No. 22 (1922)
by Chanel

I love this one. Amazing staying power, but gorgeous every minute of it.

22nd January, 2012.

At first, I thought No.22 was much too candyish. It reminded me of the divinity fudge my mother made back in the 50's. As a matter of fact, I used to say as a joke: Chanel No.22 is so sweet diabetics are not allowed to wear it! But soon enough that perfume grew on me. Now, I believe that No.22 is one of the richest and most exquisite white florals ever created.

18th October, 2011.

( VINTAGE )

First let me start off my saying this is my favorite Chanel! No 22 is the envy of all ancient Chanel's! This classy beauty is by far one of thee most interesting & highly appealing fragrances I have come across! It opens up with a tremendous burst of Aldehydes in which No 5 can not compare. It then slowly progresses into a soft white rose fragrance which is later dominated by the best part of this fragrance which is the base! Incense, Vanilla & Vetiver form a highly delectable delicious aroma that is soothing to both men & women. No. 22 becomes a skin scent which is the only thing I do not like about it. I wish it could project for miles, however it is meant for close quarters & it preforms very nicely. Dare I say this is far superior than No 5 is a understatement. The vintage formula is best, altho the Les Exclusives line is not bad, I noticed they did tone down the incense in the newer version, however a remarkable structure to a underestimated fragrance IMO! Long live NO 22!

9th July, 2011.

I have stopped by to say that I am really impressed with the Les Exclusifs EdT on No. 22. It performs lovely, long-lived and rich in feel, whereas many Les Exclusifs leave me dissatisfied as clearly giving you the watered-down feel when wearing them and some with really disappointing longevity.
A most generous and kind BN friend here, gifted me with a small decant of the current parfum of No. 22. I am amazed that the EdT is so satisfying and really transports the overall feel well. Of course, in the drydown the class and excellence of a Chanel parfum is another story (most heavenly incense drydown!).
No. 22 in general is not for every day, but is meringue something you would treat yourself on a daily base? I really like the association with meringues - it's the sugary, WHITE, crisp and foamy quality in both.
Bon appetit! And count me in as a fan that actually prefers No. 22 over No. 5 for sophistication!

10th June, 2011.

If N°5 is considered the mother of aldehydes,
then N°22 must be their queen mother.

The opening blast of aldehydes in N°22 is un-
matched within the world of fragrances.
If you don't know the smell of fizzy aldehydes,
then take a sniff of the opening blast of N°22;
it's aldehydes in their purest form. Absolutely
gorgeous. It dries down into a soft white floral.

Out of all Les Exclusifs, which are all more or less
male-friendly, this one is the least wearable for
men - it's über feminine.
The overall feel of this perfume is angelic, to me
anyway.
N°22 is nowhere near a sillage monster, but, it
sure has killer longevity.

Two thumbs up!

16th May, 2011. (Last Edited: 23rd May, 2011.)

This one, together with Sycomore, Bois Des Iles and Cuir De Russie IMO stays at the top of the Chanel Collection. Sort of a pushed to the limit version of N.5. The Huge amount of aldehydes in the opening is almost breathtaking. It's like beeing on top of a 2300 feet mountain and having a deep breath. It takes serious and very solid skills to make a fragrance like this and do it perfectly as it moves on a very dangerous territory that can easily turn into disastrous displacements. Chanel N.22 is the apotheosis of aldehydes fragrances and yet a very elegant and classy-classic perfume.

Ever wondered how aldehydes smell like? Check this out and, at least, you'll end up having bigger lungs. A masterpiece.

I'm sorry but I won't go through the orthodox scent explanation as I think this is the kind of fragrance everybody should at least test.

26th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 25th January, 2012.)