Reviews of 31 rue Cambon (2007)
by Chanel

31 Rue Cambon is a nutty-sweet chypre scent, lighter and softer than Mitsouko and more warm and rounded than Givenchy III. It is distinct in being very rich in powdery iris. (A Chanel Les Exclusifs trademark.) So much so that it tempts me to coin a new fragrance subgenre: the iris chypre. A peach note that emerges some time after application keeps this scent closely aligned with both Mitsouko and Givenchy III, but 31 Rue Cambon’s peach is more subdued than Mitsouko’s, and sweeter and more conspicuous than Givenchy III’s. The scent rounds out and slowly sweetens as it develops, so that within a couple of hours it has become extraordinarily plush and peculiarly enveloping.

The iris fades off for the drydown, which arrives after three or four hours. What remains is a fruity lactonic chypre base that reads very much like a padded, fur wrapped version of Mitsouko, altogether less mysterious, but also more comfortable. I’ll invoke Mitsouko and Givenchy III one last time, to affirm that like those other two great chypres, I can wear 31 Rue Cambon with complete confidence as a man.

The opening almost makes me blush. Once the whiff of crotch calms down and the blend of the scent begins to unravel, my second thought is "the scent is wearing me", or "I've borrowed someone else's perfume". Someone who is in a tailored suit with a racy thong underneath. Still, it's beginning to smell interesting.

When the scent warms, it softens and becomes more rounded, floral, softly powdery and pretty - though the aldehydic/animalic/resinous character is definitely still present. At this point I can almost imagine wearing this out somewhere, though I think I'm more of a Coco girl. There is a recognisable Chanel signature about this scent and it feels like Coco's sister - they'd look at each other and appraise "Hmm," thinks 31RC, "she's pretty, but she's wearing far too much lipstick and ostentatious jewellery". "Wow," thinks Coco, "she's pretty, but why does she have to be so snooty? I bet she has a racy thong underneath that perfectly fitting suit."

For some reason, I can never get overly excited about furniture. And when trying to think what is the best visual way to portray 31 Rue Cambon, I cannot stop thinking of neutral coloured furniture. I can admire the architecture of the bottle (magnetic cap maintains the alignment of the mirrored "cc" logo at all times). I can intellectualize about the validity of oakmoss-free chypre and analyze the construction of the fragrance. But as of yet, I remain unaffected, no matter how comfortable or elegant this fragrance may be.

In the context of the entire collection released back in 2007, 31 Rue Cambon stood out right next to the quirky, nutty unpolished ambrette seeds of No. 18. Back than it reminded me of the understated woody and aldehydic-floral juxtaposition of Bois des Îles. Two years later, I’m still impressed with the first few moments of intrigue, where 31 Rue Cambon smells like how you’d expect a luxury good boutique to smell like (reference: Hermès Poivre Samarkand). For a few moments, the juxtaposition of orris, pepper and vetiver seems equally classy and fresh (in the sense of “new”). But is that really how “the best chypre of thirty years” that would “permanently change the landscape of perfumery” suppose to smell like?

A surprisingly unisex iris gem that starts off loud and floral, then quickly settles into a powdery, earthy hum of iris. I find both elements of Coco and No. 5 in this Chanel fragrance, and yet at other times it seems very much its own.

A must-try kind of frag for all serious iris fans.

I really am in for this, and have been wearing it every time I hesitate as to what I should wear at work. It is very "très bien comme il faut", and smells subdued to me.
Peaches in a leather bag that has remained a little in the sun!

I have waited with anticipation for my sample of this fragrance which has received rave reviews. I tore open my prized package, dabbed the precious liquid on my hand and...OLD SPICE...with amber. Sorry, folks, but I remember the Old Spice of yore and this is it! The drydown is prettier and more floral, but nowhere is the brightness of No 5 or the steely resolve of Cristalle. What a disappointment!

