Reviews of Égoïste / L'Égoïste (1990)
by Chanel

For me Maison Chanel have only two fantástic fragance for man.
Pour Monsieur and LÉgoiste.
Chanel LÉgoiste ist one of the best.
Brazilian Rosewood+sandalwood plus vanilla and you have a fantástic frag.
In this niche of market is not easy find normal price / hig quality, but with Chanel Ègoiste you can have it.
Used that everydays and in any ocasions and you dont regreted.

I love the fruity note combined with rosewood in the opening. The spicy rose heart note is tempered by the top notes and is sensual, but not allowed to lose its dignity. The creamy woods in the base are sweet, musky, slightly amberic and complex. I'm very partial to the scents from the House of Chanel, and this is one of their best. Interestingly enough, I have always enjoyed this scent and still have never tried the platinum version.

Many years ago I bought a beautiful hand crafted acoustic guitar made from Brazilian Rosewood. As time has passed the sound has got even better and the wonderful smell has dissipated. Even today when I take it out of its case I can still conjure up the wonderful sweet, salty, dark, and smooth smell of freshly worked Brazilian Rosewood.

When I sprayed Egoiste on my wrist I was immediately transported back to the moment when I first smelled my guitar. The rosewood in Egoiste is beautiful, and in conjunction with sandalwood and vanilla forms the elegant and long lasting heart of the fragrance.

Egoiste begins with a sparkling accord of mandarin and rosewood that settles down onto a heart of slightly spicy rose. As it begins to dry down a perfect harmony of vanilla and sandalwood emerges to support the rosewood and rose. The sandalwood is silky, and the vanilla smells very natural. Within an hour cinnamon weaves its way between the rosewood, sandalwood, and vanilla, and this combination lasts all day on my skin.

The combination of wood on the top and at the bottom gives Egoiste a unique character that is not going to appeal to everyone, but few people could fail to appreciate its perfect harmony.

Like my guitar, Egoiste will be sticking around.

Smooth and enjoyable. Smoky, woody and a tad sweet much like a truck -ton of niche perfumes but now at designer prices. Get it while it's hot! Speaking of hot, don't wear this out in the heat lest you be inundated with a sweet smoke. Longevity? Lasts for hours and hours on me.

This scent is so sexy, commanding, yet approachable. My favorite on DH, and luckily his, too! The top notes are a warm yet fresh and the creamy, woody drydown is musky but not cloying (like Musc Ravage can be...). It is pure, well bred class...without even trying. It instantly dresses up rock and roll t-shirts and jeans but insists you wear your finest Italian loafers with them. It feels just as comfortable in the boardroom, going out for sushi, or enjoying a romantic evening at home. Everyday, anytime of year...bring it on...

Delicious joyous opulent and silky smooth. Starts with an exuberant mandarin and warm resiny woodiness of rosewood and seamlessly weaves into the extravagant rose, cinnamon and carnation heart. From there the intoxicating cloud drifts into the vanilla and sandalwood base.

This is for the spice and floral lovers. It's sweet without being cloying, radiant floral without being strident, and sparklingly spicy without any of the other facets being overwhelmed.

One of the very best fragrances ever created, for men or women.

Yes the Robitussin cough syrup caught me off guard,but quickly faded to the point
that I felt there was nothing else thre.

Then thr ose notes emerged and slowly blended with the vanilla /sandalwood base.

Get passed the opening and you have a soft elegant cologne for that special event.

A spicy, rose oriental with good sillage and staying power. A bit on the formal side, but not impossible for more casual occasions. The rosewood in the head note is critical here; it sweetens the top and moderates the acidity of the citrus. Also a brilliant touch is the coriander and the vegetable musk of ambrette seed. These two combine with the oriental elements in the base to enliven the central floral note of rose. Very smooth and elegant. One feels debonair when wearing this.

This review is under revision.

