Curious about which Chanel perfumes are the best today? You’re in the right place. Our experts put Chanel to the test and picked the top 10.
Chanel is one of the most recognizable fashion and perfume brands in the world. Its founder, Coco Chanel, left a legacy for all to aspire to; she was rebellious yet classy, and avant-garde yet adored by millions.
Coco embraced femininity with a new perspective and found a way to innovate fashion—and fragrances—unlike ever before.
Chanel’s signature scents have become some of the most famous perfumes of all time. The iconic Chanel fragrance line is so popular that a bottle of the famous Chanel No. 5 sells every 30 seconds.
While Chanel No. 5 is an exceptional fragrance, the luxury design house has a multitude of other scents to consider. Each is as unique as the last, our experts have done the research for you.
After reading this article, you’ll be better informed to make the best purchase decision possible. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Chanel Perfumes in 2022.
The French luxury design house Chanel has everything to owe to its founder, Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel. Born in 1883, Coco was a fashion rebel of her time.
She opened the first Chanel store in 1910 to begin selling hats but soon struck stardom as women flocked to her new, unique styles. Chanel was among the first designers to design pants for women and is known as the creator of the LBD (little black dress,) a staple in nearly every woman’s closet.
The brand quickly expanded, and in 1920, Chanel launched its first perfume, N°5. It was considered revolutionary for its time and was designed to “smell like a woman.”
100 year later, Chanel has not lost its grip on the fashion or fragrance world. As of 2022, Chanel has launched over 133 fragrances. So, what are the top Chanel perfumes? We tested them to find out for you.
We tested 13 different perfumes including the editor’s choices, best sellers, and the most famous Chanel perfumes.
We spend about 30 hours testing perfumes and writing detailed reviews on each unique bottle.
10 experts shared their expertise to help you choose the perfect Chanel perfume for your collection.
How did our experts test Chanel perfumes? We used an extensive 5- point system. Expand (click) each point box to learn more about how our experts use each point in their rating process.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Perfect for those who dress up and love smelling like a woman. | |||
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre EDP An ideal scent for a date night or to wear for a daytime special occasion. | |||
Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche EDT Fresh in nature with multiple crisp and natural scents in its formula. Energizing and sparkling. | |||
Chanel Coco EDP A bold, ambery scent that gently reveals opposite notes of brightness and floral fruit. Suitable for mature women. | |||
Chanel Coco Noir EDP A radical female fragrance that combines ambery notes with contrasting light ones. Warm and spicy. | |||
Bleu de Chanel EDP Fresh and clean with woody and aromatic properties. A great choice for men to wear anytime and anywhere. | |||
Chanel N°19 EDP A floral scent grounded with green and woody scents. Noble and proud. | |||
Chanel No.5 EDP One of the most recognizable perfumes. Luxury, high-class, and powerful. | |||
Chanel Chance EDP The original Chanel Chance. Light and sweet. Delivers a delightful experience the whole way through. | |||
Gabrielle Chanel EDP A bright and floral perfume. Ignites passion, freedom and extravagance. |
Coco Mademoiselle shows two faces of Chanel. This dual-personality Eau de Parfum is both strong and fresh, representing the spirited and young Coco Chanel.
This pretty-in-pink fragrance is meant to be a full expression of a woman who is free to reinvent herself each day. It’s sensual but sparkling, and bold but still light on the nose.
Launched in 2001, Coco Mademoiselle is classified as an amber floral fragrance for women and has risen to be one of the line’s most popular choices.
Coco Mademoiselle’s top notes of multiple citruses immediately awaken the nose. Middle notes are fresh and floral consisting of jasmine, mimosa, ylang-ylang, and may rose. Afterward, earthier base notes emerge of white musk, patchouli, and vetiver.
According to our experts, Coco Mademoiselle’s floral fruity scent is obvious and bold. It’s more suitable for young girls who love to get dolled up and lean into their femininity.
