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One guy and a Chanel No.5 mystery:

post #1 of 12
9/20/10 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Help!

About a decade ago, my wife and I made our yearly fragrance purchase from Nordstroms at Washington Square. Given what I'd bought, the young gentleman behind the counter said he thought I'd like something. Rather embarrassed, he said he was going to give me a sample of Chanel No.5 he thought would be very appropriate for a man to wear because it was more mild and woodsier. And with that he dropped the sample into our bag and off we went.

I adored the stuff.

I've never been able to find it again.

What was it?

To describe it, the 'juice' was more like a gel and the fragrance lasted for hours beyond anything I'd experienced before save for Le Male. I had to agree with the SA in that it was ''more masculine'' than Old Spice or Le Male. It was quite mild when compared to No.5 in a glass bottle and I'd never have picked the two out as the same fragrance. Any ideas?

Thanks for the help in advance,
Daryl J.
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post #2 of 12
9/20/10 at 8:08pm
I know exactly what you're talking about. It's called the Sensual Elixir:

http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragranc...L-ELIXIR-88149

I smelled it in the store, and thought it was very guy-wearable. However, I also discovered this one - Eau Première...

http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragranc...REMIÈRE-88145

Also very great for a guy. I ended up buying a bottle of the latter. Very great stuff!
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post #3 of 12
9/21/10 at 5:09am
I loved No 5 Sensuel Elixir. Once Eau Première came out I didn't read much about it anymore. I hope it's not discontinued. I have Eau Première (I agree a man could wear it) so I don't feel the need of the other right now, but I'd like it to be available for when I do. There was also a gel version of Coco Mlle that seemed pretty nice, but I just gave it a quick sniff in passing.
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post #4 of 12
9/21/10 at 10:08am
How does Elixir Sensuel Compares to the EDP version of Chanel No 5? I found the edp version very wearable by a man
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post #5 of 12
9/21/10 at 12:34pm
I tried to like Chanel No. 5 Eau Première, but it is not to be. I went back to Chanel No.22 and beathed a sigh of relief.
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post #6 of 12
9/21/10 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rickbr View Post

How does Elixir Sensuel Compares to the EDP version of Chanel No 5? I found the edp version very wearable by a man

Going by memory here - Elixir Sensuel is soft, subtle, and vanillic; No 5 edp is BIG and floral (and very nice, imo!), not as loud as Amarige, say, but very loud compared to Elixir.
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post #7 of 12
9/21/10 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the input; it's appreciated.
The sample I had was soft, subtle, and vanillic as described above but it almost had a woodsy accord as well. I just called it Chanel No.5 for Men and SA's would give me blank or puzzled looks.
I'll seek out the Elixir and will repost as to whether or not it is indeed the product sought.

Cheers,
Daryl J.
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post #8 of 12
9/22/10 at 5:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle View Post

Going by memory here - Elixir Sensuel is soft, subtle, and vanillic; No 5 edp is BIG and floral (and very nice, imo!), not as loud as Amarige, say, but very loud compared to Elixir.

Soft, subtle and vanillic? It seems my alley...
If i already liked EDP, i think i`ll enjoy this one
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post #9 of 12
9/27/10 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 
OK.....the bottle arrived in the post today and No.5 Sensual Elixir is not what I had a sample of. SE is much more floral. Several hours into the drydown there is a similarity but that is about as close as it is getting to my nose. That being said, S.E. is quite good

Any other suggesions?
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post #10 of 12
9/27/10 at 10:23pm
They may have reformulated the Elixir, and probably No. 5 itself, in the 10 years since you first tried it. Chanel seems to reformulate their scents rather frequently.
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post #11 of 12
9/28/10 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryl J. View Post

To describe it, the 'juice' was more like a gel.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryl J. View Post

No.5 Sensual Elixir is not what I had a sample of.

Strange! It has to have been the Elixir!
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post #12 of 12
9/30/10 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 
Update: I'm going to agree the reformulation theory is a very likely possibility.

Reason: Today a dental assistant at our clinic brought her mother's 35+ year old bottle of No.5 to work for each to enjoy a whiff. That's what I had in a thick gel form.

It's more ''masculine'' by today's standards than Le Male, Old Spice, Cologne pour le Soir and approaches the the ''manliness'' of Bois du Portugal. It was awesome.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › One guy and a Chanel No.5 mystery: