Sycomore (2016) (Eau de Parfum) by Chanel

Bottle Design:
Jacques Helleu

Sycomore Chanel 2016 Eau de Parfum

Version from 2016

Ranked 279 in Unisex Perfume

8.3 / 10 622 Ratings

A popular perfume by Chanel for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is woody-spicy. It is still in production.
Pronunciation Compare

Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Green

Fresh

Earthy

Fragrance Notes

Vetiver

Cypress

Juniper

Sandalwood Spices

Spices

Aldehydes

Pink pepper Tobacco

Tobacco

Violet

Perfumers

Jacques Polge, Christopher Sheldrake

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

8.3622 Ratings

Longevity

7.8545 Ratings

Sillage

7.1544 Ratings

Bottle

8.3502 Ratings

Value for money

6.2293 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 02/27/2026.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Les Exclusifs de Chanel collection.

Variant of the fragrance concentration

This is a variant of the perfume Sycomore (2008) (Eau de Toilette) by Chanel, which differs in concentration.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Sycomore (2008) Eau de Toilette

Sycomore Parfum

Sycodrome

Encre Noire Eau de Toilette

Encre Noire à L'Extrême

Vétiver

Reviews

26 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/07/2025

9.5Scent 10Longevity 7Sillage

Jones
22 Reviews

Jones

Top Review 9

Sycomore Eau de Parfum by Chanel

Revisiting Sycamore after many years and then considering it one of the three best vetivers (over 60 experienced) I had ever encountered, I am still entranced by it in its new edp concentration.

The vetiver and the cypress (smells to me like cedar shavings) wind around each other like a helix and make constant love. It is so subtle, as I would expect from a Chanel, and it is divine. I wish it were affordable. I must make do with dabs from my 4 ml. mini.

For the time left me on earth, I will stay with the discontinued Givenchy and the Guerlain, but if I win the lottery, Chanel had best set aside a shopping venture

07/29/2024

10Scent 10Longevity 6Sillage

Systemshock
18 Reviews

Systemshock

Helpful Review 8

Irresistible for a Vetiver Fan

My selection process for purchasing a bottle of a fragrance takes a while. I usually order samples, then I'll give a decant a spin, and if I finish off that decant and want more, I'll go for the whole thing. Chanel makes this *very difficult to do* through its Rolex-like authorized seller enforcement; one cannot simply procure a Chanel decant. (Yes, there's one business out there. No, that's not an appropriate price for doing so.) Therefore, it's off to the store to try things out. It's on you to test something and walk away, give it time, let it dry out.

So here I was, off to the official Chanel store, thinking I'd be into Paris-Edimbourg or maybe Allure Homme Edition Blanche--the stuff that isn't on the usual shelves but doesn't cost an arm and a leg, right? Right? Of course not. I tried out so many different fragrances there, and my eyes couldn't help but light up and my nose couldn't help but keep that sample card close to it for an extended period of time when I said "Well, I guess I really should try Sycomore."

That wasn't all, though. I gave Sycomore a chance to throw itself off of me, walking out of the store and down the street, letting it dry down and develop as I talked this through. "We'll wait a few months on this. It's too expensive. I have Encre Noire and Encre Noire a l'Extreme, it'll be fine." Instead, Sycomore *got better.* Chanel-ade is often discussed but the benefits aren't always spelled out, so let me spell this one out: the old-school Chanel chemistry involved in even their most brash and out-there scents assists in smoothing out the drydown of the fragrance. As the smoky, nutty, impeccably-extracted vetiver starts drying off, it's enrobed in this luxurious Chanel velvet blanket that makes even the most daring note more accessible, more enjoyable.

Finally, I gave in. They got me. That price wasn't easy to swallow, but Chanel didn't have a competitor at this high a level. I enjoy the cypressy and somewhat harsh (if a bit fleeting) Encre Noire and the elemi-assisted a l'Extreme, but this was different; it was a celebration of a note I enjoyed so much but often came off as too harsh or got buried in a multi-note melange. The vetiver on display here has layers; sniff a little too much when it's first sprayed and it'll punch you in the nose with rooty, boozy, nutty fire, but the drydown is that immaculate velvet-vetiver that lasts for-freaking-ever. I was smelling my own wrist that whole darn day. I put carpal tunnel wrist braces on at night. I woke up, took those off, and *there Sycomore was,* just chilling out and smelling good on my wrist. Sorcery.

[Sidenote: if you're looking at the notes and thinking "I don't want a tobacco and violet scent," don't worry: this is all about vetiver. Those other notes just support it in small unspoken ways.]

If you're thinking about Sycomore but you haven't gone through a couple vetiver scents yet, get educated on it first. Get yourself an affordable bottle of Encre Noire at the very least, maybe some Guerlain Vetiver EdT or Fat Electrician. Then come back and try this out - how it's distinguishable from those is half the appeal. Vetiver isn't for everyone, but it's *expressed* so well in Sycomore. Like a complex overwhelmingly experimental band that's often "music for musicians," this vetiver scent is a deluxe treatment of vetiver for vetiver nerds.

