Les Exclusifs is Chanel’s niche perfume range – a collection with its own identity within the larger range of Chanel perfume offerings. It was launched in 2007 with reworked versions of existing perfumes which were no longer available and some new ones created by Jacques Polge, the Chanel in-house perfumer, in some cases working with Christopher Sheldrake, famous for his Serge Lutens perfumes.
They all have an explicit link to Coco Chanel herself. Bel Respiro is the name of her house at Roquebrune in southern France, Coromandel is named after the Chinese screens in her apartment, 31 Rue Cambon is the address of her studio and home. The latest addition, 1932, is a reference to the year in which she launched her jewellery collection. The link between them all, to my nose at least, is the very high quality of the materials, what seems to me to be the high proportion of naturals or of very good synthetic materials – they all smell well made and they smell expensive.
Many are florals or soft florals. 31 Rue Cambon is a chypre and the oriental, woods, dry woods, woody oriental and green families are covered too so the range is broad. There is a similarity of tone. There are no scent monsters, nothing which jumps out and shouts. Equally (and perhaps sadly), there is nothing extraordinarily new or wholly unusual. They are all restrained, discreet, elegant and in a word … beautiful. Sadly, they come only in eau de toilette concentration and their beauty tends to fade too rapidly. I would happily own and wear all of them.
The names, dates, families and official notes (according to Michael Edwards) are listed below, with a brief impression of how they work for me.
Gardenia 1925 Floral
Ernest Beaux
Top notes: Ylang-ylang, Green notes, Fruits
Heart notes: Gardenia, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Tuberose
Base notes: Sandalwood, Amber, Musk
This one may never have been discontinued since no ‘rebirth’date is given but it has certainly been reorchestrated from what I’ve read of the original Gardenia which . Chanel herself apparently wore. I love gardenia flowers but have never found the perfect gardenia perfume. This is an old-fashioned floral with watery notes – stylish, with touches of green amongst the white flowers, rather ‘clean’ (the watery elements) and without a huge amount of gardenia - it’s some chunky and linear without much development – but certainly very wearable and among the better gardenias available.
Cuir de Russie 1927 Dry Woods
Ernest Beaux/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange blossom
Heart notes: Rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base notes: Birch, cade wood, styrax
Rich rose/jasmine with woody leather. It’s a civilised and well-behaved leather, not a wild or challenging one as it must once have been reading contemporary accounts around the time of its birth. Excellent when it’s cool or cold and good at other times too. Great on both men and women.
Eau de cologne 1929/ 2007 Citrus
Ernest Beaux/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Neroli
Heart notes: Petitgrain, Jasmine
Base notes: Musk
A soft, round citrus, sweet rather than sharp. You don’t want to reapply too often, spray onto fabric and the sweetness will linger. Lovely on men.
Sycomore 1930 Woods
Jacques Polge (presumably someone else first!)
Top notes: Bergamot, Neroli
Heart notes: Pepper (rose / pink), Cypress, Clary sage, Juniperberry
Base notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver
As someone said at our session, ‘it’s sexy’. For me, vetiver is a very alluring note – the essence of masculinity. This is woody and peppery, just slightly medicinal but with hints of ambery richness (the cedar and sandalwood) which smooths out the dryness of the vetiver. The reverse side of 31 Rue Cambon.
Bois des Iles 1926 Woody Oriental
Top notes: Bergamot, Petitgrain, Coriander
Heart notes: Jasmine, Rose, Ylang-ylang, Blackcurrant buds
Base notes: Sandalwood, Sandalwood, Ambrette seeds, Musk, Tonka bean, Vanilla
I have a blue, red, green and yellow kaftan from the late 1970s which would be perfect with this. It’s all about the sandalwood and vanilla under luscious floral notes but it’s never too much – perhaps an elegant deep red or green velvet rather than the kaftan after all.
