Chanel N°19 Eau de Parfum

I'd heard of N°19 before, but it didn't really get my attention until I read Katie Puckrik's post on how she discovered it. Suddenly, I found myself on the hunt; I couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately, although this isn't part of the Les Exclusifs line, it can be darned tricky to get your hands on! I can get some Chanels here, but only the really big sellers like N°5, Coco, Coco Mademoiselle and Allure. What's worse, the reputable online stores wanted twice the retail price for this. Luckily, my aunt brought me a bottle from the big city, but it turned out to be a bottle of N°19 Poudré!!! She returned it when she got back, the Chanel store sent me the original, and finally, I was able to experience a little talked-about classic.

N°19 is dreamy. Floral notes are the first out the gate, greeting me with an enchanting mingling of rose, lily-of-the-valley, and narcissus. It almost seems too feminine and docile, but just as quickly as that notion forms, the most surprising note emerges: smoky tobacco. This is the Iris. That smoky accord dries out the juicy soapy floral notes and creates an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. What joins the mix next is a sporty cologne-y smell, something that is at once aquatic and aromatic - I think it's the combination of bergamot and vetiver that creates this slightly masculine air. However, it never quite makes it into that unisex, masculine category, kept in check with some fairly tough floral notes, but it does present a sense of duality. Honestly, I think a guy could still pull this off. N°19 is not watery, but it's not a rich, sumptuous perfume. It's never sweet, nor spicy. It remains aloof, light and breezy. A floral, green, smoky perfume, N°19 feels light, misty and refreshing, yet it also manages to be smooth somehow, likely with a little help from the sandalwood. The whole thing is so beautifully balanced, and it feels like a modern take on a turn of the century concept.

The packaging for N°19 follows the same conceptual idea as N°5, with its black and white box with gold trim. In this collage, you can see how confusing it can be when Chanel does their flankers this way too. On the left, we have N°19 Poudré (the one the Chanel counter gave my aunt the first time when she asked for "N°19"), then there's the difference between N°5 and its flanker N°5 Eau Première (again, confusing), and then the original N°19.


N°19 Eau de Parfum's chartreuse liquid comes in the same bottle design as N°5 - very classic. This bottle is lovely and understated, showing attention to detail in features such as its glass cap and the frosty etched specifications on the bottom. Normally, caps are plastic and the details about the product are stuck to the bottom of the bottle with a sticker. These little touches are what give Chanel an added air of elegance and sophistication.

I don't know why this isn't more popular. People rarely talk about this perfume, and most of the reviews out there are for the flanker N°19 Poudré (which is not the same at all. The original N°19 is comprised of nearly 12 notes. It's flanker is made up of only 6 notes, and of those, three of them are common to both). The truth is, this isn't even all that dated. It was released in the 70s, and the Eau de Parfum didn't come out til even later, so it is a modern scent, and the last that was released under Coco Chanel's direction before her passing.

Unfortunately, the summer heat and humidity is not being kind to N°19, and is taking a toll on its lasting power. I am confident that this will be better suited to the cold months, when it can snuggle into the fabric of my sweaters.

If you are a lover of all things Chanel, I hope you will seek this out and give it a try. Don't forget, Chanel reformulates its scents with each concentration, so they are not just weaker or stronger versions of each other and you'll want to keep that in mind when testing.

Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

A.