Review: Chanel N5 EDP

Here's a verdict on Chanel N5 EDP 50ml

PRICE: Around $100-140 (Approximately P5,000.00+)

PLACE BOUGHT: Somewhere in the U.S.

OTHER LOCATIONS: Locally, you can get it from Rustan's or other authorized perfume retailers nationwide such as The Art Of Scent

THE VERDICT:

Here's my take on one of the most successful fragrances in the world. Before I reveal my thoughts, let me tell you a brief history about it, as I find its history beautiful and intriguing. There are so many written literatures about this perfume in print and online, so I'll just write a short account on it. For extensive information, please look 'em up in the internet :

Ernest Beaux is the nose behind N5. During Beaux's trip to Northern Europe, he came across an icy river and lake, and was deeply inspired by their freshness. He was madly in love with the fragrant waters, that he had to capture the scent and translate it into perfume.


The 1920's collaboration of Chanel and Beaux gave birth to one of the most iconic fragrances in world history. Parisian couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel wanted to release a modern fragrance that would capture the liberated spirit of the 1920's woman. During their meeting, Beaux presented sample vials numbered 1-5 and 20-24 to Mme. Chanel, and asked her to choose her preferred scent. Chanel chose vial number 5, which happened to contain the perfume inspired by the icy waters of Northern Europe. Chanel also decided to keep Number 5 as the perfume's name. She said:

"I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already, it will bring good luck."

Why does Chanel have an affinity for the number 5? Chanel was raised in a Catholic order called Cistercians, an ancient order who placed great emphasis on numerology.The number 5 has a mystic meaning to the order. During her childhood, Chanel had to go through a circular path for five times before reaching the cathedral for prayer. Since then, she has always believed that the number 5 has a symbolical meaning in her life. In fact, she believed that it was her lucky number.

The iconic minimalistic bottle was inspired by many things in Chanel's life. On one account, historians say that it was inspired by Charvet's toiletry bottles. Some would claim that it was inspired by her favorite whiskey decanter. While one, both, or none of these are true, one thing's for sure-- its iconic design was Chanel's cure to the over- elaborate and fussy perfume bottles during her time.

N5 remains as one of the most- popular perfumes in the world. The French government has reported that a bottle is sold every thirty seconds. On its own, N5 generates a massive sale of $100 million annually. The scent of N5 that we are experiencing today is still the same composition from the 1920s.

N5's top notes are composed of aldehydes (a chemical formed when alcohol and carboxylic acids further oxidize), bergamot, lemon, neroli, and ylang-ylang, while the heart notes are composed of lily of the valley, rose, jasmine, and iris. Base notes have vetiver, vanilla, sandalwood, amber, and patchouli. Legend has it that Beaux's assistant perfumer has overdosed the perfume with aldehydes by mistake, and made it as the first perfume in terms of aldehyde quantity in the floral-aldehyde group. FYI, the rose extracts used in every N5 bottle are only from Centifolia Roses, a rose flower native to the mountainous regions of France.

If there's something that made me love this perfume, it would be the bottle. Effortless elegance, femininity, and sophistication captured in a minimalistic bottle with a rather simple yet beautifully designed dome- shaped stopper. It's vintage beauty at its finest, and it makes my dresser very proud.

I could see why almost every woman in the world would want to have this perfume. It is a testament of the old world captured in a bottle: a rich, elegant, and opulent beauty that we have never seen. To an extent, it's a fragrance that best describes the totality of womanhood, or simply a scent to celebrate a milestone in a woman's life.

N5 is a theatrical piece: It wows everyone with a prologue of rose (thank goodness for Rose. I love this note) enveloped in a wreath of mild flowers. After a few minutes, it explodes into a show- stopping, semi- striking (due to aldehydes) milky floral, then ends in a grandiose epilogue of sensual musk with notes of rose. It's like a spectacular performance that leaves a vivid and beautiful imagery in the minds of every spectator.

Despite my age, I appreciate fragrances of long ago. In fact, I prefer my Caron, Annick Goutal, and Lanvin over my other teeny bopper scents. 'Old World' fragrances have an individualistic appeal, unlike modern fragrances that smell either fruity or cloyingly sweet. Everytime I would wear an 'old world' perfume, I am taken back to that perfume's glorious past. Honestly, it affects the way I move and behave. However, my problem with N5 is that it has become a standard, ergo common.

Age- wise, I am still young even if I claim that I'm an old soul. And it's not a wise thing to go against age. Aging gracefully is going through all the phases of life steadily. But I still find myself spritzing this perfume on my wrists before going out on a Sunday lunch with my children and grandchildren. But for now, I will settle for Coco Madmoiselle, a younger version of N5 in my opinion. If I were to picture it, Coco Madmoiselle would be Chanel's little daughter in her pink trench, cotton bonnet, white socks, and blushing pink patent mary janes--Youthful, vibrant, and innocent--already being groomed to become an epitome of elegance, just like her mother.

*Chanel N5 comes in an Eau De Toilette, Eau De Parfum, and Parfum Concentrate versions