Brown Thomas was particularly fragrant last night as THE GLOSS held a starry event celebrating the newest Chanel Les Exclusifs eau de parfum, Comète …
Last night, THE GLOSS readers and perfume-lovers gathered in Brown’s Brasserie, Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, for our exclusive Chanel Fragrance Masterclass. Guests sipped champagne in the elegant room, full of white flowers, while discovering Chanel’s luxury line of exquisite perfumes, Les Exclusifs. After an introduction and welcome by Sarah McDonnell, Editor of THE GLOSS Magazine, the panel – UK-based fragrance expert Alice du Parcq, Chanel National Events Manager Danielle Ing, and THE GLOSS beauty editor Sarah Halliwell – had plenty to chat about: Les Exclusifs is a collection of 19 gems that span over 100 years, and each one has its own story and extraordinary character and impact.
When you first discover Les Exclusifs, it’s a revelation. You will know Chanel No5, and No19, but Les Exclusifs is a whole treasure chest of precious stories. Each of the perfumes bring to life a different aspect of Gabrielle Chanel’s life and passions, from 1992’s Gardenia, a creamy white floral, to Boy, the “liquid love letter” to Boy Capel, the love of Chanel’s life. “These are liquid time capsules as much as they are works of art,” said du Parq. As Chanel’s current perfumer, Olivier Polge, says, “These are very singular scents – they are for the people who don’t want to smell the same as everyone else. It’s not about trying to please everyone.” There have only been four perfumers in Chanel’s entire history.
Sarah Halliwell, Beauty Editor, THE GLOSS, Amelie Banzet, Regional Press Officer, Chanel, Sarah McDonnell, Editor, THE GLOSS, and Síomha Connolly Digital Editor, THE GLOSS.
The panel picked five key scents to focus on – five, after all, was Chanel’s lucky number, and one of the many symbols of the House. First, the elegant 1932, created in 2014 by Jacques Polge to celebrate Chanel’s first ever watches and fine jewellery collection. And this scent sparkles like diamonds. There’s a “champagne pop” in 1932, noted du Parcq. That’s due to the aldehydes, which create that “fizz” at the beginning of the perfume (and most famously star in Chanel No5). 1932 has a glowing shimmer, with notes of pear and grapefruit, orris and neroli, and Ing describes it as “heaven in a bottle”.
Another focus was Gardenia, a luminous bright white floral that proved to be a huge hit with the audience afterwards. Du Parcq noted that it’s a real favourite with brides; it’s also a big hit with men – after all, this entire collection is gender-free.
Danielle Ing, National Events Manager, Chanel, Sarah Halliwell, Beauty Editor, THE GLOSS, and Alice du Parcq, Fragrance Expert.
The panel also discussed Le Lion de Chanel, inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s trip to Venice with her friend Misia Sert. Du Parcq told us the captivating story behind it: this was actually Sert’s honeymoon, but Chanel had just lost Boy Capel, and was grieving. The lion, a symbol of the city, became a protective talisman to her, and one of her own recurring motifs. The perfume, a glowing amber, has a soft power. It features “untamed patchouli”, along with smoky, leathery, almost incense-like notes. Strong yet gentle and radiant, for its devotees it’s a show of strength – like putting on red lipstick, says Halliwell. Ing says it’s almost best on your coat on the third day after spraying it; watch Chanel’s video all about the lion, on Inside Chanel at www.chanel.com.
THE GLOSS readers arrived in style …
And finally to Comète, the nineteenth eau de parfum, which has just joined the line. Olivier Polge’s inspiration was the 1932 fine jewellery collection, with its star burst necklaces.
A Chanel Comète ring from the fine jewellery collection; www.chanel.com.
As Gabrielle Chanel said at the time, “I want to cover women in constellations.” The result is a glorious powdery softness. Du Parcq said her daughter described Comète as “like a bedtime story”. When you wear it, she said, “People hug you and they don’t want to let you go!” With precious, powdery iris at its heart, together with its cherry blossom accord, heliotrope, iris and musks, Comète is radiant, powdery and, most of all, optimistic – just what we need right now.
Du Parcq had some excellent advice on choosing a new fragrance. “Don’t confine yourself to one signature fragrance – wear what suits you now. If you want clarity, shop something that feels right in the moment, and shop with that in mind, much the same you would with clothes. Bring a pen when you’re fragrance shopping and write on the blotters.” The panel agreed that you should take time finding something new – it takes more than one quick spray. Live with a new scent for a few days, a week, and see how it wears on your skin, and how it suits your lifestyle, advises Halliwell. “Some of these fragrances have taken five years to make and perfect. We’re judging art – it takes us a millisecond to decide if we like it,” noted Ing.
There are different ways to wear fragrance, too. There are now Les Exclusifs body oils available in four scents, including Gardenia and Coromandel, and these silky, skin-nourishing oils in their elegant glass bottles make beautiful gifts.
We really enjoyed meeting readers of THE GLOSS after the talk, and helping them to discover an Exclusifs that felt most special to them. Attendees then headed to the Chanel counter to pick up their exclusive gift bag.
The last word goes to Gabrielle Chanel herself. Women in her day, she noted, wore perfumes they were given as presents, which she strongly disagreed with. “You should wear your own – the one you like.”
Discover the entire Les Exclusifs eau de parfum collection at Brown Thomas now; www.brownthomas.com. www.chanel.com.
