N°19
Chanel (1971)

I don't know if my nose has changed or Chanel no. 19 has, but it finally fits me. I love powdery green aldehydic fragrances like Climat and Chamade. Chanel no. 19 never quite worked for me because the leather and oakmoss notes in the EDT were too dry, far too cold, abstract, and unyealding for me. The EDP as far back as 10-20 years ago was less austere and dry, but also sort of watery. I craved that aldehydic crunchy, powdery snow-like affect that no. 5 and no. 22 give off by the shovelful.

I recently came back to the Chanel boutique and tried on the Chanel no. 19 edp, and came back later to buy my very first bottle after decades of admiring it from a distance. Now I'm getting piles and piles of snowy powdery aldehydes with loads of galbanum. Early spring greens coming up through mountains of fresh snow. An earthy woody note gives a warmth that doesn't mix with the rest of the composition as much as it sits below it, offering a dark mulchy contrast to highlight its icy greenness, and a hint of leather puts it back on the high street with high heels and luxury handbags.

This is the Chanel for me this summer. It cuts right through the heat, but remains the epitome of sophistication and classic French perfumery. In fact I bought this not long after the great François Hardy had her final transition this summer, and I was inspired by her cool, chic, aloof, but utterly relatable and human qualities when I went out to seek a new perfume. I don't know what she wore, but I would easily believe it if someone told me Chanel no. 19 was among her favorites.

"The Outspoken Chanel". Straight from Tokyo vintage No.19 parfum comes to me, and she is fine. Lots of powder, galbanum, rose, moss and leather with none of the soap that, I find, makes No.5 too challenging. Younger, more relaxed and carefree than other Chanel perfumes, this was Coco Chanel's last fragrance she was directly involved with, and it is her best. This is a floral heavy chypre, meaning this is most certainly not unisex at all. Strictly for the ladies and girly boys like me!

I am writing this review without ever experiencing the vintage original. And my first experience with 19 was the poudre version, also modern formulation.

At first, I couldn’t really detect a huge difference between this and Poudre. I actually had to spray them each on their own arm to smell the differences. And while I do think they definitely have similarities, there are distinct differences between them.

I do think the opening is similar, too similar for my enthusiastic novice nose to detect any noteworthy differences. But as they start to dry down, I do notice that Poudre really jumps into that soft irisy powder. The Iris is the star of the show. While 19 still has Iris, it fervently holds on to that little bit of greenery from the opening, as well as allowing some other soft florals to come forward. Here, the Iris while still present and noticeable, is a little bit more like a supporting character. These two fragrances, in my mind are definitely sisters, impossibly beautiful sisters. You think you are in the presence of the prettier one, until you put the other one on. Both absolute winners in my eye for truly remarkable fragrance. Both leave me wanting more when the scent eventually fades.

One thing I don’t really get… and maybe it’s because green fragrances really haven’t been considered “in style” in my lifetime… is the almost constant references to this being cold and bitchy. To me it is not. I get beauty, intelligence, confidence, and timeless sophistication. And that’s really with both 19 edp and Poudre as well.

I don’t think anyone ever made a perfume more perfect for daytime wear than No. 19.

Despite its reputation as a cold, austere, and bitchy scent, I actually find No. 19 quite undemanding, even in its vintage iterations, but maybe that's simply the case with fragrances we love. I find myself gravitating toward it on weekends, when just relaxing, housecleaning, or running errands. It’s my go-to fragrance for casual and unfussy days.

It’s also somewhat seasonless, as the extrait has enough heft to work in winter. I wear and love No. 19 year-round.

I also find that compared to many other green florals, No. 19 stays quite ‘green’ quite deep into the drydown. Because of this I consider it the ‘queen of green’, and it’s a top favorite in the green category. I know galbanum is a top note, so am unsure if the lasting green effect here is perhaps an illusion, caused by its marriage and blending with other notes.

In any case, I consider No. 19 both a technical and aesthetic masterpiece, and hope to never be without it.

This review is based on the vintage extrait and EDT.

The world is changed.

Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

Thousands of years from now, a Gandalf-like perfumer combs dusty archives, looking for clues. Looking for answers. What were these great works of art like before we changed them? Before we lost them?

Chanel No. 19 is the best fragrance ever created. There's nothing better. I wish everyone could have the same experience I did: I was fourteen or so, having fun in a cosmetics store, smelling different perfumes and suddenly-- there it was. Heaven. Perfection. Clear and simple and exponentially better than anything else.

I hadn't read a thing about it, and I only discovered years later that Chanel No. 19 is considered to be a "bitchy" or cold perfume to be worn by heartless cold bitches. This is not true. Don't believe those reviews. Those are words written by damned souls.

It's easy to hate something because it's beautiful. I can forgive this kind of jealousy; it's so transparent.

Harder for me to forgive are the changes to Chanel No. 19 itself.

No, stop. I don't want this review to be yet another ode to the past, another "back in my day" whine, a howl about how the band is much better live and how you kids will just never know what you missed. More and more that kind of review disappoints me. Because things change. The world changes. Perfumes change too. I'm getting older, you're getting older, there is no Santa Claus and the cup of coffee you just drank is *much* closer to your last cup of coffee than it is to your first.

Still. It's hard for me not to cry about this one. It is my precious and I do collect it to somewhat ruinous effect.

Green,floral and creamy. Unisex classy gem.7.5/10