N°5 by Chanel (Parfum) » Reviews & Perfume Facts
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Mademoiselle Coco and the smell of love
“I don’t do fashion, I am fashion.”
In 1919 Tout Paris wears the designs of Gabrielle Chanel; better known as “Coco”.
This woman was as uncompromising in matters of style and fashion as she was in love.
When my beloved “Boy” Capel dies in a car accident on the Côte d’Azur (he drove his fast sports car much too fast of course), she sinks into mourning.
She even has her bedroom painted black!
Their first (desperate) attempt to return to life is not very successful. Her liaison with the composer Igor Stravinsky is not what really helps; quite quickly their paths part.
Étienne Balsan, a friend of both, succeeds in keeping them alive for a longer period of time with the help of the legacy of her lover: “Boy” wanted to develop a spectacular fragrance together with Coco.
Not only does she want to commemorate her great love with a fragrance, but she also wants to create a perfume for the modern independent woman.
In the search for the right fragrance, Coco also met Dimitri Romanow, a Russian grand duke in exile. Through him, with whom she shares the feeling of being lost, she was inspired by the perfume of the legendary Czarina Catherine the Great.
But one day, almost unbelievably for her, she can open herself up to love again and her inspiration returns: Coco Chanel gets on the trail of this fragrance, which is still the most successful perfume in the world today – “Chanel N° 5”.
(Source: “Mademoiselle Coco and the Scent of Love” novel by Michelle Marly , published as an advanced paperback, 2018.)
The charm of this perfume has accompanied me since my earliest youth; my knowledge in this fragrant world was not very great either The statement alone (whispered only behind a whispered hand) that Marilyn Monroe wore only a touch of “Chanel N° 5” at night probably put the final dot on the “I”.
At that time she was an icon and the breath of the slightly wicked still surrounded her.
Only later did I ask myself: Did these two really fit together?
Had Coco Chanel thought of this type of woman as the bearer of her fragrance; would she have liked it?
And if Ms. Monroe, had she not, had she not been allowed to grow older, had she not one day discovered the allure of a seductive nightdress for herself? We won’t know
Yves Saint Laurent is known to have dedicated his legendary fragrance “Opium” to the great lady Catherine Deneuve. This fascinating woman remained a loyal friend to both YSL and his love Pierre Bergé throughout their lives.
We don’t know anything similar about Coco Chanel; we only know that she created an everlasting monument to her great love “Boy” Arthur Capel with this fragrance.
This fascinating fragrance composition greets you with the lively spraying of aldehydes; this is accompanied by the lovely charm of neroli, the freshness of lemons and the slightly musty bergamot scent.
It is a walk through a southern fruit-rich garden; thus an ideal start.
The heart note brings together everything that is important in the world of flowers: the elegant iris, the strongly earthy-scented lily of the valley (as we all know, this is where minds part!), the intoxicating aroma of the large-flowered white jasmine (often referred to as stinky in comments here) and the king of everything: the full-bloomed, fragrant rose!
Each one of these beauties gives its best here; a full-bodied, noble fragrance marries with the radiant freshness of the Entrées.
Amber, vetiver and sandalwood in a subtle blend, together with the rich, erotic warmth of vanilla, provide a base that seems to be exactly what this fragrance needs to be a complete success.
Sillage and durability are exceptional; even after hours, an abandoned room testifies to the presence of the wearer of this fragrance.
However, more than two ladies surrounding themselves with “Chanel N° 5” are sufficient for a spacious ballroom. Also here the dose makes the scent.
As a younger woman and also later testing this fragrance on me again and again, I used to regularly declare: “One day I will be old enough to wear “Chanel N° 5″. When I then put on the pearl necklace with a classic twinset and carefully coiffed grey hair, the right time will have come.”
In the meantime I am an older woman; the hair will never become noble grey – a mixture of street dog blonde with underpants grey and a touch of white knows how to prevent this.
I wore classic twinsets in the office (because the door to the long corridor had to be open all the time; the reception was not occupied); pearls actually fit me quite well as well.
Only with “Chanel N° 5” it won’t work: we both don’t harmonize with each other at all.
I like this scent, but I feel disguised with it So unfortunately I cannot pay tribute to this great love celebrated with this fragrance!
All the more reason why I will enjoy reading the above mentioned novel and follow Coco Chanel’s aberrations through love and life with interest.
