Our take
What does Le Lion smell like?
Chanel added Le Lion to Les Exclusifs in 2020. Olivier Polge built it around a symbol close to Gabrielle Chanel. Born in August under the sign of Leo, she also loved Venice and its winged lion. The opening is brighter than you'd expect from an amber. Lemon and bergamot cut cleanly for the first few minutes. Then labdanum settles in with an amber accord. It smells of sticky resin with a slight leathery side, a little like an old waxed cabinet. Vanilla stays in the background and rounds the edges more than it sweetens. Patchouli adds earthy depth while sandalwood and musk smooth out the finish. On skin Le Lion lasts a long time and projects well for the first two hours. Compared with Guerlain's Shalimar, another vanilla amber that opens on bergamot, Le Lion is drier and more resinous. It is also far less powdery.
When to wear it
Save it for cold evenings, on skin or on a wool scarf. One or two sprays are enough given how far the labdanum carries.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber family. Le Lion is one of 45 creations by Chanel in our encyclopedia.
