WHAT I SMELL: PARIS-RIVIERA opens with a soft creamy petitgrain that is quickly met with a sweet, vibrant and juicy neroli. It’s fresh, energetic and a bit bubble-gummish as it feels a bit chewy. But overall it’s incredibly sunny. A sandalwood makes it way in to reveal a bit of pencil shaving along with the lightest of jasmine, which helps it migrate away from the orange a bit. After a short time, a gauze of musk layers over the composition and it feels as if the perfume is contained in a muslin wrap designed to keep the flies off of the fruit that sits within a basket. As the perfume continues to develop, it begins to sweeten which is welcomed as it makes the perfume just that more joyous. And in a bit, a warmed woody base adds just the perfect resting place for this floral dream. PARIS-RIVIERA is a delightfully pretty perfume.
From the Chanel website:
1928. Gabrielle Chanel builds her villa, La Pausa, on the Côte d’Azur, a few years after opening a new boutique in Cannes. With breathtaking landscapes, the French Riviera becomes the hot spot for society. The sweetness and excitement of this life is captured by the floral and solar scent of PARIS-RIVIERA.
A burst of zesty Sicilian orange interlaced with petitgrain reveals soft, subtle notes of jasmine and neroli. Sandalwood and musk add a touch of warmth for a scent as radiant as the Mediterranean sun.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A summer picnic under the orange trees.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE PARIS-RIVIERA: fresh, dreamy, uncomplicated
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PARIS-RIVIERA: My Woman Stuff, Fragroom.com
BOTTOM LINE: Chanel does fresh better than anyone else. This perfume is no exception. PARIS-RIVIERA is the perfect summer scent. No, actually it’s the perfect scent to wear whenever you need a mood booster no matter the time of year and I love it!
- Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral Fruity
- Nose: Olivier Polge
- Classification: Leans feminine
- Expense: Starting at $90 for 1.7 oz. eau de toilette
WHAT I SMELL: 24K opens with a warm, soft and tender rose that moves towards a lightly spiced tuberose and jasmine. The perfume buzzes with muted ambered florals that seems to become warmer on the skin with each inviting inhale. As the perfume continues to develop, it becomes more rounded and the florals seamlessly meld into one beautiful fragrant bouquet. At this point the perfume slows it’s progression and it radiates floral energy with a warmth and pulsing force that’s completely mesmerizing. There’s something nostalgic about 24K that takes me back to a bygone era of the 1980s and 1990s. But don’t get me wrong, the perfume doesn’t feel vintage or old fashioned in the least. In fact, it makes me yearn for some of those forgotten floral beauties of the past that you couldn’t help but notice.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: “Dynasty-lite”. The perfume carries all the quintessential aspects of the 1980s; big, bold, large and in command. But instead of being over-the-top and in your face, 24K remains perfectly muted.
WHAT I SMELL: Ma Griffe opens with bright aldehydes followed by a mix of florals that turn surprisingly green. There’s an undercurrent of rapturous warmth that sits below the florals that makes the perfume heady and full-bodied in a rather provocative manner. Ma Griffe is not shy in the least and as it goes on she tells you exactly who she is right from the beginning. As the perfume continues to develop, there’s a note or combination of notes that reminds me of slightly worn silk undergarments. It’s a mix of perfume, powder and just a hint of light sweat gained from normal daily activity. As such, this makes Ma Griffe a veritible seductress. As the perfume continues to morph, the florals begin to deepen with tonka bean taking root along side a drying oak moss. Here, Ma Griffe is fully in charge and makes it known that she is all woman and doesn’t mind if you call her a dame.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The unapologetic user of men; Barbara Stanwyck in the pre-code classic movie “Babyface.”
The Scented Hound 