Top: 7
Middle: 7
Base: 5
In short, Coco Mademoiselle is a bright and playful fragrance that many would enjoy. It’s ideal for a young, feminine girl or someone who wants to smell more youthful and bright. Perfect for those who dress up and love smelling like a woman, Coco Mademoiselle remains a top choice in 2022 and will reign for years to come.
This Chanel fragrance was inspired by the very thing in its name: chance. Chance Eau Tendre was designed to share a tender and delicate presence “that sweeps you into a whirlwind of happiness and fantasy—a chance encounter,” said Chanel’s website.
This was another fragrance also inspired by Coco Chanel herself. She believed that the only real chance one gets is of their own creation. We create the opportunities and chances we get in life.
Chance Eau Tendre was launched in 2o10 as another floral and fruity fragrance for women.
Chance Eau Tendre opens with the refreshing and fruity top notes of quince and grapefruit and embodies floral middle notes of rose and jasmine. It leaves the skin with base notes of white musk.
According to our experts, Chance Eau Tendre has the strongest projection when compared to Chance Eau Fraîche, Gabrielle Chanel, and N°5. With that said, this rendition of Chance is ideal for a date night, but may not be suitable for work or school as it is quite aggressive.
One expert noted:
I would recommend this perfume to girls in their 20s with a sweet and extroverted personality. It’s not only floral, but also fruity.
Chance Eau Tendre is a safe, feminine scent for someone who wants to wear perfume for the first time. When you can’t decide what to wear, this is always a good choice.
However, it is worth noting that it’s a very strong scent because it blends roses with white musk, so reserve it for special occasions or when you wish to be noticed.
Side Note: The spray mechanism on the bottle is hard to press, making it difficult the apply the right amount. To avoid accidentally applying too much, be mindful when spraying!
Top: 7
Middle: 6
Base: 6
Chance Eau Tendre makes its wearers feel bright. It is an ideal scent for a date night or to wear for a daytime special occasion. Chance’s strong projection will make your presence known, so maybe avoid wearing this aggressive perfume to the office or school.
Chance Eau Fraîche is another take on life’s chances by Chanel. One must remain in an open state of mind to allow the right chances to present themselves. Fraîche translates to “fresh” in French, representing the new, fresh chances we can create.
This fraîche fragrance is also fresh in nature with multiple crisp and natural scents in its formula. It is energizing and sparkling, encouraging its wearers to take a new chance.
Eau Fraîche launched in 2007 and has since then expanded into a full line of body and hair care products.
What does Chance Eau Fraîche smell like? It can be described with top notes of crisp lemon, rich cedar, and fresh citron. Jasmine empowers the body of the perfume and the base notes are a blend of white musk, teak wood, and iris.
What do our experts think? Chance Eau Fraîche is among the lightest, unisex perfumes from Chanel when compared with Chance Eau Tendre, Gabrielle Chanel, and N°5.
In the beginning, Chance Eau Fraîche is a unisex fragrance, but as the floral notes lean in, it turns slightly more feminine. It’s suitable for an unconventional lady but maintains the natural elegance that Chanel is known for. Eau Fraîche is also great for someone who prefers a woody or fresh scent instead of something floral or sweet.
Another perk is that this scent is a bit more complex than the others on this list. A fresh citrus accord is soon followed by woody (cedar) notes that later intertwine with the floral. Very interesting!
Our experts agree that it is smooth, bright, soft, fresh, and certainly not overbearing. It may make its wearer feel amiable or good-natured.
As for projection, it is very intimate. People must get close to the smell and experience the full potential of the fragrance. As a result, Chance Eau Fraîche is good to wear when relaxing or for casual encounters.
Top: 8
Middle: 7
Base: 7
Chance Eau Fraîche is ideal for those who want a beautiful Chanel-inspired fragrance without the floral and sweet notes. This bottle is perfect to wear in the office or daily. It evokes an air of leisure and its casual, light scent is a fresh take on an everyday fragrance.
