WHAT I SMELL: Jersey’s opening consists of a soft, cottony lipstick tinged lavender that is soon met with a warmed, lightly brown sugared and caramelized vanilla. The vanilla isn’t heavy nor overly sweet, and as such it’s the perfect companion for the powdery lavender that resides on top of it. At this juncture, Jersey feels as if it’s made from cotton which has been milled and then folded into a bottle. As the perfume continues to develop, the lavender and vanilla begin to add a bit of cream that softens the perfume and turns it from the muslin towards a lightly sweet lotion. And basically that’s it; Jersey is a simple…no make that…Jersey is a simply beautiful perfume.
From the Chanel website:
The Roaring Twenties. In this era of jazz and folly, Mademoiselle Chanel dressed women in sailor sweaters made of jersey, creating clothing in which to laugh and dance with effortless elegance.
Composed by Jacques Polge—Creator of CHANEL Fragrance from 1978 to 2014—JERSEY reveals the feminine treasures of lavender by combining it with bourbon vanilla in a creamy accord heightened by notes of white musk. A scent of life and joy.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dreamy lavendered cottoned clouds.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE JERSEY: uncomplicated, delightful, happy
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT JERSEY: The reviews I found were for the eau de toilette version that was discontinued in 2016 to make way for the new line of eau de parfums in the Les Exclusifs line. As there may be significant differences, I have not included any of them here. The only eau de parfum review I found is from Viora London.
BOTTOM LINE: Funny, I wrote the following about 31 Rue Cambon just weeks ago and I have to say that it also applies perfectly to Jersey: Once again, Chanel does it with a perfume that is clean, easy to wear, and anything but boring. Jersey is an uncomplicated perfume that rises to the occasion when you don’t want to fuss about what you’re going to wear. And it does so beautifully.
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Woody Musk
- Nose: Jacques Polge
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $200 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum
WHAT I SMELL: 31 Rue Cambon goes on cool with a peppered bergamot that’s fizzy, but fixed within the pepper. The florals come quickly with a beautifully creamy and waxy ylang-ylang. The perfume seems to exist in the middle; not too light and not too heavy, but riding this really easy wave of florals that as time goes on becomes accented with tinges of the pepper. But that soon dissipates and the perfume moves completely to the creamy. Here, 31 Rue Cambon is incredibly pretty as the ylang-ylang gives a bit of leeway to allow for the rose to come forward. And here they sit in harmony with each other in the most beautiful of ways. After some time, the perfume moves to a cool iris and begins to powder and expand and sweeten just so slightly giving the perfume a light lipstick vibe. Not too far after, a patchouli makes a lightly sharpened entrance and the perfume becomes more woody and edgy. There’s also just the lightest of leather that appears as the perfume becomes drier and more rooted in the straw. Looking at what I just wrote, it seems 31 Rue Cambon makes quite the journey, when in fact it’s all so seamless that it really just glides along with incredible ease.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A handmade henequen purse. Classy in a laid back kind of way.
WHAT I SMELL: Le Lion goes on the skin with an ambered bergamot and lemon that is tinged with patchouli in an opening that is is warm, yet light and inviting. There is no mistake that the DNA of Le Lion is aligned with Guerlain’s classic Shalimar. But to me, the biggest difference is the lemon and citrus which remains front and center which lifts the perfume up to something that is lighter, a tad brighter and much more approachable and easy to wear. Le Lion doesn’t morph all that much, but as it does wear, a puttied sandalwood makes it way under the other notes and the entire composition begins to lighten.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A chill lion. Modern; made for today.
The Scented Hound 