Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel Chanel perfume – a fragrance for women 2004

Over the years, I’ve worn and owned every iteration of Chanel No.
5 that I could get my hands on. I started with the sometimes maligned EdP (I didn’t know—it was the 80s! I was 16. There was no internet. Forget the excuses—I just loved it, and I still do). During a purist phase, I wore the parfum and nothing else. Then I discovered the joys of French-manufactured No. 5, with its richer and more floral profile I’ve also dabbled across the spectrum of vintage offerings, because even with bruised aldehydes or other age-induced flaws, No. 5 always comes through in the drydown with one of life’s great sandalwood experiences. Currently, I’m back to the classic EdT (made in France), but I also have a bottle of the Elixir, and that’s what I’ve been reaching for in recent months.

The Elixir formulation conveys all the complexity of No. 5, but the sharp, tingly edges of the aldehydes are rounded and smoothed over, so the effect feels less crystalline, and more like a soft twinkle. It wouldn’t be No. 5 without that sparkle, but it’s softer, and perhaps kinder to noses that struggle with aldehydes. There isn’t much of an opening, and the Elixir doesn’t evolve like traditional perfume, but a silicon-based formula doesn’t have the same volatility, so it’s pretty much the same from start to finish. I also don’t get much powdery musk from the Elixir, so if you like No, 5 L’Eau’s cleaner finish, but want less of its emphatic citrus and more of the original’s golden jasmine/ylang/santal heart, you’ll really enjoy wearing this. It wears close to the skin; its relatively gentle projection and slightly less aggressive profile are perfect for office wear, although it’s fresh and undemanding enough for casual and every day wear—and it’s still No. 5, unmistakeably so, so it’s never out of place with cleavage and stilettos. (I also love it on the men who are intrepid enough to pull it off; male chemistry tends to emphasize its woody notes, and I like the aura of mystery conveyed by a conventionally feminine scent. But maybe i’m just perverse).

Chanel has always made exquisite ancillary goodies (No. 5 body powder, with its giant old fashioned puff, makes me feel like Norma Shearer getting dressed for a night at the Copa with Irving, even when I’m just trying to recover from another day of Social Isolation and apocalyptic news (stress is the most significant factor in making or breaking your immune system, so a hot bath and a little pampering is more than just an indulgence. And don’t even get me started on their French-milled soaps—they’re a religious experience in themselves)), and the quality of materials in No. 5 Elixir is outstanding, even for a company with notoriously high standards. It melts into your skin with the same ease as the parfum.. The applicator is a simple dabber, so you can do a Marylin-style touch behind ears and on wrists, or you can smooth a little with your fingertips in the crook of your elbows (my personal favorite for scent application). The bottle feels sturdy, and its relatively compact size and tight seal make it ideal for keeping in a purse or gym bag, which adds an extra level of versatility to one of perfumery’s great all-rounders.

Chanel really knocked it out of the park with this one, so the question remains (as of 2020): what happened to Elixir, and why won’t they bring it back? I know that scarcity is part of perfumery’s grand illusion, but it would be a real treat if Chanel periodically put more Elixir on the market. The only downside I’ve found is that it doesn’t keep particularly well or age like traditional formulas do: 24 months is about as long as I’ve gotten from my bottles (I’m on number three, and this will be it for me); and toward the end of my first two, as the scent in my bottle began to fade, I added a little Eau Premiere to ensure that I got a consistent amount of scent per application. But each time I open a fresh bottle, it smells great, and each has lasted just as long after opening, so I haven’t noticed any quality issues, so long as I’ve kept them sealed.

Silicon-based products like Elixir had a real moment in the perfume world about 10 or 15 years ago (does anyone remember Lovely Body Satin or whatever it was called? I loved that, too); it seems like those have given way to other ancillaries like hair perfume these days, which I can’t really get excited about. I would love to see more Elixir-type products come back on the market, and the astronomical prices you have to pay for the few remaining bottles of Elixir show that there’s plenty of demand, so I don’t know why Chanel doesn’t bring it back. If they do, sign me up; I can’t justify the aftermarket prices I’m seeing, so I’m going to enjoy wearing my last bottle of Elixir while I can. If the perfume goddesses and/or the powers that be at Chanel S.A. are reading this, please hear my prayers: I’ll gladly buy more—and would you please consider adding Coco and No 19’while you’re at it?