COCO is a famous Chanel fragrance that was inspired by the intensity of its founder’s personality. Coco’s two-sided character came out in her styling. She was understated and minimal, and yet concurrently, was obsessed with baroque and flashy jewels.
Coco was known to be mysterious and certainly provocative for the women of her time, and the fragrance COCO is an expression of that.
This classic fragrance can be described as a bold, ambery scent that gently reveals opposite notes of brightness and floral fruit.
COCO opens up with sweet roses, coriander, and the brightness of mandarin oranges. It develops with floral notes of jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossoms, and cloves, then finishes with richer scents. Base notes consist of deep amber, incense, leather, and sandalwood.
It’s time to see what our experts say about COCO. One expert thought:
In the beginning, COCO feels offensively strong. However, this powerful scent gives the perception of a gorgeous, upper-class woman.
About 30 minutes after application, COCO became weaker and softened greatly—to my liking.
Our experts believe COCO is the most suitable for a mature and sophisticated woman. An innocent, young girl may gravitate to a lighter, more feminine smell.
Top: 5
Middle: 7
Base: 8
Chanel’s COCO is a graceful fragrance fit for a woman who knows what she wants. This rich, evolving scent is exciting as it develops and changes, making it interesting to wear to a formal occasion or during the cooler seasons. Just as it was intended, COCO is understated and classic while feeling extravagant at the same time.
Released to the perfume market in 2012, COCO NOIR expresses the “great nocturnal Baroque” and captures the excitement of nighttime.
Its striking bottle was designed to be “the embodiment of a black that reveals femininity” and propose a magnetic style.
COCO NOIR is a radical female fragrance that combines ambery notes with contrasting light ones. Warm and spicy, COCO NOIR is still beloved by millions but has declined in overall popularity since its release 10 years ago.
Like many other Chanel perfumes, COCO NOIR has citrus top notes, but this time, of bright grapefruit. Middle notes are sweeter than may rose, geranium, and jasmine. The ambery notes come through at the base, showing signs of patchouli, vanilla, sandalwood, and white musk.
Our experts’ opinions of COCO NOIR’s smelling notes?
May rose, jasmine, and patchouli is obvious, while vanilla and benzoin lingered the longest on the skin. The top citrus scent is not obvious, but a subtle grapefruit scent appeared after one hour of wear.
Although COCO NOIR is classified as an amber woody fragrance for women, it’s not sweet. In fact, it feels even more mature and masculine than BLEU DE CHANEL.
Top: 8
Middle: 8
Base: 8.5
COCO NOIR is a warm and spicy scent that offers a bold statement in colder months. It aires on the side of masculinity and is a welcomed alternative for a mature woman who wants to smell strong, instead of sweet. Elegant and mysterious, COCO NOIR is a fragrance many will grow into.
We’ve explored multiple women-focused perfumes from Chanel, so now it’s time to dive into a man’s fragrance. Bleu de Chanel delivers a manly take on the timeless elegance that Chanel is known for.
The scent Bleu de Chanel first hit the market in 2010, but the brand expanded it with an Eau de Parfum version in 2014.
In short, this contemporary blend is fresh and clean with woody and aromatic properties. It offers a profound scent meant to capture the feeling of freedom and independence. Bleu de Chanel is for “a man who defies convention.
Bleu de Chanel kicks off with spicy citrus top notes like lemon and pink pepper. Middles notes are sweeter with jasmine, tonka bean, and vanilla. Lastly, ambery notes like cedar, sandalwood, and patchouli round out the scent.
According to our experts, the overall scent is very linear. It didn’t evolve much over time and the top notes of citrus were hard to read on the skin.
After application and wear, one expert reported that the pink pepper, jasmine, amber, cedar, and patchouli became more obvious on the skin. Toward the end, the citrus came through with hints of sandalwood.