Suprise and delight! A chypre, in the modern sense of the genre', that has completely blown me away. As bbBD, I too am captivated from start to finish. Part of the suprise here is 31rC's longevity...true enough, it is an EDT - wearing close with minimal yet ample sillage - but this stuff is tenacious! As far as the notes in this gorgeous blend are concerned, I'm at a loss of words to describe what I'm sniffing! This is one chypre that is completely wearable - which has delighted me to no end. Without the current use of oakmoss, the chypre genre' has suffered greatly. That being said, 31rC is a miraculous masterpiece. Even the most ardent lovers of oakmoss will be able to appreciate 31rC. It is decadent and luxurious - but remains ethereal. Lactonic and rich, an absolute dream. Honestly, I could almost drink this perfume...Jacques Polge + perfumery = genius!

Up to now, I had never given 31 Rue Cambon a full wearing. Also, my first sample of this fragrance was a small dabber. Now I have a slightly larger atomizer sample/decant. I am starting to learn that the best way to sample is to start with an atomizer, even if it is a very small one. The dabber just did not give me a good idea of the development. Also at the time, I did not have any decanting supplies, so I was stuck with dabbing.

Anyway, I LOVED this scent when I sampled it with the dabber. But, it seemed really short lived (maybe an hour or two). So, with my spray sample, I did my usual trick of spraying at least 4 sprays on my forearms (so the scent will be trapped by my sleeves).

The first 2 out of 4 hours are magnificient--fermented fruit and dark florals. It is as if they took the boozy part of Coco, amped it up, and reduced the powder and aldehydes. I really don't get a chypre from this at all--it really seems like a fruit/floral to me, but not in the derogatory sense of the classification.

However, after those initial hours, the scent turned sour. My skin really sucks sweetness away, so it is possibly a skin chemistry issue. It had a sort of classic or old fashioned quality--not the modern drydown I was expecting. And nothing at all like the incredible drydown of Coco. It simply smelled sour, musty and "off". That was where it stayed for the rest of the drydown (and is still detectable now, after about 12 hours).

Needless to say, having a thorough test of a fragrance in several contexts is really important, especially if it is an expensive one! I am a bit disappointed--the opening is so amazing and enticing, and the drydown really detracts from the whole experience. Still, it is quite lovely, and I can see why so many people love it.

I would realy like to write something beautifull about this perfume, but my writing is kinna dull (especially in english). I will just say that this perfume is.....perfect. It is hard to say that something reach a degree when one can say it is perfect, but this thing is just out of this world. Like this absolutely gorgous women who has the most beautiful smile, who has a keen intelligence and sense of humor. This woman don't need to put a lot of makeup to be beautiful, her beauty is just radiating naturally. She also have a lot of class and charisma. This woman is...well she just perfect damn it!. I whish I had Floating Point's guts to able to put aside my masculine stereotypes and let this woman inhabit my body (metaphorically of course).
three thumbs up!

The top note has an affect on my nose like burning, like menthol does. But menthol has its aroma. This one is rather like naphthalene. It reminds me the old chests full of old lace dresses, mothballs and a rag with few drops of bergamot on the top. O.K i know no one would use naphthalene note in a scent ; it must be the pepper which must be very hot one i think.
In the middle when florals rise the scent becomes more modern and debonaire. But with that sandalwood naphthalene (pepper) bergamot oil accord it is impossible to get that old chest out of my mind. I have to try it sometime later for a final decision.

Absolutely stunning! I got this as a sample when I went to purchase Bois de Iles and Gardenia. I'm unsure if I can wear this anytime and any season like antinous said, it seems to fit perfectly for some high society black tie event or going for an opera. Coco Chanel is my staple every winter, this one reminds me of Coco a little but with a more transparent quality to it, so I think there shouldn't be too much to wear it in summer or autumn nights... regardlessly, I'm addicted to it and going to bathe it anyway! Mmmmmm... it's a 6 out of 5 stars!

I've this over the last couple days, and regardless of how I try I cannot articulate a review of the fragrance itself. All I can say is that I was captivated from start to finish. At one point I dozed off reading with 31RC on my arm, and I woke up smelling my wrist. Even in my sleep I couldn't help but explore this fragrance! Coromandel might be the most wearable (for a man, at least) of the Exclusifs, but this is by far the most beautiful.

This is one of the best things Chanel has unleashed on the world in a long time. Perfectly blended, approachable yet mysterious, radiant, classy. It reminds me a bit of Après L'Ondée, but slightly more piquant thanks to the pepper and a touch sweeter. It's also quite feminine, but it smells so darn good that I just want to run out into the street and yell "To hell with these arbitrary gender distinctions!" and then douse myself with it. I decided to throw caution to the wind and wear this out in public today, and I swear to God some woman was following me, no doubt unable to part with the celestial aroma emanating from my person. She didn't have the courage to ask me what it was, though. I'm sure the memory will haunt her for a long time.

