Right off the bat: A lot has already been written about the scent, so I will only share a few lines: It is a century-defining fragrance, just like the three years younger Eau de Toilette. "No 5 - A Song of Ice and Fire" it would probably have been called, had G. R. R. Martin been born back then and been responsible for marketing at Chanel. Cool and sparkling like snowflakes at the start, it slowly drifts to the ground, becoming warmer and culminating in an olfactorily unparalleled sensuality from whose glow, as is well known, Marilyn Monroe liked to warm herself at night (whether from the perfume, EdT, or EdC is not entirely clear, possibly alternating between all concentrations). One thing can be said for certain: The
N°5 Eau de Parfum created only in the 80s was certainly not it; that was made a good 20 years after her death for the prevailing taste and shoulder-padded zeitgeist.
The photo on Parfumo is, by the way, misleading: the current bottle of
N°5 Eau de Parfum looks at first glance exactly like
N°5 Parfum, differing only by the two words "Eau de" and the available sizes of 35, 50, and 100ml. Upon opening, a sprayer is revealed, while the perfume usually comes in a tiny splash bottle for dabbing in sizes of 1.5 - 7.5 - 15 and 30ml. Unlike the extraordinarily expensive perfume, the Eau de Parfum can be tested in any perfumery. The perfume, on the other hand, is only sparingly and only (!) dabbed for testing upon request and only if, in the judgment of the sales staff, you have the necessary pocket change, the golden credit card, the generous oligarch uncle (...) with you.
The visual differences are thus minimal, but the differences in scent are much greater. While the also 100-year-old Eau de Toilette brings the same shimmering-transparent "vibe" as the perfume, the Eau de Parfum is a real clod. While the older sisters whisper and giggle together in their refined little black dresses, the Eau de Parfum barges into the exclusive party, roaring as it kicks the door down. Instead of timeless elegance, I perceive endless penetration with the Eau de Parfum. And yes, I can hardly bring myself to write it, but it reminds me, in combination with my skin, of certain human excretions and secretions, which is why I can hardly tolerate it on myself.
Long story short: before you write a review or a statement about the perfume, please make sure you are in the right place. If not: a click on
N°5 Eau de Parfum and the critique will land where it belongs.