Chanel No. 5 Eau Première

I am one of the lucky ladies who can wear Chanel No. 5 with confidence. I know it frustrates some. All those aldehydes and flowers can sometimes clash with a person’s skin. But on me, it sings. I am grateful. (In other olfactory categories I am quite unlucky so I am certainly not bragging here.)

Chanel No. 5 Eau Première is for those who may have become frustrated with the original. It is quintessentially No. 5 for the new generation. In order to compare with some accuracy, I am wearing Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum on one arm and Chanel No. 5 Eau Première on the other. The contrast between the two is quite simple: the Eau Première has a higher backbeat, a lack of sharpness, softer edges and a sweeter drydown. The lush floral notes remain: neroli, ylang-ylang, rose, iris and jasmine. It lasts even longer on my skin than the Eau de Parfum and when I wear it, I receive repeated, unsolicited compliments.

Why did I choose it as the scent to accompany the new Chrysler advertisement? Read more about that here.  Even though the focus is on an American car, I believe French perfume to be the epitome of style in the most classic sense. If we want to bring that style and glamour back to the forefront, what better choice than a modern, French, meticulously crafted nod to the past?

I pause when saying this knowing it is a bold statement, but I truly believe the world would be a much better place if all women who use perfume wore Chanel – not No. 5 specifically but most Chanel fragrances (with the exception of Chance). Never overwhelming, always sophisticated, and always glamourous is Chanel. A close second would be Estée Lauder.  However, I find the classic Estée Lauder choices I can wear to be limited.  So, my vote remains Chanel.  I will leave you with the advertisement and those thoughts to ponder.

Chrysler Advertisement


Chanel No. 5 Eau Première is available in a 5 oz. bottle at Saks Fifth Avenue and various online sources.  Prices range from $110 to $158.

Happy Valentine's Day

Here are my thoughts on my first perfume love, posted to Perfume Smellin' Things this morning.  Please share with me your first perfume love and what impacted you about that fragrance.  Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones!

They say you never forget your first love.  That is true in romance and it is equally true in fragrance.  I remember with vivid detail my first perfume love.  I remember saving my wrinkled dollar bills from my steady babysitting job to purchase her.  I remember learning how to say her name.  I remember bravely walking into the store, setting my sites on the opulent fragrance counter that I had frequented with my aunt, and asking for her.  I remember feeling so grown up in acquiring her at a mere fourteen years old.  I remember exploring her white, clean packaging, studying her curves and inhaling her fragrance.  Yes, I remember … Her name was Anaïs Anaïs by Cacharel.  I can conjure her scent in an instant, for she accompanied me nearly every day through my sophomore year of high school.  She mentored me like a loving, big sister.  A little powdery, a lot floral and definitely not sophomoric, her sophistication embraced my wholesome, naïve adole-scents.  Yet, her lack of overly musky or animalic bases ensured her consistent appeal to my untrained nose. Cheerful orange blossom, sweet lily and springtime hyacinth underscored by sandalwood and incense, Anaïs Anaïs’ accords are always appropriate, even for my strict, parochial school days.  If only the pains of growing up were not associated with her, I would reconnect with her, asking for another warm embrace.  Instead, I will always remember …  with love and adoration.

Draw Winner!

The winner of the draw for a decant of fragrance that, to me, personifies the new Chrysler commercial is ....   ALICE!! 

Thank you to everyone who voted.  Alice's name was randomly drawn using annabet.com.  Alice will receive a generous decant of my beloved Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere.  Congratulations Alice!  Please send your address to tmh256@live.com.

Please stay tuned for a review on Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere.

A Most Pleasurable Second Introduction: Serge Lutens Daim Blond

I am always delighted with appreciation to come across a sales associate who not only knows their subject matter but also genuinely enjoys what they do. I recently had the pleasure of meeting such an associate at Barney’s New York in Scottsdale. I phoned ahead of time, asking her to show me some fragrances featuring a leather note. When I arrived, I was blown away not only by her knowledge, but also by her kindness. And I need to thank her for a second introduction to Daim Blond by Serge Lutens.

Meant to evoke the scent and feel of buttery rich, high quality suede, Daim Blond lives up to its objective and then some. This is achieved through a delicate combination of soft, sweetly scented flowers (heliotrope, iris) with earthy musk, spicy cardamom, woodsy hawthorn and bitter apricot kernel. The latter three notes serve to intensify, enrich and add character to the aforementioned gentle, delicate and understated floral accord; without it, Daim Blond would be lacking polish and interest. The result becomes a rich, velvety, mellifluous fragrance with a slight hint of feminity -- high quality suede indeed.  I thoroughly enjoy it, especially when I wear a crème suede cropped jacket.

Serge Lutens Daim Blond can be purchased at Barney's New York, http://www.luckyscent.com/, http://www.aedes.com/ and Henri Bendel.  A 50ml bottle retails for $140.

Transfixed: Thoughts on a Commercial and a Draw!

It rarely happens. A commercial is simply that -- a commercial. We are inundated with messages, signs, print ads, TV chatter, overall stimulation in modern day society. We see things, quickly dismiss them, and go on about our business. I am inundated with information and lots of it, daily. So, it rarely happens that a TV commercial captures my attention from start to finish, inspiring my creative brain and evoking emotions as I sit motionless, glued to the images, haunted by the music.


It happened tonight. The first time I saw the beautifully constructed new Chrysler commercial. As J. Ralph’s “One Million Miles Away” hums hauntingly and Adrien Brody speaks seductively (“Where’s the glamour gone?”), images of impeccably dressed and coiffed socialites arrive at a gathering in a beautiful vintage Chrysler. “Wasn’t too long ago, America had it. Looking, feeling like a million bucks was practically a birthright … It’s time to regain the style, the cachet, the confidence … it’s time, once again, to arrive in style …” And I am speechless.

There is a reason I am transfixed. It reminds me of what I try to achieve with a fragrance, rather than an automobile. Every time I test a new scent, wear it, buy it, I am attempting to achieve effortless glamour. I am trying to arrive in style. And just when I think I have found “the one” that gives me that elegant edge, it eludes … it disappoints … I become bored … and the search continues.

So my question today, dear readers: What fragrance should underscore this beautiful advertisement from Chrysler? If you were to arrive in style, what would you be wearing? I will randomly draw a name from the comments posted on this space. The winner will receive a decant of a fragrance in my collection that qualifies. (Mystery fragrance to be reviewed and posted later!)