Profumo

This fragrance was dedicated by Annick Goutal to her husband, the cellist Alain Meunier, in memory of the vacations they spent together in Corsica. The central theme of the perfume is the ubiquitous 'Macchie', or 'Macchia', a yellow-flowering, evergreen, bushy plant that has a very intense and aromatic scent, found almost everywhere along Mediterranean coastlines, but particularly abundant in Corsica.

Annick Goutal contrasted the dry, herbaceous scent of this 'Macchie' with a vanilla sweetness that is more reminiscent of maple syrup than vanilla sugar, a bittersweetness that never becomes sugary. Combined with sandalwood, smoky tea, and a hint of pepper, 'Sables' evokes in me the image of a sunny afternoon in late summer, squinting at the sandy, barren coastlines of Corsica while inhaling the herb-sweet, slightly herbal scent.
Considering when 'Sables' was launched - 1985 - one can only marvel at how ahead of its time and innovative it was. A full fifteen years later, Annick Goutal revisited the theme of this fragrance and varied it with 'Eau du Fier', also dedicated to her husband.
'Sables' did not come out of nowhere: five years earlier, Goutal had already experimented with the 'Macchie' accord and hinted at it - still subtly - in her wonderful, unfortunately much too unknown 'Eau de Monsieur'. In 'Sables', she finally made it the central theme.
Nearly two decades later, other creations like Miller Harris' 'Fleur de Sel' or 'Acqua di Sale' by Profumum take up this theme and interpret it as salty-aromatic rather than herbal-aromatic.

'Sables' is a fragrance of great radiance and longevity, so be cautious with the dosage! I have been wearing it for years and even stockpiled a small supply, as there have been repeated claims that this fragrance would be removed from the catalog. Fortunately, it is still available, although its availability has been extremely limited, and one has to search long to find a perfumery that still carries it. In France, however, it can be obtained without any issues.

For anyone looking for a fragrance that truly stands out from the crowd, 'Sables' is the perfect choice - this scent is unique. The positive comments I have received for wearing this fragrance are countless, and no one has expressed anything negative yet!

Chanel's first perfume for men, and also the only one created under Coco Chanel's supervision - if this fragrance isn't a classic, then which one is?
Character-wise, it is an Eau de Cologne - fresh, citrusy - combined with a classic Chypre structure and fine spice; closely related to Dior's 'Eau Fraiche' and Givenchy's 'Monsieur'.
A wonderful gentleman fragrance that perfectly met the expectations of men for a fragrance at that time: Initially, it has a refreshing opening that is distinctly noticeable, almost loud, but then fades relatively quickly. After a while, the heart notes become more prominent, but now they are anything but loud, rather subtle, very subtle. Thus, this fragrance remains throughout its entire development: subtle, so much so that one can hardly perceive it, and others must come quite close to the wearer to catch even a hint of the scent. However, hours later, when one is, for example, sitting in a warm venue in the evening and the body begins to perspire lightly, this fragrance unexpectedly blossoms again - one had almost forgotten it - and a woody-warm, bitter-aromatic Chypre scent envelops the wearer. A sensation that only a very few newer fragrances are capable of imitating (a major exception: 'New York' by Patricia de Nicolaï!). Most are simply loud, sometimes overwhelming, and become quieter and quieter over time, as if one is turning down a radio - same melody, same sound, just getting quieter until nothing is heard anymore.
Not so with Chanel's 'Pour Monsieur'. At first, it is there, noticeably conveying: here I am, refreshed and well-groomed. Then it retreats subtly: one doesn't want to disturb colleagues too much with the applied fragrance, but they should notice that one is wearing a scent, and a good one at that. And when, at the end of a day, one is sitting across from someone at a - perhaps intimate - dinner, it suddenly reappears, and how! But quite differently than at the fresh opening: warmer, softer, more seductive.
Unfortunately, the perfume today no longer has quite the strong Chypre base it once had due to legal restrictions (almost complete ban on oakmoss or tree moss), but it is still THE gentleman fragrance among gentleman fragrances, and one can still experience how wonderfully it was constructed.
Please do not confuse it with 'Pour Monsieur Concentrée', a completely different scent - although related - created by Jacques Polge in the late 80s, when subtlety was the last thing one expected from a fragrance.

