Chanel No 19 Parfum

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.

Hate it or love it, here is my Chanel no 19 rant, talking about vintages and new versions Vintage no 19 edt: Spring Joy Soft greenery, the galbanum and spring florals are gentle and playful compared to the extrait. radiant fresh flower petals, iris, abstract jasmine, lily of the valley, feel refreshing, not soapy, not very powdery but a comforting mustiness, like an old starched shirt. maybe even some hot-iron steam. Then, a warmth manufactured in greens and woods like vetiver and oakmoss invite you in, close and intimate. Perfectly unisex. At once both formal and relaxed. It’s like no 19 was made solely for the wearer’s pleasure. It has this austere side, but only on the surface, it never bores the wearer even when it can be mistaken for being just clean and cool (but still extremely classy nevertheless) for people around and those not willing to spend time with it. I imagine fairies and elves dressed up in formal attire as if trying to hide their playful nature, but only for so long. This perfume lets you dream and get lost in spring fantasies. It invites you into an early spring garden party amongst magical beings hiding in between the flowers and the grasses! 9/10 Vintage no.19 extrait: Dancing greens, gemstone hues and the lightest powders Dazzling verdant light shot through a prism, splitting in all kinds of green tones: Emerald. Peridot. Tsavorite. Chartreuse. It opens with an intense saturated green: Galbanum and tulip stems. Very vegetal, fresh, cool, a bit oily and challenging, freshly cut. Earthy but without any notes of soil. Then the scent softens and lights up with a glowing spring green tone. The most delicate powder, a floral, woody, dry, starchy Iris + Orris note starts diffusing it’s magic powder and is «dusting» you in the finest texture imaginable, ultra-fine grain, light and pure white powder, so refreshing! By refreshing I mean in the same way as dextrose can feel invigorating and cooling almost in those energy tablets you buy at the kiosk. :) No oily or make-up like iris here. It’s just dreamy. The freshness of the powder radiates with hedione and light Lily of the valley notes. Transitioning from this powder to the base, a soft oakmoss dims the green lights down to a darker and more mysterious glow, with hints of leather and woods, super well blended, clean, with nothing ever out of place. I was really lucky to buy an unopened 28 ml bottle pure parfum from the early days of this fragrance, most likely containing that infamous Iranian Galbanum quality. So scared of evaporation, which I have actually noticed. I do my best to preserve it and still enjoy the scent by wearing it. It’s too magical not to wear it. Especially magical on those spring days where the weather is nice, the breeze is mild and gentle, spring flowers have started blooming and the last melting snow in the forest or in the streets and parks of the city, create that significant freshness in the air. For best results, be newly showered and wear completely clean clothes so nothing disturbs your perfumed moment of sheer beauty. 10/10 (Masterpiece - one of the biggest treasures in my collction) Modern no 19 edt and edp: Clean, green-ish, soapy (pre 2023 edition) The modern no 19 EDT can’t live up to it’s vintage version. The modern has a greenish opening with a thin galbanum replacer followed by a very vague and perfume-y profile. The older versions were anything but vague, they were assertive, complex, classy and singular. You feel the lack of presence of the treasures those raw materials used in the past were. It just is not the same product any longer. The edp has a few nice moments of a pretty and luminous rose and lily of the valley. I can see the familiarity to my beloved vintages, but they are so far apart. I can imagine the modern formulation being suitable for a really nice shower gel or a linen spray. This is not about complaining, I understand the market, the need to modernize and re-formulate, for me there is nothing left of interest in the modern versions to talk about, they died a while ago. If you enjoy the current versions, try to get hold of a vintage sample! Wether if you like it or not, you will notice a huge difference, and it is just interesting to study. Of course I mourn the old ones, but I still have quite a bit left in my collection. 3/10 for the EDP and 6/10 EDP

From my experience having used one-fifth of the perfume the fragrance is not best described as appealing. It is quite strong. It has a power to create a space between you and the surrounding air; it is slightly bullying. That is why I only dap once and using its cap put it on my wrists and on the body. Over time the use of the cap on my skin contributed to the appearance of a little haziness of the fragrance inside the bottle, but I found for myself that this isn’t contamination of the liquid, but a different development, which also helps me to be sure I cannot contribute to the development of an allergy to this fragrance in others who use it and forward, to myself. For me the time of year to wear this fragrance is the winter and the early spring, by which use one also helps prepare nature for the development of the rose, the trees with their moss, the herbs. My impression was always for a full fragrance, never for individual notes, but their description on this web page is done, as I just thought, in order to help some consumers orient themselves better in the orientation of the fragrance toward the appearances in nature. I came to the realisation some time ago that fragrances as a market product are very good in their way of creating an air of cleanliness and a mood of well-being, but this is only because they are serving producers and manufacturers in their respective areas, food, sanitation, care for living stock- animals, and their involvement in the production overall. In this way of understanding this fragrance is in some sense also a contribution to the house of Chanel in their possible involvement in other areas of their work, which I found to be what is understood partially as “sustainability”. The fragrance is long-lasting, I am sure, but after half an hour I stop detecting it, and only on occasion it appears again for me to detect. It is definitely very beautiful at that time, gentle, very elegant, like a full undergarment in a transparent grey-green, constantly in a movement with my body and with my state of mind. So, I wrote this different review in an attempt to present my thoughts on why a person could choose to spend quite a bit of money in these difficult times we are in right now, and it is entirely based on my own experiential thinking. I thought at some point in time that if I were to find out that my understanding of all life changing and developing around a certain brand I invest with each purchase of products from this brand not in their stock market, but in their phylosophy and in the phylosophy of their soul, in a way. It may be difficult to understand all the details of a fragrance, or of a type of a clothing, or of a type of a cosmetic product, but if that product could only appeal to my external senses, my sense of smell, my eyes, my mind, it will definitely reveal stages of its nature over the time of its use, and beyond. This is definitely a very beautiful fragrance, but it demands to live in an atmosphere of understanding. That is why, I thought, it is bought mostly from a very upper-class women who also can afford to have clothes of a quality materials and craftsmanship and who live in respected house holds. This description doesn’t fit me, or I cannot fit in such an environment, but I can appreciate it on a different level. Thank you for all your achievements, house of Chanel!

