The latest fragrance in the legendary Chanel N°5 line is scheduled for the fall of 2016. Heralded by the fashion house as ‘the freshest version’ of its iconic scent, Chanel No. 5 L’Eau aims to appeal to the younger, millennial audience. The scent was developed by Olivier Polge who has apparently been working on this composition since 2013. L’Eau still contains No. 5’s main floral pillar – May rose – which has been carefully sourced from Grasse since 1921. And, the word carefully indeed has strength in this case. The flowers only bloom for two weeks a year during May, and, once picked, must be transported to the factory within two-and-a-half hours to maintain their robust scent.
Chanel No. 5 L’Eau
It takes about 800 pounds to produce one pound of rose absolue.
There are also nods to classic jasmine, aldehyde and ylang-ylang in the new scent – and that’s where things get interesting. Polge isolated the ylang-ylang using a special distilling process. The result is a greener, crisper note than anything you’d find in the original.
Citrus defines the top notes with an intoxicating combination of lemon, mandarin, bergamot, and orange. But the showstopper is the base note: cedarwood. And it’s a brand-new component for the No. 5 brand.
Simple and sophisticated! Timeless and audacious! Vibrant and faithful!
Chanel No. 5 L’Eau is available in September 2016. You can sign up for the waitlist and a chance to get your hands on it early.
Chanel No. 5 L’Eau
