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31 Rue Cambon by Chanel, 2007

31 Rue Cambon by Chanel, 2007
50 reviews
96% Positive Reviews
Rated #62 in Fragrances
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Posted
By Ms Rochambeau

Like most Chanel scents, 31 Rue Cambon is an abstraction of several things: there are hints of florals, woods citrus, pepper, etc., that really aren't there and that's what make scents from this house interesting. I can appreciate them more when I think of them as being composed by the perfumer like abstract paintings. However, I can't agree with this whole "modern chypre" thing. I feel that it's too revisionist and an historical category of perfumery like the chypre category, should not be redefined as a marketing tool. With that said, I love Rue Cambon for what it is.

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Posted
By demcav

How could I have (almost) been so wrong about 31RC?  At first testing, I felt the bergamot and florals in the opening were too sweet and feminine, and just over an hour later the entire fragrance seemed to completely vanish.  Oh, well, not for me...or so I thought.  What happened over the next 30 minutes, I had never experienced before -- the fragrance re-surfaced, bigger and fuller than its opening (!), supported by a beautiful, soft patchouli/woodiness.  The slightly woody base creates an extremely sensual and well-blended dry down that lasts for about 6 hours and is fast becoming a favorite -- one that, amazingly, I initially almost passed over.  Definitely male-friendly, and not too feminine.   

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Posted
By flathorn
I concur with ilvanita - it's sophisticated from the start and is luxurious, complex and safe. Why safe? Because it is so appealing and likeable a fragrance, a compliment-getter. I don't consider myself a fragrance snob, but I passed on this at first because it was too easy and likeable. I retried my sample later, and... what was I thinking? I find it comfortingly feminine in a sexy way, like it validates your femininity. Being a chypre makes it even easier for me to love. And I like its distinctive Chanel tone. I don't know if it should be called an instant classic, but it sort of has that feel.
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Posted
By miaw2
Very different take on patcholi and iris surrounded by great florals. Not easy to use, the opening is very aldehydic but the drydown is powedery and sweet. Unisex for sure. Sillage, lasting power and projection are average.
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Posted
By Leontion
If this is the future of fragrance without oakmoss, I think that we need not fear the death of art in perfumery. I did not fall in love with this at first sniff on the counter - it required a couple of days of working through a sample. The dry down is divine - softly herbal, balsamic, slightly nutty. The entire composition is radiant and, although it is not a heavy hitter, it lasts well and has good sillage. Compliment from a colleague: "Mmmm, you smell very French today". Probably the single fragrance in my collection that I both admire and enjoy the most. Praise be to Chanel for the new 75ml bottles.
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Posted
By rttoronto
The thing that strikes me the most about 31 Rue Cambon is that it is so very Chanel. Chanel pyramid present in over abundance and that's a good thing. Unisex, beautiful and one of the Les Exclusifs standouts.
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Posted
By iivanita
this is very likable scent, and smells sophisticated from the start, bergamot has big role in the opening, thats likable to majority of people.....this smells luxurious, and complex , and safe (unlike cuir de russia, sycomore) its the most complex from the whole Les exclusifs line, i liked it at a very first sniff but rejected becasue it was too likable, and i was in a search for "sycomore" type of scents....but i bought this one first becasue its safe choice :) and got 2 compliments from strangers on the very 1st day i wore this. p.s. this is very beautiful and complex iris-citrusy-patchouly combination where patchouly shines as a king
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Posted
By jtd
31 Rue Cambon does actually conjure the shape of a chypre. I appreciate the way it redefines the olfactory geometry that makes a chypre so compelling and I love the way it smells. There is a notable lack of bitterness without the oakmoss, but there is a dirtyness/skinness/nuttiness that melds with the buttery amber and just slides along from top through drydown. Fruit? I actually dont see it. More of an ambery woodiness infused with a classic Chanel approach to singing florals, all iris and aldehydes. 31 is effectively a floral oriental folded into the shape of a chypre. Light? Delicate? With its oriental DNA, I find 31 both emphatic and durable. A fantastically successful stab at the contemporary chypre dilemma. Im surprised its not more emulated.
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Posted
By blood-orange
Before I fell head-over-heels in love with 31 Rue Cambon, the Chanel sales assistant likened this fragrance to the scent of old bookshops and museums. At first my response was, "who would want to smell like that?" Well, let me tell you, smelling like ancient manuscripts has never been so appealing. The old, musty smell comes from the complex blend of dry, dusty woods, earthy patchouli and subtle, soapy iris. I cannot find a better way of describing this fragrance's beauty. Perhaps a year ago, when I was mostly into florals and gourmands, I may have passed this fragrance by, however making a discovery of the whole Les Exclusifs range has opened up a whole new world of fragrances for me. Thankfully, this fragrance works well with my chemistry, hence the reason why it made it to my wishlist. Every few seconds I manage to discover something new about this fragrance. One second it smells nutty the next it's smokey and woodsy. There's a touch of pepper in there too, maybe even incense, amber and spices. I am hopelessly devoted to this fragrance, just like when I discovered Coromandel, it was instantaneous love. I don't admire 31 Rue Cambon because it's sexy (although it is in a nerdy librarian way), bold or feminine, I love it because it's like nothing I've ever experienced before. Unlike most reviewers of this particular fragrance, I didn't have an issue with its longevity. It lasted perfectly well on my skin, it almost pained me to wash it off in the shower the next morning. Mellow, soothing and dry, there is no doubt in my mind that this fragrance will be gracing my collection come next Winter.
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Posted
By odysseusm
Hmmm, a patchouli-centric scent which I can endorse??? Must be very well made. It is. Starts off with an aromatic, slightly sweet note in which fruity bergamot plays a large role. At times metallic, other times fresh and bracing. Then (surprisingly) the merest touch of a sweet chocolate / vanilla note appears. The crisp metallic balances this rich note. Hints of a leathery patchouli emerge... and yet all is sprightly and even translucent. The scent simply does not get heavy or cloying in the drydown (which I often find in patchouli scents). Indeed, the dry-down is quite interesting, as the herbal rather than the leathery notes of patchouli emerge, slightly refreshed by revived citrus notes. OK, the scent at times has slight powdery aspect (to be expected) and hints of floral sweetness. Eventually the patchouli settles into its usual nutty-earthy chord. Yet even here, it is handled with restraint. An intriguing, complex scent. Try it and see how it works for you.
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Facts and Details

31 Rue Cambon by Chanel, 2007
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Description:

One of six new fragrances for Chanel's "Les Exclusifs" range created by Chanel master perfumer 258.31 rue Cambon is a chypre fragrance and is named after the address of Chanel's Parisian couture workshop

Details:
DetailValue
Launched Date2007
GenderWomen
PerfumerJacques Polge
AvailabilityIn Production
ByChanel
Base Notes
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Middle Notes
Top Notes
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