Coromandel 2007 Oriental
Christopher Sheldrake/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: Pine
Heart notes: Jasmine
Base notes: Patchouli, Woody notes, Amber, Benzoin, Frankincense
This is an oriental in the vein of Ambre Sultan (Serge Lutens). Slightly medicinal, not too floral and with strong wood, benzoin and frankincense notes – not at all incensy through – no hints of church here. Powerful and potent – you need to be in the right mood for this.
Base notes:28 La Pausa 2007 Soft Floral
Francois Demachy/Jacques Polge
Top notes: Iris
Heart notes: Pepper
Base notes: Vetiver
A beautifully-rounded iris – gauzy but strong.
31 Rue Cambon 2007 Mossy woods
Jacques Polge
Top notes: bergamot
Heart notes: pepper, oakmoss
Base notes: Cistus labdanum
This is the chypre with no natural oak moss (which is the distinguishing feature of the family but it still smells like a chypre so all is not lost). The notes don’t say iris but I’m sure it’s in there somewhere. I’ll just quote Luca Turin on this: ‘I cannot remember the last time, if ever, a perfume gave me such an instantaneous impression of ravishing beauty at first sniff. There is an affecting softness, a gentle grace to 31 that beggars belief.’
In some moods, when I want something with bite or punch or just a bit unusual, 31 Rue Cambon is too sweet, pretty and well-behaved – bring on the Bandit. In the humid heat of an Australian summer, it can be cloying but otherwise it can be taken everywhere and will always give pleasure.
No 18 2007 Floral
Christopher Sheldrake/ Jacques Polge
Notes: Ambrette seeds
Ambrette seeds come from the musk mallow and are a natural musky scent. No 18 is rosy and musky but not to excess. There are hints of iris. It has an ethereal quality, it’s mysterious and hard to pin down.
No 22 Floral 1922
Top notes: Citrus accord, Orange blossom, Peach
Heart notes:, Orchid, Rose, Tuberose, Ylang-ylang
Base notes: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla
This could have been No 5 – it was one of the samples presented by Ernest Beaux to Chanel but she chose the fifth one. This was launched in the following year. It has many similar notes, the rich rose, ylang accord but tuberose rather than jasmine. If there are aldehydes here, they are not in the huge quantities which make No 5 distinctive.
Bel Respiro 2007 Green
Jacques Polge
Top notes: Grass, Green notes
Heart notes: Chrysanthemum, Freesia, Hyacinth
Base notes: Leather
This is the refreshing member of the family – a breath of cool, green air. It’s not quite bracing but goes in that direction. Cooling in hot weather. Good for men or women.
Beige 2008 Floral
Christopher Sheldrake/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: Hawthorn
Heart notes: Frangipani, freesia
Base notes: Honey, vanilla
The word Beige has negative connotations in English (= drab) but not in French (=stylish and restrained). So Anglo-Saxons have difficulties with this perfume. It’s an unusual floral – not roses or jasmine that can be pinned down immediately – I find myself trying to identify exactly what I am smelling. Interesting but not exciting in my view.
Jersey 2011 Soft Floral
Christopher Sheldrake/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: lavender
Heart notes: jasmine, rose
Base notes: Musk, tonka bean, vanilla
Women’s perfumes don’t have lavender so this is a bit of a dare – which doesn’t come off for me – as a friend said ‘sorry but it really will have to go into the underwear drawer’. If you like lavender, you’ll like this. It’s well-rounded like all the Exclusifs and if I were given a bottle, I’d find times to wear it but currently when in lavender mood I prefer to go over the top with the vanilla and lavender of Pour un homme (Caron).
1932 2013 Soft floral
Christopher Sheldrake/ Jacques Polge
Top notes: Grapefruit, Pear
Heart notes: Iris, Jasmine, Vetiver
Base notes: Musk, suede
A fleeting note of pear, then straight into a whispery but strong iris (steel bones under a soft skin) and a pretty jasmine – no heavy indolic notes here, with gently musky undertones. It has echoes of the rich softness of 31 Rue Cambon, the extraordinary iris of 28 La Pausa with hints of the strength of Cuir de Russie. I can’t pick out the vetiver but perhaps this is the backbone.