Chanel N°19 Eau de Toilette (2023)

Today I get play one of my favorite games: a multi format vintage vs. new comparison. The beautiful lady walking arm-in-arm with me today is none other than No. 19. On the back of my left hand and that wrist is an EdC from probably the late 1970s/early 80s, on the upper part of that arm is a new EdP, and on my right hand and arm is an extrait from the early 1990s. Sometimes I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Curiously, No. 19 doesn't get much love, in fact it seems to get quite a bit of hate. I've heard some people say that if No. 19 was a woman, she would be a frigid "b" with no friends. Though I understand what they're saying, I think that's overly harsh and a classic case of being misunderstood. To me this character is more prim and proper rather than cold and mean; it's the difference between us loud and brash Americans versus British royalty, let's say: just because the Brit royalty is typical stiff-upper-lip and very proper doesn't make them cold and mean. This difference of character perception can also be seen across the formats and vintages I'm wearing today. Take my very old EdC vs. the new EdP as an example: though age has most assuredly tempered Ms. 19 in the EdC format, that hyper green claw-like galbanum top note is far smoother and well-rounded in the EdC than the EdP. The EdP is claws out, right from the get-go, and, as you would expect, those claws stay out for longer. Rather quickly, the EdC dries down to a very pleasant and soft powdery woody floral chock full of iris, lily, sandalwood, and oakmoss (real oakmoss - have I mentioned how much I love opportunities to smell real oakmoss?) - making this the easiest of the No. 19s to wear, and that's really the whole story of the EdC beyond this point. The EdC is desperately pretty, calm, and friendly after the last dry down and for the few hours beyond. After about an hour after application, the EdP's claws are still out but they've been filed down, and it's definitely more apparent that the use of synthetics is more prominent in this new EdP versus the old EdC. This is as you would expect, but I must emphasize that the "synthetic" quality of the EdP is more than you would expect. Now, I have a different frame of reference here because I'm smelling a very old EdC side-by-side with the new EdP, so don't take my comments to mean that the new EdP has an offputting fake quality to it, because it still smells amazing; if you don't have an old formulation to compare it to, you are likely not going to notice the synthetics much. The filed-down claws of the EdP that I mentioned are no longer in the form of a sharp green galbanum, but vivid, saturated, thorny florals. The EdP is all about the heart notes of rose, a rooty iris, jasmine, lily, and ylang ylang - but, again, be careful when you go in for a sniff or you reach your hand into that bouquet because there are thorns there. These aren't gentle florals by any means; they aren't going to actively scratch you, but they are fully capable of defending themselves if needed. Ms. 19 is no longer in fight-or-flight mode, but she still has her guard up. Those ylang-ylang and jasmine notes in the EdP are a tour de force team, all vivid and saturated colors of white, green, and yellow. But what about the extrait?! Yes, I know you want to know what the extrait is doing. Frankly, I'm at a loss for words with the extrait, but I shall try. It is just so, so, so good. Absolutely stunning. The extrait opened with the same hyper green galbanum note of the others - the EdP more specifically - but the galbanum is not claws-out like it is in the EdP. There are no claws here. The galbanum's personality is softened and gentrified by some of the most beautiful jasmine, iris, ylang-ylang and rose notes you will ever smell. Every note of the EdP (and EdC for that matter) are presented and accounted for in the extrait, but if I were to rate the materials/accords on realism, quality, and execution, the extrait would be 10 out of 10 while the EdP and EdC make do at 6. I love the EdC and the EdP, so this should hopefully place in understandable context just how good I think the extrait is. While the EdC and the EdP are playing around, drying down and doing there thing, at nearly three hours in the extrait is only just warming up. Remember what I said about No. 19 being prim and proper and not cold and mean? Picture then a beautiful, regal, proud and strong woman in the finest handmade dress and you have the extrait. Monica Belucci in Valentino, basically; the extrait smells the way she looks. It will be a couple hours more even at this point before the extrait begins moving, after the EdC and the EdP have mostly worn themselves out. One curiosity to definitely note, and it should also be mentioned it's quite a hot day here in my part of California, the bergamot and neroli of the extrait have a far greater voice on the blotter than they do on my skin. The same could be said for the EdP as well, but the voices of the bergamot and neroli of the extrait are still greater than that of EdP's. We're going to fast forward to the end of the day, many hours later. The EdC is long gone, the EdP is a very pleasant skin scent of soft sandalwoods and much more pronounced notes of vetiver and animalic musks than the EdC. And the extrait... it's still there. While I'm worn out from an afternoon of running around, this lovely lady on my arm is still there, energized, and ready for an evening soiree. The galbanum and florals are gone, but the vetiver, woods, and mosses are still going. Partly why the extrait is my favorite of the No. 19 formats is because Chanel have made it act like a proper extrait should. While the EdC and EdP tire themselves out in hours, launching themselves into the air and drying-down like they're in a race (a bit exaggerated, but you get my point), the extrait stays close to you. Very close. Insanely powerful, but close. That measured approach to its energy and output, like a real extrait in the classical style should be, is exemplary to the personality I find in Ms. No. 19. She's not cold and mean, she's elegant, proud, strong, and confident - with you for the long haul, so to speak. Those are my favorite kinds of people. And that's why No. 19 is very likely my favorite Chanel perfume.

