Chanel

Paris-Venise by Chanel

by

Les Eaux de Chanel is a series from the house that I’ve been working my way through reviewing, over the past year or so. I sort of forgot to publish this one on Venise, so, here I am correcting that now. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Paris-Venise Smell Like?

Notes include: citrus, iris, petitgrain, pink pepper, vanilla, tonka bean, violet, neroli, rose, ylang-ylang, and more

Click here to try: Paris-Venise from Chanel

paris venise review

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Inspired by the enchanting city Gabrielle Chanel revered, PARIS-VENISE Eau de Toilette is a composition of shadow and light, between freshness and sensuality.

The opening of Venise is a bright blend of citrus and floral notes. The citrus doesn’t feel too juicy here, but the lemon and orange are bolstered by the presence of the neroli and petitgrain in the mix.

Aside from that, you’re going to get some early powder from iris and violet. Not super heavy or anything, but it is there. Paris-Venise does stay much more of a spring and summer scent, so, it isn’t an imposing amount of powder.

I also get the ylang-ylang coming through early on. It has its moments, during this part of the wear, but will fade to the background as we move along.

Is it just citrus and powder? No, there is some spice to liven up the mix. Pink pepper, neroli, and even a bit of a resin from a benzoin note lurking behind everything.

The citrus, iris, and ylang-ylang (plus other floral notes) are most prominent in the opening act. Then, as it settles, you get the softer sweet and creamy notes coming through.

Once this initial phase passes, this becomes more about the iris, with musk, and the vanilla/tonka bean combination.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like the others in this series, Venise doesn’t leave a massive scent trail behind when you wear it. I think the projection at its peak, is a bit better than most of the others (maybe not Edimbourg), but still fairly moderate in totality.

On skin, Venise goes 7 to maybe around 7.5 hours. Not a superb performer, but it gets the job done for most occasions.

Seasonally, Venise is another one for the spring and summer months, in particular. Though, if it’s somewhat mild outside you could wear it at other times. Mainly, focus on the warmer days, since that’s when it is at its best.

While the Les Eaux lineup is considered unisex, about all of the lean heavily towards the more feminine end of the spectrum. Paris-Venise is no exception.

This is an attractive and clean fragrance. Daytime wear. Not sexy or sultry, but quite attractive, and one that can gather complements. Venise is easy to wear and appropriate for just about anytime outside of the nightlife or super formal events.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Venise

Overall, do I like Paris-Venise? Absolutely. This one is my favorite from the Les Eaux series of fragrances. Deauville, is another one, that I personally enjoy a lot. However, I think Venise has enough of an edge to claim the top.

I always like a good iris perfume, especially when it gets that powdery and make-up bag vibe going. Venise has that, but it isn’t overwhelming with the powder. I do like the citrus, vanilla, and spices which add different elements to the mix.

The performance is on the upper range of what you could consider average, but still well within those bounds. But, I feel like you get more than enough out of this Chanel, especially since it’s not at an extreme price point.

This is one from the Les Eaux de Chanel series that you should definitely check out. It’s pretty safe to blind buy, as there really isn’t anything too offensive here. Unless, you just really hate iris.

Paris-Riviera by Chanel

by

Les Eaux de Chanel is a newer series of fragrances from the famous French design house. I’ve tested out the first five from the line and have been posting my reviews of each. Today, it is going to be my thoughts on Paris-Riviera. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Paris-Riviera Smell Like?

Notes include: orange, neroli, petitgrain, sandalwood, jasmine, musk, benzoin

Click here to try: Paris-Riviera by Chanel

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes it: A fresh, solar fragrance that evokes the carefree charm of the French Riviera, where Gabrielle Chanel built her villa, La Pausa.

Paris-Riviera starts off with a burst of zesty citrus and neroli. The citrus is mostly made up of orange, but I do detect a bit of the bergamot note, the designer seems to use in other perfumes.

The zest of that citrus is joined by the dominant neroli note and petitgrain. Both of which have their own citrus aromas and the green freshness of the petitgrain also plays a big role at this early stage.

This one isn’t sweet. The fragrance does have more of a bitter orange aroma, especially during the latter part that the citrus sticks around.

