One evening, my cousin came over and sampled all my perfumes. When I handed her a tester strip of Chanel L’eau, she wrinkled her nose and exclaimed, “Ew, no. Smells like armpits.” My fragrance-loving heart sank. Although I parted ways with the famous Coco Mademoiselle due to its sharp patchouli note that no longer appealed to me, I held onto my two favorites: Chanel L’eau and Gabrielle Essence. But after her comment, I couldn’t bring myself to wear Chanel L’eau again.
Aldehydes are often used to impart a sparkling, effervescent quality to fragrances, with notes ranging from citrusy and soapy to waxy, airy, or slightly metallic. While I understand that not everyone will share my taste in perfumes, the comparison to armpits was unexpected. The L’eau campaign was designed to appeal to a younger, millennial audience like myself, who might not gravitate toward the original No.5.
Some other popular aldehydic fragrances that I enjoy include Lazy Sunday Morning by Maison Martin Margiela and 724 by Maison Francis Kurkjian. These give fresh out the shower vibes and a feeling of freshly laundered sheets.
As I revisit my bottle of Chanel L’eau today and overspray, I can't help but wonder: Have you ever been caught off guard by a perfume comment? Share in the comments below.
Note Breakdown of L'eau:
Top notes are Aldehydes (I'm assuming that's the perfume note she did not agree with), Lemon, Neroli, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Orange and Lime; middle notes are Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and May Rose; base notes are White Musk, Orris Root, Cedar and Vanilla.
The scent was developed by Olivier Polge as a light and fresh interpretation of the sophisticated original, featuring prominent note of May rose from Grasse.
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