Excellent fragrance for women wanting to impress other women. Wear it instead of your Coco one of the May evenings, and you will feel your girlfriends' noses up and down your neck. They will never guess what you are wearing but will be mesmorized by the aroma and stunned by your honest reply.

BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING, OUTSTANDING !!!

Egoiste is a beautiful oriental, with an outstanding rose/sandalwood accord (one of the best i've ever smelled).
It is one of those fragrances you love to hate. It is overwhelming, and you would notice it even when the person left the room 5 minutes ago.
The beginning is a little bitter, and i can smell a hint of mandarine. After 5-10 minutes you start to notice the rose and the sandalwood and finally (after several hours) the vanilla based drydown.
Egoiste is also on of the very few male fragrances that would suit up very well to a woman. Maybe that's one of the reasons why a lot of people don't like it.
It's also a very warm and elegant scent. Because of it's strong personality you should apply it carefully, and use it in the evening or in fall/winter.
The thing i like most about Egoiste is the fact, that it has a strong personality, and is rarely used. It smells completely different from all the other products out there in the market, and people will recognize you immediately if you wear this one.

Egoiste is stunningly beautiful, rich, and tenacious. In an effort to convey with words the texture of it (because it is fascinating), the best one I can come up with is oily, thick lamp oil. When sprayed, it "rests" on the top of my skin as though I've applied some sort of amazing smelling suspension, my skin drenched in it, can only absorb so much and the rest is left on the surface to radiate into the air. This is my impression of the effect of course, because it's not literally oily. It's as though the ingredients were folded carefully into a thick, smooth emulsion, nothing stands out, everything perfectly blended, the sandalwood and vanilla taking the main stage from beginning to end. I love the way the higher pitched ingredients give this an almost off-putting old dresser closet wood impression at the opening. There's something discordant there but it's addictive and delicious, as is the entire Egoiste experience. I didn't appreciate this when I first smelled it at age 20 and I don't think I should have been expected to, but now, 10 years later, I see the rich, dense sandalwood beauty that Egoiste is.

sandalwood +rose+vanilla= a really great frag that says that the person wearing it is a gentleman

While going through my dad's colognes I came across an old Egoiste stick deodorant. It was almost dry when I opened it. It smell so good that I tried it on my skin. I was surprised how lovely it smelled on me. Then I went to various sites to read reviews. I found one that compared Egoiste to Bois des Iles. I got a sample of Bois des Iles and found it too sweet, then I bought a mini of Egoiste to try it. I have worn it every day for the last week and have received many compliments, especially from men. I looked through my dad's things some more hoping that he had a bottle of EDT. Since he had a deodorant I knew he had to have the EDT. He must have finished it, because to my disappointment, he only had an almost new bottle of Platinum, which I don't think a woman could ever wear. I don't remember my dad smelling like Egoiste, I remember him wearing Allure and several Cartier colognes. I broke down and I am giving myself a 3.4oz of the EDT for Christmas.

Cinnamon,Cinnamon and more Cinnamon.Wrapped in a slight Vanilla and a tinge of Annisette. The opening reminds me of Eternity for about 1 second then the Cinnamon and a minor Rose comes out. Poupourri is what this reminds me of or as one person put it Apple pie. I don't really get the strong Vanilla/Sandalwood like other Orientals.The tangerine is bitter. Totally different,Very strong and lasting. Even with Brazilian Rosewood oil and Damask Rose it will not make you smell like Rosewater(like grandma). The name fits the scent...UNIQUE.

An evening wear classic for me to appreciate upon wearing each time for the ladies to love. Next to Antaeus, one of Chanel's best!

Í'm not a big fan of sweet and woody. But this stuff is fantastic! Very characteristic, and yet subtle and non-offensive. Maybe not suitable for the office, or is it? It is strong in a way that it has 'body', it's finished and polished, but it definitely isn't overwhelming like lots of modern fragrances can be. It's a very private scent, in a way.
The black box with the white print,the masculine bottle...this is something a man whant's to posess, eh? Luxurious quality. Like a pair of quality shoes or a swiss watch.
Of course you should try this before buying it. I'm sure you will like the smell, but will you feel comfortable wearing it?