Paris-Riviera does remind me a lot of the array of Tom Ford summertime fragrances, that utilize neroli. So, could serve as an alternative to those who are fans of those scents.

It’s not too heavy or sharp, but has a fresh and clean energetic kind of aroma to it. The jasmine note does come in for me, taking over the neroli as the heavier weighting, but early it’s about the neroli. Though, it’s never too lopsided either way.

The jasmine will be joined by a general muskiness and benzoin note, which gives this some resinous highlights during the dry down. Paris-Riviera becomes less about zesty citrus and more of a soapy and indeed drier perfume.

Jasmine, sandalwood, neroli, and that benzoin/muskiness. Sandalwood really seems to make a late push with this and Riviera ends up being a woody floral…not wholly the citrus floral, that started things out.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one is pretty moderate. Probably on the lighter side of the moderate spectrum. Though, I think that it has a fairly strong peak in the beginning. With normal sprays, you should get a little scent trail from it.

Paris-Riviera seems to hit the 4-6 foot mark, in terms of how far it will project off of my skin. Not bad, but this isn’t a powerhouse.

The longevity is in the 6-7 hour range. Again, not spectacular, but solid and pretty useful for this style of perfume.

Seasonally, this is spring and summer all the way. Clean, fresh, and upbeat with bright aroma in the early stages.

It does have pretty good versatility within that seasonal context. It’s much much more of a daytime sort of fragrance. Casual, semi-formal, or work is fine.

It’s a pleasant aroma, but not something that is going to be wildly attractive or sexy. Not really a Chanel that is built for the nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Riviera

Overall, do I like Paris-Riviera? I do like it. It’s not a love for me, but I find it to be an enjoyable enough perfume. As of now, I’d rank it as my fourth favorite from the Les Eaux de Chanel line of scents.

The opening might be a mixed back for some people. It can have a cleaner-like aroma, but I don’t find it to be too off-putting. The citrus is the usual Chanel fare, with the petitgrain and neroli too, it might overwhelm some folks.

However, the dry down is particularly nice. Soft and low key. But, the sandalwood and benzoin mixing with a more balanced floral presentation works well for this perfume.

Good performance for a summer scent, just don’t expect anything amazing. That being said, this is a good Chanel perfume, just not a top tier option. So, you may not want to pay their prices just to own it.

Paris-Riviera isn’t a must have, but certainly worth a try, if this sounds like it could fit your personal style.

Coco Mademoiselle vs Chanel Chance EDP Comparison

by

Chanel perfumes routinely dominate the best seller lists, year after year, in the women’s space. Not only the main or classic formulations, but also, flankers using their predecessor’s names. Two of the most popular options for ladies are Chanel Chance EDP and Coco Mademoiselle. In this post, I want to compare them, and declare a winner as to which is best. Which smells better? Which has the greater performance metrics?

Tale of the Tape: Coco Mademoiselle vs. Chance

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: jasmine, rose, orange, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

Read my review: Mademoiselle

Chanel Chance

Notes include: vanilla, jasmine, iris, patchouli, pink pepper, and musk

Click here to try: Chanel Chance EDP

Opening

Chance has both an EDT and EDP version, along with many flankers that are quite popular. I am going to be talking about Chance EDP, in this post, as I am comparing it to the EDP version of Mademoiselle. So, keep in mind that it applies to these releases specifically.

Chance EDP has much less of the patchouli note, than the EDT version. This one is a floral scent with clean vanilla highlights. It is led by both jasmine and iris, as its main floral notes.

You get a mix of sweetness, with musk, and enough earthy spice to keep things interesting. There does seem to be some light fruit notes, but it isn’t as much. The patchouli, will play a bigger role later on, but it is kept in check up top.

Meanwhile, Coco Mademoiselle begins more as a fruity floral fragrance. More specifically, it is a blend of citrus, neroli, jasmine, rose and ylang ylang peaking through. The musk is not as heavy, as in Chance, but it also has about the same level of patchouli.

