Guest review by Normand
When my collection of Chanel Exclusif decants arrived in the mail, Beige didn’t really interest me because I had read that it was a white floral based on gardenia, hawthorn, freesia and frangipani and I didn’t know what any of those flowers smelled like (except for gardenia). One by one I took out the vials and tested them until there were only 2 left. First, Gardenia…ok. Then Beige…wow!
Beige started off with a mouth-watering citrus accord, principally orange with hints of peach and bergamot, before it seamlessly morphed into a white floral several minutes later. The transition from citrus to flower was sublime and although I wanted the intermezzo to go on forever, I was drawn to the perfectly calibrated floral heart that was both light yet grounded, no doubt helped by luxurious iris butter.
Beige is not your average “girly” white floral. Its bouquet is not made up of the traditional white flowers such as lily of the valley, tuberose or jasmine. It speaks directly to the person who is looking for a scent that is rich, confident and handsome…a burnished, sophisticated scent that is synonymous with the Chanel look. Think of a classic Chanel suit and then think of a frilly Oscar de la Renta evening gown. Beige is more like the suit.
Describing a symphonic floral is nearly impossible but I would say if you are used to thinking of white florals as having a silvery-white scent to them, this would be similar except change the silver for gold. It’s warmer. Handsome as opposed to pretty.
Although this latest offering is predictably marketed to women, on a man it would be electric. Gabriel Chanel knew the excitement that contrasts can generate when in 1927 she marketed to women Cuir de Russie, a leather fragrance based on notes typically worn by men. The flappers loved it and it was a hit. It’s the same with Beige on a man. It’s the unexpected that adds excitement to a scent.
Beige is not casual enough to be your kick-around-the-house kind of scent. And wearing it to your local home renovation store won’t work either. But as your special office day fragrance…absolutely!
For base notes, Beige dries down to a quiet smouldering amber.
If you’re not quite ready to try Beige and you’d prefer a man’s eau de toilette with a floral heart, try Givenchy’s Insensé. The floral heart is similar to Beige except Insensé has some basil in it and it dries down to a hairy-knuckled woody base that smells like a lumberyard…totally appropriate for that trip to your local home renovation store.
Year: 2008
Perfumer: Jacques Polge, Christopher Sheldrake
Notes: Honey, Freesia, Frangipani, Hawthorn
Post a Comment
0 comments:
Post a Comment