No. 5 Eau Première (2008)
by Chanel

To describe Eau Première as No. 5 after a facelift might be accurate, but it’s not entirely fair. Eau Première is nicer than that - not so much the product of plastic surgery as the original seen in a magic glass that peels away some of its weight and age to show the young girl inside the woman. The lines are smoothed over, but the bones are if anything more visible, and the familiar contours are still there.

Is the iconic No. 5 formula diminished in this greener, fruitier variation? To a degree, yes; but not without some compensating gains. Everything is lighter and more effervescent, even if there is a little less substance, a little less character remaining. The peach and aldehydes are intact, though obviously brightened, in the top notes, and the unmistakable spicy, lactonic, jasmine-centered floral heart accord appears where it’s expected. Only this time out it’s plainly less plush and powdery than in previous incarnations.

Eau Première is not only brighter, but fresher than the familiar No. 5, mostly because its floral accord is lighter on the indole, and because it lacks the subtle animalic accents among the base notes. It’s in that sanitized drydown that Eau Première may disappoint admirers of the original No. 5: the new scent does lack some warmth, depth, and longevity by comparison. On the other hand, Eau Première's perkier, slenderized profile may also make the scent palatable for a new generation of women, and in that regard I see it as a positive development.

Does anyone else feel like they're layering a weak No. 5 with Bel Respiro when wearing Eau Premiere? I think I prefer to have my Chanels served unscrambled, but I understand what others appreciate. I can comprehend what Lilybelle's saying about the easy-breezy category that No5EP shares with Cristalle, but I think Cristalle's character is more distinctive and desirable.

No5 Eau Premiere is the newest interpretation of the fragrance. The original No5 was the Parfum, released in 1921 for gifts to the customers in Chanel boutiques. The Eau de Toilette was released in 1924 to make it more accessible. The Eau de Parfum was released in the 1980’s to contend with the power-fragrances of the time - like Poison and Opium. A common misconception is that the EdP is the “original”. I’d like to dispel that myth.
The marketing for Eau Premiere wants us to think of No5 as a painting. Eau Premiere would be the watercolour. My interpretation of this is that it’s transparent, with soft edges. If No5 really is a painting, I’d like to extend the metaphor.
The Parfum is the oil painting - beautiful but “thick”. The top note of mainly Neroli and Aldehydes persist for hours, and eventually there is a rich buttery floral left on the skin.
The EdT would have to be a 1920s Art-Deco work, the Aldehydes here are softer than in the Parfum, the top notes are more ‘Peachy’ and it has a soft, powdery and Rosy heart. Romantic and classy.
The EdP would be an ugly piece of Pop-Art. Loud, bright Ylang-Ylang over a sharp and Fatty Aldehydic note, similar to the Aldehydes of the time demonstrated well in Estee Lauder’s White Linen, with a slightly Animalic and dry Iris base.

With Eau Premiere, the first impression is indeed of lightness and transparency. The Aldehydes have obviously been toned down, as it doesn’t smell quite so ‘old’. They are in no way sharp or offensive, but instead have a feeling of modernity, they are still familiar. With the toned down Aldehydes, the citrus note that has been hidden behind them is free to make an appearance. A light lemon citrus topnote is supported by a light Neroli in the background. This makes the opening distinctly “fresh”.
The heart is a soft Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine accord, slightly fecal and inky, and a floral bouquet note, which suggest flowers but never explicitly reveal themselves.
The base is warm, soapy and almost buttery and lingers on the skin for a good 4 hours. The sillage reminds me of the No5 soap - I get a wonderful waft of it whenever I open the drawer that it lives in in my store.

The best thing about Eau Premiere is that it is still obviously Chanel No5. I like that a lot.

This is the heart of Chanel No 5 minus the dated stuff. When finances allow, I will buy a bottle. To me, Eau Premeire is as close to perfume perfection as a fragrance gets.

The above was my take in February. I had only sprayed it on my wrist in a departmehnt store. Since then I have obtained an ample sample and was better able to see how it developed. It did not live up to my expectations. Chanel Eau Premiere does not work well on me after a time. All I get are sharpened wood pencils and Raid. It is so woody, it should be called an interpretation of Coco, rather than of Chanel No 5. It also fades very quickly, I’m pleased to say.

Chanel 5 Elixir Sensuelle, which I do not see in Basenotes, starts out as pure, crisp beauty. Some of the old fashioned fragrance notes seem to be gone, leaving just the heart of Chanel 5, and it is jazzed up with a lightsome and sparkling floral opening that is new and yet very Chanel 5. It is cleanliness and freshness personified.

In its next stage, not very long after, it disappointingly oozes into a sickly sweet, cloying, and overly powdery concoction. It is ruined with too much too sandalwood or vanilla or amber or something and deteriorates into an unremarkable and predictable gooey department store fragrance. It loses its Chanel-ness completely. And it no longer smells very “fresh”, either. I was SO disappointed.

Ernest Beaux created the original Chanel 5 and he created the original Evening in Pairs perfume. I always thought these two perfumes had qualities in common. Both these fragrances are controlled and very directed and do not have the amber "poof" that, in my opinion, ruins fragrances. They get smaller as they dry down as if they were being compressed into diamonds rather than billowing out like clouds. Nether the original Chanel 5 or the original Evening in Paris have amber in their compositions! I expected Chanel 5 Eau Premiere and Chanel 5 Elixir Sensuelle to be like this, but sadly, they get ambery and sweaty toward the end, which is a characteristic of today’s facile and predictable fragrances. Mr. Beaux would be appalled.

Basically, this is the current No. 5 EDP without the monstrous old-lady-smelling aldehydes and with more powder in the drydown. Others are citing citrus in the opening, which I don't get, but it's certainly bright enough. EP sits nicely on the skin, maintaining a lovely buttery quality throughout. This is well-made, totally wearable, and more than just "nice" and "classy" (ugh, that word), but I wouldn't call it transcendent. Still, as a young person I do appreciate the effort made to "translate" Le Monstre for a younger generation.

At first I was enthousiastic about the scent, but now I've worn it, I don't really like it. The scent is light, classy and feminine indeed without being that flowery. But there's a bitterness to it that doesn't work miracles on my skin and the scent is also a bit weak in the way that it doesn't feel complete or rich. I can see why people would like it, but its not good for either my skin, my age or my type of girl.