Chanel Chance

Many people have asked me what my Valentine's Day fragrance has been throughout the years. My answer to them is the fragrance that I am going to discuss in this post. This is one of those rare fragrances that I can wear in both the winter and spring and that I have actually had to replace the bottle of it from wearing it so much. Anyone that has seen my fragrance wardrobe knows that this is huge since I never seem to buy small bottle and have so many that I rarely finish anything at all. The fragrance in question is the original Chanel Chance. Not only do I own the original, I also own the lighter Eau Fraiche that I prefer in the warm weather. "Chance. It's your chance...take it!" is the Chanel description of this fragrance.

This fragrance is a floral oriental like many other Chanel fragrances. I find this one to be on the lighter side of the Chanel fragrances and is one of the easier ones to wear from this design house. Sephora states, "Waves of freshness collide with floral notes and merge with sensual, sweet, and spicy elements. Surprising feminity, energy, daring, a hint of sexiness and delicious naughtiness. Chance is a fragrance drawn like a tightrope above the unpredictable. It's a fragrance that calls exciting what others might call dangerous".

The website goes further into the history of fragrance which I find very fascinating. I feel that every fragrance has a story and it is rare that I get to learn about the creation and idea behind the creation. "A decidedly young scent...for those who dare to dream. Chanel continues to be inspired by the spirit and intuition of Coco Chanel, who knew every chance is always in our lives. We don't always recognize it...perhaps because we don't believe in it enough. It drops by, brushes up against us, tempts us, popping up where we least expect it. It sweeps us up in a spin of dramatic moments and newfound loves. Now Chanel dedicates a fragrace to both chance and young women who dare, imagining a new world, exciting and promising. Jacques Polge, the nose of Chanel, has created a magnificently unexpected fragrance of contrasts, an edgy fragrance. When Chanel Artistic Director Jacques Helleu imagined chance, he drew a perfect circle. Little by little a pure bottle emerged, ringed by silver metal to contain and control the wild energy of chance. An unexpected shape for a Chanel fragrance, as unpredictable as chance itself. The colour of chance is soft, intense, and optimistic; chance is pink. Who would have predicted that one day Chanel would dress one of its fragrances in such a vibrant way?"

The notes in the fragrance are: Hyacinth, White Musc, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Fresh Vetiver, Citrus, Iris, Amber of Patchouli. The fragrance opens with the Hyacinth note and begins as a floral but then the Pink Pepper, Jasmine, and Amber notes comes out and the fragrance becomes much more of an Oriental. This fragrance has a very long staying power on my skin and I think it might actually be the one with the longest staying power that I have tried so far.

This fragrance is available in both EDP and EDT forms and matching body care items. I bought the EDT and would love to get the matching body cream. Now I don't know that I really need any other items in this scent to build the fragrance even more since it already is strong on me and lasts all day long. This fragrance can be dressed up or down but I find that I prefer it the most either dressed up or with a sundress for a semi-casual night. I think Coco Mademoiselle is more formal and this fragrance is better for slightly more casual times. There is a pretty thin line between the two and really they can be interchanged very easily.

I don't think I need to state that I love this fragrance since this is the only one that I have ever bought a second full bottle of so far... Later in the spring, we will look at the newer versions that this fragrance has spawned and see how they differ.

photo courtesy of Chanel