Sycomore is crisply dry, a great choice for those people whose skin turns every fragrance sweeter if they don’t want that extra sweetness. My husband wears it tremendously well. A suit and tie kind of elegance.
FriendMckenna – :
A very sour scent. I guess if you like sour it may be just for you. For me however, it’s not for me. Thank goodness my husband likes it, it’s now part of his collection.
wilieswaimilt – :
This is dry like the Savannah in you know, not the rainy season but I take one sniff of this and I’m practically welling up at the sheer beauty of it. This surprised me let me tell you, I like iris, and warm ambers, why the hell I’m I going semi-transcendental over a dry-as-a-bone woody vetiver? Sometimes you just gotta not question it and roll with it.
Worn hiking. It just works. Strong contender for ‘future boyfriend will be made to wear this’
konstantin_lomanov – :
Now prepare your thumbs downs everybody here, I m going to say this is an epitome of HYPE.
I would not term it as a bad fragrance or even an average one , no doubt its a beautiful fragrance but the way it is being discussed and rated by the top reviewers over internet, I wonder whats so significant about it which I cant have in tons of other vetiver based fragrances available even in a very reasonable price…is that only refined vetiver?
May be sometime in future I would rate it a higher than i do now but right now I would go with Encre Noir, Grey Vetiver or even with Eccentric 1 due to more projection and silage.
kordowes – :
On me this smells a bit like weed- wet, warm and funky. On my husband however, it smells so nice! Woody, green and maybe a tad dirty but in the right way. Very masculine, interesting and original and good longevity. Definitely try before you buy though.
Huli_gan – :
The quality of the vetiver in this is superior to anything else I’ve tried.
The fragrance overall has a remarkably smooth structure. Some blends have a mixed feel where the individual notes become difficult to discern in places. This isn’t that type of blending. Here you can pick out each note easily. What’s pleasurable about the blending is how well the notes are matched or linked together. Like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly by design creating one beautiful olfactory “sentence”.
I got the impression that it softened a touch and got subtly warmer and sweeter the longer it sat on my skin. This aspect was very enjoyable.
Longevity is fantastic. This lasts all day on my skin; 10+ hours which is certainly well above the norm.
rta500speagoessenda – :
dirty vetiver made clean… only can be done by chanel. the aldehyde use here is really smart… like i said one of the best smelling perfume ive ever put my nose on.
filin-2 – :
I got a little story to tell with this review.
When I started out hanging around Fragrantica and buying decant and samples I had a secret perfume recipe that made the best vetiver scent: 2 parts of Chloe Capucine and 1 part of Hermes Vetiver Tonka into a decant. The end result was a smoky, green, slightly sweet and nutty vetiver concoction that I could never get tired of.
… that is, until I ran into Sycomore. Once the tobacco note settles down I am left with the most gorgeous vetiver with a hint of freshness from juniper and hues of soft spices and wood. The cypress and sandalwood are balanced perfectly, and there’s even the slightest hint of powder lingering in the base. It is just enough to keep the composition not overly masculine.
It evokes the exact same feeling I got from my secret recipe; I am not a perfume genius like I thought, after all.
I have a huge 6.8 oz bottle but I’ll be backing this one up like crazy. The new EDP is no where near the original EDT. EDP smells way too synthetic (lack of tobacco note and nutty base) and does not last nearly half as much as EDT.
Ah, why do I have to love you so much Sycomore?
yura-voin – :
Super vetivery – that is the strongest most prominent note for me. I guess I could make out hints of juniper and pepper but this is 90% vetiver for me.
hot-dog – :
Somehow on a rainy day the otherwise humble presence of Sycamore transforms into something majestic. It takes the reign and the grey and humid atmospehre become its most natural backdrop.
convoj – :
This is a very beatiful vetiver-heavy fragrance. Aside from vetiver, the strongest notes are tobacco and woods (cedar, juniper etc.), so one might think that this is a purely masculine scent. However, women who love chypre fragrances will certainly enjoy this. I have had scents such as Guerlain Vetiver, Lancome Magie Noire, and my current go-to chypre is Paloma Picasso (the 1984 original). But as soon as I’ve emptied the bottle of Paloma Picasso, I’d be happy to invest in Sycomore. Btw I cannot comment on reformulations, because I’ve only tested the current version of Sycomore that’s sold at London Selfridges.
Nightfalls – :
Treasure your EdT bottles.
The EdP version is completely ruined!
