Chanel Les Exclusifs Beige EDP review: quintessential Chanel woman in perfume form

 Chanel Les Exclusifs Beige EDP review and price

PRICE: Around Y20,000 (approximately P9,000.00+)

FROM: Chanel Beauty, Ginza Six, Tokyo, Japan

OTHER LOCATIONS: Not available locally. Please check Chanel Beauty's official website for locations around Asia

THE VERDICT:

Luxury beauty brands are joining the niche game by coming up with exclusive fragrance lines. These perfume ateliers are a notch above the regular fragrance collection and generally come in EDP and parfum extrait concentrations.

One of these famous collections is Chanel's exquisite Les Exclusifs collection. I've hunted this down along the streets of Ginza last February and learned that not all Chanel beauty retailers carry this fragrance line. In Japan, you can find it at the Chanel Beauty Ginza Six boutique and the flagship Chanel Ginza fashion boutique facing Matsuya Ginza mall.

I was expecting I'd end up liking the famous Coromandel, but I fell in love with Beige instead. Beige is the quintessential Chanel woman in a bottle and let me tell you why I love it.

Chanel Les Exclusifs is a luxury perfume range that was released in 2013 under the artistic direction of Jacques Polge.

Photo from Google

Beige was released in the Les Exclusifs collection in 2016 and immediately became a roaring success. I have learned through the annals of the internet that Beige used to come in a different bottle, particularly in one that is similar to Chanel N5's bottle. I couldn't say if there's been a change in the fragrance formula as I've never owned the first version, but I'm just putting this information out here in case you encounter it and are wondering if Beige ever came out in such version.

Beige is a bright floral with honeyed notes. Top notes are bright, fresh aldehydes; it's N5 aldehydes, but softer and more fleeting. Somewhere at the tail end of the top notes and the opening of the heart notes is the summery medley of frangipani, hawthorne, and freesia: bright, bubbly, and youthfully feminine.

As I linger in the fragrance, I patiently waited for the arrival of the base notes. Could it be Vanilla? Sandalwood? Patchouli? As the heart notes begin to soften, honey notes start to pour in; the way it presented itself in the composition is slow and creeping, like honey dripping from a honey dripper. 

And then it dawned on me: there are no base notes, only the honey note as the finale with its sticky, sweet scent that keeps the florals intact. "I take refuge in Beige since it's natural" according to Coco Chanel herself because Beige is her favorite color and Jacques Polge was able to bring to life a scent that perfectly captures the scent of Beige: natural, light, clean. The omission of the usual strong, deep base note just made so much sense.

But at the expense of the omission of the base notes is the staying power; at least that's what I thought because traditional perfumery knowledge will tell you that base notes don't only give depth, but serve as an anchor to the fragrance as well. However for Beige, it is not the case; it's either the aldehydes or honey notes that give it longer staying power. Comparing with the other fragrances from the Les Exclusifs range though, Beige is not only lighter in terms of scent profile, but also has the lesser staying power; but longevity is not super bad; it's just that the other perfumes have a stronger composition due to the notes used. On me, Beige lasts for four to five hours; sillage is mid and trail is mid as well.

Chanel Beige is the quintessential Chanel woman. The moment I sprayed it on, I immediately imagined a woman dressed in Chanel from top to toe, strutting the streets of Paris; classy and stylish, grounded but with a hint of rebellion, smart and she never has to show it-because she knows real confidence is an aura.

I love this fragrance a lot. It's Chanel N5, but for a younger audience. It's a great summer fragrance, but the aldehydes make it a good choice for cooler days too. 

Have you tried Chanel Les Exclusifs perfumes? What is your most recommended fragrance?

What are your favorites from Chanel perfumes?