"When couturier Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel launched her debut perfume No. 5, in 1921, it changed the whole world of fragrance. Perfumer Ernest Beaux produced a portfolio of samples for Mademoiselle to try .. and she chose the fifth proposal. So No. 5 was born, and has since gone on to become the most recognised name in perfumery, worldwide."
"Ernest Beaux remained the brand’s exclusive perfume designer, or ‘nose’, right up until 1952, creating further landmark scents including Chanel No. 22, and a trio of fragrances which now appear in Chanel‘s Les Exclusifs line: Cuir de Russie, Gardénia and Bois des Îles." The Perfume Society.
Originally created as Gabrielle Chanel’s signature fragrance, and named for her August 19th birthdate, N°19 expresses a rich, assertive blend of green and white flowers. Offered here as a parfum extrait, and true to the original, this unique fragrance remains resolutely modern, boldly sophisticated but ultimately sensual and feminine.
Launched in 1970, Number 19 is a floral woody green fragrance, a white and green floral harmony. It is a unique blend of light heartedness and sophistication, and in the EDT form, it is not simply a different concentration, but an olfactory delight, which is faithful to the spirit and base notes of the perfume composition. It was created to celebrate Coco Chanel's birthday on August 19, when she was 87 years old.
"Chanel in-house perfumer Jacques Polge recounts a story surrounding the creation of No.19 and its appeal. In 1970, the 87-year-old Coco Chanel .. who would die the next year .. was wearing Chanel No.19 when she was stopped in the street by a young man. “Coming out of the Ritz, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see an unknown face. I was just about to tell him off in no uncertain terms, when he said to me, with an American accent: ‘Excuse me, I am with two friends who want to know the name of your perfume.’ To be stopped in the street by a man at my age, that’s not bad, is it?”
"Although the feeling exuded by Chanel No.19 aesthetically approximates the one given off by chypres .. i.e. inedible, perfume-y, aloof, sophisticated, the antithesis of the "blonde bombshell airhead" cliche .. the famous Chanel fragrance stands as exhibit A why perfumery appreciation can't be merely a subjective, aesthetic viewpoint but in many ways forms a technical matter demanding a deeper knowledge of the nuts & bolts of its craft. No.19's building blocks are not tabula rasa; in fact they belong to pillars already covered here, but they merge in such a novel way that the result is something altogether unprecedented. This composition by perfumer Henri Robert, with its hint of fresh green stems cut with scissors to fit a vase, its powdery radiance and its cypress impression with lots of woody vetiver, embodies sophistication at its best." Perfume Shrine
Top notes are Green Notes, Galbanum, Neroli, Hyacinth, and Bergamot
Heart notes are Rose, Orris, Jasmine, Narcissus, Lily of the Valley, and Ylang Ylang
Base notes are Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Oak Moss, Cedarwood, and Leather
"Powdery and green with white florals, iris providing a cold, dusty and slightly medicinal note, which sits well with the rounder woods. The galbanum green is dry but not bitter, the florals are clear and bright and the whole thing dries down through soapiness into a lovely creamy base. This is a gorgeous fragrance, striking and daring without losing any of its femininity. While it's not a bouncy, skipping, overtly friendly fragrance, I don't find it at all aloof - it's mature and confident, elegant but very accessible. Definitely a good interview or work fragrance, where one needs to feel self-possessed and confident. It made me think of a first-time meeting with a mother-in-law - it's approachable and refined but very definitely indicates to those who catch a glimpse of it that you'll be no walkover." Basenotes Review, Miss Hesta Jones
"The parfum concentration places the legendary topnotes alongside a rich dollop of iris and vetiver, while a heavier helping of that galbanum/moss mix are amplified by Chanel's signature creamy base. The end result is a perfect mix of green and rich. All told, it's almost like a vetiver perfume with a really complex soapy green iris support system. I really love the parfum. Please do try the parfum version - it's worth tracking down." Basenotes Review, Rogalal
Offered here is a lovely and quite pristine half ounce bottle of Chanel No. 19 with both its inner and outer boxes. Very little evaporation has occurred over the years. A heavenly scent.
Note: In a recent (c.2000) revamp of No. 19, Chanel has drastically reduced the products available: in the UK the original splash bottles and refillable sprays of Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum have been discontinued, as have the two sizes of refillable Parfum spray. The Parfum is now only available in 7.5ml/quarter ounce size bottles. The range of bath and body products, which was previously identical to the comprehensive range available in No. 5, is now reduced to Body Lotion and Bath and Shower Gel
