N ° 5 Chanel: Abstract flowers for a mythical perfume
Its juice is precious and delicate, breaking with standards which only briefly evoke a few materials. Coco Chanel and Ernest Beaux its creator, offer a scent of eternity for a cocktail of natural and synthetic flowers sometimes even unseen at the time. The secret of its exceptional longevity?
Chanel N ° 5 or the creation of a legendary fragrance of modern perfumery
The most striking fragrances of perfumery as we know it today are those which, in general, offer a new vision of its model, a new approach or composition which denote, break the codes of the past. Coco Chanel wanted by creating her very first perfume after years of success in haute couture “a woman’s perfume with a woman’s scent”. “N ° 5” had to adapt to all women, and besides, he will also know how to adapt to all eras.
At the time, in 1921, we were still far from the concept of muse as it is today, however the first to embody the glamorous and sophisticated image of this magnificent perfume will be an icon of femininity: Marilyn Monroe. She declared without having looked for it or even being paid, that she slept every night with the fabulous Chanel “N ° 5”.
The exceptional longevity of this timeless perfume will subsequently be worn by muses representative of the elegance and glamor of each era: Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Tautou, Brad Pitt, then in 2014 Giselle Bündchen and finally Lily Rose Depp, daughter of the illustrious Vanessa Paradis, also a Chanel muse in her time for “Coco Chanel “.
” Lighten up, remove, keep only the essential, such is the secret of the timeless “said Coco Chanel. Obviously the concept was totally visionary …
A modern and mysterious bouquet of flowers for “N ° 5”
In 1921, the year “N ° 5” was released, the trend in perfumery was to create compositions with a single flowery note, although natural or synthetic materials were already numerous. Coco Chanel wanted a composed perfume, like a haute-couture dress. It was unthinkable to use only one fragrance of flowers where the materials allowed them to be offered in abundance.
Ernest Beaux used his talents as a nose and designer to offer Mademoiselle “Coco” a perfume made up of 80 different ingredients, sometimes natural and sometimes artificial. The multiplicity of ingredients offers a unique composition and innovative pairings. She will choose from among the perfumer’s essays the “N ° 5” and, by her singularity of mind again, will decide that the perfume will bear this name. The most beautiful things are the simplest. In the same way, the bottle does not matter to her, considering that “the content was more important than the container”, yet it too with its multiple facets is also a work of art that Coco Chanel was still unaware of … < / p>
As for the composition of “N ° 5”, it offers citrus accords in the top note embellished with neroli flowers and modern and powdery aldehydes. Then the classic and floral heart of rose and jasmine opens up to the sensuality and intoxicating exoticism of ylang-ylang. Finally, the base notes of iris, vanilla and vetiver offer a long and perfumed trail, powdery and slightly raw thanks to animal notes of musk and civet like a perfume of skin, a greedy and sensual woman’s skin.
Quintessence of absolute femininity, Chanel “N ° 5” is a timeless and mysterious perfume that permeates each woman who wears it and each era in which she lives. It is said that a perfume “N ° 5” is sold every 55 seconds in the world! While the venerable fragrance will soon celebrate its century of existence … A success that leaves one dreaming of …
Released in 1921, “ N ° 5 ”is Chanel’s first fragrance. Become a true legend, the fragrance N ° 5 has crossed the ages without taking a wrinkle. Gabrielle Chanel decided to ask Ernest Beaux, then a designer at the court of the Tsars of Russia, to create a perfume “with a woman’s scent”. Ernest Beaux thus imagined a bouquet of flowers mixed for the first time with synthetic notes, the “aldehydes”. The result was indefinable to say the least and the success was there.
N ° 5, a visionary composition
Before Ernest Beaux and Gabrielle Chanel , no one had had the audacity to deviate from the fashion of the time, namely to create perfumes around a single flower. The brand’s first fragrance absolutely had to be inimitable, because Mademoiselle wanted a unique fragrance that no one could copy. With its combination of flowers, rose, jasmine, lily of the valley and ylang-ylang, Ernest Beaux then had the idea of combining aldehydes with a bouquet of flowers. Synthetic molecules close to the smell of citrus peel. The aldehydes give an exceptional fullness to the top notes, as well as an airy freshness. On the bottle side, Chanel opts for a sleek, minimalist bottle, with sharp edges and rounded lines, with a cap that looks like a diamond. “N ° 5” is one of the perfumes most worn by the stars, it is true that Marylin Monroe contributed to her success when she said that she just slept with a drop of N ° 5 … “N ° 5” a not only participated in the success of the Chanel brand, but also in the emancipation of niche perfumery.
The aldehyde floral bouquet of N ° 5
“N ° 5” is considered an abstract fragrance that reveals a deliciously powdery bouquet of flowers, it is the very essence of femininity. “N ° 5” opens with citrus and fresh notes, those of bergamot, lemon associated with the luminosity of neroli. Aldehydes come into the picture here and make the top notes aerial and abstract. The heart is ultra floral, it combines Grasse jasmine, May rose, lily of the valley and ylang-ylang. The iris will then offer a subtly powdery tone. The base will be sensual and tender thanks to vanilla, vetiver and patchouli, leaving an absolutely unforgettable trail. In 1986, Jacques Polge, then official perfumer of the house of Chanel, reinterpreted the star fragrance in a larger version with “N ° 5, le Parfum”. Gabrielle Chanel wanted a perfume that you won’t forget… Almost 100 years later, “N ° 5” is still the best-selling perfume in the world…
True legend and first perfume of the Chanel brand,“ N ° 5 ”is truly a visionary perfume for the 1920s. Thanks to aldehydes, Ernest Beaux created surprise, astonishes, confuses, but offers this “N ° 5” a composition. then unpublished.
Aldehyde Powdery