WHAT I SMELL: Chanel No. 19 opens with bright aldehydes and a sweetened bergamot that quickly turns to a buttery iris that is so radiantly smooth that it glides on the skin as if it’s surfing just a milliliter off of your body. Right from first spritz the perfume has a big presence, but it’s neither harsh nor abrasive. Instead, it’s incredibly inviting with its positive energy. After a bit, the perfume begins to dry and powder and the galbanum increasingly radiates with a dusty aura. After some more time, the greenish galbanum and the lilting iris begin to flatten and a light sandalwood partners in the mix. It’s here where Chanel No. 19 retreats in this warmed aura of green radiant sunshine. Chanel No. 19 eau de toilette is an incredible perfume that’s easy to wear and easy to love.
From the Chanel website:
Daring, distinctive and uncompromising. A floral, woody, green fragrance with perfect balance.
An ideal harmony between the vibrant, green notes of Galbanum and the soft, powdery notes of Iris.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Happy and perfectly content.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHANEL NO. 19: powdery, comfortable, radiant
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHANEL NO. 19: Now Smell This
BOTTOM LINE: Chanel No. 19 is a classic that’s easy to wear, fresh and completely unpretentious while at the same time is incredibly beautiful and long lasting. To me, Chanel No. 19 eau de toilette is a perfect Christmas present because it’s affordable, delightful and more importantly, because it’s Chanel!
- Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Chypre
- Nose: Henri Robert
- Classification: Feminine
- Expense: $110 for 100ml eau de toilette.
WHAT I SMELL: Basilico & Fellini opens with a warmed, sparkling and zesty dragon fruit that is incredibly uplifting in its tanginess and its freshness. The basil comes in quickly to add this great mix of herbal goodness to the tangy fruit. It’s gourmand, but from the garden with the fruit and herb. After a bit, the dragon fruit begins to make way for a soft violet mixed with a fuzzy fig. There’s so much freshness going on here that is so refreshing, delightful and positive in its energy. All the notes within this concoction seem to take turns coming to the surface, from fruit to herb to flower as if they’re involved with a whirling and twirling dance of happiness. This dance continues for quite some time, but it finally slows down to quietly end with a warm and comforting fig infused hay. Basilico & Fellini is a delight of a perfume that’s perfect for warmer weather as well as those winter days when you want to be transported back to the sun-filled splendor of the garden.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Fig and basil garden goodness. So much so that I thought I would include a recipe for a delicious fresh salad.
WHAT I SMELL: Rival in Love opens with a lightly sweetened blood orange that’s quickly met with a juicy, ripe and enticing lychee. It’s so incredibly intoxicating in the softest of ways as there’s nothing sharp here as the perfume just lilts upon the skin with a light and soft sheath of cottony musk. After a bit, the sweetened and soft opening moves to the more round with a lightly peppered rose making it’s entrance. Where the opening was light and demure, the perfume is now more mature and seductive. Here, the perfume begins to radiate and amplify, but never in a way that shouts. As Rival in Love continues its progression, a patchouli enters grounding the florals with a buzzing woodiness. Here, the perfume seems to be in conflict as you can tell that the patchouli is being buffered by something else that is trying to get out on top of it. As the perfume finishes its internal fight, a sweetened vanilla and lychee come out to make the perfume the perfect mix of innocence and seductive maturity. Rival in Love is one “love” of a perfume.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A fight for love that ends in the most beautiful of ways.
The Scented Hound 