With that said, Bleu de Chanel is a nice fragrance. One expert said:
Personally, I have always liked Bleu de Chanel very much. The three concentrations of the Bleu series have their own characteristics, but my favorite is the EDP. It is the best overall, compliments its wearer the most, and offers an elegant and amazing smell.
Top: 7
Middle: 8
Base: 7
You can’t go wrong with Bleu de Chanel’s Eau de Parfum. This calming and fresh scent is masculine in all the right ways, so it’s no wonder this fragrance is so popular. Bleu de Chanel is a great choice for men to wear daily and can be worn to virtually any occasion. In conclusion, Bleu de Chanel really is a staple, go-to scent for men.
Why 19? The number 19 pays homage to Coco Chanel herself and her birthday, August 19th.
This fragrance was released in 1970 just one year before she passed away. Chanel N°19 was the last fragrance launched and worn by the legendary woman until she died at age 87.
N°19 is adventurous and distinctive meant to portray an image of the famous Mademoiselle Coco. It’s classified as a floral scent that’s grounded with green and woody scents that create a balanced composition.
N°19 is a green scent and its top notes match that. Floral notes come through in the middle with iris, lilies, and ylang-ylang. Base notes of sandalwood help to deliver an earthy conclusion.
So, what do our experts think about N°19?
According to them, the top notes come through like grass, which can be weird for some. However, the rose middle notes are stronger and help improve the overall fragrance.
The feminine smell of rose may make the wearer come off as more dignified and serious, instead of playful or endearing. To our experts, Coco and Coco Mademoiselle tend to seem more charming and enchanting than N°19.
Top: 4
Middle: 7
Base: 7
N°19 is a summery fragrance that pays tribute to the August-born Ms. Chanel. Its green tones capture the essence of summer and with strong rose accents, it can help its wearer feel noble and proud. These properties make N°19 the ideal perfume for work since it smells successful and professional.
Just one look at the bottle and you may already know this famous perfume. As one of the oldest perfumes on this list, N°5 was created in 1921 and has become one of the most recognizable perfumes of all time. Why?
N°5 was the world’s first abstract fragrance. It was the first fragrance to offer layers of complexity through the use of aldehydes (alcohols).
This monumental scent was inspired to exude “the very essence of femininity.” According to Chanel, it is an abstract and mysterious scent that emits over-the-top floral richness.
In 1989, Chanel released N°5’s Eau de Parfum.
Chanel’s definition of femininity in N°5 has top notes of neroli, ylang-ylang, and bergamot. It is followed by middle notes of iris, jasmine, and may rose then grounded with a base of sandalwood, vanilla, and patchouli.
Our experts consider N°5 to be the quintessential vintage perfume. The scent is obvious and bold and it’s more suitable for a confident, sophisticated, and mature woman in her 30s or beyond.
When first applied, the opening is very harsh due to strong aldehydes. This strength may smell unpleasant to many who are more familiar with modern fragrances.
N°5’s top notes have the potential to make its wearer feel bold and perhaps a bit aggressive. It’s perfect for a headstrong woman.
About 40 minutes after application, N°5’s top notes blend with the florals and the scent turns more feminine. The floral notes linger and the fragrance becomes more charming with time. The end result? A luxurious lady.
Top: 4
Middle: 6
Base: 7
Since its creation over 100 years ago, the famous N°5 smell is one of luxury, class, and power. When you want people to think you are part of the upper echelon, reach for a bottle of N°5. This strong, vintage scent is ideal for the head-strong woman who loves being in charge.
You may have noticed there are multiple Chance Chanel perfumes on this list and this is the original. Launched in 2005, Chance was the first Chanel fragrance housed in a circular bottle that steered away from the classic, rectangular look.
The silver-trimmed circular bottle gives us a full circle moment and represents energy and the joie de vivre (joy of life).
Chance struck stardom because the fragrance continuously evolves as one wears it. This constellation of scents was so successful that Chanel expanded the collection with other signature scents like Chance Eau Tendre or Eau Fraîche (listed above). There are now 5 Chance perfumes altogether cleverly depicted by their unique colors and they span a wide range of scents.
