FEATURES/PRODUCT REVIEW
Nehanda Akili
Chronicle Reporter
Perfume is an object that many women can’t live without. It is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. The first modern perfume was first created in 1370 in Hungary, and it has been a staple of daily life ever since. You could even go as far back as 1000 B.C.E and find perfume bottles made by the ancient Egyptians.
I am an avid perfume wearer. Having over 100 different scents in my collection, I have tried most of the iconic ones. From Gucci, to Marc Jacobs, to Dior, I have sampled the best selling perfumes of all time, but every brand has their hits and misses. There is just one brand whose scents stick in my mind.
Chanel has quite possibly the most iconic perfumes of all time. N°5 is a classic perfume that was many women’s (including my) first. I want to talk about her little sister though, the perfume that pales in comparison to how synonymous N°5 is when the name Chanel is mentioned. CHANCE by Chanel is one of Chanel’s best selling, and least expensive perfumes of all time.
CHANCE is Chanel’s entry point fragrance, and a good middle ground for anyone just starting out with perfume and wanting to experiment with scents. It’s a nice blend of fruity and floral, and perfect for a spring-summer fragrance, when it’s time to retire N°5. The notes are Grapefruit, Quince, Jasmine Absolute, Rose, and White Musk.
If someone asked me to describe the scent in one word I would say ‘juicy.’ It smells like fresh strawberries and oranges being eaten under a jasmine tree in April. In all honesty it smells like spring. The rose in the perfume is so subtle, I hesitate to call it a true floral perfume, with the jasmine being somewhat of a buffer between the sweetness of the grapefruit and the intensity of the white musk.
The closest product to this scent I have tried would have to be the Hermès scent 24 Faubourg. This Eau de Parfum is like CHANCE’s sweeter cousin. With subtle notes of vanilla, it’s a much more well rounded and full perfume, better for older ladies.
That brings me to the perfume’s Caveats. With continued use, this perfume can feel very one note. There should be a sweet element to it that’s not citrus, so that when you smell it it’s not quite as punchy. While this perfume settles into the skin well, it does not wrap around you, or last as long as N°5.
For people with sensitive skin, I have noticed some irritation with daily use of this scent, and if a long lasting smell is what you’re after, you will not find it here. Reapplication, for me, is usually every two hours. However, it does stick to clothes much better than skin.
If you’re looking for a fun flirty scent that emphasizes youth while also giving a sense of class, this is good for you. Coming in at just $62 for 1.2 FL. OZ. this is a great starter EAU DE PARFUM for a millennial looking to dip their toes into the world of fragrance.