Chanel No 5 Eau de Toilette

My apologies for the wall of words forthcoming, but if you choose to read, I thank you! Chanel No.5 EDT was literally my very first adult fragrance, though I was a mere child of 11 or 12, around 1987. I know, I know. You are now thinking, "Excuse me....what?" Well, this was given to my mother as a gift by someone at that time, and my mother, who was a very young mother, really hated it upon first sniff. My mother was wearing Giorgio dupes at the time (and eventually the real thing). Sorry mom, but I LOATHED that scent. So anyways, you can see how Chanel was not exactly her style. We were also pretty poor I should mention, and the Chanel was one of the most expensive things she ever owned, and so, she could not bring herself to waste it and gave it to me. I never wore it to school, but I would wear it around sometimes. I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it. I acknowledge that I really did feel like I smelled like an old lady, but still, I felt rich when I wore it being the most expensive thing I ever owned. Eventually I stopped "playing' around with this scent and stopped wearing it, but did keep it around because it was a sleek container that I loved (better than the EDT bottles of now). It was all black, with a gold band around the area where the lid detached and the Chanel interlocking C's stamped into the top of the cap. Sadly though, eventually I lost that bottle. It didn't bother me much for a very long time, because I never thought in terms of my future and this becoming vintage. But the sadness of it being gone now really washes over me sometimes lately! Fast forward to high school and I started liking different kinds of scents- the Gap scents (Heaven, Grass, etc). I sometimes would wear cheap musk oils, or Jovan White Musk. I did somehow come into a bottle of Ralph Lauren's Lauren which I did love (and still do). I never was a fan of any celebrity scents though they were popular and inexpensive at the time. I just never could be bothered with them. I also wasn't a daily fragrance wearer. Which I came to find out some girls/women consider "odd". But whatever...I just did my own thing. I remembered my old Chanel again though. This time I wanted something more modern and found myself blowing a load of money from my after school job on Chanel Allure. Oh I thought I loved that scent at the time, and I felt so sophisticated wearing it (but not old!). However, truth be told it never reacted well on my skin. But I wore it, and wore it...because it was expensive! Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and gave it to a friend. I really dislike Allure now because of that experience. I wasn't actually being "me". Fast forward again to around 2002. I'm now married and have my own home. I'm around 27 years old. I begin wearing things like Estee Lauder Pleasure's and Clinique Happy. They smelled nice enough, but really they were never really "me" either. And I sort of now despise those scents as well (Happy makes me absolutely ill and not at all "happy"!). I still really wasn't a faithful wearer of fragrance either, sometimes it just felt like I was trying to be someone else in fragrances and it was never comfortable to me. Sometimes I felt like wearing it, sometimes I did not. I always spritzed on something when going out in the evenings though. I started to feel like I wanted something more sophisticated and mature, I wanted to find "me" in a fragrance. I remembered my old EDT that was long gone. I revisted it and tested it and low and behold, it didn't make me smell like an old lady anymore! It was classy and soft, and it really did react well on my skin. But as I was still not a faithful wearer of scent, this EDT more or less has just sat around for the last almost 20 years now. Only pulled out on occasion for evenings out. Never did I wear this during the day. No5 was somehow closer to being "me" than ever before, but not quite there. I stumbled one day upon a magazine sample of Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, and for the first time in my life, I immediately HAD to have a fragrance. It felt like ME. I bought it around the time it first came out around 2006/2007 or so. It's taken many years to discover, but that is my signature scent. So for a very long stretch in the the Aughts (2006 or so to 2020) I owned only Lovely, Chanel No 5 EDT, and then eventually Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet and Origin's Ginger Essence with a Bath and Body works scent thrown in here or there. That is all. For YEARS. One day, during the hellscape that was 2020 and truth be told still is in 2021, I found myself cleaning out my bathroom where I have a little vanity type cabinet. And randomly picked up my Chanel No 5 and just sprayed it on me. At around 10 a.m . on a random Wednesday. I inhaled deeply and I just couldn't stop smelling myself. I felt