N°19 Chanel 1971 Eau de Toilette

No. 19 is a strange one... A lot of people label this as a cold, heartless, "ice queen/boardroom bitch", kind of fragrance. I don't get that at all. To me it smells like a bunch of freshly cut morning spring flowers being newly placed in a vase.

I find this to be very soft, slightly powdery, and sensual. I don't find it "unemotional" or whatever. To me I think Chanel Cristalle fulfils all of those previous labels, that is one that I see as more masculine (and one which as a man I happily wear). No. 19 EDT opens a little like the Cristalle EDT does (hyacinth and bergamot) but the galbanum really gives it an amazing quality (warm and sensual). The powdery iris is really beautiful here. It's clean and fresh and sexy at the same time. I do get Oak moss and Vetiver and I think the earthiness of the Iris (orris root) and the dryness of the Vetiver compliment each other beautifully.

It's true that this fragrance is the opposite of "girly", as it definitely gives off a grown up vibe, but I wouldn't say it's a "cold-hearted bitch" kind of perfume. To me it's quite alive and soft. The kind of person I would see wearing this would be an intellectual, kind hearted young woman, the kind of girl who is really attractive with a sweater and glasses who always has her head in a book, but doesn't know just how beautiful she is kind of thing. Alternatively any woman who wears a suit to work or academic but deep down is still really kind and loving to those around her.

With reference to the unisex quality often attributed to this, I find Chanel Cristalle (also by Henri Robert) more masculine than this, but something like "Dior Homme" (also an iris leathery fragrance) more feminine than this, it being sweeter and more gourmand than No. 19. Coincidentally... I know that my grandfather sometimes wears on occasion so I think it certainly wouldn't be out of place being worn on a man.

As mentioned before, this was Gabrielle Chanel's signature scent. It was originally private and exclusive to her, before being released publicly just before she died. However, that being said... I'm now starting to get a pattern in late Chanel perfumer, Henri Robert's creations: Chanel Pour Monsieur (1955) is a green Chypre, No. 19 (1971) is a green floral, and Cristalle (1974) is floral Chypre. All have Citrus notes, all have Oak moss, and all have Vetiver. But what sets No. 19 apart is the beautiful, sublime Iris note. Powdery, soft, warm and somehow elegantly clean... it undoubtedly makes No. 19 the plushest, most sensual, and most feminine of the trio. It really is a masterfully blended perfume.

I don't see Chanel No. 19 as a cold, "unemotional" fragrance, to me (a man's opinion) it's like meeting a very attractive yet quiet, shy, intellectual type of girl with a kind, warm, loving heart who you just want to cuddle up with on the sofa by the fire. This is just one gorgeously grown-up, well- balanced fragrance!

Can't say enough to describe it. The green bitter opening is stunning, and this are the notes that i like the most. I would like that this notes last longer, but everything beautiful doesn't last long. Than there are two fact; the first if you spray it on fabrics, it doesn't develope completely so it can remind on a sort of hair spray. It is not a bad fact, it depends if you like this smell. The second option is to spray it on the skin and here comes the magic. The smell of clean, soft, the smell of good, a very fine soap. Totally genderless and delicate. It is the sort of smell you can notice in the intimacy of a hug. The sillage is not very strong so it is really a personal choice and pleasure.
The opening is of course sharp, like opening a bottle of syrup, medicinal and vegetal-alcoholic. Personally i can't descibe how i like and admire this opening. It is life literally. Than the powdery, earthy and dry notes are just divine. So this are the traits of this perfume in my modest opinion.
Last but not least are the feelings and the fantasies that this perfume evokes to me. Yes, it can smell dated, classy and mature but this is not enough. In this notes lie the creativity and originality of this perfume. So don't expect nothing sweet and sugary nor the fresh-watery sweet kind of 'perfume' that nowdays is fashionable. With this perfume i can fantasize of an era that it is gone, which doesn't exist anymore, but on the other hand evocative of good memories and a tender melancholy. It is really an other world. As a smell it also has a sort of aristocratic and intellectual recall. It is so evocative to me, but i really don't want to sound pretentious. At the same time it reminds me of a grey rainy day, but in spring so with this rain the grass, flowers and trees can explode with their beauty and greatness. To me it is a 'particular' perfume for 'particular' persons.