31 rue Cambon is one of the most elegant yet versatile perfumes I have ever owned. It is a light chypre in the style of Diorella but does not have its intense citrus punch. Rather, 31 rue Cambon is a chypre/floral that smells very original and quite feminine, I think because of the lack of oakmoss. Other reviewers on Basenotes and elsewhere have commented on its notes of iris, rose, jasmine, sandalwood and pepper which I did not necessarily catch but maybe you will! In any case, A+ for 31 rue Cambon!

Add this one to my short list of new Chypres that I love, falling into the category of "pink chypres" but avoiding the pitfall of the sour, fermented note that ruins most of them. In contrast, it starts out spicy-floral and ends fruity-sweet. 31 Rue Cambon begins, like all great Chypres, with a strong bergamot top note. It moves into what I would describe as a floral phase, with an impressive type of mellow, warm, carnation, or maybe a floral bouquet garnished with clove and other spices. After that, a sweet, soft, base becomes apparent, carrying a note that I can only describe as a teriffic kind of peach-apricot accord, which creeps in, increases, and remains until the end. Throughout its development, this perfume maintains a spicy characteristic that teeters on the edge of Oriental territory, indeed reminding me of the great Coco.

This is one of the best of the Exclusifs line. A chypre without oakmoss. A chypre based on an iris-pepper accord. Iris, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, pepper. Polge says he used a variety of patchouli he likes to replace oakmoss in the base, which he finds too bitter. An oriental chypre.

These are things one reads about 31 Rue Cambon. It does come across as a chypré scent; but without the oakmoss it leaves you hanging, tantalized to figure out if this chypré scent is a true chypre or not. The equivocation on the genre theme is central, but the overall impression still satisfies. It is modern: not too rich, but making allusion to the old familiar richness of other chypres we have known. With expert fancy footwork, it dances around the chypre concept and leaves us gaping at the mystery of its construction. With all the fragrances in the Exclusifs series, Chanel is playing the notes very close to the chest. Skeletal descriptions of the pyramids, mere allusions to this or that ingredient, when you know there are dozens of elements in the mix.

Conclusions? Beautiful, captivating, tantalizing, allusive, mysterious... Everything a perfume should be. Everything the wearer would like to be.

Dior Homme's little sister ... though a little more varied, and ultimately, not nearly as nice.

What a stunning scent! It is complex and reveals its warmer notes as it dries down on my skin.

I love this!! It is my favorite and I wear it alost every day. I agree with Margi, the longevity on my skin leaves much to be desired, so I spray and respray. After zooming through the first bottle I went on a new hunt for a scent with more staying power, found Golconda by JAR, and now wear them both (seperately). Which do I prefer? the 31 Rue Cambon!!!

This is a lovely chic fragrance that transports you back to 1920's Paris. Very feminine but bold. Does smell very similar to No 5 on drydown, but sufficiently different to make me want to purchase. I cannot identify any particular notes except maybe jasmine?? Longevity on this one was not as good on my skin as was Coromondel, or indeed other Chanel frags, but hey it comes in a 200 ml bottle so no problem with reapplying!!

The other favorite of the Exclusifs I worship! Pepper and Iris creates the Chypre accord for this one, and well done at that! Powdery, sweet and leathery effect, I think this is the least transparent and the most complex of the six. Understated elegance with a definite identity. I think one can instantly recognize this scent like that of No. 5 and Coco, so you know this is one helluva unique scent, and smells definitely like a classic IMO. I'm surprised people were expecting more from the line, but I honestly think this is a definite winner. The floral aspects are definitely balanced with its semi-musty, sweet, and leathery aspects--a masterpiece! A classic definitely born!

Just tested. Very agreeable and I think it is easy-to-wear for a lady, anytime and any season. Chic and not over-powering. Best of the new additions to the range. Beautiful packaging for the exclusif range, retaining the classic, no-fuss bottle design, but with the magnetic clic detail of the cap to the bottle.