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Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Chanel N°5 The Body Oil

My limited-edition Chanel N°5 The Body Oil ($85) arrived, and it's everything I imagined and more. If you order from Chanel's Web site, your new body oil will be presented in a heavy black and white box with Chanel printed prominently on the top. The box alone is a keepsake. Then, your first impression as you remove the box containing the bottle from the shredded, environmentally safe and recyclable white paper will be, "Wow, this bottle is heavy - luxurious!"

The 6.8 fluid ounces of body oil are packaged in a glass bottle with a sprayer under the pop-off black top; hence the weight. N°5 is such an iconic fragrance, Chanel doesn't have to promote it heavily. If you love N°5, you will love this body oil - and I do.

The now and forever fragrance in a body oil spray. This luxurious emollient easily absorbs into the skin, leaving a soft, silky finish.

That's it. Chanel, confident in its iconic fragrance, needs to say no more to tempt those who love N°5 or body oils in general.

The scent, spray for spray, is a little softer than the perfume, and that's a great thing for those of us who must work in an office. I want to smell pretty to those in close proximity, but I certainly do not want to leave a trail of sillage as I roam the aisles. It is extremely hydrating, making my skin feel soft and moisturized - and not oily. Even better, the oil has excellent longevity. I can still smell it on my arm after a full day of work.

N°5 was created by Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel to be the ultimate in femininity. The scent is imbued with jasmine, rose, sandalwood, and vanilla, with a heavy dose of aldehyde. N°5 has cast a spell on millions of people around the world. Inimitably luxurious and infinitely seductive, its legend lives, each year adding to its mystery, depth, and desirability. Although some fragrance snobs might call it old fashioned, I think it's ageless. If it weren't $2100, I would buy a bottle of the perfume for myself. That price is way beyond what I can afford (unless I win the lottery - then it will be high on my list). Actually, it has been written recently that Chanel may be tinkering with the N°5 formula to "modernize" it. If they are, I hope that they leave the original alone and release a flanker, like Eau Première.

If you are interested in the origins of this 90-year-old fragrance, you can read an excellent history of N°5 at this link. If you already know and love N°5, you can order The Body Oil at Chanel's Web site.  They will not charge shipping, and you can select two free samples with an order.

Photo courtesy of Chanel

7 comments:

  1. Ooooo. . . Aaaaa. . .Chanel No 5! That classic fragrance was one of my first "adult" fragrances and may the reformulation devils leave it alone forever! I don't mind a "house" tinkering with something to create a flanker, but please, oh please, leave the original alone. It's a classic for a reason. One long ago Christmas (1960), my boyfriend gave me a small 1/4 oz. bottle of Chanel No 5 perfume--not eau de parfum, not eau de cologne, not eau de toilette, not eau de anything--but real perfume. I was in heaven :-) I remember dabbing it on my pulse points with the crystal stopper and feeling ever so chic--well, at least as chic as a 16 year old could feel! I'm sure his mother had something to do with picking No 5 out--bless her heart <3 Any way, that oil sounds absolutely divine. Enjoy!

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  2. I, too, am smitten with Chanel No. 5. My birthday and wedding anniversary is coming, and I have already requested the body oil, and forwarded the link on to my husband for ease in fulfilling my wish! We have known each other since we were 12, and will be married 48 years, so I know him well enough not to get my hopes up too high!! However, failing getting it as a gift, I may have to treat myself. I also heard that Chanel wants to market No. 5 to a younger audience and will change the formula. I hope, as you do, they release a flanker and leave perfection alone!

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  3. Hi Charlestongirl; Hi Sandra,

    Isn't it terrible how easily a classic can be lost forever in the quest for a younger market? The company will reformulate to appeal to the current fragrance trend amongst the younger women, but then those women will mature, time will march on, and before you know it, the reformulated version will be out of date and the quest will begin all over again. Some extraordinary fragrances have been lost forever that way :-( I hope the "new" No 5 will be a flanker. I also hope both you ladies enjoy your fragrant oil.

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  4. Oh my goodness! Tinkering with the No. 5 formula would be like the "New Coke" disaster! I better stock up!

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  5. I bought three of these the day it showed up on the Chanel website! I will admit to being a No. 5 junkie and I love this formulation.

    I do wish they would bring back the most recent bath oil, I managed to get a back up bottle of that and have been using it sparingly as a body oil. The scent in that one is a tad stronger than in this new body oil but I'll take what I can get! :-)

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  6. Such a great description! Makes me want to try this so badly.

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