Gabrielle Chanel – Boldly Feminine

The venerated house of Chanel celebrates the lady behind the brand this year by unveiling a whole new collection of luxuries dedicated to Gabrielle Chanel.  From a line of bags named after her to the J12 Mademoiselle timepieces… and now, a new fragrance simply known as the Gabrielle Chanel, an ode to the Chanel woman of today.

“Luxury is what you don’t see” — Gabrielle Chanel

After a long 15 year wait, Gabrielle Chanel is the first pillar fragrance released for women since Chance.  As with anything Chanel does, everything is done with finesse.  The bottle itself is a work of art, having taken 5 years to perfect.  The minimalist square bottle pushes the boundaries of the glass walls, creating such a fine illusion that the golden brew within radiates like a halo.  The typical curved bottom inside fragrance bottles have been pushed outwards and polished for that seamless, modern look.  The front and back walls of the glass converge towards the center where a square plaque resides, the same width as the cap.  I love the matte lame color used to adorn the label, spray dispenser and cap, the latter which is also square shaped unlike all other Chanel fragrances.

“I have chosen the person I wanted to be and am.” — Gabrielle Chanel

Gabrielle Chanel the fragrance is perhaps the most unapologetically feminine scent I’ve encountered in recent memory.  At first whiff, it was reminiscent of Coco Mademoiselle, there is a distinct Chanel-esque style about it that makes it so welcoming for fans.  But a closer sniff reveals a luminosity of white florals, unobstructed by the darker spicier notes in Coco Mademoiselle.  With Gabrielle Chanel, Olivier Polge has deconstructed traditional notes of ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom and tuberose; and reconstructed them into a singular imaginary floral.

The fragrance begins with a crisp floral sweetness of orange blossom boosted with mandarin peel, a zest of grapefruit and a touch of blackcurrant.  As it unfurls, a bouquet of jasmine, ylang-ylang accentuated with white musk and creamy tuberose emerges.  Sandalwood lends the scent a warm sweet woody base, but it does not linger in an obtrusive way. On my skin, Gabrielle Chanel sings beautifully for the opening hour before quietening down.  It lasts quite well throughout the rest of the day, and I am able to catch whiffs of it intermittently well past the 8th hour.

Gabrielle Chanel is an interesting new pillar for the house, and it will probably appeal to the young aspiring millennials with a more light-hearted palate.  If you love Coco Mademoiselle and are looking for a fresh take on it, or enjoyed the recent No. 5 L’Eau [reviewed here], you should definitely check out Gabrielle Chanel.  In a sea of more masculine fragrances that I’ve been sampling lately, Gabrielle Chanel stands out boldly and I’ve been reaching for this the most.  As the weather turns cooler, I can foresee myself enjoying this even more.

_{This post featured a product that was generously provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}