Just one word "Classic"...ladies love this scent...just one spray...it works in the evening and winter time very very nice scent...it reminds me of first love...

Mmm, this is definitely the musky sweet, buttery soft face of sandalwood, not woody dry at all. The top and middle notes add some spicy zest but mostly it's a smooth, sweet scent. I even wish they would have gone a little lighter on the vanilla since it's on the verge of too sweet for my taste, but absolutely not cloying, more like so rounded it almost lacks interest. Almost. Then I get a whiff of spicy rose or coriander or zesty tangerine and my interest is renewed.

Can't believe those who say egoiste is too sweet, cloying etc. This is the best vanillic scent, IMO, not headache inducing like mostly newer sweet, vanilla scents, very soft and round, transparent vanilla and the smoothest of woods and spices blends with a faint rose accord ( yes the rose is not so up front in there with my experience) . It has the classic Chanel character with a relatively modern smell that makes it perfect for someone in their 20s who thinks Antaeus is too dated. Chanel scents truly has magic, Antaeus makes you smell like money, PM concentree is sexy, and this one, well it makes you feel like an indulgent egoist.

Wow... this one is SO good! Sure, the carnation in the top notes can be off-putting on the first couple of tries, but once you know what to expect it works beautifully as it's harshness is slowly but methodically mellowed out and taken over by the first the rose, then the sandalwood, and then a gorgeous combination of vanilla and rose. I love this scent so much because it is rare for me to have lots of respect for a scent artistically and also love to wear it. I can all but gaurantee that the people who say it's weak are suffering from olfactory fatigue, because I've been complimented on it many hours after applying it and have smelled it on myself the next morning before. Between the harshness of the top and the sweetness, this is definately not for everyone. In fact, for a while I thought it wasn't for me. It took me many testings to fully fall in love. But here I am, and I'm loving it. Enjoy mates!

Nice, but too classical. If it hadn't that
rose accord it would be better for me. But still Chanel has great fragrances. Unfortunately for this one, Allure is far greater , being my favourite Chanel cologne.

This is a deep, rich fragrance of very high quality. In some ways, it is so distinctive that it is quite difficult for me to wear. It doesn't blend with your skin and create a subtle impression, it sits on top of your skin loudly pumping out egoiste sillage in all directions.

Initially, I found the top notes a little synthetic to my nose (maybe the aldehyde chanel thing?) and I can still detect this if I think about it but the composition and heart and base are so strong that I soon forget.

Beautiful notes, stunningly composed into a powerful fragrance.

I smelled this fragrance a while ago and now I'm kicking myself for not buying it because it's harder to come by these days. Great scent for fall/winter, but not an everyday scent by any means. Pick this one up if you can get it !

This stuff was simply too (for want of a better word) classy for the American mass market. No, they want their Tommys and their Acquas and their Beyond Paradises and all those other insipid, synthetic bug excretions.

Egoiste is distinction in a simple glass bottle, and (at the expense of my sounding VERY elitist) just way too good for Middle America.

I smell a strong rose in the top note but Egoiste's real plus is in the lasting sandalwood and vanilla drydown that you forgot about the day before but catch a whiff of in the morning. It's hard to wear everyday and too strong and unique for the office. Guess it's for the odd evening in or out then. Why do Chanel never put their stuff on sale? They're not that exclusive.

I love the sweet spicy Rose, and elegant powdery sandalwood drydown. Atunner that lasts and lasts. Chanel just reeks of class.

Not enough o's in smooth to describe this one. Woody and Spicy? Naw . . . that's a bit of a cheat. It's the carnation, ambrette, and the rose at the heart that make it happen in anamazing balancing act.