It fascinates me how language, color symbolism, and cultural context shape the way lovers of this “green juice” express their feelings about it. Fragrantica is an international platform, and though most of us describe scents in English, we often mean something entirely different. Take the word green. In my culture, green carries an undertone of affability — approachable, even a touch grandfatherly. So when I hear “green,” there’s a hint of warmth. My own bottle -- which is older than my age — is a deep golden amber, so my first impression of No.19 was certainly not “Green”! Yet I fully understand what you all mean by that capital-G Green in this! So let me describe it in the language and imagery that make sense to me. Do any of you remember the Twilight saga? I know, I know — teenage vampire fantasies, and yes, the plot is... well, the plot. But set that aside. Think about the settings: the deep, foggy forests, the tall, misted evergreens. Aren’t they stunning? And the soundtrack — haunting, melancholy, yet touched with tenderness — perfectly captures the tension the story tries to create. In Stephenie Meyer’s fantasy, vampires are dangerous because they’re alluring — gorgeously sparkling, even fragrant. Yes, I know — nonsense. But if I absolutely had to accept that and assign a scent to Edward, I think he would smell like No.19. That’s how he would smell to Bella, and how he would feel to her: cold, mysterious, incredibly intoxicating, and impossibly charming. And once Bella surrenders to those stone‐cold arms, she finds a quiet tenderness hidden beneath all that aloofness. If you’re a Twilight hater and a No.19 lover, you’ll probably hate me for that comparison. And honestly? That fascinates me even more. 😂 Because so often, we humans don’t fully understand what we’re actually disagreeing with — the object itself, or the associations it carries from our own experiences. One of my friends once told me that No.19 “smells like those girls from the ’80s who weren’t really cool but were trying too hard to be chic.” Which makes me wonder — what happened to him in the ’80s? Who wore this perfume and left such an impression? Clearly, someone wearing this amazing juice managed to disappoint him deeply enough that the memory still lingers in the scent. 😂 And that’s what fascinates me the most about perfumes like this: they’re never just scents. You smell them, and how you feel — even how you talk about them — carries everything you’ve experienced before you met them, shaped by the memories and associations they stir. And yes, I’ll admit it — I’m a little embarrassed by my early-20s self swooning over Edward Cullen. But I still stand by this: Edward should absolutely smell like No.19!!

Imagine my wonder and surprise when I opened a package from another dear member, having asked for a mere sample of Chanel No. 19, and seeing a 1/4 ounce of pure PARFUM!! Wrapped in the signature ribbon of the House and still completely full... Many members do not like to be mentioned or thanked publicly...so, all I will say here is: "Thank you Lady AB for your kindness, generosity and your beautiful gifts, they are nothing compared to the grandeur of your spirit!" Amazing, simply amazing! Amazing for its quality; yes. But, also for its simple elegance. The first time I tried this, I just dabbed a bit on each wrist and sniffed it as I went to sleep. When I woke, it was all but gone...could this be?! Today, on seeing it added here, I decided to try it again and it is obvious that I slept through the "magick"... Three "notes"?? REALLY...I beg to differ! No 19 parfum begins with a chilly cool green (not unlike Cristalle, but smoother) making me think: Galbanum and also lovely daffodils and maybe a bit of dewkissed hyacinth as well. The flowers here are cool and rich, but nowhere near massive (Henri Robert, you are a genius!). White flowers abound, like subtle jasmine and neroli, making this smooth and sexy without getting "carnal". It is obvious there is iris/orris here as well. No19 Parfum may be the strongest concentration of this particular scent, but it is by far the most elegant. There is something here that, upon sniffing your wrist (or wherever you dabbed it!) that is not detectable, but as you move about or catch a whiff of it, indirectly, it's is superb! The drydown is woody but also has a "cleaness" to it. No civet, no patchouli, no tonka; just a clean mean green that is NOT (I repeat) not overly soapy. Somewhere swirling around in this heavenly aroma are lush florals and grand woods, but they are so well blended you have to just sniff and enjoy!! If No 5 is the fragrance for a person dressed up and "out on the town", No 19 is shopping with friends or having lunch at the sidewalk bistro. Do not misunderstand me, No. 19 can (and should) be worn "out", as it has all the qualities of a CHANEL parfum, it is just much more "down to earth" and less "riche" without giving up any luxury. Classic through and through... Sillage: magical Longevity: very good Overall: 4.5/5 Yes yes I know "for women"! *rolls eyes* However, this scent does VERY well on my "manskin", and no one has remarked (as yet) I smelled "perfumey" while I was wearing it. I have smelled the EDT (WOW!), Eau Premiere (very nice) and the EDP (amazing!)...but the Parfum continues to be my favorite No. 19