Chanel No. 19

...the leathery iris lets them know who’s boss.

One million years B.C., I was a young pop singer in London determined to give Madonna a run for her rah-rah skirt. I performed in dive bars and gay clubs all over town, singing to backing tracks in my glow-in-the-dark Trick-or-Treat dress while furiously lassoing eight inflatable Dalmatians over my raspberry Krazy-Kolored head. A couple of times, I played in the cafeteria at St Martins College of Art -- at lunchtime -- which sounds a bit Spinal Tap-billed-beneath-the-puppet-show, until you learn that the Sex Pistols made their debut in this very same venue some years earlier. Okay, at least the Sex Pistols got to play at night, but the advantage for me (aside from all the tater-tots I could eat -- try getting that on your rider, Johnny Rotten!) was that I met some talented student photographers who asked me to be their model. It was a good deal: they worked their chops, and I snagged some shots. I remember one of the women in particular, because she was the first person I ever met who wore Chanel No. 19. Caroline was about 20, an English maiden-type whose silky blonde hair created a dramatic contrast against her art-school black turtleneck. I was impressed by her manner: she had an easy way with me, a near-stranger, and was confident with both directing me and managing her complicated-looking equipment. At one point, Caroline decided she wanted to do some portraits of me wearing black against a black background, so that my face and hands would be highlighted in the gloom. Since the only clothes I had with me were a pink metallic Vivienne Westwood goddess bustier and mini-crini that made me look like Aphrodite crossed with a go-go dancer, she lent me her black turtleneck. As I slipped the wool sweater over my head, I was enveloped in a powdery cloud of Chanel No. 19. She had to tell me what it was, and mentioned it was the only perfume she ever wore. I had no reference point for the smell, which was completely new to me. It was pretty, but not at all sweet. It was youthful but not childish. No. 19 seemed to share Caroline's easy, unfussy beauty, as well as her cool restraint. I was thrilled with the finished portraits, which revealed an arch self-possession I didn't know I had. And maybe I didn't have it. Studying the photos now, it occurs to me that the poise Caroline captured had nothing to do with me at all, and everything to do with Chanel No. 19. Photo by Caroline Hughes

35 comments:

  1. what a great story. I have always believed the power of scent in it's ability to transform it wearer. even if for a captured moment. like a photograph.

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  2. No.19 is a classic beauty, just like you! Gorgeous photo, that mischievous smile and dimples let us know it's Katie! I just gave a huge bottle of this away to a friend. It was, alas, a little too pretty for this gay bear to wear.

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  3. Scott, ah, perhaps bears do have to draw the line at No. 19. I wonder if No. 18, a leaner, less "pretty" iris, would pass muster?

    onesmalldog - that's it exactly! "The power of scent to transform it's wearer".

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  4. Katie,

    I have been trying all day to come up with a smart ass comment. But I can't that picture is just too damn cute. I have always had a soft spot for ginger haired girls! That picture got to be 20 years old, you look just as good now as you did back in the day. Yeah my wife used to love No.19 but since the reformulation she can't stand it. She said it was her very first bottle of perfume when she was a teenager. I was surprised when we went shopping in Vegas she picked up a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle. She still surprises me even after 23 years of marriage.:)

    Cheers!

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  5. In high school, me and my best friend used to meet up at her house...say, around 4pm on a Saturday, after she was done with her chores. We would get all dolled up in her bedroom and she would ask me to do her make-up. When all was perfect and finished, we would head toward her vanity together and select a scent. There was Woman by Jovan, Sex Appeal, and some others. But the one I always reached for that made me a little weak in the knees, was the well-made pewter bottle of Chanel 19. I had never smelled anything like it and never will again. The reformulation has none of its former magic, either. I still pass the Chanel counter each time I'm in Macy's...in hope that I will find that scent again, but is is no more...like that quietly confident teenage girl.

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  6. Todd, thanks for the compliment! Being ginger may have been cute, but that was some high-maintenance color, let me tell you!

    Re No. 19 - why oh why do they futz (insert expletive here) around with the classics?

    HTH - loved that story! Especially the fact that your friend did "chores" that lasted until 4pm! Chores, and then Chanel No. 19. The agony and the ecstasy.

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  7. Katie,

    I do how much it takes to keep that color. My dad is a hairstylist. I seen how some of those ladies come in almost weekly to keep it up. I can't imagine you being "high-maintenance". Then again, you do seem to like those high end perfumes.LOL Snagged any Rose Oud lately? I am off to Chicago and a Serge Lutens bottle has my name on it.

    Cheers!

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  8. Haha, cute picture of you! I love your hair color. I have reddish hair that I attempt to make brighter with henna. It is high maintenance though. When I used to dye it bright red it would fade very quickly.

    I need to find some pictures of my wild days, haha. Great review!

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  9. I don't do redhead anymore either but I do still adore No 19 edt. Wore it today, in fact.

    Awesome picture. Doncha wish you had those glasses now? They are back!

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  10. Nice pic, Katie! You look like the sexy secretary from the '50's who doesn't take s**t from anyone, hence the pugilistic fists! If you still had the red hair, you could be on Mad Men!

    I don't know about the one million years, but I am guessing in this case that the B.C. is "before California".

    I have never "gotten" No. 19. Now after your explanation, I think I know why. I think it might be the iris, along with the woody, green aspect. I have never been a big fan of the "green-smelling" scents. It might be a mutual decision to agree to disagree - ha! Although the closest I got to it was a sample of something called "Joseph" that my sister gave me many, many years ago. It was intriguing.

    Loved the video as always!

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  11. Absolutely love the picture - Lucy Ricardo's wild twin sister!

    Love No.19 myself. Confident femininity with an edge.

