Fragrance Review: Chanel – Les Eaux de Chanel
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
In 2018, Chanel released a new line of fragrances, inspired by cities relevant to the brand’s founder, Coco Chanel, through her career. Named Les Eaux de Chanel, the collection also has the concept of offering fresh, gauzy compositions – all Eaux de Toilette, with varying degrees of “cologne”-like spirit. All the original 3 fragrances, as well as the fourth adittion to the line in 2019, were created by Chanel’s current in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge.
With the initial comment on how beautiful these bottles look (so chic! I love them!), here are my thoughts on all the current 4 fragrances in Les Eaux de Chanel line…
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Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Let’s start with Paris-Venise – the most unusual of the four. Imagine a well-rounded, vanilla-centred oriental fragrance. An opening of orange & bergamot leads to a bouquet of makeup-y iris & rose, soapy neroli, and warm ylang ylang, resting on a slightly sweet base of tonka, gorgeous creamy vanilla, violets and resinous benzoin. Now take all these velvety accords and make them gossamer sheer – still smooth and refined, but also light and transparent.
So, there you have Paris-Venise. An airy, breezy oriental fragrance, if you can even imagine such an odd thing… And it works beautifully! This is a super feminine, romantic scent, with a subtle (very Chanel) cosmetic-like drydown. Although it doesn’t exactly feel fresh (the vanilla is relatively so, but the overall effect is still warm and cozy), and I wouldn’t choose Paris-Venise to brace myself on crazy-hot days, it does feel truly lightweight, and in mild summer (and, better yet, spring or autumn) weather, it’s a lovely way to enjoy a no-cloying-risk take on plush resins, iris, violets and vanilla.
Notes: (Top) pink pepper, orange, bergamot, lemon, petitgrain; (Heart) rose, iris, neroli, ylang ylang, geranium; (Base) orris, vanilla, violet, white musk, benzoin, tonka.
Colour Impression: Transparent Blush.
Evokes: the faint, delicate scent of an open make-up bag; a blush-coloured dress.
Similar to: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle L’Eau Privée; Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Poudrée; Lancôme Iris Dragées.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Next, we have Paris-Biarritz. A watercolour-like lemon is the main star in this fragrance, light, aromatic and slightly sweet – natural-feeling, but with no adstringent, crisp peels in sight¹. It is closely followed by citrus-floral neroli, which creates a soft powdery-soapy effect; and lily of the valley, lifting up the scent with a bright, green-tinted whisper of freshness. All around, gauzy layers of other citruses dance gracefully: sweet tangerine and orange rounding up the zesty lemon; subtle bergamot; and a hint of grapefruit, for a a splash of watery-ness.
Its green notes and lily of the valley make Paris-Biarritz the freshest-feeling Eau de Chanel. I love how neither of these notes feel sharp here, melding smoothly into the soft composition while still making it feel very airy, even luminous. If I were to describe Paris-Biarritz in few words, I’d call it fresh, rounded, clear and delicate. It’s simple, yes, maybe a tad too much so… but also likeable and non-offensive in the most positive way.
Notes: (Top) lemon, tangerine, bergamot, orange, grapefruit; (Heart) lily of the valley, neroli, green notes; (Base) patchouli, white musk.
Colour Impression: Pastel Yellow.
Evokes: a spontaneous, bright smile; morning sunshine & a fresh breeze.
Similar to: Guerlain Eau de Cologne Impériale.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Then, there’s Paris-Deauville. It centres around orange & basil – an usually crisp, fizzy duo that here feels soft and gentle, with accents of petitgrain, lemon and sweet lime. Subtle jasmine and rose add a luminous floral facet to the scent, but don’t take over its nitid citrus-green character. The base is a whispery, very creamy patchouli², which rounds up the already polished notes to perfection.
Like its “sibling” Biarritz, Paris-Deauville keeps the bright, fresh character of its citrus & green notes, but smooths out all the sharp corners. The composition feels rounded in a pleasant soft-focus, going from opening to drydown with a most refined, fluffy yet refreshing texture. I was surprised to conclude this was perhaps my favourite from this line (even though the score between them is sooo close!). Unexpectedly marvellous, Paris-Deauville brings to my mind a fresh, creamy, sweet – but not overly sweet! – orange & basil gelatto. Gorgeous!
Notes: (Top) orange, basil, lime, petitgrain, lemon, bergamot; (Heart) green notes, rose, jasmine, hedione; (Base) patchouli.
Colour Impression: Pastel Orange.
Evokes: a fine orange & basil gelatto.
Similar to: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Finally, Paris-Riviera was launched in 2019, one year after the other 3 Eaux. With only moderate focus on citrus (mostly orange), this composition is all about the heart notes of jasmine and neroli. The bouquet feels soft but not really transparent, and blooms with a powdery-clean, intensely floral texture. The base is surprisingly spicy, with benzoin and sandalwood giving Paris-Riviera a slightly resinous-sweet, warm-ish character.
I must say, Paris-Riviera is the only fragrance in this line that I really find.. meh. This isn’t a dense composition per say, but it somehow feels heavier than it should be. And while I do tend to like spices and resins, here, even if not overly strong, they don’t seem to harmonize well with the florals (at least, to my nose). There’s something in here that reminds me of Allure Sensuelle – one of the few Chanel scents I don’t like.
Notes: (Top) orange, citrus notes, flowers; (Heart) neroli, jasmine; (Base) sandalwood, benzoin.
Colour Impression: Pale Peach.
Evokes: a pretty bouquet of mixed pink & yellow flowers.
Similar to: Chanel Allure Sensuelle.
Conclusion
Les Eaux de Chanel are very light, (if quite long-lasting) fragrances. Sheer and understated, they feel polished, polite, and hardly about to make a dramatic entrance in terms of sillage or crazy note combos. These can all be pros or cons, depending on your fragrance preferences.
For me, Les Eaux de Chanel are absolutely lovely. Their compositions have a subtle sense of nuance, simple but never flat or boring. They feel classic, almost “common”, but also unexpectedly unique, fresh yet extremely smooth, transparent yet plush. I especially like Venise and Deauville!
¹ For bracing, crisp, natural and peel-rich lemons, check out Guerlain Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat, or Goutal Eau d’Hadrien. They’re both gorgeous.
² Chanel always delivers such a soft, stunning rendering of patchouli – my favourite take on this note, no contest.
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