If there is one perfume in the Les Exclusifs line up that truly requires that big and beautiful 200ml (6.8 fl.oz) bottle, it is Eau de Cologne.
It was made to use lavishly and this is just what you want to do with it.
The classic of classics, done by the epitome of elegance, the house of Chanel, is not the re-invention of the wheel, but a beautiful and refreshing rendition of a standard theme in perfumery.
The first Chanel Eau de Cologne was created in 1929, this one was re-created by Jacques Polge in 2007 and includes notes of neroli, bergamot, citrus, musk and vetiver.
It is a refreshing burst of citrus, a short-lived floral neroli heart and a musky drydown colored a synaesthetic olive green by a hint of vetiver. Over and out in fifteen minutes. Spray, drench, repeat.
This review’s length reflects the fragrance’s staying power. But – beauty is fleeting after all.
In a recently published foray into the master’s bathroom, I spied Eau de Cologne on Karl Lagerfeld’s vanity, so what is good enough for Karl, is definitely good enough for the hottest days of my coming summer. (Although, in all honesty, the same effect can surely be had a lot cheaper too.)
What is your favorite spray-with-abandon, fragrant refreshment?
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You know I’m a fan of colognes and have few of them in my collection. Should we ever have hot days again I’d use them with abandon – but it looks like summer is neglecting us, so far. Funnily, just this last Wednesday I mentioned to you one of my favorite summer scents, a real fleeting one, hardly an hour after spritzing I’m left with memories of it only – and still, I’m longing for a full bottle… Bahiana by MP&G.
Somehow spraying on a citrus scent conjures up summer for me, whether the sun shines or not. Must take a look at Bahiana, if you love it so.
Bahiana is lovely but oh so fleeting. I would have bought a bottle if it wasn’t.
Thanks for that Karl Lagerfeld link. I can’t believe his bathroom is even more cluttered than mine and that he keeps his ‘fumes in there. Karl, treat yourself to a cabinet!
I really need a splash-with-abandon fragrance so will be reading the comments with interest.
Haha, he should indeed! But then he probably just goes down to his boutique whenever he wants and picks up a new bottle. Ah, I should like to be the boss at Chanel… 😉
This isn’t really my style of perfume (although with my new found lush florals curiosity who knows what next month will bring…), but I do enjoy splashing Eau de Cartier around in the heat, the violet leaf is crisp and easy.
Exactly, you never know where the next month leads you on the olfactory journey, I love that! 🙂
Violet leaf is very cooling, great choice!
p.s. can I have his kitten?!? Bless!!
🙂
I adore Karl Lagerfeld!!!!!!!
I would love to have someone change my sheets and launder my clothes !!!!!!!!!! I hate laundry!!!! I also hate clutter, so I would have to have all my toiletries contained (I do), but his clutter is orderly.
I am sure he smells great!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure he does smell great! 🙂
Guerlain cologne du 68! That is something i can spray with abandon all day long 🙂
Me too! It is so nice!
I’ve never been an eau de cologne kind of girl (big surprise there, huh?). But one scent I do like that’s sheer and falls into the spray with abandon territory is Hermes Eau de Merveilles. It’s not so sheer that’s it’s not sexy, though … probably why I love it! 🙂
Not really a surprise! 🙂 Merveilles is great in summer, different, but still a spray with abandon perfume.
I love colognes and citrus-y stuff in general. AA Herba Fresca is so refreshing, and not that fleeting. Carthusia Mediterraneo is another one that is great for summer, and I would buy a bottle if I didn’t already have so much summery stuff!. I just recently tried the Chanel EdC and wasn’t that impressed. For something that fleeting, I’ll just use some 4711.
True. Speaking of Carthusia – Via Camerelle is also lovely and lasts quite a while.
Cologne is the antithesis of all that I stand for perfume-wise BUT this one is nice. A begrudging thumbs up 😉
Lol, Karl is lucky he gets the thumbs up from you. 😉
He’s super lucky! 😀
Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien, R&G Bouquet Imperial and Eau d’Italie Magnolia Romana are the fragrances I practically bathe in
Hmm, a bath tub full of cologne on a hot day, sounds very appealing! 😉
Candy Perfume Boy, I feel the same way! Colognes, in general, are too similar and to fleeting in character for me. However, I can see their appeal on a hot summer day. For that reason, waiting in the fridge for just such an occasion are Andy Tauer’s Cologne du Maghreb, as well as Zagara di Sicilia and Gelsomino cologne. The two latter are sold at every tourist trap in Sicily, but they are fun, refreshing, and they smell good!