After finishing my entire 10ml decant and wearing it through and through in different environments, I want to share my thoughts. And I know this might make some people angry, but this is my honest feeling: I don’t think this smells exactly like the older versions with the built-in sprayer. No.19 EdT has been my go-to scent in summer. I started to worry when I realized I only had a tiny amount left in my last 100ml EdT Reserve (produced in 2009). I also have a 50ml refillable grey-box version (produced in 1993), but that one is running low too. So I’ve been torn between hunting for another vintage (which is rare and much more expensive now) or buying a new bottle. Reading comments here, I saw many people saying the new packaging hasn’t been reformulated. But before committing to a full 100ml, I decided to play it safe and get a decant of the modern version. To my nose, the differences are obvious. I’m no professional perfumer, just an amateur wearer — but the differences shout at me. ⸻ Opening There’s no big difference between my 2009 and 1993 bottles. If I had to nitpick, the 1993 top note fades a little quicker, which makes sense given its age. But the modern decant opens very differently. It’s brighter. I suspect the galbanum has been changed — not in a bad way (it’s actually pleasant), but it’s definitely different. ⸻ Heart Among the 3, the modern one is the powdierest, and that powdery texture shows up quickly once it warms on the skin. I also feel like the vetiver and cedarwood are toned down compared to the older versions. This could refer to the 2009 & 1993 aged, or it could mean the modern formula tweaked the ratio between iris root, vetiver, and cedarwood. Just a guess — I’m cautious about making big claims since I’m not a professional. ⸻ Base The base is less dramatically different, but I still notice it. Honestly, I might even prefer the drydown of the modern one. It feels more well-rounded and has a slight hint of sweetness. It also clings to my skin much longer — it can still be detectable the next morning if I spray before bed. ⸻ Conclusion So, no, to my nose, this formulation is NOT unchanged as many have said. It is very different. But different in a pleasant way. Which means: I’ll be grabbing a full bottle at duty-free next time I travel — in 30 days. Yay.

The cool gaze of a woman who does not flinch. She starts green, but not in a leafy or crisp way, rather taut and elegant like the snap of a freshly cut stem. Verdant, slick, polished, defiant. The perfect contrast to the iris which comes next: Iris pallida, that silvery, ghost-like powder that doesn’t bloom so much as breathe, slow and dry and full of restraint. Not buttery like iris germanica, this one floats. A whispered veil of soap and violet dust, like laundry drying on a Parisian balcony in early spring, the kind of air that still chills your lungs a little but promises you’ll be okay. Second time I’ve smelled this note, after Guerlain’s Extrait 6, and damn does it live up to my impression so far! The result is a soft, green-powdery warmth, not just skin-like but truly warm, truly soul-like. There’s rose too. A little. Just enough. Bulgarian, I think—girly and sheer, never stealing the show. Oakmoss slinks in at the base, dry and mineral, but only as a powdery bark scorched faintly by sun. It grounds the iris like soil cradles a root. The aldehydes this time are subdued, less like the fizzy champagne burst of No. 5, but a feather-light brush. Chanel at her most introspective. Cleanliness which I struggle with often, but here it is never clinical. Powdered soap that’s been passed from hand to hand in a silk-gloved world. And somehow—despite my fear of the soapy—it wears like a vibrant yet composed second skin. Freshness that hums of a quiet, cerebral kind of beauty. And it is every bit gorgeous.

It's a soft, powdery, soapy, well-rounded scent. Fresh green, but not aquatic, not cold feeling. Soapy in the best way, like fine quality soaps that create the nicest foam and won't dry out your skin. Luxurious, fancy. I was expecting to find "rose" in the notes, which isn't listed. Can't feel other than being well put together, sophisticated and elegant when wearing this. I read in the name and description, that this is a new 2023 version. Couldn't find another EdT, though and not sure, if the one that just says "Chanel No. 19" is the right one. Mine is from 2021, so I don't know how it compares to the 2023 version.

I don't smell any significant change in this new bottle. I was fearing the worst when all edt bottles disappeard from shops last Summer. Those notes above are tragic simplification of still quite glorious perfume. And still so much more than edp. I'm very happy with it. I don't see the point of this new page, it's the same perfume. Ingredients were ajusted to new norms, but if all new formulas were this respectfully done, we would have nothing to complain about. The cap looks lovely and feels expensive, but the old one has that plastic charm and I like the machinism. The '70 chic. It was always that way.