Chanel №5 and №5 L’Eau: A Breakthough ~ Columns

🚨 This article is archived and available in its entirety for free for registered members only. Please login or register to read more.

It is unbelievable that Chanel №5, being the most famous and the best selling perfume in the world for already dozens of years, has not fouled itself with tons of limited editions and modifications of all sorts. There have been just a few.

Initially, Number Five appeared in 1921 as parfum, soon after Eau de Cologne followed. Some time later Eau de Toilette was made. The author of all three versions was legendary Ernest Beaux.

Ernest Beaux managed to make the first abstract fantasy perfume, mainly thanks to the overdose of saturated aldehydes – synthetic compounds, which possess a specific waxy soapy smell, reminiscent of citrus zest and a just blown out candle at the same time. Ernest Beaux did not come with the idea of using aldehydes while working for Chanel, he used some developments from his previous workplace before the revolution, Rallet factory in Moscow. According to different sources, in different versions of Chanel №5 there is approximately 0,2-0,3% of Decanal (C-10), Undecanal (С-11) and Dodecanal (С-12), or Methyl Undecanal (C-12 MNA).

It was a total refreshment of the trends when Chanel №5 appeared on the market, but soon after, following its success, many copies by other brands had appeared, marking Chanel №5 a classic. For already several decades we have considered floral aldehydic perfumes as scents of status and age.

Changes in the Number Five line happened with an invitation of the new Chanel in-house perfumer Jacques Polge in the end of the 1970s. In 1986, he created Eau de Parfum: it was a trend of the time, the new version did not contain natural musk и civet, musk ambrette and an unbelievable amount of 4% of jasmine absolute. It contained polysantol instead, an extremely long lasting synthetic sandalwood, very well known for its overdose in Guerlain Samsara.

The concentration range was completed. The time of flankers would come later, in the 21st century. In 2004, Chanel №5 Elixir Sensuel was launched and it pleased the general public, but was rejected by critics. Three years later another Jacques Polge interpretation in the jus of Eau Première was introduced.

Last year (2015), Chanel hired Jacques Polge’s son, Olivier Polge, as the main perfumer for Les Parfums Chanel, and it seems it was a perfect match for the house aesthetics. Extremely talented and with his own recognazible style, Olivier Polge was already well-known for his hits among luxe and niche, before his work for Chanel.

One year before he received an official offer, Olivier created a Chance flanker, Eau Vive, and two perfumes for the Les Exclusifs line (powdery violet of Misia and the fougere for women Boy).

In spring of 2015 we learned from Chanel that the very new Chanel №5 L’Eau which was schedule for a fall 2016 launch, was created by Olivier Polge in his new position as in-house perfumer.

The new Chanel №5 L’Eau is the freshest and the lightest interpretation of Number Five. In L’Eau, the aldehydic accord is close to the classic one, but smartly decorated with modern materials. The central floral bouquet of ylang, rose, jasmine, and neroli smells very familiar, but the emphasis has been shifted from heady, tropical ylang to watery rose and weightless, misty neroli. The final accord of L’Eau is also very delicate, woody musky, and there is almost nothing of what made the original one so dense and imperious: no presence of iris, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, or animalic notes; there is no need of them in the “Water”.

a rare example of symbiosis of academic science and relatively new music

A refreshing interpretation of the classic is a very challenging task. From my point of view, numerous audio records of the category “classic with a modern twist” are garbage with no value for young people and no respect for connoisseurs of classic music. Transferring the same to perfumery, I must admit that Olivier Polge has achieved the impossible – he pleased young girls and their grandmothers alike. And there is no rejection for men; for example, I wear it with great pleasure from time to time.