Tag: les exclusifs de chanel

Sniffing Adventures in New York

May 18, 2019

My trip to New York was a lot of fun, although it was slightly hampered by the weather. It was unseasonably cold for May (temperatures in the 40s) and it rained non-stop for two days! I’d forgotten just how tough the city can be when the weather is miserable. I didn’t get around to doing as much sniffing as I had planned, simply because I spent more time indoors and at the hotel than I had planned.

However, I did still get the chance to sample a couple of designer releases that I was really curious about!

Holy Peony by Maison Christian Dior: I love a pretty peony scent, especially for spring. Acqua di Parma’s Peonia Nobile doesn’t quite work for me. There is something in the base that doesn’t quite agree with my skin. Holy Peony does work for me, and, I have to say, it’s very pretty. It’s not a photo-realistic peony. It actually comes across more like a pink rose blended with a fresh green accord, and sitting on a base of soft musk. I’d love to buy this one, but I don’t truly need it in my collection. I already have Belle de Jour, which I love. Holy Peony would have to be seriously special to out-perform Belle de Jour for me. Still, it’s very pretty and worth sniffing. I’m sure this will be a successful release for Dior.

I have to give a shout-out to the Dior Sales Associate at Saks. She guided my friend Sarah and I through the entire Maison Christian Dior collection (the new Dior Privee) at length! She made samples for us and let us take our time sniffing everything. She was extremely knowledgeable, and it really speaks to the training and education program at Dior. Even when I worked at Sephora, our Dior rep was by far one of the most knowledgeable brand reps we had. I may not love each and every Dior fragrance, but they are taking the time to educate their staff, which reflects well on the brand as a whole.

1957 Chanel Les Exclusifs: I did not expect to like 1957 at all. None of the marketing copy put out by Chanel appealed to me. Still, it’s an Exclusif. I have to at least test it, right? My sister & I had lunch at Bergdorf’s to get out of the rain. We weren’t in a rush to go back outside, so we took a stroll around the Bergdorf’s beauty level. Lo and behold, the Chanel counter had 1957 and I spritzed it right on the skin. My first reaction was: Just as I thought, it’s not for me. But then, I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrist. And I noticed the fragrance persisted. It lasted all afternoon and well into the evening. I could smell traces of it even after taking a shower. I went back to Bergdorf’s the next day to test it again!

I have to admit, I love 1957. It starts as a burst of citrus (A zesty lime to my nose, although I don’t know the official note.) It moves into an orange blossom, soapy but pretty and not astringently clean. It then moves into an orris, with the earthy aspect of orris root just barely held in check by a gauzy musk. It’s like a cloud but, at the same, feels very grounded and rooted because of the orris. It’s surprisingly lovely. It lasts for ages on my skin, easily over 8 hours. If I’m still thinking about 1957 come June, I may spring for a bottle as a birthday gift to myself. However, if I’ve moved on to other shiny fragrance releases, then I know it’s not a need in my collection. I really urge everyone to test 1957 though. The performance and longevity are fabulous.

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The photos in the post were all taken by me.

What I Wore This Week

December 16, 2018

Here’s this week’s round-up of What I Wore!

  • Monday: La Religieuse by Serge Lutens
  • Tuesday: Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone
  • Wednesday: Misia EDT Les Exclusifs de Chanel
  • Thursday: Serpentine by Roberto Cavalli
  • Friday: Honeysuckle and Davana by Jo Malone
  • Saturday: Dear Polly by Vilhelm Parfumerie

What did you guys wear this week?

Jersey by Chanel (Les Exclusifs)

August 20, 2015

chanel jerseyNotes: lavender, musk, vanilla, wild flowers, grass, rose, jasmine, and tonka bean.

I first tried Chanel’s Jersey a couple of months ago when I was visiting London. I happened to be there during this summer’s infamous heat wave when it was the hottest day in London on record. On this record-breaking hot day, a friend and I decided to take a shopping trip to Harrod’s because, if everyone is going to be sweating anyway, why not do it in style? Jersey is a lavender-centric fragrance, and it ended up being exactly the type of refreshing scent required by such a hot day. I liked it so much that I ended up ordering a sample once I was back at home.

Just as you might expect, Jersey opens with a strong wave of lavender. It’s difficult not to think of fresh laundry or clean linen simply because of the association with lavender, but Jersey doesn’t come off as being terribly soapy to me. Or maybe, it’s just the right amount of clean because this fragrance is definitely about balance.

The opening lavender note is a little bit bracing, but not overly sharp. It settles down into a clean and refreshing scent, but not overly soapy to my nose. It has a green tinge that becomes more pronounced leading into the middle stage of the fragrance. I suppose this comes from the grass note, and this helps maintain the sense of freshness.

