Author Archives: L.

Nose: Jacques Polge

Notes According to Fragrantica: “Ambrette, iris, fruity notes, woody notes, and flowers.”

Year: ?? Some time in the 2010’s most likely.

I love this one. I’ve read lots of people’s reviews comparing this Chanel to various different types of liquor. I smell gin. And whisky. …But only the best. Others smell a great many of expensive or rather sophisticated varieties of liquor.

…I also have smelled pencil shavings for years.

A part of me wants to drink No. 18. Although of course I never would. I merely mean…it smells like a drink I wish I could have. …Although not necessarily to get drunk but instead to enjoy the experience of drinking it. It might not require any alcohol at all. Just crustal clean purified mountain spring water and lemon? Or lime? With infused edible flowers? Hmm. That sounds yummy.

Anyway…it’s a complex fragrance. But not in an off-putting way. I could wear it often and not tire of it but start to become very attached to it.

Is it unisex? Yes. But that’s not the way to describe it. It’s genderless. It’s one of those rare truly genderless fragrances. It’s a smell. Not…an add-on. …And in that way, it’s the same as Guerlain’s Nahéma…and very independent of the wearer in a way…but I can wear No. 18. I can’t wear Nahéma. No. 18 is a friend while Nahéma hates my skin chemistry.

Actually…one of the reasons I will test my parents-who-raised-me’s DNA when they die is because they can both wear Nahéma beautifully and I really cannot. It smells amazing on them. On me it smells like pickles. Yes. It’s bad. Pickles or pickled thistles? …Anyway…No. 18 is not at all like that. It’s very nice on my skin. Elegant and cool and pristine, even.

Longevity and sillage are decent. Not great. But decent.

Nose: Olivier Polge

Notes According to Fragrantica: “Top notes are Bergamot and Lemon; middle notes are Labdanum and Amber; base notes are Madagascar Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk and Sandalwood.”

Year: 2020

Is something on fire? Do I smell burning…fur? Burning…oil? There’s something very tarry and dark about this one. People say it’s labdanum and vanilla and lemon? Okay.

…it reminds me of Shalimar, and honestly…I don’t like that. Because it’s not Shalimar. And Shalimar has too many damn flankers already in my opinion. …People enjoy them but I find it repulsive. No offense to those who love flankers, specifically Shalimar flankers. I just find the entire concept repulsive. …Some things should be left alone. And if you’re too unsophisticated to appreciate it…cultivate your olfactory senses and learn how to respect those who came before you more. …None of us are the pinnacle of all human creation in general…and no generation is either. …Some things should be left alone and appreciated.

Anyway…I don’t like Le Lion. I think on the right man I could appreciate smelling it as sillage. But on my skin it’s…rude. Yes. If a fragrance can be rude Le Lion is actually rude. …Almost as if we are tolerating each other…but the minute it tries to settle in it finds me…too…sugary? too…flowery? in my natural skin-chemistry…and it reacts with an understandably rude response…and we go back to tolerating each other kindly until it can leave. It’s uncomfortable. …If Le Lion was a person we’d get along…but as only friends. Maybe even good friends. But certainly as just friends. …I could imagine a man like Ernest Hemingway wearing Le Lion De Chanel.

Anyway…I don’t think it works for me. But I do appreciate it.

Longevity is great. Sillage is moderate at least.