so comforted now by this scent, why haven't I been wearing it? Just deep nostalgia and comfort and a sense of ease in my own skin suddenly descended upon me. I reached for my Lovely the next day, which I really wasn't even wearing anymore, only on special occasions. And well, there were NO special occasions in 2020 so... Again, why do I not wear these scents? It just felt like a warm embrace. And I found myself interested in all things Perfume suddenly. Like a hobby! And well,here I am.... I've discovered that while Chanel No 5 isn't my signature, it is "me" quite a bit, it depends on my mood. She is at once loud and soft. Rich and classy but understated at the same time. It does smell soapy as some have said, but not soap like Dial or Jergens, but as the most expensive, luxurious soap you can find at a department store. After awhile, the loudness dials way down (which is the initial burst of the aldehydes I've discovered) and it's almost a skin scent. But it lingers around you in a soft, luxurious cloud all day, and while you think only you can smell it, I assure you, others do get wafts from you and you will get compliments. A lot of people don't actually know what they are smelling because of preconceived notions of what No5 is. I cannot say that I can pick apart the notes in this scent, other than the aldehydes. It is just so well blended that I would never have guessed any of the notes that are in here, are actually in here! And I'm ok with that.... So this EDT has now made my daily scent wearing rotation. Yes, DAILY! It's helped me a lot through these times, as I said, a sense of comfort. Oh and since my bottle is around 20 years old now, it's on it's way to vintage ;-) I may buy a newer bottle to spray more regularly and save my almost, not quite vintage bottle to make up for past discretions against this beautiful creation.

Wow. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this. But I love it! I might be a little biased, and here’s why. Growing up I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandmother wore this along with some other things for all the time I knew her on this earth. The smell would linger when she and my grandfather left the house all dressed up to go somewhere. She had the “lipstick” style bottle, and I remember seeing it sit on her perfume tray on her dresser. I, admittedly, would lift the cap and go smell the bottle sometimes. She left this earth 5 years ago. And although I’ve grown and dealt with it, I sometimes miss her when I’m lonely. A little over a year ago, I started really becoming interested in fragrances and started buying, trying, collecting. I don’t have a huge collection like some others on here, but I also don’t make too much and don’t have enough space on my dresser for more. I don’t go towards feminine scents as much unless they are the fresher and greener types (think Elizabeth Arden Green Tea) but I’ve finally fallen in love with musk, so I’ve been branching out. Last week I decided to go on eBay and I was very happy to find a vintage lipstick style bottle about 40% full!! It came yesterday while I was at work, and I opened it last night and spritzed a little bit on me before I went to bed. Within no time, memories flooded back. I could see my grandparents house, I could see outfits my grandmother would wear, I could visualize the space and the sensation of the scent lingering when she walked around the house after applying it. I sat and cried softly for these lovely, even if simple, memories that came back to me. I think for this I will always have a love for this perfume. This morning, I can still get whiffs of it! So this vintage formulation is where it’s at. I unfortunately can’t date it as it didn’t have the original box. But I think it’s from the 90s or early 2000s. I have a vintage bottle of the eau de parfum that also looks like a 90s/early 2000s release on the way, and I can’t wait! I’m going to learn how I can rock this scent for myself, and get rid of the “old lady” preconceived notions many have. Older women wear this because it’s been popular for a long time, and it’s been a trusty staple. I understand there are more challenging fragrances out there, and even better ones, but this really is a nice perfume. I get that light fizzy champagne like essence from it, and I see why everyone has talked about it not smelling like any note in particular, but a very nice blend of them all. As long as I can get my hands on vintage formulations or if Chanel reformulates (reading reviews of newer releases makes me somewhat embarrassed for Chanel) it back to a good projection, sillage, and lasting power...this will always be in my collection. Sorry for the long review, but thank you if you did read about my love for Chanel no 5. EDIT: 07/27 - Within a few days this has grown from a love to...an obsession? The next evening after having such a lovely first encounter