Chanel | The Scented Hound

February 23, 2015
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Chanel Coco Noir

WHAT I SMELL: Coco Noir opens with a brown sugared and sweetened grapefruit and bergamot. It’s light and happy, pretty and rather bouncy as the notes crackle with the brown sugar. The sugar note starts to reveal a lovely floral dominated by jasmine that starts to grow and expand. There’s something almost a bit masculine about the fragrance as the patchouli provides a woody note that keeps the florals from becoming too feminine. But as soon as I say that, the perfume continues to grow and expand and it becomes rather creamy, like it would make for a beautiful and enriching hand creme. Finally, Coco Noir finds it feminine self and the perfume radiates warm florals which are beefed up by a pulsating sandalwood. The perfume almost has a heartbeat that pulses and projects off the skin in a rhythmic manner. In the end, Coco Noir provides a powdery finish to a radiant floral that is warmed from below.

From the Chanel website:

Magnetic and uncompromising, COCO NOIR reveals a black that is intimate, seductive and intensely brilliant. Striking top notes of Grapefruit and Bergamot accentuate the floral accord, with Rose and Jasmine, while Indonesian Patchouli and Sandalwood notes add warmth.

Passion via romance novel art!

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: pulsating passion

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE COCO NOIR: tempting, self-assured, confident

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COCO NOIR: Bois de Jasmin, Kafkaesque, Undina’s Looking Glass

BOTTOM LINE: With “noir” in the name, I was expecting Coco Noir to be a heavy oriental full of deep and dark mystery. Instead, I found a fragrance that is rather big, bold and full of passion. Coco Noir takes no prisoners and although being rather feminine, there’s enough beef here to make me think that a man could get by with wearing this with ease as well.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Floral
Nose: Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Feminine, but could work for a man
Expense: Review based on the Eau de Parfum version. $98 for 3.4 oz. Eau de Parfum.

January 19, 2015
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

Vintage Chanel No. 19 Parfum

WHAT I SMELL: Chanel No. 19 opens with a brilliant rush of green, with hints of civet. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, vibrant while topped with sparkling powder. Soon enough a woodiness blends into a mossy dryness as the perfume pulsates off the skin. This is refined sexuality in a bottle with radiant but muted florals on top of a vetiver and oakmoss base and what seems to be a bit of dusty leather. As pretty as Chanel No. 19 is I do find that there’s a darkness that lurks at the base of the perfume that provides a serious and in-charge aura of control. As beautiful as this is, Chanel No. 19 is to me, a refined feminine butch perfume.

From the Chanel website:

Gabrielle Chanel’s signature scent, named for her August 19th birthdate. A rich blend of floral and green notes, followed by May Rose and Iris from Florence. The finale: a hint of Chypre with a subtle, woody Vetiver note. In parfum form, the most powerful, long-lasting concentration of fragrance.

Top notes: galbanum, neroli, bergamot
Heart notes: jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, iris
Base notes: vetiver, sandalwood, leather, musk

Jackie Onassis & Lee Radziwelll circa 1970

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The antithesis of the late 60s early 70s hippie.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHANEL NO. 19: dusty, sophisticated, intoxicating

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHANEL NO. 19: Perfume Shrine, Bois de Jasmin, Yesterday’s Perfume

BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes conveying a perfume in words is next to impossible. Chanel No. 19 is one of those perfumes for me as it defies my interpretation. I will say however that the picture of Jackie and Lee is perfect for this perfume as I can see both of them lounging in their NY apartments talking, smoking and cocktailing it up wearing this timeless classic.

Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Chypre
Nose: Henri Robert
Classification: Feminine – but easily worn by a man.
Expense: Varies. Review based on vintage the parfum extrait version.

February 9, 2013
by The Scented Hound 30 Comments

Les Exclusifs de Chanel: Coromandel and 1932

COROMANDEL

WHAT I SMELL: Coromandel opens with an initial sweet citrus which then turns slightly herbal with a strong presence of patchouli. It’s not loud, but dreamy and almost minty in the beginning. After a bit, its warmed by a light amber. After about 30 minutes or so the incense and benzoin notes adds depth and dimension giving Coromandel more weight and volume. Coromandel is elegant with a masculine edge.

From the Chanel website:

A voluptuous Oriental fragrance — an olfactory depiction of the lacquered Coromandel screens Mademoiselle cherished. Created by CHANEL Master Perfumer Jacques Polge in 2007, the elaborate scent unfolds in undulating detail, starting with an amber vibrato, followed by dry notes of Frankincense and Benzoin, then, soulful woody notes that add elegance and depth to the sensuous accord’s striking trail.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: This is what an oriental fragrance should smell like. This is how I think the bygone era of “ladies who lunch” should have smelled like. I would tend to think that in that era they wore perfumes that were very large, but they should have been wearing this.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE COROMANDEL: woody, dimensional, understated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COROMANDEL: The Non-Blonde, Kafkaesque, Another Perfume Blog

BOTTOM LINE: I am tempted to open my wallet now to purchase myself a bottle. I’m not quite sure if I’m there yet, but you could easily twist my arm!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Nose: Jacques Polge
Classification: Marketed as a woman’s fragrance, but this could easily be worn by a man
Expense: $130 for 75ml EdT

1932

WHAT I SMELL: 1932 has a big opening of aldehydes. It’s “bathtastic” as it smells clean and fresh. It’s a bouquet of flowers, dominated by jasmine, ylang-ylang and carnation that is finished off with a slight warmth. I was a bit worried that 1932 wouldn’t mellow, but after around 45 minutes it seemed to tame a bit and become less obtrusive and more pretty.

From Fragrantica:

The composition is powdery – floral with a focus on jasmine. It opens with fresh citrusy flavors that include aldehydes, bergamot and neroli. The heart is a heady floral, composed of jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lilac and carnation. The base is sweet, woody and resinous with notes of vetiver, orris, sandalwood, opoponax, incense, vanilla, coumarin, ambrette, musk and iralia molecule which possesses the character of iris and violet.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Bathtastic in my mind is not a great thing. It reminds me of how the bathroom smelled after my mother just got done taking a bubble bath which is a good smell, but not something that I would like to smell like throughout the day, nor would I want someone else to. That’s what soap is for.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE 1932: My new word…”bathtastic” (feel free to use this at will), heavyish, obvious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1932: Kafkaesque, The Alembicated Genie, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t believe 1932 is a bad fragrance, it just not for me. I like feminine fragrances, but this is a bit too old-fashioned and floral for my tastes.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral Woody Musk
Nose: Jacques Polge
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $130 for 75ml EdT

A special thanks to Sal from Kafkaesque for providing me with these samples!! If you haven’t already, please check out her wonderful blog!