Olivier Polge | The Scented Hound

July 25, 2022
by The Scented Hound 6 Comments

Chanel PARIS-RIVIERA

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

April 25, 2022
by The Scented Hound 6 Comments

Chanel 1957

WHAT I SMELL: Chanel 1957 opens with a bright and sparkling warmed bergamot that is quickly met with a soft and slightly creamy iris tinged with citrus. It’s so pretty, rather ethereal and incredibly inviting. In short time the perfume begins to powder and grow, but without giving up it’s soft demeanor. The perfume seems to radiate around an inch off of the skin where it feels as if you’re snuggling your nose up against the soft fur of the underbelly of a kitten. The florals are sweetened in the lightest of ways on top of a tempered wood and the musk is lush and full without suffocating all other aspects of this soft and pretty dream of a perfume. 1957 is probably one of the prettiest perfumes in the Chanel collection of fragrances, albeit rather linear in development. It’s perfectly uncomplicated and I love it.

From the Chanel website:

In 1957, Coco Chanel was rewarded for her world-renowned talent and audacity to seize, reinvent and magnify rare materials. The 1957 fragrance embodies this spirit, which is signature to the heart of every CHANEL creation.

A sensual accord of white musk is delicately fashioned with floral notes of bergamot, iris and neroli, woody notes of cedar, powdery accents and a hint of honey. A luminous scent, a statement to the timeless style of CHANEL.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Audrey Hepburn in “Funny Face” 1957.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE 1957: delightful, easy, happy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1957: CaFleureBon, Chemist in the Bottle, The Black Narcissus

BOTTOM LINE: 1957 is another Chanel that is so wonderfully beautiful in its’ simplicity and for it ease of wear. And even though the name is 1957, there’s something timeless about this beauty of a perfume. There really is an art to making a perfume so ethereally uncomplicated, yet refined.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $250 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum

July 19, 2021
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Chanel Le Lion

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.

From the Chanel website:

Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo. Majestic, indomitable and wild, the lion is more than just her astrological symbol; it also embodies Mademoiselle’s radiant personality and serves as inspiration for this powerful fragrance.

Faceted with a rich amber accord and featuring bold notes of bergamot, lemon, patchouli and sandalwood, the scent evokes the spirit of CHANEL.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A chill lion. Modern; made for today.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LE LION: comfortable, easy, Shalimar-lite

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LE LION: Persolaise, The Black Narcissus, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I like Le Lion and could see myself wearing this often as it’s an amber perfume that doesn’t set out to be too heavy. The citrus remains afloat above the patchouli and sandalwood to give it just enough of that clean Chanel finish that is so easy to love.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Amber
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $200 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum