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If I were to walk into chanel today....

post #1 of 20
8/31/12 at 4:20am
Thread Starter 
....what is a must purchase from the exclusives? At $110 I can only only afford the 2.5 oz edt's. I intend to sniff them all, but need to have a clear "tiebreaker" opinion just in case.

I own no. 5 edp and allure edp. the coco noir is nice but don't need a bottle of it.

I actually WILL be in Chanel's SOHO location today and wanted some advice from all you lovely BN'ers.
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post #2 of 20
8/31/12 at 4:26am
If you like No.5, then I think you'll like Bois des Iles.
Cuir de Russie is superlative also, but really, you can't go too wrong with any from the Exclusifs line.

Have a fab time and do let us know which one you end up buying !
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post #3 of 20
8/31/12 at 4:31am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gandhajala View Post

If you like No.5, then I think you'll like Bois des Iles.
Cuir de Russie is superlative also, but really, you can't go too wrong with any from the Exclusifs line.

Have a fab time and do let us know which one you end up buying !

Thanks gandhajala! I intend to provide a full report and even provide a pic if I can figure out how to post it here. : /
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post #4 of 20
8/31/12 at 4:43am
If you like N°5 you will LOVE Cuir de Russie.

I find the opening of both similar.
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post #5 of 20
8/31/12 at 4:51am
Some - including myself - have longevity issues with the Exclusif EdTs. I find most of them too thin and fleeting. However, No. 22, if that is your thing, is really fantastic and lasts very well. Bois des Iles smells fantastic, but is short-lived on me (that's partly why I sold it). Cuir de Russie is so much better in the parfum that I find the EdT disappointing, other than it is fleeting and an iris (no leather) fragrance for me. Coromandel is very nice, but not my thing.
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post #6 of 20
8/31/12 at 5:23am
Will look forward to your report of your visit to Chanel!
My personal favs, but I have not sniffed them all yet, are Bois des Ilse and 31 rue Cambon.
And I don't have longevity issues with either. Just the other day I wore BdI, spritzed at 8 in the morning for work. I came home after work and was messing in the yard at around 7, getting a little hot, and out pumped the drydown of BdI - strong. It is a close wearing scent, but it is certainly there on me after almost 10 - 11 hours. I love those moments!
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post #7 of 20
8/31/12 at 5:37am
Going by your taste,

No22
Bois des Iles
Cuir de Russie
28 La Pausa

I have no problems with longevity on the exclusifs, 28 La Pausa I get a good 5 hours from.
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post #8 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:07am
31RC, CdR, Beige, EdC and No22 are all in my wardrobe and I would recommend them all. I found No18 and 28LP too sweet. BdI is glorious and I would probably invest. Coromandel is excellent and I appreciate it's beauty but somehow it doesn't engage me emotionally.

Enjoy your adventure and do let us all know what you buy
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post #9 of 20
8/31/12 at 9:11am
Most are excellent, so really the only danger is the inevitable nose fatigue.

As others have suggested, No 22 is another big aldehydic like No 5; but then perhaps you want to move to a different genre. I think you'll like 31 rue Cambon, floral fuzzy with very distant echoes of No 5 EDT; some find it lacking in longevity thoug.

Otherwise, if what appeals to you is the sandalwoody part of No 5 EDP, check Bois des Isles, as others have said.

Incidentally, I see you're also from DC. Remember that the exclusifs are also available here, though in the outer suburban reaches of Tysons Corner (the Galeria mall).

cacio
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post #10 of 20
8/31/12 at 9:23am
I would go for Bois des Iles or 31 Rue Cambon, these two are the most important les exclusifs to me.
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post #11 of 20
8/31/12 at 9:37am
Coromandel or Bois des Iles.
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post #12 of 20
8/31/12 at 9:49am
Bois Des Iles!!!!!
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post #13 of 20
8/31/12 at 6:03pm
I love No.5, did not like Cuir de Russe [maybe I should try it again?], but love, love, LOVE Bois des Isles - but this was pre-2010 - Im not sure if they changed it.
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post #14 of 20
8/31/12 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all.

Thanks for all the responses. It was a long long long day and I was not able to connect to Internet because my bus to NY did not happen to have wifi or outlets, so I was incommunicado to save battery...

Anyhoo. I finally made it in and only had less than 2 hours to hit MIN and Chanel. So, MIN. Wow. I was nearly overwhelmed with the Loveliness of the scents wafting out the door. I was there to pick up my bottle of ELDO putain des palaces. Yum!

Wile I was there, I sniffed magnificent secretions, which is a very uncomfortable and disturbing fragrance. I sniffed a couple kerosenes; not my thing. I went over to the Tauers and smelled LDDM; too masculine for me. I went over to Keiko me hero and smelled loukhoum noir/soir whatever and found it too sweet for me. But then I landed on Mogador and fell in love. So that one goes on the wish list.

Ok. Now Chanel. Yes, I sampled them all, but had a bit of nose fatigue from MIN, so I took my time. Obviously no. 22 hits me in the right spot and it likes my skin so very much. Coromandel was lovely if a little masculine on top. Dry down, as I smell it on my wrist is gorgeous. No. 18 hit me wrong. Same for Beige, Jersey (which kinda smells like New Jersey), and la pausa. Cuir de Russie was a little too much for me and bois des iles is lovely (but I already knew that from a sample I had). So, what did I decide on? If they had the 2.5 oz no. 22 in stock, I would have walked out with it. But now, I'm glad I didn't because the coromandel is really doing some interesting things on my skin (I have dryish skin). The SA felt so bad she had no stock that she gave me samples of 22, which they do have, so ask for it! I may well wind up with both 22 and coromandel. For the ones that my nose was too tired too sniff, I'll save for my next trip. Overall a nice afternoon in soho. Except I have a headache now. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach when it comes to sniffing.

Thanks for all your input. I definitely kept it all mind when I went in there today. Oh, and coco noir is growing on me too. It's not extraordinary but lovely in its own way. Have a good weekend everyone!

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

Most are excellent, so really the only danger is the inevitable nose fatigue.

As others have suggested, No 22 is another big aldehydic like No 5; but then perhaps you want to move to a different genre. I think you'll like 31 rue Cambon, floral fuzzy with very distant echoes of No 5 EDT; some find it lacking in longevity thoug.

Otherwise, if what appeals to you is the sandalwoody part of No 5 EDP, check Bois des Isles, as others have said.

Incidentally, I see you're also from DC. Remember that the exclusifs are also available here, though in the outer suburban reaches of Tysons Corner (the Galeria mall).

cacio

I don't have a car. : (
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post #15 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:02pm
Bois des Iles is stunningly beautiful. No. 22 is also very nice.
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post #16 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:07pm
Nice sniffing experience! So much stuff to smell in NYC. Not far from MiN there's also Le Labo, and then all the stuff on Madison and the like ...

If Bluemercury had Lutens Borneo, you could check - somewhat similar to Coromandel, though a little less rich, I'd say. But I haven't seen it.

I have no car either - so Tyson's corner is a pain. But once a year or so I venture out by metro and bus (1 hr) and do the whole smelling tour (Chanel, Art of Flowers, Parfums de France, plus touching base at Neiman's and Saks). Worth it despite the inconvenience.

cacio
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post #17 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:11pm
Thread Starter 
By the way, is it me or does coromandel dry down very incensey? I may get a decant of bois des iles instead of a FB...

I realize I didn't try out all the exclusives. 31 rue de cambon was one. For next time.

Also, forgot to mention my sniff of Amouage Dia at MIN...it is hauntingly beautiful. What I imagine grace Kelly would have worn...man, my head hurts.

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

Nice sniffing experience! So much stuff to smell in NYC. Not far from MiN there's also Le Labo, and then all the stuff on Madison and the like ...

If Bluemercury had Lutens Borneo, you could check - somewhat similar to Coromandel, though a little less rich, I'd say. But I haven't seen it.

I have no car either - so Tyson's corner is a pain. But once a year or so I venture out by metro and bus (1 hr) and do the whole smelling tour (Chanel, Art of Flowers, Parfums de France, plus touching base at Neiman's and Saks). Worth it despite the inconvenience.

cacio

Let me know when you go next...I'm up for an adventure into the burbs... Re: blue merc...I go in there a lot and smelled most if not all of the serge. Gotta say, I really only love the feminite de bois and even then I'd try to find a deal on it....I go to the nordstroms in pentagon city to sample those guerlain niches....thats where I got all my yummy Tom ford, guerlain and creed samples.
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post #18 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:28pm
Not much to smell downtown DC. And Bluemercury doesn't even have the whole Lutens export line (eg Borneo and MKK are not there), plus they appear to be downsizing the Diptyque to candles only. If you want to smell some niche, remember that Underwood on U st has $$$ Lubin. Also, there's now a Santa Maria Novella store in Friendship Heights, a couple of blocks north of the subway stop. And while in Friendship Heights, you can also check Saks and Neimans, for additional Guerlains, Armanis and the like, though they don't give samples and prices are what they are.

cacio
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post #19 of 20
8/31/12 at 8:36pm
Thread Starter 
I was invited to a guerlain event at the friendship heights' neimans. Apparently one of the honchos at guerlain flagship in Paris is bringing in some scents from the vault. You should try to go. Its at 4pm on sept 11. I need to hit that Saks tho...thanks for the tip on the Santa Maria store. I must have totally missed it because I was just there a couple days ago..
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post #20 of 20
8/31/12 at 9:28pm
Thanks for the heads up on the NM event, sounds interesting. The SMN store is easy to miss, it's on the west side of Wisconsin, opposite the Dior-tiffany etc block. I also think it closes early and on sun.

cacio
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