with this EDT, I bought and have now received an older EDP. I love it! Less than 20 mins ago I clicked the button to have the pure Parfum and body lotion shipped to me. Might have a problem, but don’t care. I layered the EDT over the EDP after showering and moisturizing. I’m wearing a pastel bath robe and eating chocolate as I watch a movie. I feel luxurious, and I don’t feel the need for a man to be with me. As long as I have Chanel I feel strong in my solitude. Omg, I feel like Catherine Deneuve in that old ad in her bath robe, haha!! Another update 08/10 - Ok so my vintage EDT in the lipstick style black and gold bottle (not twist and spray) is fantastic. I know Chanel no 5 isn’t meant to be a bomb, and that’s totally fine. But the vintage (I’m unsure of the year) seems to project for a decent amount of time before it becomes a floral/woody/powdery skin scent. And then it lasts as a skin scent for a while. I’ve learned that I’m one of those people who’s skin seems to “eat” many fragrances. And with that I try not to expect too much with projection or lasting power, but sometimes I get surprised when my skin and a fragrance get along and work together to give me pleasure for more than one hour. The vintage EDT is one of those friends it seems. I bought the new twist and spray and I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. I can’t check the batch code as it’s Chanel and many of you already know what I’m talking about. It was definitely made in the last couple of years, perhaps this year or last. It absolutely SUCKS. It is like Chanel no 5 WATER. I could almost cry while typing this. This scent has brought me not only memories with my grandma, but I’ve come to respect it for all the people, regardless of gender, who have made it their friend. I’ve even come to adopt it as, and I don’t know if anyone else does this, a rotating signature? The scents that I always come back to, will now always (I’m still new to this world) be in my rotation and always in my collection. Even if I decide to stop collecting (lol not anytime soon), these certain scents will always be in my life. Having said that the new formulation sucks, I’d like to apologize if I offend anybody with that. I don’t mean to do so, I’m just so disappointed by it. BUT, I’m also open minded to the possibility of it macerating after I’ve sprayed it and now maybe it just needed that air and to sit? I don’t know if it will make a difference or for how long it will have to sit before I find that it performs better. I’ll post another review as I know this one is very long (sorry if that’s annoying...but you don’t have to read). I just want to warn anyone interested in a current formulation. It still smells nice, but it lasted less than 45 minutes. Yesterday I purchased a 90% full vintage 1.7 oz refill bottle for my black and gold case that I’ll use sparingly until I can amass more, or Chanel changes their ways. I know there’s regulations, but geez this is wrong. This fragrance is lovely and should be more than to be treated as something cheap that you overspray. One, it’s not cheap. Two, it’s disrespectful to this fragrance. 🥀

I agree with almost everything @Nathan86 has said below, but there’s one point where I differ: set aside the flankers, I honestly think the EDP is the easiest one to pull off — not this EDT. The EDT and EDP are both diluted from the Extrait, which defines the house’s quintessence. But on my skin (and to my nose), the EDP leans more quintessential Chanel, while the EDT leans more quintessential No.5. ==>> So what do I mean by “quintessential Chanel”? It’s elegance without hard‐trying; sophistication with abstention. Think of how Allure, Coco, or Chance feel: deeply “Chanel,” but crafted to align with their era’s public aesthetics. ==>> And what do I mean by “quintessential No.5”? It’s a statement piece that, in its time, challenged what perfume was supposed to be. A fragrance that isn’t “fragrant” in the conventional sense — but (unlike some niche ones today) still pleasantly wearable. Combine those two qualities, and you get Chanel No.5. Among different concentrations, these two qualities don’t always show up in equal measure on my skin and to my nose. This “non‐fragrant,” quintessential No.5 quality travels very differently across the three concentrations, and ultimately makes one easier (or harder) to pull off in different situations and climates. >> The Extrait: The most rounded balance between the two qualities. It is THE Chanel No.5. Magnificently luxurious — direct yet rounded. It has texture. Its development is steady and assured. Despite its gloriousness, it doesn’t project like a bubble; instead, it quietly wraps you — soft but close. But such a lush wrap requires a certain mood. It’s not something you just dab on and go. For me, it feels right for an intimate date or a cozy gathering with the closest people in life, rather than