Question:
I walked into the Chanel boutique in Bal Harbour Fla; I just couldn't resist-everything I had read in the fashion magazines forced me to do it. I bought the 31 Rue Cambon ( a buck and three quarters plus tax, if you please) and by the time I got home it smelled so oriental on me (or maybe it's what you more experienced noses call chypre- am not sure) that I scrubbed my wrists with alcohol. I assume that the ingredients are very high quality, because it was difficult to remove the scent from my skin. I returned it the following day, and they were very accomodating. I tried No. 18, and it smelled just like a gin and tonic. Cuir De Russie and Coromandel, too heavy and oriental (
chypre??). Bois Des Isles, Bel Respiro and No.22 dried down on me as too powdery. Armed with the information that I love Cristalle and despise Chance, they suggested 28 La Pausa. At first the smack of - is it iris??- seemed not suitable to me at all, but the saleswoman told me to walk around for a half hour and come back. It developed so nicely on my skin- it was delightful. Would love to hear other's comments on these 10 new fragrances- although, to my inexperienced nose, some of them smell a lot like some of the other Chanel things already out there.

Answer:
i have now tried three of these: 29 la pausa (the iris), 31 rue cambon (the new chypre) and bel respiro (the hay/green one). the iris was the biggest revelation, as i have not liked iris up to this point. they are all beautiful, refined, elegant frags, but they are as untouchable as marble statues. they all smell expensive to me, and they also seem like they've always been around, which has the effect of making them seem derivative. they definitely have a connectedness, a chanel-ade, and you can see the logic behind the launch.

i guess. i'm not in love? they all smell as expensive and elegant as you could ever want. but they are not habitable. they are like corsets or facelifts...artifice.

thoughts?

Answer:
If those are corsets, strap me in.
I want them.
Hehe.
I will bend myself to fit.
Isn't it strange, I will do that for a perfume, but not for shoes?

Answer:
Originally Posted by helg The one I liked so far (haven't tried them all yet) is Coromonadel, which is a nice enough oriental with patchouli, reminiscent of Borneo in some aspects. Then again Borneo is much more innovative and lasting. Of course that would be a plus for people who want a softer, easier frag. Thx for sharing your opinion helg!
Coromandel is the one I'm most interested in, but if Borneo - which I truly, madly and deeply love - is better (=more innovative and stronger), then I probably won't need Coromandel. That would actually be kinda cool, since I have absolutely nothing against sparing "a few" bucks ;-)
-Tero-

Answer:
Really like 31. I like the rest of them, too, except for Coromandel.

Answer:
I tried all of them at the NYC boutique; very good sales associates btw. The big surprise for me was Cormandel. I didn't much care for it immediately upon application but after about 20 minutes it settled down into the sexiest scent I have EVER experienced.
The Rue Cambon & Bel Respiro were the other two I considered. All of them smelled wonderful but for the money, I wanted something that would last. Cormandel was simply amazing! Many, many hours after all traces of RC & BR evaporated, Comandel was present & accounted for.
Although I can appreciate many of the Serge Lutens fragrances, I simply cannot wear most of them.
Cormandel might have some similarities with SL Borneo but I can enjoy Cormandel. I can't say the same for the Serge Lutens.

Answer:
what about the unisex cologne? any sniff?

Answer:
Originally Posted by quinpus they all smell expensive to me, and they also seem like they've always been around, which has the effect of making them seem derivative. they definitely have a connectedness, a chanel-ade, and you can see the logic behind the launch.

i guess. i'm not in love? they all smell as expensive and elegant as you could ever want. but they are not habitable. they are like corsets or facelifts...artifice.

thoughts? I agree with you. I do not think Polges is a terribly innovative perfumer anyway and the niche turn of the house seems utterly pretentious and cashing in on the market looking for exclusivity. It's no accident that they followed the paradigm of Hermessences, Dior exclusives and Armani Prive.
They felt they had to.
All of the six new scents remind me of other existing frags, Chanel or non-Chanel.
When the initial excitement over them subsides it will be plainly obvious that these will not revolutionize the industry. Sadly, no.....
@GGA:
Yes, the Lutens is stronger, more lasting (altho Coromandel was quite good in lasting) and more modern, more daring. Has guts!

Answer:
Originally Posted by helg I agree with you. I do not think Polges is a terribly innovative perfumer anyway and the niche turn of the house seems utterly pretentious and cashing in on the market looking for exclusivity. It's no accident that they followed the paradigm of Hermessences, Dior exclusives and Armani Prive.
They felt they had to.

All of the six new scents remind me of other existing frags, Chanel or non-Chanel.
When the initial excitement over them subsides it will be plainly obvious that these will not revolutionize the industry. Sadly, no.....
@GGA: I agree. Having Sheldrake onboard will do nothing for Chanel.

Dior, Chanel and Guerlain have been off their game for far too long.
Guerlain and Dior have been swamping the market with tired, uninspired, pedestrian juice for over two decades now, while "chic" Chanel hasn't done much better. Come on Chanel, Antaeus was over 25 years ago, and No.5 (or insert your favorite No.X here) was over half a century ago. The rise (and recognition) of niche perfumery has turned the heat on these once great houses, and that fear is illustrated in the three companies willingness to launch "exclusif" lines.