Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Chanel Les Exclusifs 1932: new fragrance

This is a tah da da ta da post, of the "I told you so" variety. Eons ago (actually a year ago, but it feels that way in perfume land) I had posted how "1932" was going to be the next Chanel Les Exclusifs fragrance. The perfume news are confirmed. Rejoice!


The new Les Exclusifs de Chanel 1932 fragrance is arriving at selected boutiques on March 1st 2013.
The scent is touted to be a powdery floral focused on jasmine. The new fragrance is reportedly made available for the first time to the general public as part of Les Exclusifs whereas the perfume was originally offered for purchase only to the customers of Chanel’s haute joiallerie line, specifically named to echo the new "Chanel 1932 collection". The perfume is named after the year in which Chanel launched its jewelry collection and bears NO relation with the vintage Ivoire fragrance by Chanel issued in the year 1932. It is a NEW creation developed by the Chanel house perfumers.

Edit to update: Fragrance Notes for "Chanel Les Exclusifs 1932":
Top notes: aldehydes, bergamot, neroli
Heart: jasmine, rose, lilac, carnation, ylang-ylang
Base: vetiver, sandalwood, opoponax, orris root, coumarin, ambrette, musk, incense, vanilla, iralia*
*Iralia is a base with a pronounced iris and violet character patented by Firmenich

16 comments:

  1. brie16:25

    Is 1932 the original Ivoire reformulated or a new fragrance? It sounds lovely!

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  2. The definition of "jasmine" must have changed in a post-IFRA world.

    cacio

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  3. @cacio doesn't jasmine mean hedione these days anyway?

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  4. just wanted to acknowledge that i did the 'ta da da ta da' in the exact perfect bratty, sing-song tone the first read through :)

    can't wait for this! have major love affair with some of the les exclusifs!

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  5. Powdery jasmine, I am intrigued and can't wait for the release!

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  6. Brie,

    no, I have added the clarification that the new Les Exclusifs is NOT a reissue of the old Chanel Ivoire. It's something new.

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    Replies
    1. But Perfume Intelligence Encylcopedia identifies the note pyramid of Ivoire de Chanel as virtually identical to the note pyramid you list for 1932: "Created by Ernest Beaux; an edp with top notes of bergamot and neroli; heart notes of ylang-ylang, lilac, carnation, jasmine and rose; on base notes of vetiver, orris, iralia, sandalwood, opopanax, incense, vanilla-coumarin and musk. Disc." How could 1932 NOT be the same frag as Ivoire? I think you were right the first time, despite Chanel's claim that 1932 is all new.

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    2. Jenny,

      I'm very flattered that you think I was right.
      However (and not to condone Chanel's claims) from a technical standpoint the distance of so many decades almost assuredly makes it a different perfume, even if the notes happen to be exactly the same. Lost perfumers' bases, substituted materials, enhanced techniques such as Co2 supercritical and other such stuff mean that the newer version will not be quite the same.
      I do realize nevertheless that what you're saying has a point and that Chanel might want us to believe that they're working tabula rasa. The latter thought makes me a bit apprehensive though because it would be so much more "exploitable" to say that they're re-issuing a long lost classic, the way Guerlain does, eh? Then again Guerlain does this for their "non commercial" re-issues, not for mass consumption. ;-)

      Thanks so much for commenting!

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  7. M,

    to be especially bitter and scathing (something I don't usually do, but I feel Chanel has for many recent years benefited by a particularly lenient and lax attitude by perfume fans online) , Chanel had never any real claims into using ratios of jasmine above the as of now restricted IFRA standards!!! (yes, not even in the extrait of No.5).
    It's all a legend and a "dream" they have been selling. The actual jasmine oil used has always been very small in the last 3 decades at least. So any furore they raised is just PR damage control on their part.

    You can refer to my articleChanel No.5 The lure of precious ingredients (which explains that myth and how it was built)

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  8. Nick,

    not only it does mean hedione (and a few jasmolactones or nature-identical synthesized jasmones) but any reference to natural jasmine used reminds me of those claims of "aromatherapy" shower gels and shampoos that include a drop of essence in a ton of product so they can claim the claim on the label. (but you know that in the ingredients list the essence in question is behind all the other stuff, at the end of the list, even behind "parfum")

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  9. Spam is my curse it seems.... :-(

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  10. sbe13,

    I sure hope so! Must have been satisfying, LOL!!

    A powdery jasmine sounds like just the thing to renew my interest in Les Exclusifs which had stalled after the gorgeous Sycomore, to be honest.

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  11. Rola,

    amazing what a little phrase can do attached to a brand which we have come to revere.
    Yes, despite myself I have hopes too!

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  12. Well, in the case of this fragrance, i'm pretty sure that it's not hedione, since the jasmine used on it has a slightly fruity, yellow aspect on the aroma, while the hedione is more green to my nose. This is a lovely Chanel, very true to the classics. Altough the jasmine is highlighted, this is not a heavy jasmine fragrance. It starts with a exquisite blend of aldehydes, iris and ylang-ylang, then leaving space for the jasmine to shine, and at the base revisiting the jasmine and combining it with a gorgeous woody base of sandalwood supported by some musks. It's really well done, there was a long time that i didn't smell a Chanel that i wanted to glue my nose on my arm from the first moment until the last on skin.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous07:23

      Absolutely agree with your comments! I love it! Bought it today, and am lifting my wrist to my nose every few seconds, LOL! I would also add that its very creamy and soft, and very elegant scent.

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  13. henrique,

    it's great to have you give us first hand experience with the new scent, thank you!!
    I haven't participated in any splits lately and looks like I missed out. It sounds absolutely delightful, so up it goes on my list.

    Again, thanks for the useful comment!

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