a “dress‐up for a night out” scent. ⸻ >> The EDT: The naughtiest expression of “quintessential No.5.” Don’t just take my word for it — do this experiment: spray it right after a hot shower in a steamy bathroom (but don’t leave your bottle there!) versus in a cool, air‐conditioned room. The difference is huge. In the bathroom, it comes across punchier, with that non‐fragrant aspect competing for attention — and it lingers even after you leave the steam. Some people describe this quality as “aldehydic.” I’m not a chemist — my background is in linguistics — so I avoid using terms I can’t confirm. Instead, here’s my association: It smells like soap, but not the bubble‐bath kind. More like used soap left in a damp bathroom overnight. (Don’t “eww” at me yet — I mean that in the best possible way!) It’s not straight‐up soapy; there’s a hint of human odor in it. But not the “you need a shower now” kind — more like clean skin that hasn’t just been freshly scrubbed. And this human‐skin‐like, non‐fragrant scent is often most noticeable in the EDT, depending on skin chemistry and environment. Which makes sense — after all, it has more alcohol, helping the scent evaporate and reveal itself more readily to your nose. My observation: this naughty development is most likely to show up where it’s both warm and humid. You can pull it off easily on cold, wet winter days in southeast England or under the dry, roasting sunshine of a California summer — but never in steaming heat. That’s probably why I didn’t reach for it as often while living in Hong Kong (maybe only between November and February) and not at all in Singapore. ⸻ So, which one do I take along when I’m traveling, just in case I have a No.5 mood? The EDP. Why? Because it doesn’t behave as mischievously as the EDT does on me, and I don’t always have the mood for the Extrait. ⸻ >> The EDP: The easy‐going “quintessential No.5.” In the EDP, the non‐fragrant part is still there, but mostly during the opening. It lingers for less than 30 minutes, then steps back and softens. It’s as if, in the EDP, the quintessential No.5 quality still comes to visit, but when it shows up, it politely knocks on the door and brings you flowers (Ylang Ylang and Neroli!!). Whereas in the EDT, it also brings flowers — but only after you’ve invited her in and made her comfortable. In the EDP, the quintessential No.5 quality hands you the bouquet as soon as you open the door. What courtesy! The dry‐down of the EDP is far less textured than the Extrait. But maybe we’re not always in the mood for such a massive feast, are we? To me, the EDP compared to the Extrait is like a refined, sophisticated meal by candlelight with silver cutlery, maybe accompanied by a violin, not the luxurious banquet with a full orchestra in the background. ⸻ >> So, which one is my favorite? How dare you even ask that?! I adore all three equally, in different ways. ⸻ >> Last but not least: No.5 EDT is probably the sexiest scent I can ever imagine on a man.

“No, not No.5. It’s too standard,” a friend told me casually in a chat yesterday. I’ve worn No.5 for over a decade, so my instinctive reply was quick: “You don’t understand No.5.” But this morning, I thought about it again — maybe he does understand. What is a “standard”? It’s not meant to surprise you. It’s not there to compete with trends. A standard sits above. It’s something others reference, learn from, or even follow. And that is what Chanel No.5 has been for more than a century: the standard in perfumery, in fashion, in cultural memory. ⸻ My first encounter with No.5 wasn’t as a wearer, but as an observer. I was in my early 20s, working as an interpreter escorting a commercial counselor to China. His secretary wore No.5. She was (my guess) in her late 30s or early 40s — always in a skirt suit but never in heels, with no detectable makeup, yet always well-polished nails and a pair of pearl stud earrings. She had everything planned and always knew how to react when the unexpected happened. She set the standard for what a great diplomatic assistant should be like. For years after that, I passed Chanel counters countless times. I would spray No.5 on my wrist and walk away. It never felt like me. It felt like something I should aspire to, but wasn’t ready for. ⸻ Then, a few years later, someone gifted me a bottle. It was a pivotal moment in my life: I had just abandoned my PhD path, left academia, and ended my government work. I was starting from zero as a junior Business Consultant. Excited and anxious, overwhelmed and unsure. But I was certain of one thing: I wasn’t going back. No.5 became my companion during that transition. No longer in the meeting rooms of embassies, no longer in the simultaneous interpretation booths at international conferences, but in front of whiteboards in corporate offices, where I was dissecting processes and measuring KPIs. The standard was still there — but I no longer felt confined by it. I wore it. It no longer wore me. ⸻ For years after, I wore No.5 often. Occasionally, I switched things up, but it was my steady choice. Then in 2016, I stopped. I can’t even explain why. My career took off. I led large programs, worked across the globe, and — dare I say — I became the standard for the juniors on my team. “That’s how Kefirah gets things done. That’s how she pulls off the tough stuff.” Meanwhile, my world expanded. I got lost in niche fragrance workshops in Tamil Nadu, indulged in new arrivals and classics in malls across the US and Europe, and discovered entirely new interpretations of perfume while working in the Middle East. My world grew larger, and I left No.5 behind. It became the “standard” I no longer needed. ⸻ And then came today. It’s July 30, 2025. Exactly one month ago, I successfully bid for the domain name of my new brand. After a decade of corporate consulting and several years as a partner at a boutique firm of my mentor's, I started my own business. Now, my schedule is packed. I juggle multiple hats: consultant, operator, and CEO. And an investor -- to my own venture. My curiosity for new scents has been put on pause; my life doesn’t need another layer of complexity. So I reached for No.5 again. It isn’t a simple fragrance. It has its own complexity — but it doesn’t overwhelm me. It grounds me. It reminds me: you don’t need another surprise right now, Kefirah. You need something you know, something you can trust. These days, I step out of the shower, spray on No.5, and face the day — a day full of uncertainty, decisions, and surprises — with this familiar anchor. Maybe that’s what wearing the standard really means. When I first encountered No.5, I got assurance from the woman who wore it. When I pivoted careers, I found confidence in proving my transferable skills. And now, at the start of this new chapter, I wear it as a reminder: “Hey, Kefirah — it’s okay. You know what you’re doing.”

No. 5 EdT is the most easily wearable of the three No. 5s that we have. Owning the extrait, EdP, and the EdT for a long time now, it's the EdT that I wear the most often. Part of that is due to the fact that it is significantly cheaper than the other two, which you do need to consider especially with the extrait. But, primarily, I wear it the most because wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, and given that I live in a warm area of the country, when I want to smell No. 5 the EdT is just much easier than the other two. The EdT opens with that signature blast of lemony aldehydes, neroli, and ylang-ylang and they fade quite quickly as you would expect with an EdT. At this point, it's helpful to think of No. 5 EdT as the EdP or extrait played on fast-forward but with some key differences. The white floral heart, which mainly smells of jasmine but has some other florals thrown in to round it out, is far less rich and complex than what you get in the EdP or the extrait, obviously, but do not take less rich to mean less good. While it may not have the intoxicating effects of the EdP or the extrait, what it does to make up for this is present those heart notes like a burst of sunshine as compared to the EdP's and extrait's heavier, stately, and abstract characters. It's done extremely well. You don't find yourself missing the richness or complexity of the other two No. 5s because the EdT is doing its own thing, and it's beautiful in its own right. Furthermore, this difference of character continues into the dry down where the base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, and musks are light and airy - seeming to hover just above your skin as opposed to the feeling of being draped in silk like with the EdP or extrait. It's in this dry down where the EdT shows its weakest point, where it just doesn’t have the muster of the EdP or the extrait. That sandalwood note, milky yet quite crisp and freshly cut, extends itself long past its useful life. In effort to present that light and ephemeral quality that characterizes the EdT, the woody base is somehow “aldehydic.” It’s an interesting trick but whatever is doing that sparkle with the sandalwood needs to be able to attach itself to something to work, just like the aldehydes in opening do with the lemon and florals. But the sandalwood is just a bit too thin to sustain the message. As it is and should be with EdTs, its life is fairly short (again, going back to the point of being easy to wear). It doesn't need to be long, and it shouldn't be. As an evocation of No. 5 being a burst of radiant sunlight and refreshment, this wouldn't work if it lasted an age like the extrait does. It puts a big grin on my face every time I wear it; the world feels bright and cheerful, like nature around you is sparkling with a magical energy. The No. 5 EdT is simple, and therein lies its strength because it is simply lovely.