Our take
What does Boy smell like?
Boy Chanel joined Les Exclusifs in 2016. It was one of Olivier Polge’s first major projects after he succeeded his father Jacques as house perfumer. The name honours Arthur “Boy” Capel, the great love of Gabrielle Chanel. Polge took the most masculine structure there is, the fougère, and made it unisex. Lavender opens, round and almost sweet, with lemon and grapefruit. In the heart, rose geranium brings a green, minty edge while rose and orange blossom make it softer. The base is the best part. Coumarin smells of dry hay, heliotrope adds an almond powder, and vanilla with sandalwood rounds it off. White musk keeps it clean. Compared with Guerlain’s Jicky, another ambiguous lavender, Boy is neater and less animalic. It smells like a man’s shirt you borrowed and never gave back.
When to wear it
An everyday scent for the office or the weekend that suits anyone. Two sprays at the base of the neck carry you through the day.
It belongs to the Fougère, Aromatic family. Boy is one of 45 creations by Chanel in our encyclopedia.