What a shame…
eNkeee – :
This is simply a masterpiece. Best vetiver based scent ever along with vetiver extraordinaire which is totally different. Best scent in les exclusifs line. I don’t know why is listed as a feminine fragrance. I wear it and I am a male. Smells more like a male than a female definitelly
NAMAT – :
This is the most beautiful vetiver scent ever! It’s superb! I absolutely love it it’s fantastic. Majestic, supreme. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!!
bymsanches – :
Profumo buono,ben bilanciato e raffinato.
Ottimo il vetiver. non monotono,pepato all’inizio e accompagnato da tabacco puro senza aromi fino alla fine.
Il ginepro duro lo tende al maschile e viola e aldeidi scuotono banchi di nebbia fumosi.
Perfetto di giorno lo vedo adatto su un uomo in mezzo a uomini..in affari.
Sulla mia pelle rimane amarissimo e aspro a lungo.
Il profumo piu amaro che possiedo…e… l’unico!
Like!
Metfi355Negeltzex – :
I’m so frightened that it will lose it’s quality in the new edp version that I just bought a 2nd 200ml bottle. I can’t imagine living without it…
Probably changes are not so dangerous with Sycomore anyway, because the material is not the most expensive one. Maybe I should be more worried about my second love of the line, 28 La Pausa….
Excalibur – :
I picked up a sample of this along with Jersey, Boy, and Cuir de Russie. I was attracted to Sycomore because I’m an outdoor kind of person and not overly girly, though I am definitely professional, so I figured it might complement my personality. It does! For me this starts with a blast of juniper, which smells clean, extremely fresh, and only slightly masculine. After 20 minutes I start getting pepper, spice, and a lot of vetiver. The scent lingers for several hours, but does not really radiate out. The effect is like hiking through a forest in the summer. Though many people have listed this as a winter fragrance, most winter scents to me have a warm undertone of amber or honey or vanilla. This does not; it’s just plain old fresh. Nonetheless, I’d totally wear this in Spring, Summer, or Fall! I just wish (like with all Chanel’s Exclusifs) that it lasted longer.
superman48 – :
I put this back into my top 5 for Fall and Winter. It is the best vetiver fragrance in the world, smoky. Like,
Coromadel is the second best patchouli fragrance after Dior Patchouli Imperial.
olenka7726 – :
I’m deeply saddened to know that Chanel has discontinued the Les Exclusifs line. I was looking to buy this masterpiece and I came to know about it’s discontinuity. I’d be grateful if someone sales/finds me a 200ml bottle of this. I just hope there’s someone.
walkman88 – :
That’s a scent which exactly manages to captivate the nature and create images in your mind. That’s what I imagine when I smell Sycomore: I am in my grandparents house in the village a fall/winter day after a rainstorm. It’s cold, wet,dump,rainy,cloudy and foggy outside. In the fireplace there are olive woods which are burnt slowly. Outside the house it’s a field with olive trees and cypresses which smell amazing after the rain. The soil is still wet,fresh and smells rich and earthy. The smoke which emerges from the chimney is prominent in the atmoshpere.
Sycomore is a scent which perfectly captures a fall/winter rainy day. Intensely smoked in the beginning, a bit spicy afterwars, dry and clean at the same time. I wouldn’t wear it out of the house (still!) but it perfectly manages to recall amazing memories from my village,grandpa and innocent childhood. I wouldn’t buy a full bottle but I would be very glad if I had a little sample in my collection in order to recall nostalgic memories.
lid110InsuffBooni – :
Sycomore…Do you know how badly I want you?
A Russian woman with a fur coat, stiletto boots, leather gloves,red lips, and a top knot came into my office a couple of years ago. I don’t know what her business was, but everything about her commanded respect. Now pay attention to my choice of words here, her presence did not DEMAND respect, demanding is for those who haven’t yet owned and embodied their own personal power. This woman was not a demanding type…she was a commander without words.
I was struck by her style, poise, womanliness, and as if to push the point of her absolute and unquestionable femininity…
….she smelled like a man.
Which was ABSOLUTELY freaking perfect. Usually I’d see a woman like this and I’d imagine she smelled like opulent tuberose, indolent jasmine, or even some kind of sweet and spicy dessert. But no, this particular woman came into my office that day wearing Sycomore.
She wore it so well, in fact, that I’ve been dreaming about owning a bottle of my own ever since.
Stas1999 – :
class all the way, this by Chanel is one of the best vetiver releases if not one of the best scents ever. it’s chanel and it’s more a modern vetiver for both sexes….if you don’t know it by now you have missed out on this gem….
volchica – :
Chanel Sycomore, for me, is point in case that our tastes are ever evolving. I first smelt Sycomore three years ago when I was at a Chanel boutique, but instead settled on No 22. If I relived that exact experience tomorrow, the outcome would be very different. I can no longer tolerate No 22 for myself and would pick Sycomore without any second thought. A few months ago I realised that vetiver is a smell I yearn for. I love its earthiness, greenness, and smoky facets. I came to this conclusion from burning pure vetiver oil in my room, the smoky freshness is absolutely sublime to me.