    Great post!

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  12. So do you recommend the new formulation as well? I'll have to go sniff new and old.

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  13. Haha - I love all the comparisons - from Lucy Ricardo's wild twin sis to "Mad Men". I do love that blur of vintage influences, ie "the mixties".

    That's it, Josephine: No. 19 is confident with an edge.

    lovelyandroid - my red was semi-permanent and would run down my face in bloody-looking rivulets during ballet class. Attractive!

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  14. Oh, and Kate, I've never stopped wearing those kind of glasses, so while I no longer have that pair, I have a very similar pair in tortoiseshell.

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  15. Melissa, I don't have a fresh-enough recollection of the original No. 19 to give a useful assessment of old vs new.

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  16. Hahaha Katie! That is so funny. For a short time I dyed my hair bright pink with semi-permanent dye. Once while on vacation I fell asleep with wet hair against the hotel bed headboard. I left a fluorescent pink head-shaped stain. Oops. I tried to hide it with pillows when I checked out.

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  17. lovelyandroid - oh yeah, white pillowcases were out for me - I only bought linens that were bright colors or patterns.

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  18. that is a great picture. I am always thrilled when Chanel 19 gets the attention it deserves- it should be a grand princess of perfume and it too often has to be in the shadows of No5, which is not for me. Chanel 19 is so achingly elegant and nonchalant- if you had to have one scent- which would obviously be hell- I think there is a very good argument for this being it. Quiet sublime- and good enough for mademoiselle

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  19. Yes, Rose -- quietly sublime, that's it! And without trying too hard.

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  20. I love this photo! Sexy as all get out.

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  21. Hi katie! Can a man wear no.19 or is it girls only perfume? Thx.
    Luv your reviews

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    1. Cip, I always say, if it speaks to you, wear it! And with Chanel No. 19, it's very dry, very guarded - not a big flouncy number, so I think the scent would transgress any masculine stereotypes. Chanel have another iris that's even more ascetic: No. 18 from Les Exclusifs.

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  22. Katie, I just LOVE this entire post! It's so vividly descriptive, made me want to go out and try n.19 and wear a black turtle-neck! I've never tried it because it's impossible to find Chanel where I live and so very hard to get it online (no one ships Chanel to Canada, and Canadian shops don't sell it online!), but I think after reading this it is going to become a mission to track this darling down! Also love the photo, it completes the story nicely!

    Best,

    A.

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    1. Oooh! So nice to inspire the perfume bloodhound in you, Adrienne. Thanks for your frothing!

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  23. Always nice to be put onto something new and fabulous Katie! Thanks again! :D

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  24. Dear Katie,

    My aunt who lives far away in a big city brought me a bottle of no.19 on a recent visit, and wow, it's fabulous! I know that Chanel reformulates their fragrances with each concentration, and there are so few reviews for the EDP that I thought I'd give it a try. The only thing is, even for an EDP, it lasts for an hour, and then it's gone! I don't even think it's the summer heat that does this, because most of the time I'm in an air conditioned area... Maybe it will last longer in the winter. It's just such a pleasant perfume that I wish it lasted as long as other Chanel EDPs. But either way, I'm loving it, and it's even nicer than I had imagined. It's floral, sort of cologne-y, sporty, and very green. I love the narcissus in the opening, too. All that said, it still gives a simple impression, instead of thwacking you in the face with complex note choices the way that Mitsouko or Black Orchid do (those are very "approach with caution" sorts of fumes at first). I'm loving it!

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    1. Love hearing your No. 19 impressions, Adrienne. I can attest to No. 19's staying power on clothes, but there are all sorts of factors that determine how long its loveliness lingers, as you know. How oily/dry the skin is, the humidity in the air, changes in the formulation over the years.

      The main thing is that you love how it smells, so in my book that makes it worth having to respray every couple of hours. But maybe check with a friend to see if they can't smell it either, because maybe yours is the only nose tuning it out.

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  25. It's true, sometimes we're too close to the perfume to smell it with a fresh nose. I'm thinking that the winter may also be kinder to it, plus there will be lots of sweaters it can snuggle into. Even with the staying power issue right now, I do not regret this purchase for an instant, it's completely delightful and refreshing. Truth be told, there are some perfumes I wish I could re-apply through the day, just to get those top notes again, but I don't dare because I know I'll end up smothering people in a big cloud of whatever it is. That's a plus with no.19! I will be curious to see what the change in seasons will do, though. I'll let you know later in the year. I find fragrances can be pretty severely affected by weather.

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  26. no 19 became a total fascination with me this year. I keep thinking about it. I tried the edp of the reformulation and the new flanker "Pourdre" edp.

    I think 19 is a refreshingly different perfume. I never smelled the vintage kind but I think the edp is a very unisex scent. Honestly I couldn't pull it off. I adore the bright, verdant, sparkling booze like floral top but the bitter PVC leather and soapy aldehyde accord is loud, domineering, harsh mistress. It's like split personality!!!! Regal, distant, aloof charm to some kind of twisted, cruel passion........ The drydown is utterly beautiful and complex.

    Right now I can only handle the tamer version. Very pretty but also very linear. I think I owe it to myself to just get the wild one. Even if she is crazy

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  27. "Regal, distant, aloof charm to some kind of twisted, cruel passion........"

    You're making me want this.

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  28. Dear Katie,

    I am finding the lasting power much better these days! And I'm glad, because I'm adoring this so much, I'm in love! It might even have become my favourite perfume in these last few months. I'm really glad I found this, thanks to your fabulously-written review.

    Thanks again :) Love it!

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  29. Anyone liking No 19 should try Jacomo Silences twin emerald sisters ot brothers

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