Chrysalide Now or Never

I bought this in London when I was 11 years old and I am so happy I did! It's still one of my absolute favourites and I only use it on special occasions since it was limited edition and discontinued. When it was sold in 1998 it was marketed as unique because it is supposed to change it's character from day to night and act sort of like a "mood ring" (nowadays I think we all know what a dry down is). But it was unlike any perfume I have come across before or since, it etched itself in my mind and became part of my sense of self, in a way. I believe the notes listed here are wrong and they do not match what the lovely sales lady told me when I first bought it in shop, I specifically remember us having a conversation about violets and her mentioning violets as one of the notes, the whole event has etched itself in my mind as a core memory. I have always loved violets, it has been my favourite flavour of candy and one if my favourite scents for as long as I can remember and to me, this smells of violets front and center. There is also a sweetness present, which I believe to be clover, it smells the way clover flowers taste, specifically like the sweet center of the pink/purple petals. I struggle to pin down any of the other notes, though it does have a complexity and uniqueness to it. It's a beautiful scent.

I was captivated by this fragrance. At one time, I was looking for something similar to Carla Fracci Aurora, and I must say that Chrysalide by Lancôme is very similar. Unfortunately, both have been discontinued. Here, you’ll find the same delicate violets, a tea-like watercolor note, and a very light, fresh powdery touch. It’s the freshness of melting snow. The note pyramid does not match the one listed on Fragrantica at all.

DON'T GET MAD AT ME; THIS SMELLS LIKE VENT VERT!!! Not a gourmand AT ALL-- and no plum or jasmine. There MIGHT be pink pepper; you should really read the review from gtabasso--this is a truly green floral perfume. I really like it, but only bought it because I somehow got obsessed with Lancome. Not a "live-and-die-by-it" sort of scent.

oh my! the white florals always have a way of saying I'm whorish yet a virgin at the same time. this is probably why I am so attracted to them. jasmine will always be a dual scent to me, but in this one it's quite remarkable!

A special creation by Lancome, one of my favourite houses. This is not a run of the mil scent, if you are looking for something different. I have a full bottle of this available, PM for details

Fresh smell, right for summer time wearing. As I am getting rid of my collection, have a bottle of Cyclades if someone ́s interested.

Fresh smell, right for summer time wearing. As I am getting rid of my collection, have a bottle of Cyclades if someone ́s interested.

13. may 2013 The theme of the collection of makeup that also included this fragrance was blue, like the box of the fragrance, but to me the right colour for this fragrance would be a combination of acid yellow and acid green. That ́s how i see the smell of this fragrance. And i must say, this is not a negative association. The smell is quite an acidic (not spoiled in any way), quite sharp and even sour in the opening and until the end of the middle stage. I guess he opening features very strong notes of mandarin and pomegranate with a lot of synthetic jasmine. about 10 minutes later the pink pepper makes a visit for a while, but this is not the kind of sweeter pink pepper we are used to in modern fragrances, this is indeed peppery. Are you scared already with my description of so many notes taht seem like a total disaster? Do not be, in fact it is a weird one, but very wearable and strong combination of notes that i even enjoy. Quite enjoy. It is so different from nowdays vanilla stuffed perfumes. The projection is quite strong in the beginning for the first couple of hours, no complaints about that. Today was a humid weather, more on a chilly side and my guess that ́s when this fragrance works best. not for the hot climate, however i will give it a try during the summer. The closer to drydown, the more yellow flowery and woodsy it is. I don ́t know which notes are those, but i enjoy them very much. I tell you, from all the notes listed here i can smell Jasmine, pomegranate, mandarine orange, pepper, a bit of clover. Somehow no plum, no vanilla, no cardamome, not really a narcissus note (maybe my nose just fails, but no strong narcissus note like i am used to in other fragrances9. It is quite unique, however some might say it smells cheap, when in fact it is not. Yes, you always can find something similar amongst cheap imitation fragrances, but i bet they are still not that good composed and they miss this fabulous drydown. Stays strong for 3 hrs on my skin, then fades into soft drydown close to skin. GREAT! Gives me an impression liek this is a "Miracle" also by Lancome, but on steroids, super concentrated "Miracle" (actually "Chrysalide" is predecessor of "Miracle", they are not the same, don ́t get me wrong, they just share the same vibe IMO)

thanks for putting this one up :-D i adored my first lancome fragance in my teen years and probably will buy it when i can get my hands on it somewhere xD didn't know it was a limited edition. Sweet in a good and non cloying way! it also has a little banana'ish in it quite pleasant

I blind bought and hate this. I expected sweet narcissus, skanky jasmine and some ripe plum and tart pomegranate. Instead? a vintage nondescript floral with some bitter oakmoss all over it, possibly galbanum and immortelle, too. Very woody and green.

This is soooooo nice, so verrrry nice! On me it is all about yellow and white flowers with green, fresh leaves, some honeyed clovers peaking out from the bunch. Shyly sweet as flowers are; I don't detect any clear fruity notes - only a hint of orange, also on a fresh side - neither any spices. Instead I find something aquatic, like water lily (not mentioned above), in the start, that vanishes rather soon. The blend is beautiful, allegedly simple. Innocent like Emilie from Fragonard, classy like old Nina (1987) by Nina Ricci. Don't get me wrong: these three are totally different perfumes (actually I find Chrysalide unique, which per se is quite remarkable). But the vibe, the air, the flower-power - the focus is always there, in the bunch, even after several hours. Sillage is rather intimate, more like a magic circle around you. But lasting power is good: for many many hours you can get the whiffs of those gorgeous, pure flowers. They soften, they mingle, but they definitely stay, lingering and loitering... One of my new, but sadly discontinued, favourites. Already thinking where to find next bottle...

For those who feel puzzled/cheated that this perfume does not smell like plums, narcissus and jasmine... someone posted a photo of their tester bottle and the back of it lists: melon, freesia, violet, amber, orris, sandalwood, raspberry and another word I cannot read properly but seems to be " Clovers". I dunno where fragrantica got their pyramid from but for those who smell all the notes in it, maybe it's just the power of persuasion?

one of my favourites of Lancome. I bought it in 1998 for my friend and never seen it again elsewhere. even though the bottle is very simple and was dane as limited edition for the season's makeup the fragrance is truely amazing. Ines Sastre is beautiful as always!

I remember this was a gift I received from a boy I dated literally twice when I was a girl. I never saw him again (too boring) but I kept wearing this lovely perfume that smelled like violets and soft petals.

For me smells like melted snow on early Springtime)