Sycomore enhances the most beautiful aspects of the pure vetiver extract, but adds a particular Chanel chicness to make it into an utterly wearable work of art. Longevity is great for an EDT, I do a few replenishments throughout the day but I would do that with most EDT’s. I really enjoy it sprayed on clothes (particularly wool & cashmere).
Vetiver is a traditionally masculine note, but I think Chanel Sycomore would be devastatingly chic worn by a woman. Sycomore is intriguing, chic, wearable, and addictive. Sycomore, to me, is not a skin scent nor is it a perfume that wears its owner. I do, however, find it an extremely assertive fragrance and you do need to really love and appreciate Sycomore in order to carry it off. I suppose when I had my first Chanel visit and settled on No22 I wasn’t quite ready for the world of Sycomore…
Sycomore demands a strong sense of self from its wearer. Although I would wear it both day and night, I would never dream of wearing it in my ‘kick around’ clothes. It requires its wearer to have an assured presence to match the fragrance lingering around them.
Sycomore is both modern and old-world to me, a juxtaposition I cannot verbalise but just a feeling it gives me when I wear it.
I’m so happy I discovered Sycomore, its a true beauty.
PS, I highly recommend pure vetiver oil used in an oil diffuser for those of you that cannot get enough of Sycomore.
sasha_ – :
Let me keep this real.
The tobacco note is beastly!
It quite literally drags me around by the nostril hairs, daring me, just DARING ME, to breathe.
I can see by the poll, Sycomore is a favored fragrance. You love it 🙂 It would seem Sycomore is another Chanel jewel for the crown, right? Right?
OK
The issue (apparently) is mine and mine alone.
I can almost accept that, but maybe I am not alone. Maybe I can save a fellow perfumista from the olfactory abuse I suffered at the nozzle of Sycomore. It smells…unpleasant, ugly, even cruel.
The perfume lover in me actually LOVES that so many of you you adore Sycomore. It makes me smile reading your reviews, while simultaneously boggling my mind to find myself a minority of one. Logically, I even understand the same abusive tobacco note making my eyes water and growing hair on my chest is exactly the note found so very pleasurable to others. Perfumery is an art, after-all, with varied appeal. I understand that, I do…on the surface, but deep down in my olfactory heart, I’m screaming, NO, NO, NO. Do not go into the light!! Follow me out of this hellish fragrance!!!
Top –a big bitter tobacco note mixed with my fear
Heart– ugly tobacco and NOTHING else.
Base–tobacco, still ugly, now stale.
Projection–miles
Longevity–years
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Stay safe 😉
svoiachka – :
Fragrance Review For Sycomore Chanel
Notes
Aldehydes
Juniper Berries
Violet
Tobacco
Pink Pepper
Spices
Cypress
Sandalwood
Vetiver
I have all the Les Exclusifs de Chanel fragrances but had stopped wearing this one. Sycomore is definitely out there and being worn by both men and women, though it’s really more a man’s cologne than unisex.
The scent seduced me again when I smelled it on an older friend who sat next to me at my Wall Street Rotay Club in Manhattan. He said this is his signature scent. I was intrigued by this fragrance and then remembered I bought this one some years ago. My cologne is still going strong and has not “turned”. This is an outdoorsy woodsy smoky fragrance. It smells mainly of tobacco and sandalwood. The tobacco is not as you’d imagine it to be like a big Cuban cigar or anything. It’s resinous, smoky and matches up with the woods scent, in this case it’s a cypress scent which I really love.
Cypress scents always make me feel like I’m walking down the Appian Way on the way to ancient Rome. It’s a nocturnal, masculine woodsy aroma. But it has some feminine touches here and there, namely the violet and aldehydes. I think the aldehydes give it more a soap scent than freshness. Nothing fresh about this scent. It’s like a dark oud type of smell, nocturnal, mysterious, elegant, mature and woodsy.
It would suit any person who has years of experience wearing fragrances, unisex fragrances. This lasts an incredibly long time but it screams “night” so I would imagine it’s best worn in the afternoon and evening as you wear the same formal suit to the same event. It has an autumnal air and is best worn in the late summer and throughout the Fall.
