Reviews of 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.

The original Chanel n 5 is sexy, timelles, unique and very beautiful, like Marilyn Monroe. Eau Premiere is a more wearable and contemporary version of it. There has more fresh bergamot and less outrageous aldheydes.
Eau premiere is like a picture of Marililyn Monroe corrected with photoshop, to meet the stereotyped beauty standards of fashion magazines: her famous mole erased , her eyes rounded a little bit to open them up, her body slendered, transforming the unforgettable diva into a shallow adolescent wannabe model. Of course, it's going to become very popular and sell a lot. Mediocrity often does.

Initially, I was very leary of a "new #5". I mean, how do you re-invent the wheel? Much to my suprise, this #5 Eau Premiere is a great fragrance. Retaining the basic genetics of it's mother, EP is born unto a new generation - sans aldehydes and tweaked on the fresh/citrus topnotes. Yet it remains, clearly and undoubtedly #5. Worthy of a full bottle, no question!

This version of the original makes me open up my eyes as to why people liked the first one so much to begin with. It's fresher more almost like citrus soda at first and then it turns into a mellow version of the classic no.5 that is less overwhelming. Smells like a mellow and lovely satiny powder vanilla hidden under some blooming flowers... Oh man... I want to wear THIS version to bed.

For me, this is an updated cross between No. 5 and Cristalle, though Eau Premiere is not lemony, more orangey - but it's not strongly citrus. In other words, it doesn't *smell* like Cristalle, rather it serves the same function in my wardrobe as Cristalle has in the past - a fresh Chanel scent you can spritz away and feel refreshed and elegant smelling. It has a little bit of vanilla in the drydown (not as much as Sensual Elixir) to appeal to today's wearers, yet it's still identifiably No. 5. Love Eau Premiere, thumbs up.

A citrusy and fresher version of the original. Great!

Beautiful! Easier to wear than No 5, but not the same totally adorable. I got a full bottle of No 5 Eau Première for my birthday, and I will use every drop in it! A really wonderful every-day-fraganse, working well with the bodylotion and deo of No 5. But for very special moments, I will wear the original No 5!

Not as stunning as the legend.

It is still very pretty, but this smells a little synthetic to me. And weirdly enough, maybe also a bit more mature than No. 5.

To put it simply, if I were a girl and had to pick one, I would go for No. 5.

The older generation of the same formula smells more bewitching and elegant.

It went on in a bold manner, with lots of long-lasting topnotes that were citrusy and—fizzy. Yes, they bubbled, like effervescence. Eau Premiere, in this stage, was like peach Zotz. After awhile, I started to year for the warm, plastic softness of original No. 5, and although I found this amusing, my favorite part was the drydown, which more closely resembled the old fragrance. I can see why the aldehydes were reduced, as the original does improve as they disappear during wearing. But more was done to this version than remove the aldehydes. The entire fragrance was made a bit fruitier and less abstract, more likeable by today’s standards.

No.5 EDT and No.5 Eau Premiere Comparison

Left arm: Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere
Right arm: Chanel No.5 EDT

I own No.5, and received a healthy sized sample of Eau Premiere from the SA at Macy's. My No.5 is relatively new, so I am sure it is the latest formulation.

Upon initial application, the main distinction seems to be a vast difference in the amount of aldehydes. The Eau Premiere does have a bit of waxyness (which I am sure is also from aldehydes), but it is not the extreme level that No.5 has. Also, since the aldehydic blast is less severe in EP, some fruit and floral notes are a bit more apparent.

About 10 minutes in...the aldehydes have mostly burned off in the No.5 and are now down to a more approachable level, and ironically is less waxy than EP. The peach and white floral are coming through, along with a hint of spicyness. I cannot detect any peach in the EP. Right now it smells like a rather straight white floral with a hint of spice, and the waxy aldehyde still present. It definitely smells more "clean and modern", but so far is not as interesting as No.5. I am wondering if this really is just a No.5 without the aldehydes--any real differences are incredibly subtle.

About 30 minutes in...the No.5 has settled into its typical peach, floral, spicy skin scent (beautiful, as always). The EP still is a bit waxy, but the spicyness is coming through more. I still do not smell any peach, but rather a rubbery synthetic note (latex-like), and some light powder.

It will be interesting to see how these two wear on through the day. I can see that I might want a FB of the Eau Premiere, especially if it has decent longevity. It is definitely very "wearable". I am just not sure it has the same classic beauty of the original No.5. And owning a bottle of No.5 means I may have less of a sense of urgency about owning the EP.

I asked the SA what the strength of the EP is, and she said it is "its own strength", whatever that means. I suspect it is an EDT or somewhere between and EDT and EDP--I put 2 sprays of each fragrance on each arm, and the strength, development and sillage are slightly better in the EP (but not by much). If EP is an EDP, then that may justify the price. However, performance-wise, if it behaves like an EDT...well, maybe they are asking a bit too much, then.

Update from a later wearing of Eau Premiere:

Today is the first time I have given a full wearing to No5EP. On another thread, somebody commented that this is an EDP. I do not think that is true. The SA told me it was not EDP nor EDT. My experience last week in comparing it to No.5 EDT is that they lasted and projected about the same, with No5EP having a slight edge. I really think the EP is partway between an EDP and an EDT. I had to spray 2 sprays on each arm because I could barely smell it at first. Then, with the frag under my sleeves, it lasted maybe 4 hours before it turned into mostly a skin scent.

I agree with other assessments that it is like a softer No.5. It still has some aldehydes (waxy, soapy notes), but it really does not have the sparkle or the peachyness of No5. And the spicyness which is in both frags is left a bit bare in the EP without the peach note. It is definitely more modern, but it retains its classic quality--a huge plus, I think.

If I didn't have No.5 already, I would probably get this one. But since I have No.5, I am not sure I feel any need to add EP to my wardrobe right now. Besides, a 5 oz. bottle is really outrageous.

Eau Premiere will launch in the uk on the 27 october. It was delayed by a fault in the lid design.

They are holding a bottle for me at Nordstrom. I believe the release date is end of August, and I cannot wait. This is truly a remarkable,uplifting fragrance. I am in love.

WHEN will this return? I am so excited to purchase a full bottle! This is utterly gorgeous. It's warm, elegant, feminine, sensual, and it doesn't develop the mothball accord on my skin that inevitably emerges from Chanel No. 5 edt. Instead, the basenotes radiate a dry vanilla that works beautifully with the lush topnotes, and balances the aldehydic notes. Eau Première smells the way I've always dreamed Chanel No. 5 would smell on my skin. It melts into it, and becomes something magical, and irresistible.