Spicy at first, pink pepper hits the nose in the top notes while jasmine and iris fade in later. Chance then offers deeper notes of amber, patchouli, white musk, and vanilla in its base.
According to our experts, this original Chance has a more serene and calm feeling than Chance Eau Tendre or Chance Eau Fraîche. While it’s composed, Chance still manages to be bright and a bit sweet too.
How does Chance by Chanel smell? In the opening, notes of patchouli and vanilla are obvious. Gradually, iris and pink pepper start to overwhelm the other scents softening the initial patchouli. The sweet smell of vanilla lingers on, while at the end it’s mostly floral tones and musk.
Top: 8
Middle: 7
Base: 7
To put it simply, take a chance on Chance. This light yet sweet perfume is complex in nature but delivers a delightful experience the whole way through. With decent longevity and projection, Chance is ideal for just about anywhere. For those new to Chanel, this is a safe and smart choice that many will love.
Coco Chanel’s real name is Gabrielle and this perfume was inspired by the heart and core ethos of that magical woman. Gabrielle was a rebel of her time, so this fragrance is meant to ignite passion, freedom, and extravagance.
What makes Gabrielle special is its bottle that took 5 long years to design. The perfume’s liquid is suspended within the glass square with 4 transparent sides that allow light to shine through in a diamond-like fashion.
Gabrielle was launched in 2017 making it one of the newer choices on this list. It’s classified as a floral fragrance and has an overall sunny character to depict the “purely feminine Chanel blossom.”
Gabrielle opens with top notes of citrus, black currant, and sweet pear. Floral through and through, its middle notes are a bouquet of jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, and orange blossom. Finally, muskier notes hit like sandalwood, orris, and unique cashmere.
Our experts tested Gabrielle and concluded that the opening is ultra-sharp due to its strong citrus notes, which almost come off as sour.
Fifteen minutes after application, Gabrielle softens to a more fruity scent blended with florals. As the fragrance changes, it becomes more wearable. The abundant flora is not boring thanks to the fruitiness that comes through.
Compared with Chanel N°5, Gabrielle is flat in the end. It’s most suited for elegant, tranquil, and feminine ladies in their 30s.
Top: 5
Middle: 7
Base: 6.5
If you like perfumes that alter frequently, consider trying Gabrielle. It’s a bright, floral perfume but because it’s quite heavy, save it for the fall or winter. It’s ideal for those who want to feel rich yet delicate, like just Gabriele “Coco” herself.
Photo | ||||||||||
Name | Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP | Chanel Chance Eau Tendre EDP | Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche EDT | Chanel Coco EDP | Chanel Coco Noir EDP | Bleu de Chanel EDP | Chanel N°19 EDP | Chanel No.5 EDP | Chanel Chance EDP | Gabrielle Chanel EDP |
Notes |
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Logevity | 12 hours | 6.5 hours | 6.5 hours | 8 hours | 12 hours | 10 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours | 8.5 hours | 7.5 hours |
Best Season for wear | Winter or Autumn | All, Best for Spring or Summer | Spring or Summer | Autumn or Winter | Autumn or Winter | All | Spring or Summer | All | All | Autumn or WInter |
Suitable Occasions | Date, Formal Occasions, Vacation | Date, Casual Gatherings, Vacation | Dates, Casual Gatherings, Vacations, Relaxing, Sports, Work | Dates, Formal Occasions, Cooler Vacations | Party | All | Work | Date, Work, Formal Occasions | All | Date, Work, Formal Occasions |
Time of day | Nighttime | Daytime | Daytime | Nighttime | Nighttime | All Day | All Day | All Day | Daytime | All Day |
Projection | Strong | Strong | Intimate | Strong | Enormous | Strong | Intimate | Intimate | Moderate | Strong |
More info. |
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