Chance Eau Fraiche Chanel perfume – a fragrance for women 2007

I’ve tried this perfume several different times – I finally purchased some smaller samples to actually take the time to wear this and compare with some of my other favorite green type spring and summer perfumes.

First of all, this green color in the bottle is totally refreshing and a mood enhancer, just watching the light interplay with the color in the glass. This is like mermaid water or something — there’s something light hearted about it; playful; upbeat; mood enhancing. It is an unexpected shade of green, not something that you see every day — and not a Madison Avenue “go to” shade which has been overdone in commercial marketing. This makes the color fresh and new.

I reviewed this after a fragrance event at Bloomingdales – and this perfume came out on top of the other two perfumes that I tried that day. It is a great blend with my chemistry. The only challenge – is the longevity on my skin. It doesn’t last long – and moves from the first 30 minutes of a strength that is wearable, to a whisper – fairly fast. This is not all bad. There are people who are sensitive to perfumes or who go through allergy season and can’t handle a super strong perfume during this time of year. For this, you are seeking a perfume that wears lighter and isn’t so overpowering…Chance Fraiche’ is perfect for that – and this is a great spring/summer perfume.

Some have compared this to Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Fraiche’ – which I’m trying on the other arm, so there is a direct comparison.

Both are a similar green shade in the bottle.
Channel’s Chance Fraiche’ is in a more modern type bottle, elegant in its simplicity — whereas Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Fraiche’ has more of light reflective type glass which catches the transparent watercolor shade of green in a beautiful way. Both bottles are stylish and would look good in most fragrance collections. I particularly like the soft pastel type clear shades, which would look very nice with other perfumes which have a similar transparent type look to them — particularly for the spring and summer.

Channel’s Chance Fraiche’ has a slightly green light aftershave type note in it — this is not so strong that it turns the fragrance masculine, but it has a limeade type effect to the resonance of this perfume.
Untold Fraiche’ goes on slightly more gourmand, leaning more towards a creme brûlée decadent dessert with a twist of lime on top — type vibe. Within the very first 20 minutes of wear, Chance Fraiche is shying away… becoming faint and wearing much lighter on the skin and is taking on more of a sweet candied type sugar limeade type quality. Untold Fraiche’ is an answer to anyone who has commented that they are finding that Chance’s Fraiche’ is diminishing too quickly that it doesn’t have enough longevity to actually be a fragrance that they would wear.

If I were not trying these two at the same exact time and making comparisons along the way — it would be almost impossible to distinguish the difference between these two. Yes, they are THAT SIMILAR – and register to the olfactory senses as the same exact perfume. (It would take an expert to tell them apart, without doing a side by side comparison). These are so close that I would say that they are about 92% similar… it is the 8% which make one lean more fresh (with the slight aftershave quality of Channel’s Chance Fraiche’) — or more gourmand/creme brûlée dessert with a lime twist note (like that of EA’s Untold Fraiche’).

Both perfumes are fresh and clean — they are not designed to be a club scent that smell like they are loaded with pheromones to attract the opposite sex. This is more of a lower key type fragrance that you enjoy for the way that this intermixes with your chemistry. Both are pretty, casual, and more natural smelling. Both are refreshing and mood enhancing without being cloying.

In the final phase about 8 or so hours into the wear, Channel’s Chance Fraiche’ is very light on the skin, only a hint that it had been sprayed — but it IS STILL THERE, (although very faint). Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Eau Fraiche’ is finishing much stronger — so for the argument of having a fragrance with more longevity that finished more boldly, this is your better choice.

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If you like lighter green fragrances for the spring and summer – I would also try David Yurman’s Fresh Essence and Cabotine (with the green floral lid). They are both slightly bolder than Channel’s Chance Fraiche. You will be glad that you tried them! I love them all!

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New Discovery –

Valentino’s Donna Rosa is a cousin to Chanel Chance Fraiche’ and Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Fraiche’. The biggest difference is so subtle that it is barely detected and would probably require an expert nose to discern. Valentino’s Donna Rosa is about 10% different and leans more marine/blue with a lemon drop essence finish – whereas Chanel Chance Fraiche’ and Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Fraiche’ lean more lime/green (both having slightly different nuances that make them about 8% unique). All are really great if you love this type of spring/summer light and airy fresh scent. And if this is REALLY “YOUR Thing”
— you could use these all to form a niche’ signature for yourself where you wear a different perfume in this collection each day to satisfy your need for a day-cation type adventure, while still creating a strong “signature” scent that others will be able to recognize you by.

Read my review for Valentino’s Donna Rosa too, if you really like Chanel Chance Fraiche’ or Elizabeth Arden’s Untold Fraiche’.