No. 18 (2007)
by Chanel

No. 18, a scent of mixed directions, deserving of mixed metaphors. At the start, it's pure chemical laboratory, in the classy way Chanel stirs up synthetics. In a few minutes, brisk, fresh leaves unfurl from a branch of the same tree where Bel Respiro sprouts more distinctively. In a short time, 18's leaves die and fall into a nondescript rose garden. I feel I understand the intent of the composition and wish it could have nailed the synthetics/green leaves/roses concept a little better cuz I like the idea.

P.S.
I hadn't noticed the cumin note until Ubu mentioned it. Yup. Now it's so obvious. So, the horizontal thumb is tilted slightly more downward.

My first experience with No.18 was pretty much love at first sniff. Fresh and slightly vegetal, 18 boasts an iris note like no other! It is an arresting beauty. As the hours wear on, the paper card carrying this scent is enriched by ambrette and a slight musk. I'm so loving this one, and ready to empty my wallet, but my (very wise) friend recommends WEARING it on my skin before committing to purchase. After this juice is on my wrist, I'm horrified to smell cumin! Somewhere underneath the glorious iris/ambrette/musk trio is the hideous and quite out of place smell of body odor. My heart is broken and my nose is disgusted. I keep snorfling my wrists in hopes of the body odor note being a false perception...alas, my nose is true, and the underlying skank is coming from the Chanel. Still refusing to accept defeat, I ordered a small spray vial to wear a few times - just to make sure. Well, the cumin note ended up not being as bad as originally thought. Yet, as I wear #18, it leaves me completely unsatisfied. So in the end, I close my wallet and keep Chanel's No.18 only as a fantasy.

I am turned off by myself...
I wore Chanel No 18 for a whole day after I couldn't decide whether I like it or hate it just by swatches and I did not want to be blinded by the fact that it is Chanel and therefore has to be good.
Now I am very certain I do not like it at all! When first putting it on there is that sour scent that is often described as fresh green or olive. I must say it has a freshness to it that is not bad in the beginning. I am not exactly a fan of sour fragrances but still gave it a chance as I was told that the sourness would fade after some time.
Sadly it did not. All that faded was the fresh scent so the sour one was even more dominant. There were other base and middlenotes but I could not figure them out since that one scent stood out that much.
Still there is one positive feature. This smell is definitely very unique! I would recognize it between a thousand. I cannot familiarize it with anything I have smelled before, especially the sour note, I guess there is nothing to describe it by than Chanel No 18. I only wanted a fragrance like that but now I was to find out that unfortunately this does not mean that the smell is any good.

@sofresh. A few perfumer friends of mine had said that 18 is actually very UNISEX, and I can't wait to give it a test run.

Opens.. eau d'green olive? sheer & warm green, softens some.. pink rosebuds appear faintly.. still mostly pale green. Makes me picture a little girl on one of those Victorian postcards, and this would be nice on a young lady.

Thumbs down on me tho!

Although I agree there is a sour pickle-like note in the opening of this fragrance, its actually an intriguing and beautiful scent. The body bring out a fascinating rosey-floral. Not like anything I've ever smelled before, and despite the size/price of the bottle, its definitely on my future-purchase list. Marketed as a female fragrance, but wearable by a man.