Cristalle (Eau de Toilette) (Chanel)

By Dane

Eau Sauvage is almost always one of my recommendations for a man in search of a good, solidly constructed fragrance. What's the response I most often get once they smell it? Ew...old man. I understand Eau Sauvage, and many others from the same era can smell dated to some, so my next recommendation is to skip the men's section and head for the women's.

Diorella is Eau Sauvage's female counterpart, but some may find it a bit too melon-y (at least I do), so the next best option is Chanel's Cristalle. There are two versions of Cristalle on the market, the Eau de Toilette (EDT), created in 1974, and the Eau de Parfum (EDP), created in 1993. This review focuses on the EDT, because the EDP is an entirely different creature (not unlike Chanel Pour Monsieur and Pour Monsieur Concentree).

Cristalle opens with a brightly-lit blast of citrus. Once the topnotes fade, things are much more subdued with soft floral notes and green hints (which become more prominent in the drydown). To me, the most evident floral note is jasmine, which smells natural and extravagant, yet also enhanced with synthetic touches, no doubt Hedione, the jasmine-isolate first used (sort of) in Eau Sauvage. The green accents unfold throughout the development of the scent, and are most evident in the mossy drydown with bitter hints of galbanum, possibly borrowed from No. 19.

Beautifully blended, soft, close to the skin, yet long lasting, Cristalle would probably be deemed by most women to be a summer scent, but the unexpected wearing by a man could be pulled off all year-round. A masterpiece that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Year: 1974
Perfumer: Henri Robert
Notes: Lemon, Bergamot, Rosewood, Honeysuckle, Hyacinth, Jasmin, Oakmoss, Vetiver