Which is better? It’s a close call. However, I think that Mademoiselle has the more appealing start. I really like the citrus start, that transitions into an array of floral notes. These two do share similarities, but Coco Mademoiselle gets a slight not, in my opinion.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Projection

Neither of these perfumes are going to disappoint with a weak sillage. The EDP versions, are both strong. Which is stronger? I’d say that Mademoiselle packs a stronger punch, than does Chance.

I don’t find either to be all that extreme, but they can project themselves, very well. Mademoiselle, is just a notch above.

Surprisingly, Coco Mademoiselle still has great sillage and overall performance, after all these years. Chanel hasn’t seemed to skip out on the quality with this best seller.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Longevity

Chance EDP will go a full workday, and perhaps, a few hours longer. Expect an 8-10 hour performance. Which is enough for most purposes. But, it still falls short of what Mademoiselle delivers.

Coco Mademoiselle will last for over 10 hours, most of the time. It’s got a really great longevity and doesn’t want to seem to quit. I’ve tested it out to over 12 hours before. It has a pretty wide range, once you get above double digit hours.

Again, Chance is no slouch, but it’s competitor is a bit better.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Versatility

In this category, I don’t really see a winner. Both perfumes perform well year round and in a wide variety of situations. These Chanel fragrances are truly all around gems and can be the anchor of just about anyone’s collection.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

This head to head match up, really is a difficult choice, since both are really great scents. I’d say that you probably can’t go wrong with either. However, which one is truly better, even if by a little bit?

Chanel Chance EDP is fresh, floral, with a great pink pepper spice. It’s not overbearing, but performs well. I really like the jasmine and how the pepper hangs around the edges, of the musk/patchouli heart. Really nice, overall.

Coco Mademoiselle, I prefer it to Chance. You get better performance, but I also think that it smells somewhat better, as well. The beautiful and classy citrus opening, sells it right away. Beyond that, the floral notes, with musk, and sweet creamy vanilla are so good during the dry down.

I think that Coco Mademoiselle just does a bit more, in its entirety versus Chance. Frankly, I think Chance is a great perfume…just not to the same extent.

It isn’t a blowout, by any means. However, I’m giving the win to Coco Mademoiselle EDP.

Winner: Mademoiselle

Paris-Biarritz by Chanel

by

Chanel’s Les Eaux de Chanel line is one that I’ve been testing out for a while now. I’ve become familiar with all of the scents and am now writing up my full reviews of each. Today’s entry is Paris-Biarritz. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is this one worth a try?

What does Paris-Biarritz Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, mandarin, lily-of-the-valley, vetiver, musk, neroli, patchouli

Click here to try: Paris-Biarritz by Chanel

My Full Review

Paris-Biarritz begins with its citrus notes out in full force. According to Chanel, it is grapefruit and mandarin orange. But, I definitely pick up on a lemon note, pretty clearly. To me, it actually starts off the strongest.

The citrus is juicy, refreshing, but very cold. Almost like they threw in an iced accord. The composition does have a bit of an aquatic note in there. Almost oceanic, in how it comes across. Now, it isn’t super powerful, but I get it each time I spray this perfume.

Beyond all of that, the neroli not adds to the citrus, while also creating a green and spicy fresh undertone to Biarritz.

Once the juiciness of the citrus has faded, this becomes drier, greener, and more floral. Neroli and lily of the valley are the floral notes here. Paris-Biarritz becomes a balanced mix of those along with some ample vetiver, musk, and patchouli.

It’s a light soapy citrus with woody, green, and musky aromas exchanging places during the dry down. It’s something I’ve experienced with plenty of other scents, but the watery/sea vibe I get, does give it some distinction.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one is pretty moderate at first. Then, becoming lighter for the rest of the wear. Now, the citrus notes can initially come on strong, as it has that usual sharpness. That is short-lived.

For the rest of the wear, it is going to sit close to the skin, 2-3 feet away. Not a powerhouse, like most summertime citrus perfumes.

The longevity also isn’t very good. I can squeeze 4-5 hours out of Paris-Biarritz, with a bit of over-spraying. That’s about all it is going to provide. Not shocking for the type of perfume this is, but I’d expect more.

Seasonally, this is a warm day wear for spring and summertime. It is a unisex fragrance, that sort of starts off more masculine, and finishes more floral and feminine. It’s about the same impression as something like, Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford.

