The scent of water
A trio of fragrances dive into unchartered territory by attempting to make memorable, something that is light, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
THERE is a strong reason why Chanel No˚5 is considered one of the best fragrances of all time. It has a solid sense of identity made up of rose and jasmine, an unmistakable scent not replicated by any other. Like Guerlain’s Shalimar and Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium, No˚5 is a statementmaking scent created 97 years ago.
But things are changing, so does the taste for scents. Coco Mademoiselle is now the global bestseller for the French brand. Still a distinctive scent, Coco Mademoiselle isn’t as heady as the No˚5.
But lightness is the order of the day in the fragrance world — the market is in the young and the young demand light fragrances. They look for something that is not only gender neutral but highly adaptable from day to night.
So this year, Chanel rolled out three fragrances under the Les Eaux de Chanel for an olfactory journey “with remarkable, immediate and lasting freshness that makes us want to sail away”.
OLD PLACES, NEW TAKE
Inspired by three of Gabrielle Chanel’s favourite places — the fragrances ParisDeauville, Paris-Biarritz and Paris-Venise — rewrite a new olfactory structure. Created by perfumer Olivier Polge in cooperation with the Chanel fragrance creation and development laboratory, the scents are not intense. Instead, they are stretched out which make them more supple and flowing.
Les Eaux de Chanel is all about infinite freshness — the freshness you feel when you open the window of a train racing along the track, the vapour that hovers over the waves as they break upon the shore and the morning dew evaporating in the first rays of sun.
Woven with Sicilian and Calabrian citrus, they form a light and airy trail of scent.
“More than the actual reality of the destination, I liked the idea urbanites make of it when they dream of a weekend away in the country,” says Polge.
“I wasn’t striving to capture the Normandy countryside as it stands today, but rather the promise of a stroll through the tall grasses.”
Paris-Deauville captures the vivifying energy of orange rind, petit grain and highly aromatic basil leaf. Essence of rose and jasmine-like notes hold their heads high and proud, honouring the floral heart of the composition.
ROMANCE IN THE AIR
For something less fleeting and more romantic, the Paris-Venise has neroli weaved into the citrus backdrop. A hint of red berry whispers to iris and Grasse geranium, tangy and floral.
Then, vibrant cedar and an ambery accord murmur their voice and you can detect vanilla note and oriental scents that warm the skin without overpowering.
“The creation of Eau de Chanel ParisVenise draws inspiration as much from the long journey on the Orient Express from the French capital to the Italian city, as from the destination itself. I wanted people to smell that gateway to the Orient, which, to the brand, is also an evocation of the baroque. It is probably the most urban Eau of the three,” Polge says.
For an open air scent, Paris-Biarritz, Polge said is “the most aquatic fragrance in the collection”.
“I wanted to create a sensation on the skin as if each ingredient were soaked with water.” But, there is no question of dissolving the composition. He decided to energise the top notes with a burst of grapefruit and mandarin.
Accompanied by an aqueous note, the citrus prepares the way for a lily-of-thevalley accord. The groundswell of the formula, vetiver, blends with white musk notes to heighten the bracing sensations.
With a more generous 125ml bottle and a rounded shape that fits in the palm of the hand, Les Eaux de Chanel introduces a new perfuming gesture.
Equipped with a special pump, each bottle diffuses micro-droplets of fragrance for a longer time than a traditional spray.
The fragrances are light and airy and will be liked by a wide range of users. They are definitely adaptable from day to night, but just how memorable these light scents are in the long run, remains to be seen.
I wanted people to smell that gateway to the Orient, which, to the brand, is also an evocation of the baroque. Olivier Polge