Frankly, I am of two minds here: A well dressed handsome gentleman (ahem)could certainly pull this off with elegance and finesse. On the other hand, I do get images of black and white 1930's movies, when the pin striped, flower lapeled, pencil-thin mustachioed, floor walker of a department store approaches with an unctous " May I help you? "

Final answer? For me, four out of five stars. If you haven't done so yet, you should really give this one a try. Thumbs up!

Égoïste has achieved mythic renown. It is unique, brilliant, and savory. A creation of genius, it transcends the limits of mere designer fragrance and reaches a level of originality, refinement, and elegance that fixes it to the stratosphere. As in most of my favorite scents, loving this one didn’t come easy—my first reaction was actual annoyance. With great works of art one has to improve one’s own capacities in order to grasp the depths and heights of the creation. Égoïste was a challenge, but learning it was more than worth the effort. Its spices, florals, and woods meld in exquisite proportion. Its liquor note provides the necessary daring and lightness of being. Its wonderfully elegant Damask rose is deep, sensual, and masculine. The dry down is sweet, light sandalwood that holds for hours. Égoïste IS mythic, but even the myth doesn’t do justice to its actuality.

I would have liked some leather in the drydown of this one. Otherwise it is lovely.
benb

Egoiste.. It's incredibly sweet, but in a good way, like honey, when compared to white sugar. The smell is intoxicating. It is reminiscent of so many things at once. It is definitely a scent of class. It has the subdued, understated, and simple elegance that is the mark of luxury.

Everyone who I ask claims to smell something different.. cinnamon, vanilla, pot pourri, honey, even pizza.. I personally find it smells like the Italian soft drink "Brio", and has a quinine quality. Not that it actually smells of any of these things, but it reminds us of so many wonderful things at once.

Besides that, it is extremely original and memorable. Having worn it for about two or three days, I've already been told "whenever I smell that, I'll think of you". A good choice as a "signature" scent.

Egoiste is simply a masterpiece. Lovers of oriental fragrances that haven't tried this one yet are missing out on a whole lot!

I'm a girl and I wear this scent all the time. To me it smells like apple pie, and I'm not the only person who has commented on that.

One of very few fragrances that I knew I wouldn't regret buying at first sniff. I'm a fan of spicy and woody-orientals. I remember the first time I wore one drop on my wrist from the sample vial and I got compliments on it! It's been a staple of my wardrobe since 1992. I generally reserve it for cooler weather. The opening mandarin is absolutely breathtaking, then I smell the spice and the rose. This is probably the only rose I'm comfortable with for in a men's scent. The drydown with the ambrette and vanilla keep me sniffing my wrist all day long. Always warm and comfortable with excellent longevity. I have no idea why the "Platinum" version was named after it and why it's available instead of the original, which is so hard to find. I consider this the male counterpart to Coco Chanel. Egoiste and Antaeus are my two absolute favorite Chanels.

Spicy oriental in the same vein as Opium Pour Homme. Starts off with a sharp spike but smoothens out to a nice vanilla base. I also detect anise in it even though it's not listed. I'm not too fond of rose as a note but it's nicely done with this scent. It's rather subdued while all the other notes are balanced just right. It's another must-have for a true aficionado of oriental scents. Too bad it was pulled off the shelves of major department stores.

It is a woody oriental par excellance. It is my all favourite fragrance and given my passion for it it is most likely to remain my companion for the rest of my life.

This is a fragnance you can recognise from a distance, because it is so special. It is definitely a winter fragnance because it is soo soo sweet. I have not yet found a sweeter fragnance than this. Some people have compared it to Opium, but to me they are miles apart.

The bottle should be entirely black.Because that´s what this is.Black on Black.A cent that i would picture a hybrid of Phil Anselmo(Pantera singer) and George Clooney wearing.Person who knows what there about and isnt affraid to say it.But says it all in calm and polite manner.

When ewer i smell this it takes me to a place of shadows and mystery.If this cent would be a movie it would be Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch.

