Chanel Les Eaux Paris-Paris Review – Olivier Polge; 2022

It doesn’t seem like yesterday since Chanel launched their Eaux range. But then the passage of time has been rather odd for the last few years, and the folks at the house of the double-C logo aren’t known for sitting around twiddling their thumbs, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that we’re now at the sixth entry in the range: Paris-Paris, composed by in-house perfumer Olivier Polge. I reviewed it in a recent episode of Love At First Scent, which you can find at this link: Chanel Paris-Paris review.

Chanel’s Eaux aren’t trying to reinvent the scented wheel, but perhaps it’s precisely this lack of pressure to ‘deliver’ that has liberated Polge to the point of being able produce some charming pieces of work for the range. A similar effect can be observed at Guerlain, where the Aqua Allegorias sometimes end up being more memorable than the main releases. Sure enough, the most noteworthy feature of Paris-Paris is that it is comfortable in its own skin, feeling no need to shout in order to draw attention to itself. From its cheeky pepper opening, through to its pink-rosy heart and its unfussy patchouli-musky base (shades of Daniela Andrier’s much-missed work on the original Marni scent), it is intent on being nothing more (and, crucially, nothing less) than an evocation of a carefree picnic by the Seine, complete with sunshine, macarons and repartee. I’m won over.

Persolaise

[Chanel Paris-Paris sample provided by the brand in 2022.]

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