This was definitely not planned, but a quick trip to Macy’s to help some friends find a new fragrance for their collection ended up me getting one in the process. You see, when you’re a fragrance wingman, you need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk. And on that day, I did both.
We had looked at a few fragrances; Acqua di Gio Elixir, YSL Y EDP Intense, and a few different Dior offerings before we rounded the corner to the Chanel section. I made a dash to the L’Exclusif bottle immediately and sprayed a generous helping on my arm. I then talked my friends into smelling some of Chanel’s other fragrances fragrances, including the Allure line, but ultimately, the Bleu de Chanel EDP was their top pick. But then it was my turn. The rep asked me what I wanted and by this time, L’Exclusif was already dry enough that I was already hooked. I’ve owned the EDP and smelled the others before, but this one was just different.
The notes are simple; Amber, Woody Notes, Sandalwood, and Labdanum. No longer is a member of the Polge family utilizing 10 or more notes for this fragrance, but keeping it simple and elegant is the new M.O. I will say though, the Bleu de Chanel DNA is undeniably familiar throughout the lineup. Each and every fragrance has that familiar scent profile but with different accompanying notes and characteristics to tag along. The EDP smells a tad sweeter thanks to the citrus notes and balsamic notes. The Parfum starts to turn a bit more on the mature side but lends a powdery freshness to the fragrance that is more pronounced than the others. So, what does L’Exclusif got that the others don’t? WOODS! Well, there’s more but predominantly it’s woody forward.
I honestly started to run out of skin real estate in all my testing, and I flat out refuse to use smelling strips. If any of you know my ultimate rule, it’s that you should always test on skin if you can. Testing on paper that doesn’t have any oils is a false representation of how the fragrance will perform on your skin. That one’s free, but I digress. L’Exclusif is a man that’s mature, wealthy, maybe drives a Porsche, isn’t afraid to command the room when he enters it – that’s how this one is different. It just smells like maturity in a bottle.
I often like to think that the stronger the fragrance gets, the more mature appealing it becomes. I’m not sure why this is the case, but I tend to like elixir fragrances in these designer lines than the others. L’Exclusif embodies that notion and it’s just absolutely amazing. The store I was in had a 15% off coupon so I wasn’t even mad at the price. I know the conversation is all about price and how it’s just absurdly high but look at Dior Sauvage Elixir. The 100ml bottle of Dior Sauvage Elixir clocks in at $265 while L’Exclusif is only $10 more at $275. The fact that nobody balked at the Sauvage price but is lambasting Chanel is pretty silly. If you’ve got the money and are out shopping for a new fragrance and L’Exclusif tickles your fancy, then I say you buy with confidence and enjoy the fragrance. Don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t buy it for any other reason other than you don’t like it.
Final Thoughts
L’Exclusif is a banger fragrance for the upcoming fall and wintertime seasons, and I really suggest you head to your local department store and give it a try. They’ve changed up the bottle design language to a cube-esque look versus a more rectangle-ish type of bottle so if you need to make room in your collection, keep that in mind. I never thought I’d be leaving the store with a bottle of my own but I’m glad I did and I hope you have the same experience. Don’t let the price scare you, test it out, spray it on your skin, and you’ll smell like pure luxury. I’ll talk to you all in the next one. Peace!
