In my teens, I briefly preferred heavy, powdery and slightly sweet perfumes – the kind some might describe as suffocating. But everything changed when a milestone birthday arrived, and my godmother bought me a “grown-up” fragrance.
The perfume in question was Chanel Chance, a new scent from the fashion house in a distinctly cool circular bottle. It was quite a departure from the refined, somewhat stuffy fragrances I associated with Chanel as a youth. The aim with Chance, it seemed, was to appeal to a younger audience – like me – and it worked. Here was a fresh, light, fruity fragrance that was pretty and cool, and elicited compliments when I wore it. A huge win in my teenage eyes.
New versions of Chanel Chance have hit the shelves over the years, all created by Jacques Polge, Chanel’s in-house perfumer. Some of them appealed, particularly Eau Tendre, which I still own a bottle of today, with its soft, fruity notes of grapefruit and jasmine. Still pretty, still cool. My interest in the line continued.
In 2015 Jacques Polge retired after 35 years with Chanel but the legacy of Chance continued after his son, Olivier Polge (known for creating iconic fragrances like Dior Homme and Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb) took over as Chanel’s head perfumer.
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Olivier’s first creation for Chance, Eau Vive, was more energetic and citrus-heavy. I liked it; it felt like the start of a new chapter. This month marks the release of the fifth and arguably most unique addition yet: Chance Eau Splendide (€130 for 50ml from Brown Thomas).
It’s more powerful than the others, more head-turning and more – for lack of a better word – yummy. It’s fruity and sparkling and distinctly moreish – notes of raspberry accord, rose geranium and violet demand an “ooh” at first spritz. As Polge explains when we speak, that was exactly his intention. “Something that is important about the Chance perfumes, is that all of them have an interesting hook – the top notes that captures your attention right away. When I think about the original Chance, for example, I have pink pepper in mind. When I think about Eau Fraiche, there is something very citrusy. So, I was looking for something that could compare, but in a different way.”
[ Charlotte Tilbury expands Pillow Talk range with face palettes and lipsticksOpens in new window ]
Olivier initially focused on making sure Eau Splendide interacted well with the other perfumes in the line, but the end result was not what he had envisioned. “The fruity notes I gathered into the raspberry accord were more than expected. They ended up being quite central to the signature of Eau Splendide. I found the raspberry feeling quite rich and complex by itself – so that took centre stage.”
I ask him about the process of creating a new fragrance. Does it take weeks or months? “It takes a long time,” he says. “The creation of a scent is slow. It’s not something you can get to grips with in a few minutes. The real identity of a scent needs time to be processed in your mind and in your feelings. When I work on a perfume, I feel more comfortable if I have a year, or more, to work. So, my work today, the perfumes I am working on right now, they will not come out before 2027. Which is a pity, because really, it’s too long for me,” he says, with a laugh.
I ask Olivier what he thinks makes a fragrance timeless. “One key element,” he says, “is to be clever with trends, without putting all your eggs in one basket. It’s important to be inspired by the world around you, and still look at the trends but not get too involved with them, because they don’t last. I remember when I started creating perfumes in the 90s, you had those fragrances that smelled like water – ocean-inspired. It was very trendy at the time, but now? They’re gone.”
When it comes to Eau Splendide, and other perfumes he has created, I wonder aloud at the fragrance industry’s occasional need to describe the wearer, who they believe the consumer of their fragrance is. “I try to step away from preconceived or marketed ideas,” he says. “Because I usually don’t have one person in mind when I create a fragrance. I like to be surprised. I don’t know how it will be worn, and I prefer it this way – I prefer to see the perfume when it’s alive on the streets. That’s much more interesting to me.”
This week I’m loving… Poco Beauty Skintuition Foundation
Another outstanding launch from home-grown brand Poco Beauty. Skintuition Foundation SPF50 (€32 from pocobeauty.com) is not just a skin tint or a tinted moisturiser, but rather a combination of the two, with the bonus of medium (and buildable) coverage – and impressive skincare ingredients. The smooth, creamy, balm-like formula includes niacinamide and adenosine to brighten the skin, and hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate. Available in eight stretchable shades, with more on the way.