Dark , soothing , wery comforting.I detect some smoke in the basenotes as well.This cent is not for Little Boys.If you like your fragrances to have an statement , to get you noticed(in a good way) , this one is the one.

I fell in love with this one almost 10 years ago, and then it fell to obscurity only cause i moved very far away and wanted new stuff, but i always always always remembered it and cherished it for the beauty of one of the best male scents out there, this is sweet, sensual, at the same time spicy and yet almost "velvety". It's a very original scent cause there was nothing like this before, and to tell the truth, there is no Egoiste that's not enchanting. Be sure to get it from an original retailer or at a chanel boutique cause there are Not too many out there and there are lots of rip-offs. Smell it before you buy it, and make sure to test it on the skin as it differs a great deal to what it is on the paper strip. It last a loong time on the skin too.

It`s very beautiful oriental fragrance accented on sandalwood and spicy vanilla. Sorry it`s too sweet for me... and as every Chanel fragrance for men - it is strong and long-lasting!

I really love Egoiste.I don't quite understand what people find medicinal about it.It is one of the few sweet scents I like.I don't think this is overtly feminine like Jaipur,Rochas man,et al.This is the only Chanel that I would buy not that the other scents,for instance,Anteus,Pour Monsieur aren't good.It is like Envy to the extent that it is a heavier romantic scent that few dislike.I don't see how anyone could not like it.It smells delicious.I only wished the lemon was toned down a bit.Very minor complaint.Highly recommend.

When I first wore this scent I got orange and vanilla, like in fifty-fifty bar. Now I get booze and lavender and sandalwood. Either way, this is a rich, warm beautiful oriental.

well-made fragarance. it is very distinctive from others. this scent is not for another teenager

girls like it alot, this fragrance and opium are too close but egoist is stonger, chanel line of frgrance is really great they don't make fragrance that fail

Just like Fahrenheit you'll recognize Egoïste immediately in your proximity. Very original spicy and warm oriental with an almost medicinal, semi-bitter opening. That quickly fades though, leaving room for a sweet, woody base with vanilla and roses that keeps you enchanted (and enchanting!) for many, many hours. One of Chanel's best and a rich example of the fact that their male collection is on par with the legendary female one.

Distinctive, powerful, and refined masculinity in a bottle! I never grow tired with this scent. I also notice I walk taller and demand respect when I wear this. Everyone step to the side...I've arrived!

It’s a shame I tried Platinum Egoiste before this gem. Egoiste is a wonderful Oriental. Egoiste is sweet, and very multi faceted. I think I am alone on this, but I always get a pretty strong tea note whenever I smell Egoiste. It’s almost like a combination of Chai Tea and Green Tea, but not many people agree with me on this one. Egoiste is a very seductive and sensual fragrance

my signature scent that i keep for special occassions... there's nothing quite like egoiste for parties, weddings, and other events. for me, egoiste lasts and lasts on my skin, and my girlfriend adores it. it's strong, yes, but not overpowering, distinct, yes, but not unruly. it's one of the only scents i can wear and still smell its aura around me many hours later like a close friend.

Égoïste is simply quite perfect: fresh mandarin-lavender top, vanilla-amber-sandalwood base. It's one of those rare scents that suit any mood and occasion, it's never out of date or out of place. A Classic.
I've worn Égoïste since 1990, my husband has worn it for years, we both wore Égoïste when we got married! :D Could never be without a bottle of it.

Egoiste is very long lasting. It is described as woody and spicy, the main spice here being cinnamon. I love it, much more than Platinum! The name means SELFISH in French. I read that it had another name at first: Bois Noir (black wood).

The original Egoiste is a very rich vanilla and sandalwood scent, very very long lasting. I use to love the scent and wore it all the time...but have since moved on to others. Think of the scent like Obsession for men but much sweeter.

May have been a failure in sales but is a definte winner in terms of quality. A beautifully made Oriental of vanilla, spice, citrus and sandalwood.