Is it the most high-quality vetiver ever made? I have no idea, but I'd guess something like Vetiver Bourbon takes that cake; that isn't the point in Sycomore nearly as much as the executed sum of its parts. Is it worth the price? That's up to you. Is it unique enough to warrant such a thing? Yes. Unique and wonderful.

Updated on 07/29/2024

08/30/2022

9.5Scent 9Longevity 6Sillage

Trahanas
19 Reviews

Trahanas

Helpful Review 5

Sycomore is indeed a fantastic vetiver

Warm woody notes, sandalwood and a present and very pleasant tobacco wrapped in aldehyde hints and fresh violets. Woody and aromatic sillage. Very complex. It is spicy, dark, sweet and definitely does smell like autumn.
Doesn`t smell anything like the synthetic Encre Noir waste. They simply have a similar vibe.
Sycomore encapsulates everything I want from a vetiver fragrance. It's smoky, earthy, a bit green, delightfully woody, spicy, fresh & clean and blended to perfection so that all the notes exist in perfect harmony and balance.
Unisex scent, great for every season and occasion. If you like vetiver, it is a safe buy and a must have.

06/08/2023

10Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Nautiluscove
2 Reviews

Nautiluscove

4

Luxury camping

Sycomore opens on the skin with a burst of green and brown vetiver, with touches of the classic Chanel soapy aldehydes (if you’ve ever smelt No. 5, you’ll recognize it immediately), and juniper berries, which add an aromatic, almost alcoholic touch (remincent of a G&T with lime). There’s a duality to Sycomore that I love, and that I don’t think any of it’s “dupes” do so well, in that it smells clean and refined, yet also slightly dank and earthy at the same time.

As it settles, a floral undercurrent flickers through the earthy vetiver, adding a more feminine touch, to the otherwise classicaly masculine notes. The florals are soft, purple, and powdery—likley violets or maybe even a touch of iris. The vetiver, however, still remains the prominent note in Sycomore, with the powder only serving to accentuate. There’s also a strong cypress note, which smells like the forests of NoCal.

If I had to summarize what Sycomore smells like, it would be like a PNW beach in late summer, on a chilly morning, with the remnants of a bonfire smoldering somewhere in the distance.

If you like green, earthy scents, and enjoy other Chanel scents, I highly recommend Sycomore. While the opening may seem overtly masculine, I think it would smell amazing on a woman, and I do think the florals temper it a bit in the drydown. Sycomore had excellent tenacity on my skin, and moderate sillage.

Updated on 06/11/2023

01/08/2026

8Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Musicandarts
267 Reviews

Musicandarts

3

A lighthearted delicate vetiver in line with the Les Exclusifs temperament.

Sycomore is the flagship vetiver from Les Exclusifs de Chanel. The original Sycomore from the 1930s appear to be different perfume. The current Sycomore comes in both EDT and EDP version, though the latter is no longer marketed. The noses behind Sycomore are Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake, the same duo who also created Coromandel. This review is based on a full bottle of the EDP that I bought recently.

For my nose, Sycomore is an uncomplicated vetiver. If you are familiar with the persona of Les Exclusifs fragrances, the profile of Sycomore would not surprise you. But this is a double-edged sword. Though I am comforted by the high-quality ingredients and the mastery behind this perfume, I would have liked some element of surprise. The opening reveals all you need to know about Sycomore. It is an elegant, airy and delicate vetiver, situating it miles away from the dense vetiver scents like Vetiver Extraordinaire, Private Label and Encre Noire a L’Extreme. This graceful vetiver note is supported by many other delicate notes. There is a woody component, possibly a blend of cypress, juniper and sandalwood, as well as some miscellaneous aromatic notes like tobacco and spices. I confess that Sycomore is ninety percent vetiver for my nose. There are other notes that add color, but these are too diffuse to stand out. To pick out the woody notes like cypress and juniper, I had to spray it on paper and smell immediately. The base notes are a bit sweeter, perhaps from the long-lived sandalwood and spices. But vetiver continues to be the main note. None of these nuances should dissuade you from the beauty of the lovely vetiver.

The performance of Sycomore is very good but is not monstrous. None of the Les Exclusifs de Chanel have that in-your-face projection. It is a soft scent that lasts on my skin for 4-6 hours. The sillage is elegant and detectable for the first few hours, but Sycomore is not a party animal. This is a perfect perfume for work.

My opinion of Sycomore is tempered by two factors. First, I started with a high expectation after reading the reviews. Second, I already have many good vetiver scents, making the bar too high. I would recommend everyone to evaluate Sycomore with an open mind but be aware that worthy competitors exist in the market now. Some of the other vetiver scents in my collection are Vetiver Extraordinaire, Bel Ami Vetiver, Terre D'Hermes, Private Label and Encre Noire a La Extreme. Some of these are very cheap. You can get 40 ml bottles of Les Exclusifs now if you buy them as a set from Chanel.

Updated on 01/08/2026

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