Our take
What does Gabrielle Essence smell like?
Two years after Gabrielle, Olivier Polge delivered a denser take in 2019. The 2017 perfume was a very bright white bouquet. Gabrielle Chanel Essence keeps the same flowers but shifts the balance. Peach opens with fruity roundness. A touch of petitgrain makes it slightly bitter and stops it from turning syrupy. The heart keeps the original quartet of jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and tuberose. This time tuberose leads. It is creamy and a bit heady, with the thick-petal texture you expect from it. The base adds what Gabrielle lacked: soft vanilla, smooth sandalwood and a musk that stretches the whole thing out. Compared with the original, Essence is warmer and lasts much longer. It does lose the clarity that made Gabrielle sparkle. Think of it as Gabrielle in evening dress, with a longer and warmer trail behind it.
When to wear it
A white floral for spring and autumn evenings. Two sprays are enough because the tuberose fills space fast.
It belongs to the Floral, Woody, Musky family. Gabrielle Essence is one of 45 creations by Chanel in our encyclopedia.
