N°5 Eau Première Chanel 2008

My whole impression will take place on the famous No5 itself, but I have this opportunity, while I'm trying Eau Premiere these days, to write about this flanker briefly. No5 Eau Premiere in one sentence is bright and sheer version of No5. Imagine if No5 was a plant, Eau Premiere would be the twig of a main stem with lighter color.

Isn't interesting that No5's aldehyde smells like soap in marble bathtub!? This aldehyde is not my type at all but interesting that it doesn't punch me over. Eau Premiere presents that aldehyde form much lighter and less radiant, having this mixed with floral notes (five star ylang ylang accord) and indolic jasmine. The edges are chamfered by vanilla…

The result is young femininity, strong personality, charming fatality! I found this flanker much wearable and much modern than the original No5, yet the nearest to the source than the other flankers.
8/10

I was a little wary of trying Eau Premiere, as I love the original No 5 and firmly believe in the adage "If it ain't broke don't fix it". In this case though, I admit Chanel have created an absolute delight. Eau Premiere is softer, warmer and kinder than the original and I am falling more in love with this every time I wear it. It also lingers on my skin all day. The feel of No 5 is still there, but with Eau Premiere her smile finally reaches her eyes.

Like every girl on the planet, I cannot resist the urge to be drawn to expensive and exclusive brand names. The name 'Chanel', if mentioned in a conversation can make one sound and appear sophisticated and classy. It had been my dream ever since discovering a love of fragrance, to be able to add a Chanel perfume to my growing collection. However, finding a Chanel perfume that I actually happened to like was starting to look like an impossible task.

I had tested the original Chanel No.5, and although I could understand its appeal, it was far too mature and soapy for my liking. I concluded that it was my young age that made me feel this way.

I convinced myself to try this new version of the original today, to try and prove myself wrong and to make a comparison between the two. The first initial spray, to my nose, was much softer and more pleasant than Chanel No.5. The scent also had a slight tang of citrus in the top notes, that when blended with the aldehydes and soft florals, it created a warm and creamy fragrance. The drydown was an exquisitely soft vanilla scent with touches of rose and jasmine.

I would describe Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere as a youthful spin on the original infamous fragrance. It is less aggressive with its powdery notes, much sweeter and evidently more casual. Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere is the fragrance you would wear when you can't wear Chanel No.5; like on a hot Summer's day or in the office.

For those women, who like me, thought Chanel No.5 was far too strong and soapy, this fragrance would be your better alternative.

No5 Eau Premiere is a gateway perfume to the aldehydic genre. This is a beautiful mix of soft, bright, fizzy and powdery. Eau Premiere is Diet No5, about 60% the flavor but still highly pleasing. Imagine No5 minus most of the base notes with a waxy, fresh and bitter orange peel aldehyde note that almost reaches into Baghari territory.

The overall effect of stripping out the more intense parts of No5 is an easy to wear, comfy, half intensity aldehydic powder puff of a fragrance. Its citrusy and bright up front but powdery and soft at dry down. I can't imagine an occasion where this isn't appropriate to wear. This is a big love for me.

I have been meaning to review this one in English for a while now, and now that the weather is warm enough to try floral-aldehydic fragrances and I have been on a N°5 binge, the time seems ripe for it.

First off, the aldehydes are far lighter, more modern -- and more fleeting -- than in Eau Première's esteemed foremother. The opening lacks the bug spray accord (aldehydes spiked with intense bergamot) that can be so off-putting to delicate contemporary noses in the original N°5 and many others, and instead comes off as non-aquatic fresh floral that soon gives way to the classical jasmine-rose combo. Those two flowers seem to me to be a cornerstone of modern Western perfumery, and for good reason -- there is nothing quite as heady yet bubbly and classy as jasmine and rose blended well together. While it can feel a bit soapy especially when transitioning from top notes to the heart, it's a very, very classy kind of soapy.

The base lacks the plump oriental amber that makes the original so intoxicating, but the vanillic-woody sweetness is there, shining a golden undertone throughout the duration of this perfume. The developmental stages seem more distinct to me in Eau Première than the original N°5, which is a near-seamless floriental joy ride, and for some reason EP lasts longer on my skin, too. It's a great, classy light floral quasi-oriental, a sharper, more contemporary Atkins diet version of the plush original; nothing off the beaten path, but I would say a definite failsafe for most people looking for something elegant and unobtrusive to wear or give as gift. I for one would be only happy to receive a bottle.