les eaux de chanel

Paris-Biarritz by Chanel

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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

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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.

Paris-Deauville by Chanel

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The Les Eaux de Chanel line is a more recent endeavor for the brand. The name’s of each fragrance starts with Paris and ends with another destination in France. I have gotten ahold of samples of each of the released scents so far and will be posting up my full reviews of them. Today, I am going to cover one of my favorites of the bunch, Paris-Deauville. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

What does Paris-Deauville Smell Like?

Notes include: lime, mandarin orange, lemon, basil, petitgrain, jasmine, patchouli, and rose

Click here to try: Paris-Deauville from Chanel

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Inspired by the country landscape along the Normandy coast, PARIS-DEAUVILLE Eau de Toilette is a lively, aromatic scent with a radiant freshness—the fragrance of the open air.

Paris-Deauville opens up with a delicious burst of its citrus notes. The main ones are going to be lime and mandarin orange. There is also so lemon. The orange note is very familiar, since it’s the same orange from Coco Mademoiselle.

Basil adds a great fresh spiciness to the blend. The citrus and green aroma is very attractive and bright for the summer months.

It all sits on top of a generally green and slightly floral mix in the base. It’s all very fresh and bright. Quite unisex.

Basil and lime are the main attractions for most of the wear. The other citrus notes play a supporting part. As it dries down, you do get a bit of jasmine and rose, but not much. Patchouli is the third strongest and really works well with the other two.

However, Deauville doesn’t develop all that much as a fragrance. You’ll get most of what you’re going to get early on in the wear. The good news, is that it is a very nice perfume and enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here ranges from light to the upper edge of moderate, in the early stages. The boldness of the citrus and basil notes can pack a bit of a punch initially. However, that will calm down and Paris-Deauville becomes more of a classic summertime wear.

The performance here is overall solid for this type of scent. A lot of citrus based perfumes like this can disappear in a few hours. This Chanel will hang around on my skin for up to 7 hours. Usually, it’ll hit six without issue, and that last hour is up for grabs.

Seasonally, mainly going to be the summer. But, late spring will be plenty doable for many of us. It’s not overly formal, but when it’s warmer you could wear Deauville casually to semi-formal. It’s more of a daytime fragrance than a nightlife powerhouse.

Very unisex, maybe leaning a bit more feminine. I really had no problems wearing this one, as a man.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Deauville

Do I like this scent? Yes, to me, it is the second best of the Les Eaux de Chanel lineup. Probably the best, as a unisex fragrance. Paris-Venise is more feminine, but I think better as a whole.

I love a good use of lime in a perfume. There have been some, but they usually have poor performance. Chanel has solved this, with its use of strong basil and patchouli. Paris-Deauville does have a slight Coco Mademoiselle quality to it with the mandarin and patchouli, also.

It’s not too complicated of a fragrance. Though, I find it really enjoyable and one with a rather unique profile. The citrus and greenish aroma. Very fresh, cold, with enough of a floral contingent but not anything that overwhelms the composition.

Sure, it will have a limited use case for most folks, being only the spring and summer. Though, within that timeframe, one could get plenty of enjoyment out wearing Deauville.

I like this fragrance. It’s definitely a Chanel that you should at least try and one that I think will have plenty of appeal for most folks.