Chanel chance eau splendide
- Notes from brand: Raspberry, rose, violet, iris, geranium, cedar-musk
- Real-world notes: Fresh melon, boiled sweets, powder, violets
- Sizes: 50ml, 100ml
- Why we love it
- Settles down to a delicate, feminine scent
- Summery
- Unique and unlike other Chanel fragrances
- Take note
- Staying power isn't as impressive as other Chanel EDPs
- Intially very sweet
As someone who has adored Chanel’s chance perfumes in all their variations, I was more than excited to give the new eau splendide eau de parfum a whirl. However, my first impression wasn’t positive.
It is, of course, subjective, but I found the initial sweetness completely overpowering, like boiled sweets. Lots of readers will adore that – if you like a sweet scent, you’ll enjoy the fruity top notes – but others might find it a little sickly at first. It’s also, frankly, a little generic. Fragrance obsessives like me will note that it initially smells like Marc Jacobs daisy ever so fresh (£73.60, Boots.com).
However, I think that eau splendide comes into its own once it dries down on the skin. This takes a few minutes, but bear with it and you’ll be left with a warm and sunny violet scent to match the liquid’s lilac hue. Ironically, this process mimics the brand messaging: Chanel invites you to ‘take a chance’ on eau splendide.
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Those instant top notes are punchy with both the sugary sweet and tart components of the raspberry. As it melds with the oils and warmth of your skin, the aroma transforms with the cedar and florals sprouting to the surface, making for a more complex and distinctive finish. I grew to love the subtle fruity whiffs as the day wore on.
After a few hours, it’s unique, too. It might start out a little basic, but it develops a fascinating complexity as it dries. I’ve tried plenty of Chanel scents over the years, and this is a real departure from the brand. I think it’s the first time they’ve led with fruit scents rather than florals. It doesn’t smell like anything else they’ve made.
That said, eau splendide doesn’t have the staying power of its siblings, such as Chanel chance eau tendre (£92.65, Boots.com). In fact, it’s comparable to a skin scent like Glossier you (£70, Glossier.com) and enhances rather than masks your natural aroma. In this way, it lends itself to daytime wear and, with the brightness of the raspberry and florals, is a perfect spring and summer scent.