If you can wear that, this will be fine.

I would stick to daytime wear. Around town casually, maybe to work, or semi-formal events. It’s attractive and clean, but not anything that would be considered sexy.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Biarritz

Overall, do I like Paris-Biarritz? Yes, I do. It’s just my least favorite of the Les Eaux de Chanel line of perfumes.

The aroma itself is nice.  I really like the citrus top, with its cold juiciness. The rest of the wear, it pretty standard issue. It smells like a bunch of other stuff, which is fine, but not at Chanel prices. Plus, there are better options than this from the brand.

The longevity here is only 5 hours at best, which doesn’t lend itself to wanting to acquire a full bottle. If that were beefed up, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it. Though, I can’t say that this one that I’d constantly be wanting to wear.

It’s nice, with how it smells. The performance is meh. Just not too much to get excited about with this one. Not terrible, just not a must have.

Paris-Edimbourg by Chanel

by

Paris-Edimbourg is a part of Les Eaux de Chanel, a newer series from the French luxury brand. I got a hold of sample of each of these fragrances to give a try, over the past six months or so, in order to post my review of them. How does Edimbourg smell? How long does it last? Is it even worth a try?

What does Paris-Edimbourg Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, musk, juniper, cypress, vanilla, vetiver, and cedar

Click here to try: Paris-Edimbourg at Chanel

My Full Review

Before we get into my own review, let’s see how Chanel describes this one: An aromatic, woody fragrance that conjures the wild and majestic landscape of the Scottish Highlands, where Gabrielle Chanel found solace in nature.

Paris-Edimbourg opens up with a very bright and fresh greenish profile. There does seem to be a bit of citrus up top, that may just be unlisted. However, the fragrance does have that sort of quality to it.

Along with that, juniper and cypress are very present early on. It has a gin-like quality, effervescence, but much woodier than the drink itself. This gives off strong forest vibes, a bit rainy, but the air is clean and crisp.

The lavender note softens and lends to the fairly masculine sort of soapiness that Edimbourg has. Still, this is a unisex scent that leans masculine, unlike the others in the Les Eaux de Chanel series.

As it moves along, the cypress tones down to my nose, and I get more of the vetiver and some cedar. The whole perfume feels cold and attractive with a classical style. Also, the greenish aroma diminishes as it dries down.

Lavender will become more dominant, with the remaining woodsiness, and a touch of vanilla sweetness/creaminess. Not too much vanilla, but it does make an appearance. Towards the end, it is a musky lavender and woods scent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, its pretty moderate, even early on. It doesn’t project huge on my skin or even a t-shirt. Maybe 4-6 feet, at its maximum. Then, it is a lighter scent that will hang around the skin, but it’s noticeable.

It sticks on me for 6-7 hours, depending on the day. The longevity isn’t amazing, but this Chanel is quite serviceable. But, you might want a little more for the price tag.

Seasonally, it’s a spring through autumn wear. I would like this as a change of pace on the hotter days. Since you get a cold and refreshing green aroma, early on. It’s not too heavy and won’t get bogged down. But, could be equally as nice in the more moderate temperatures.

Again, it is unisex, but leans traditionally masculine. If you like forest and woody fragrance, this could be a nice pick for a woman.

I would wear it casually or semi-formally. It’s more of a clean fragrance than anything all that ‘sexy’. Not a club beast. Something that is relaxed while still being well put together, as a whole.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Edimbourg

Overall, do I like Paris-Edimbourg? I do. It’s my third favorite in the Les Eaux des Chanel line. For me, it’s a like, not a love. But, I’m also not a massive fan of greenish/woody scents.

The opening is interesting with the juniper and cypress out in full force. It does have a pretty sharp cleanliness about it. The lavender will soften it up from there, but expect a bright and really fresh aromatic sort of perfume.

The performance is just okay. Nothing special, but it never felt entirely weak on me, either. It’s acceptable and pretty good in the longevity department.

Paris-Edimbourg probably isn’t ever going to be a super mass appealing fragrance. Though, it is one that will for sure have its dedicated fans. If this is your style, the perfume is one that I would get a hold of to try out.

Solid and enjoyable.