This is everything to me.

Bitter, cold, green galbanum in the opening, with that classic Chanel floral and aldehydic elevation, before settling into a buttery, earthy iris and vetiver.

I first tried this a few months ago and I was completely blown away. I'd never smelled anything like this, and to this day I still haven't. It's everything I've been looking for in a perfume!

I love how full of character this is. Rumour has it that this was Coco Chanel's personal perfume and I can definitely see her wearing it. It's cold, uptight, sophisticated - the wearer is the most important person in the room, and they know it. It's not loud, they don't need to broadcast their importance - they simply are. And yet, this is elevated enough to not be so cold or bitchy it's off-putting.

This is easily worn year-round. The florals provide enough lightness to make this suitable in all but the warmest weather, and of course the buttery iris is lovely when the mercury drops.

Interestingly, I picked up a bottle of this stuff that dates back to some time in the 80s (I'm not sure when) - and the current stuff couldn't be more different. The greenness of the older bottle is colder and more complex, the earthiness of the entire composition more rounded. It also has a sweetness and a dryness that aren't present in it today. In its current state, #19 is much more about the iris than the older bottle, but still recognisably #19 and I love it to bits all the same.

This is one of my favourite perfumes of all time and I hope Chanel keeps making it for many years to come.

My first encounter with House Chanel was no.19. I loved it from the beginning. The galbanum is, like in Balmain Ivoire, a beautiful opening and it starts the scent fresh. I knew that Chanel was a respected House with its own classic style, very feminine and chic, and I found exactly that in No.19. It has a formal expression and it would be perfect for a business meeting when in the right dose. I have worn it on many various occasions and I get compliments when wearing it. The beauty of this is that, in my opinion, everyone can wear it. Even men. Even though I do not consider it a unisex fragrance. It is as with Prada L’Homme Intense - I wear that sometimes, but it is not a unisex. It just smells really great and I do get compliments for that, too.
The top is a mix of citric and sweet notes together with the galbanum. Galbanum always has me - something happens to my mood when I smell it. It cheers me up the same way as lemon, orange and lavender. Pure magic. The heart is a wonderful combination of all the, to me, well-known and often used, flowers: rose, Iris, lily-of-the-valley, jasmine and narcissus. But like music, where you have 12 different notes to chose from and still keep on making new songs, you can make infinite combinations of these five flowers. And No.19 is a successful one. The base… oh yes please! Awesome with the subtle leather note and the woods. A beautiful place to land.
The bottle is the classic Chanel design, which I really like. Minimalistic, square and with the characteristic font.
I would hate to see this discontinued.
60/365

To have a bottle of No 19 EDT from the late 80s-early 90s like I have is nothing short of a blessing.

It's not that I want to perpetuate the myth that vintage is always superior, which can be dispelled time and again depending on where you look (and what you smell), but with all the talk of more recent formulations of the EDT being a bit "thin" I figured I'd patiently await the discovery of an older bottle at a price that was not astronomical, and here we are today.

This is magnificent. Yes, cold, aloof, steely, but to limit it to such adjectives is to sell it short, as it also has an astonishing vibrance and life to it, from the bitter, astringent opening galbanum blast to the waltz between hyacinth and iris as it warms on my skin. Fresh, crisp, yet with a powdery and somewhat melancholy slant, showcasing the magic of orris root itself. In its heart, No. 19 is just as much a deep purple as it is a saturated green, but each tone lightens in shade further into its development, into wistful pastels.

Further into its dry down, my nose experiences how oakmoss and orris blend together in woods shrouded in a musk mist. It feels truly spellbinding on this rainy late March day.