The Sicilian colognes sound nice, must keep my eyes open in those tourist traps next time. 😉
Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess and most Jo Malone’s colognes for me. There is something really satisfying in spraying a perfume all over without the fear to suffocate everybody around you.
After reading your review I’ve just realized that I’d never tried Eau de Cologne from Chanel. I blame the name.
It is! Spraying away like there is no tomorrow is a great feeling!
The name is a tad unimaginative, I agree. But I guess they are saying (a bit arrogantly) there is only THE ONE Eau de Cologne.
Dee once sent me a sample of this one and it is indeed lovely. I thought there was a touch of vanilla in the base, but maybe I’m misremembering that. Vanilla sounds odd in a cologne but somehow it seemed to work, as far as I can recall, because it smoothed the spike edges of the citrus. All last summer I vowed to myself I’d get a large decant of this one because as colognes go, it is very, very nice. But so fleeting. I think in the end I found it hard to justify the cost. And then Dee popped up and said the the Guerlain is also really really nice, and then summer ended and … I did not do anything.
What would be great would be to just walk into a Chanel boutique and just BUY this thing because it is beautiful, and hang the expense. I know I would use it. Sigh.
Love the mess in Karl’s bathroom, priceless!
I love the Acquaint Di Parma blue mediterraneo range, specifically the Arancia Di Capri and the Bergamotto Di Calabria in the summer… And also believe it or not, the Clarins Eau Ressourcante is also my pick me up scent
The Blu Mediterraneo line has very nice and affordable summer scents, I like them too.
Also, I wore Eau Dynamisante for many summers. 🙂
That Chanel is one high class cologne, and probably the only one you would ever need if I had to pick a straight up “reference” cologne to fill that slot. “Spray, drench, repeat” tickled me too! I guess for me you could say Juniper Sling or Castile from Penhaligon’s or maybe Byredo Gypsy Water or L’Eau de L’Hermine… : – )
Reference cologne is just it. I feel I don’t have to look any further than this.
I’ll stick with 4711. For something sweeter, I have Murray & Lanman Florida Water. For a light amber fix, I use Mont St. Michel Ambree. I’m proudly downmarket.
My best frend also is a firm believer in Florida Water. It has a lot of fans apparently. It is not available here, so I have no idea how it smells. 😦
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I’m a Guerlain guy at heart and my litre bee bottle of Eau De Coq from the Champs Elysees is special to me. I love its slightly honeyed floral dry down (if you apply enougth). But I have to admit after sampling this Chanel today (maybe the hottest day of the year so far) that it is very classy, maybe slightly aloof in that Chanel way. I think this is more obviously unisex than many colognes.
Maybe I will pick up the large bottle of this next week.
Thank you for the review and the always enjoyable blog.
Hi Joe,
I think Chanel’s Eau de Cologne is truly unisex indeed, it’s a perfect summer choice.
I’m glad you enjoy my blog, thank you for commenting! 🙂
I tried this at a Chanel boutique last summer, asked my son what it smelled like, and he promptly answered, “Nenuco.”
Nenuco is a Spanish splash cologne I grew up using, and now use on my kids…a half liter bottle retails for about $15 which is perfect because I leave one in each bathroom and we easily go through several each summer. 🙂
Hello Panna,
I agree: all Eaux de Cologne smell similar. But the point of Chanel is luxury. Just like their handbags or clothes perform the same tasks as cheap ones, also their perfumes have less expensive counterparts.
We get to decide if, when and where we would like to indulge in a little luxury or whether we are happier with the affordable alternative.
I’m glad you found such a great one that works for you in Nenuco.
I love the ginger top note in Declaration Cologne….not to be “sniffed at” in all this niche and status stuff.
Selection Verte by Creed can be happily sprayed all day long with great pleasure.
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