Note Pyramid
Nº 5
Chanel Nº 5 Eau de Toilette Refillable 50ml opens with aldehydes over ylang ylang and neroli, soapy and bright at first contact, the ylang ylang giving it warmth and body and the neroli a clean lift above it. The whole opening is bright and a little soapy rather than sweet, with no weight in it at all.
The heart is rose and jasmine, held clear and fresh rather than heavy, and vanilla, vetiver and sandalwood make the base: sweet, earthy and dry in turn. It moves from aldehydic sparkle through the two flowers into a powdery woody close, and the aldehydic, floral and woody accords are what stay with it. Vetiver is what stops the vanilla settling into sweetness and the sandalwood smooths the two together.
Chanel's first perfume was Nº 5, launched in 1921 out of Gabrielle Chanel's partnership with the perfumer Ernest Beaux, who composed it; the eau de toilette dates from 1924. Gabrielle Chanel opened a hat boutique at 21 rue Cambon in Paris in 1910, and the house has composed its fragrances in-house ever since, growing materials for them in its own fields in Grasse.
Moderate longevity and moderate sillage make it a close-wearing scent rather than a room-filling one, so a second spray in the afternoon is no hardship, and the 50ml bottle here is refillable. It wears across all four seasons and suits professional days, casual wear and an evening out, light enough for spring and summer and woody enough for autumn and winter.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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