That cypress does it for me. And the sandalwood. It smells exotic, sexy, and seductive. I’m glad that this fragrance is out there.
strash – :
Vetiver violet and tobacco blended with the characteristic Chanel aldehydes. This smells wonderful, if you are attentive you will catch each note as they harmonize together on your skin. My only complaint would be that my skin eats this up so it doesn’t last very long at all
🙁
viu118speagoessenda – :
its like the smell if u leave ur shirt in a wooden closet too long, but in a good way! minus the mossy dusty smell and replaced with other beautiful woody notes (vetiver, etc). one the best smell ive ever sniffed.
superunikum – :
I love this scent. It’s has a great smokey opening, full of juniper and woody vetiver. I did not really get the tobacco notes that others have noted. This may be a little brighter and slightly more complex than Encre Noir, but in my opinion, not enough to justify the increased cost.
If you like Encre Noir, you will like this and vice versa.
Rating: 8/10.
First – :
This was an experimental phase. I thought it was very masculine and more a men’s cologne than a unisex “for women” too type of scent. Some unisex scents are wearable for women, but not all of them. This was big on cypress, vetiver, sandalwood and tobacco. I have a problem with the tobacco. The juniper is nice and the violet but they are in the background and don’t have enough time allowed for the feminine sweet scents to come out. So after wearing it for a while I’m giving it away to a friend of mine who liked smelling it on me LOL This is still a really well made Chanel fragrance. It has a lot of good aromas and I do love cypress but I wish this was more like a Christmas tree cypress scent. The classic chanel aldehydes give it more of a man’s soap type of scent. Just not working with my skin chemistry. If you love woodsy scents and tobacco try it. You won’t be disappointed. It delivers but it’s just too strong for me.
Тефтеля – :
Les Exclusifs Sycomore is another beautiful scent created by Chanel. It has a beautiful blend of vetiver, tobacco and floral notes. There is a small amount of aldehydes too, but not as much as No. 5 or No. 22. Just enough to give it some zing! I also get a cool mint from Sycomore. I keep smelling my wrist at work. I have nothing to complain about this fragrance, except, that I wish it was a bit stronger. Besides that, as I said this is a very beautiful fragrance.
Vurd – :
The biophysic Luca Turin said of it’s fragrance this ” If putting it on does not make you shiver with pleasure, see a doctor.” hehehe. Principally, Sycomore it’s builded around the vetiver. Usually, vetiver it’s a ”rough” note but here it’s result refined due to creaminess of sandalwood IMO.
Altogether, Sycomore it’s a elegant and rich smoky woody fragrance. Suitable for Autumn and Winter and for formal occasions. IMO it’s more masculine that feminine due to prominent woody character.
Scent: 9
Longevity: 7
Projection: 6
Sillage: 6
Uniqueness: 8
Versatility: 6
Overall: 7
Архангел – :
violet and cigarettes – nostalgic smell that brings my memories back to my youth in 90th. There is something so pure and fragile and yet so powerful about this fragrance, something that changes my breath and makes my heart ache as if I am young and in love again.
moronikolai – :
This has quickly gone into my top 5, if not #1. Many good and accurate reviews here, If I may, I would like to reiterate some.
Someone quoted Luca Turin as saying, ” If your not shiverring with pleasure from the smell of this, you need to see a Dr.” That’s how I feel about this fragrance. My favorite fragrances are woody, earthy, green, herbaceous, natural, and Sycomore gets all those checks.
I liked how someone said it’s refreshing, yet warming in such a special way that only the perfumer, Polge, could craft such a masterpiece.
The predominant vetiver is lush and green of superb quality; yet this warm, strong, aromatic smokiness as of charred wood, procedes forth. A sweet sandalwood base ads softness and balance, hints of pink pepper and violet ad aromatic brightness.
And of course some wonderful cypress and juniper, not to much, ad more aromatic woodiness.
Note: If your looking for a good deal to buy this, the prices from the Chanel web site are cheaper than most eBay offerings, first time I saw that. From Chanel list price, $160/75 ml, $280/200 ml.
Rating: 10/10
lipa2206 – :
I found fragrances that have a simplistic composition based on note of vetiver not pleasant or sophisticated at all, but Sycomore is one of the few magic potion masterfully done by Jacques Polge from cypress, vetiver, tobacco and aldehydes, who manages to be, at the same time, comfortable and luxurious, soapy and refreshing.
It can be worn in the same environment as Dior Bois d’Argent, without this similarity mean in the least that would have many notes in common, but both share an “enveloping” style, which creates an aura around you with contrasts of hot and refreshing notes.
The note of vetiver is well dosed, has a very well calculated harshness and generates a surprising freshness – there is not in this industry another perfumer except Jacques Polge who can create such a symphony of notes, in perfect harmony .
Sycomore is cataloged as a unisex fragrance, but I see it 80% male and is the only perfume in Les Exclusifs that you can comfortably wear as a man.