A few years before the launch of 'Égoïste', the perfume was already available under the name 'Bois Noir' exclusively at Chanel boutiques. Jacques Wertheimer and his perfumer Jacques Polge reportedly did not originally intend to create a fragrance for the mass market, but rather one that would be unique in quality and inspiration, not bound by prevailing fashion.
Why they changed their minds after some time is beyond my knowledge. However, 'Bois Noir' was launched under its new name 'Égoïste' with unprecedented effort and a brilliant advertisement that now enjoys cult status.
The huge success that had been achieved years earlier with Antaeus, however, did not materialize - the perfume did not seem to resonate with the mass taste of its time, although it was not an absolute failure either. A different, smaller company could have celebrated great success with this scent, but at Chanel, different standards apply, and the disappointment must have been correspondingly great, as they quickly released the timid and pandering 'Platinum Égoïste' to make up for it.
Over the years, 'Égoïste' remained a staple in the Chanel catalog, with sales steadily increasing after an initial slump, as did its recognition. The internet forum 'Basenotes' recently voted 'Égoïste' the greatest masterpiece in men's perfumery and also the fragrance of the year - twenty years after its launch!
More recognition than this is hardly possible for a scent that has now become a classic.
It is also exceptional: an oriental sandalwood fragrance with soft vanilla accords and a wonderfully blooming rose in the midst. The truly special aspect of this scent is the first-time use of delicately floral, slightly Grappa-scented ambrette seeds in a perfume dedicated to men, which is likely worn by just as many women.
'Égoïste' was certainly also inspired by Chanel's own 'Bois des Iles', that Ernest Beaux classic from 1926, when all of Paris was captivated by Josephine Baker's 'Revue Nègre'.
'Bois des Iles' is, so to speak, the grandmother of 'Égoïste'. The grandson bears her features distinctly, a bit more masculine, but only minimally, slightly less aldehydic, the wood not quite as bright, but he is unmistakably her grandson.
The era of extensive reformulations has left the fragrance relatively unscathed, which is certainly also due to the fact that Jacques Polge is still the chief perfumer at Chanel and he surely strives to preserve his masterpieces.
Thus, the scent today is a little more transparent and lighter, but as intense and long-lasting as ever.

A slightly less masculine variant of 'Aramis', which itself was the more masculine version of the already quite masculine 'Cabochard'. All three fragrances were composed by Bernard Chant, all three are strong, floral leather chypres in the lineage of Robert Piquet's 'Bandit' and Balmain's 'Jolie Madame', albeit with darker base notes and a stronger dash of patchouli.
Azurée is my favorite perfume of the three. It is more opulent than Aramis, the masculine base notes are somewhat toned down, and it is in acceptable condition, which cannot be said of the completely ruined 'Cabochard', which is just a shadow of its former self.
If the old-dad vibe in Aramis is too much for you, or too laden with memories (there were times when almost all fathers wore 'Aramis'....), then give 'Azurée' a try!

Anyone who wants to know where two more Roudnitska classics, namely Eau Sauvage and Diorella, come from must return to this early work of the great perfumer. A fresh Chypre with citrus and green nuances, and subtle sweetness, in classic Eau de Cologne tradition. Like 'Jicky' or 'Eau d'Hermès', 'Eau Fraiche' was conceived from the beginning as a unisex fragrance, a rarity at that time.
Perhaps Roudnitska was inspired by Jacques Guerlain's 'Sous le Vent', an equally dry-fresh Chypre, when he composed this perfume, and certainly Henri Robert had Diors 'Eau Fraiche' in mind when he created 'Pour Monsieur' for Chanel - three perfumes that are closely related and can today be considered true heirs of Coty's legendary 'Chypre'.
However, since 'Sous le Vent' is extremely expensive and also difficult to obtain (only in Parisian Guerlain boutiques), and 'Pour Monsieur' comes across a bit skeletonized today to comply with the latest IFRA regulations, Dior's 'Eau Fraiche' is a good alternative.
Highly recommended for every Chypre lover!