N°5 Chanel 1921 Parfum

….she was able to save the boy and herself at the last moment on the wooden raft that was supposed to take them away from the Indian territory. On the river, this otherwise unsuccessful singer and barmaid proved to be incredibly fearless and brave, and she held her ground and the oar as she steered the raft through the life-threatening rapids downstream....

Matt Calder, the boy's father, thought little of her, even though she had saved his son. Kay was just a barmaid and singer... so not a respectable woman, as a man in the Midwest intended to marry. And now Kay is sitting there again, as she always has, sitting on the bar in the saloon and singing...

Marilyn Monroe, in the role of Kay, from Otto Preminger's Western, "River of no Return" (German title: Fluss ohne Wiederkehr) sings with an incredible vibrato full of restrained eroticism in her voice, the song of the river of no return…...... There is a River called the River of no Return.... sometimes it's peaceful and sometimes wild and free...

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Many years ago, I was a witness at a dear friend's wedding, and she asked me to perhaps choose some music for her civil ceremony. Among other songs, I had Marilyn's song "River of no Return" played when the couple exchanged their rings. The registrar was so enchanted that she explicitly congratulated them on the music after the ceremony and said that after all the other ironic pop trills, she had rarely heard a more fitting song for a wedding.

N°5 remains immortalized with Marilyn Monroe, of course. Not least because of her quip that she wore nothing in bed except Chanel N°5. ....oh..... how shocking in the eternally prudish America of the sixties, where a decent American woman went to bed in a long-sleeved nightgown buttoned up to her neck….. Anyone who knows anything about film also knows that this outstanding actress was often underestimated throughout her life and reduced by many to the silly sexy blonde. No matter….

In principle, everything has already been said about Chanel N°5, up and down.
So I will limit myself to saying that I appreciate the perfume because it embodies the essence of everything one imagines under a classic, floral-powdery aldehyde perfume. Chanel N°5 is for me the epitome of unadulterated feminine beauty, fearlessness, and therefore wearable in all moments of life. It is not the big perfume for the big moment, but rather one that always enchants my everyday life. It is also important to mention that my review refers to a vintage Chanel from the seventies.

Coco Chanel designed the scent for women who want to stand in real life, just as she once did. At a time when women were dependent on others and ranked as trophies of well-to-do husbands in better circles, she, as a pioneer, portrayed a modern image of women. By throwing the constricting corsets in the trash and designing comfortably wearable dresses that allowed women to engage in sports while still looking good. And no, these women do not remain alone; they also team up with a man, but rather one who is willing to master the rapids of life together.

Many young perfume wearers are often not surprised at first sniff, as it reminds them of mom, grandma, or their favorite great-aunt. This is often also the reason they classify the scent as old-fashioned... no matter, it doesn't matter. They will likely experience something similar when they themselves have matured and later their daughter or granddaughter sniffs "Sweet Like Candy" by Ariana Grande and finds it outdated...

So how does Kay's story end? Just this much… the last shot, the last image of the film is grand. Kay's sequined red pumps land in the sand on Main Street…... I have always imagined whether Kay might have regretted throwing away those fabulous shoes back then…
But maybe you’ll watch the film sometime.
My review refers to a vintage extrait from the seventies.