A perfect 10 !!!
Fragrance 10/10
Projection Medium
Longevity 12 h
rusch11 – :
This is similar to Encre Noire in the same sense Kobe beef is similar to a Chuck roast.
If you cannot smell the difference you need to learn how to pick out notes.
Bekker44444 – :
I am at Copenhagen Right now and have been walking along the “Gågate – walking way’ where all the major and minor stores are located. In my search for the Channel Excluisves and some other niche perfumes I went into the Famous “Magasine”.
Here I found the Chanel Exclusives – at last.
I tried both Sycomore and Coromandel.
Before I come to the point and opinion of this perfume, I will make I suggestion.
Do not go away from “brand perfumes”. Keep smelling then or even buying some treasures that might appear here and there.
Why?
This will give you some greater knowledge of the smells available all around ( I know we cannot know all emagineable smell).
And again. Why?
This will avoid that you fall for a Niche smell that you can get from a brand perfume for a cheaper price.
So the point
When I first smelled Sycomore I got a Deja vou feeling. I knew the smell quite well.
It is the beautiful Ancre Noir. Right from the beginning. For that reason I disagree with those who say that: “The start of Sycomore is richer, smoother, more balanced.”
I totally recognize Ancre Noir, and Sycomore can be said is a twin brother right from the very beginning and until the end.
So what to choose. Well of Course Ancre Noir. Much much cheaper and you get the same beautiful smell.
So, please do not go for the hype. There is not real reason to spend €100 for this Chanel.
What do I got at the end: Coromandel (what a cliche but what a beauty) 😉
kanibal – :
This is a comfort scent for me. It makes me feel calm, warm and comforted. On my skin it is fairly quiet. Doesn’t project much, especially after the first hour or so, but it does linger most of the day.
As others have noted, the vetiver is front and center from beginning to end. To my nose this vetiver is dry and smokey, almost incense-like. It brings to mind smoldering bundles of dried vetiver grass on parched earth, smoke rising into the air. But this smoldering vetiver is softened with the other notes that are blended such that I can’t really make them out individually (but I’m also new to fragrances so my nose is partly to blame). But this softness makes the overall scent more plush and pulls the fragrance into unisex territory.
To me it seems better suited to spring and fall than the more extreme seasons, but I think it could be worn all year (with some care in summer). In fact, I live on the equator, so it is always summer here, and I wear it without any issues.
EDIT:
The more that I live with the fragrance, the more I love it and the more I want to smell it. It’s also now clear to me that the cushion of plush sweetness that surrounds the smoldering vetiver (and which actually outlasts the vetiver in the deep dry-down) comes largely from a sweet, creamy sandalwood.
Likewise, I’ve also realized that much of the smoldering quality of the vetiver comes from a tobacco note. Previously I had been unable to discern any tobacco, but now I realize that it is seamlessly grafted onto the “back end” of the vetiver, making it hard to detect as a distinct note but contributing to the rich smokiness of the vetiver base.
Finally, I have also noticed that if I wear clothing over the place I’ve applied the scent, it changes the character of the aroma. Since I work in a casual environment in the tropics, I usually wear short-sleeve shirts. However, one day when working in a frigid air-conditioned room, I was wearing a sweatshirt, and I kept getting whiffs of a bright, soapy scent. It took me some time to realize that it was actually the Sycomore. It was as if the thick sweatshirt was filtering out the heavier molecules of the base and only letting the lighter, shimmering ones through.
mdwn – :
This is possible the best perfume in les exclusifs line. An amazing vetiver based fragrance that is very potent and has characher unlike many vetivers on the market. It opens with heavy notes of burned wood and the fragrance is pretty linear in conposition. The smoky vetiver is very refined in the drydown and along with Vetiver Extraordinaire is my favourite vetiver based fragrance. For vetiver lovers this is a mush have
Pavlov1977 – :
I love it, but I am very disappointed with its longevity… Would be nice to have a perfum version of it. Or at least an EDP. But for now, I will not be wasting my money on an expensive bottle of short performance.
illia16 – :
To my taste, Sycomore is the most exquisite creation from Chanel. It is simply that heavenly successful balance of cypress + vetiver + tobacco (in the sequence they appear to me). Added the undeniable quality of the ingredients, which also reflects on the performance.
Earthy, aromatic coniferous forest with a little sun coming through the majestic trees is what I’m being reminded of.
Sycomore is an entirely assertive and classy fragrance. In spite of all my admiration, I find it slightly too masculine (smoky and spicy) for myself to wear. C’est la vie!
pnj971intitytek – :
This is what Encre Noire bec