N°5 Eau Première Chanel 2008

I have always viewed Chanel N°5 in three parts: the Eau de Toilette, the Eau de Parfum, and the Parfum "Extrait," which corresponds to three different concentration levels. The old Eau de Cologne was no longer available at the time of my birth, and Eau Première and L’Eau simply don't count for me. At least, that was the case until recently.

I have already written a comment on both the EdT and EdP. So what could be more natural than to write about the Extrait next? Especially since I now own it thanks to a dear friend from the perfume community. Well, to be honest, I can't exactly say why I'm currently hesitant to write about the Extrait; I think I will take my time with it...

Contrary to my somewhat reckless statement that Eau Première doesn't belong to N°5, I am now writing about it. I didn't even pay attention to it in the store at first. "That doesn't belong, it's too young. 2008? Never! I get a lot of fragrances, but not this one..." - those were my initial thoughts. My opinion began to change when my grandmother showed me a sample of L’Eau. However, I couldn't make sense of L’Eau at first either because I was unfortunately constantly comparing it to the actual N°5. I am a big fan of citrus scents, and yet L’Eau is currently on the back burner for me, but that doesn't mean it will stay there. I notice I'm digressing again.

I came to Eau Première thanks to a very lovely and nice saleswoman. I was chatting with her about the EdT and eventually asked her for her personal opinion on L’Eau. She replied, as a fellow convinced N°5 wearer, that she accepted Eau Première back then (2008) and liked it, but not the current L’Eau at all. It was simply too "thin" for her. That’s when I decided to take a closer look at the Première. After all, N°5 must be somewhere in there.

And how: Aldehydes! Hello, dear aldehydes! Fresh and citrusy, less soapy than in the EdP. And paired in the background with a subtle powdery vanilla and a floral note. I own several products from the entire fragrance line alongside the N°5 scents, including the body cream. And it strongly reminded me of that Première. The heart note smells almost exactly the same - a blend of jasmine and rose, as it is beautifully described, powdery built, on a foundation of sandalwood.

If N°5 is the queen, then Eau Première is the crown princess. But not "spoiled-girl-princess-like," rather mature, elegant, and always composed, under the watchful eyes of the queen mother.

My conclusion: The Première will be, alongside Cristalle Eau Verte, my spring and summer scent for 2017. But even now, in the still somewhat cooler days, it can be worn effortlessly. For me, it is powder to spray, due to the "whirling" sillage, even more so than the Eau de Parfum. However, that is also the only point I want to criticize; two to three sprays are fine, but after that, it can become too much. The scent cloud that you otherwise leave behind can quickly be perceived by others as "scratchy" and dry.

Scent: As mentioned above, 9/10 from me here.

Longevity: Somewhere between the EdT and EdP. About 7 hours, but completely acceptable. Just under 8/10 here.

Sillage: Varies in my opinion. Quite strong at the start, but relatively close to the body later on. I would have only given it a 7, but depending on the dosage, the scent cloud can sometimes be quite large and "scratchy." Therefore, 8/10 from me here.

Bottle: The classic Chanel bottle - and that's a good thing. The embellishments on the cap are silver instead of gold, unlike the EdP. Otherwise, the bottle is really completely identical; even the inscription "Eau de Parfum" is printed on the bottom. However, it seems that there was an earlier version of the bottle according to the photo. Full 10/10.