Egoiste EDT by Chanel

Egoiste is a 1990 release from Chanel, that’s still going strong today. It followed and is basically a rebrand of 1987’s Bois Noir. I recently grabbed a new bottle, in order to review the modern formulation. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Egoiste Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, coriander, cinnamon, Damask rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed

Click here to try: Chanel Egoiste

My Full Review

Egoiste is a fragrance that I’m revisiting and finally posting a full review of. I saw it online when I was making some other new purchases to test out and put a bottle of this in the bag, also.

It kicks off with a dry, bright, and spicy blast. That mandarin note is light and doesn’t grab the headlines, but it is a nice lighter element to the mix. Coriander and cinnamon are pretty massive here, making the opening act a very warm and spicy affair.

The mandarin fruitiness is bolstered by the presence of the Damask rose. Pinkish, sweet, and a touch fruity with how it comes across earlier. Balances out the weaker carnation, which really serves to add to the spice.

Now, the main star here for the entire duration of the wear, is the sandalwood note. The dry down is going to be very much about this ingredient, when the initial punch has faded. Very dry, very woody fragrance.

The coriander is the first to burn off for me, that little carnation too. This is more rosy during the second phase. A sweeter fragrance, with bits of vanilla and tobacco coming through. A warmer, honeyed sort of sweetness thanks to ambrette seed.

The woody accord is still about the sandalwood, but there is some mahogany and rosewood there in support. Sweetish rosy wood, dotted with cinnamon. Yet, it’s darker with the woody influence and that initial citrus brightness leaves entirely.

Finally, we get to the sandalwood dry down.  This is a very dry scent, especially at this point. Less sweet, a dense woodiness, some remaining: floral impressions, cinnamon, and tobacco. A slightly smoky and creamy ending.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one offers up a strong start, but it lighter to moderate the rest of the way. I find it to be about equal to the modern Platinum Egoiste.

The first hour and a half or so is strong, then, it will become more intimate. Even when I cannot totally pick up the scent with my own nose, other people have made comments about it (positive ones). So, this one can make you a bit nose blind when it shifts more to the sandalwood part.

Egoiste still does last. Again, you can become desensitized to it and not really notice. However, I can still pick this up 7.5 hours later. Is it a monster at this point? No, it sits very close to the skin. It is there, however.

Seasonally, I’d skip this anytime that it is too warm. It’s mostly an autumn and winter wear. If it’s temperate out, Egoiste works well too. During the summer, I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to have it on.

This one is refined and masculine. Can work as an office fragrance, but I also love wearing it out at night. It’s got a sexiness to it and receives complements from people. While Egoiste is ‘old school’, the formula still feels very modern and not completely anachronistic.

Yes, this does skew older in its demographic. Though, I personally wore this back in my early 20s at times, and it worked fine for me. Just know if you’re younger, pretty much no one your age, is going to be wearing something like Egoiste.

Overall Impressions of Egoiste

Overall, do I like Egoiste? I love it. I’m so glad that I randomly bought a new bottle for myself, to rediscover everything wonderful about this scent. It’s just so good in the winter air and has a different feel from most everything mainstream out today.

The first time that I wore it, this time around, I thought that I had stopped liking it completely. But, that went away pretty quickly and I wanted to wear this everyday for the next week straight.

Coriander and cinnamon are great. Very bold within this very dry mix. I love the way that the spices hit, while you still get some sweetness from the rose, mandarin, and vanilla notes. Really great, balanced, and signature sort of fragrance that you can wear for decades.

Egoiste is very approachable for guys who want to try an older styled fragrance, but don’t want to start with something like, Kouros. I think Egoiste, is a better smelling scent anyway, but it’s also easier to wear for most people.

It’s a pretty safe blind buy, unless you just absolutely don’t like this style of fragrance. It’s a nice change of pace in the sea of ‘blue’ scents and still very worthwhile, all these years later.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.