Our take
What does N°5 L'Eau smell like?
Chanel launched No.5 L'Eau in September 2016, with Lily-Rose Depp fronting the campaign. Olivier Polge had only recently taken over as in-house perfumer. He did not simply water down the 1921 classic. He redrew it for people who have never owned a powder puff. The opening is pure zest. Lemon, mandarin and orange lead, and the aldehydes add the soapy sparkle the name demands. They weigh far less than in the original and smell more like sheets drying in the sun. Rose and jasmine hold the heart. The ylang-ylang was fractionated to strip out its ripe banana side, so it reads cleaner. Dry vetiver and pale cedar sit on a bed of white musks in the base. Compared with Jacques Polge's No.5 Eau Première, which stays powdery, L'Eau is sharper and more see-through. This is the No.5 you can wear with jeans on a Tuesday.
When to wear it
Best from May to September, at work or on weekends. Three sprays on the neck and wrists, since it rarely lasts beyond four hours.
It belongs to the Floral, Powdery family. N°5 L'Eau is one of 45 creations by Chanel in our encyclopedia.