Jersey may be lavender-centric, but it’s not linear. The musk doesn’t make much of an appearance on my skin, but the vanilla most definitely does. This is a very Chanel vanilla in that it’s soft and creamy, but still elegant. It never turns into a gourmand vanilla, yet still adds a richness of texture to the fragrance.

Then the tonka bean comes in and really emphasizes the creamy texture just in case you weren’t getting enough from the vanilla. When I first noticed this change in texture, I panicked that the scent would become too heavy and figured that I’d have to wash it off. But again, perfumer Jacques Polge is all about balance, and the creamy texture here is rendered with an incredibly soft touch that’s more like cashmere than a down comforter. It makes for a dry down that’s both lovely and very wearable.

If you’re not a fan of lavender in general, Jersey probably isn’t for you. However, if you enjoy lavender, Jersey is one to try. I love lavender fragrances, so this has been perfect for me, particularly for summer wear. It’s recently gotten me though some of those late summer days where almost any fragrance feels too heavy in the humidity. Even the dry down has been wearable, and I think the echo of the lavender helps keep the composition on the lighter side in general. Jersey may not be the most complex scent out there. And again, the clean laundry associations will haunt almost any lavender fragrance, but Jersey gives off the proper air of elegance you’d expect from Chanel. Plus, it just smells great, which is all I can ask for, especially in these last days of summer.

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Les Exclusifs de Chanel are available directly from Chanel and at Chanel boutiques. They are also available in person at some department stores such as Bergdorf’s and Harrods. Jersey samples and decants are available from The Posh Peasant and The Perfumed Court, which is where I got my sample.

The image is from Chanel while the info on notes is from Fragrantica.

Misia by Chanel (Les Exclusifs)

April 9, 2015

misia chanelNotes: iris, Turkish rose, Grasse rose, violet, orris root, benzoin, and tonka bean.

Misia Sert was a close personal friend of Coco Chanel. Misia was also something of a cultural icon in Parisian society, hosting a salon in her home for artists and serving as a muse. Both Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir painted her portrait. And now Misia plays the muse again, since she is the subject of Chanel’s latest release for the Les Exclusifs line. Misia the fragrance is Olivier Polge’s debut at Chanel, as he gradually takes over the role of in-house perfumer from his father, Jacques Polge.

All of this is quite a lot of history to sort through, but what does Misia actually smell like? As you might be able to guess from Chanel’s promo image, Misia is practically a celebration of powdery cosmetic notes. The opening notes of powdery iris give off a cold impression, like pressed powder in a cool metallic compact. The iris has an earthiness to it as well, slightly rooty and carroty, although this scent is decidedly not gourmand. It’s much more cool and dry than that. Misia recalls that daily ritual performed by so many women: applying makeup in private before going out to meet the demands of the day.

There are two different strands of rose in the notes here, but I find the rose fairly subtle. The violet is the dominant floral note of the heart for me, which is a funny choice since violet inevitably brings Guerlain cosmetics to mind, not Chanel. I have to think this was a purposeful, slightly cheeky move on the part of Olivier Polge, because Misia is no mere Météorites rip-off.

In fact, I find Misia quite unique and deceptively simple. Lipstick, powder, and cosmetic notes are a common enough theme in perfumery. Misia is interesting in that, though it recalls luxury cosmetic items, the fragrance also projects an air of chilly refinement that borders on austerity. We don’t typically associate austerity with luxury, but Misia unites the two concepts. The coldness of the composition also projects an air of privacy, which is another funny choice given that this perfume is named after a person. This is not a fragrance to evoke nostalgia for fun times spent with friends. Instead, it is a scent that projects self-containment and self-possession. The narrative Misia has to offer us is a complex one, and a little subversive in its contradictions.

The benzoin and tonka bean dry down adds a touch of warmth to the composition, and I do mean just a touch. Misia is simply not the kind of fragrance to come over all warm and sensual. Instead, the composition turns more rich in its own way, now recalling loose powder instead of pressed powder. It’s more earthy as the orris root anchors the base. And that carroty iris note becomes tangible again, bringing this complex composition full circle. Total wear time is between 6-7 hours on me.

Misia is a rare fragrance in that it works as both something to wear in private around the house, and as the finishing touch before going out. However, Misia is no chameleon. This fragrance exists exactly on its own terms, always projecting that puzzling but fascinating air of austere sophistication. And, ultimately, this air of self-possession is probably the best way Olivier Polge and Chanel could pay tribute to Misia Sert herself.

 

Full bottles of Chanel Les Exclusifs fragrances are available at Chanel boutiques and at Saks and Bergdorf’s in New York. Fortunately for those of us who don’t have easy access to a boutique, The Perfumed Court carries Les Exclusifs, which is where I got my sample of Misia.

Info on notes is from Fragrantica and the image is from Chanel.