Chanel Sycomore

...perfect for the yacht.

For me, vetiver is the smelling salt of the perfume world. I find even the most delicate bunny sniff of the stuff eye-watering, and it reliably clobbers fellow ingredients in just about any composition. I'm impressed by the way vetiver moirĂ©s between roots, dirt, smoke and grass, but does it have to be so gosh-darned emphatic? Like, all the time? Well, no. Fortunately for us vetiver pantywaists, the root oil of this tropical grass is a loud talker that can occasionally be urged to use its inside voice. I've snuck up on a qualified love of vetiver through perfumes that harmonize its raw charms with refined plushness (Etro Shaal Nur, Guerlain Vetiver pour Elle) or odd minerals (Nasomatto China White, The Different Company Sel de Vetiver.) Through these “training wheels” vetivers, I'm built up my stamina for the ALL-VETIVER-ALL-THE-TIME of Chanel Sycomore. The first whiff of Sycomore reveals the richest reduction sauce version of vetiver...ever! (I told you vetiver was emphatic.) It's a surround sound vetiver, a cold plunge pool of rooty shock. But it's Chanel, dammit, so Sycomore's not going to leave you crawling around in the dirt for long. Soon enough, an evergreen breeze blows off the dirt, and a warm cushion of sandalwood softens the edges. It's bone dry, but not skeletal. Sycomore turns into the perfect perfume to wear on your yacht. Or the perfect perfume to make you smell like someone who owns a yacht. Fumies, what's your favorite "yacht perfume?"
Sycomore is available from Chanel.com starting at $110 for 2.5 oz

27 comments:

  1. I totally agree. Sycomore has that salty stone, grass & smoke vibe that would dovetail nicely with a yacht party in Monaco. So I wish someone would invite me to one!

    Hey, I have the fragrance, now I just need the ambience . . .

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  2. I'm not sure that I have a yacht perfume in my collection. But if I were to go on a yacht on short notice and I didn't have time to shop, I'd throw Bulgari Black and Chanel no. 19 into my suitcase. Perhaps also Estee Lauder Pure White Linen. That's a dry one, too, and would go well with the maritime ambience.

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  3. Hi Katie,

    If I had to choose between the seasickness and the vetiver, I'd rather stay on the docks... but if I wanted just to smell like someone who has a yacht (and doesn't use it), I would choose L'Heure Bleue.

    hugs,

    S.

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  4. If the yacht is sailing in the Mediterranean, Coty Chypre. For the South Seas, Amaranthine or Mamoulia (and I hope I'm spelling it right but probably am not.) Some really chilly iris for the North Atlantic. Etc.

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  5. KT Puck n' Stuf:

    I WANT. I WANT this Chanel of which you speak. It has everything I love (or am beginning to appreciate) innit: VETIVER!, evergreen and sandalwood. Especially the evergreen hit if it's that pronounced.

    By the way, completely off-topic but a followup: I just got my sample of Daim Blond from SL in the mail yesterday off of your recommendation. It is a lovely thing and tailor-made for residing in a library of leather-bound tomes.

    As for your haughty yachty input: man, tough one. I have zero desire to own or travel on such a device. Call it shell shock from early Duran Duran videos. BUT..for a proper maritime vibe, maybe Hyle, from Farmacia SS Annunciata? Or Heeley's Sel Marin? Something aquatic but interesting and with more than a whiff of salty air inside it?

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  6. Oh, also? I turn 43 on Saturday. Any suggestions on a celebratory fragrance are welcome. I'd like to discover a scent to match this occasion, one that speaks to my august age (i.e. - not one that your typical middle-age man hopes YOUNG CHICKS LIKE HAR!).

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  7. What do you think of Guerlain Vetiver (for men)? I just got a big honkin' bottle at discount store ... and love it! But the salt/reduced vet in Sycomore is soooo amazing! I like the saltiness of Eau Mervilles as well...I'd wear that on a yacht!

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  8. Everyone -- all of your yacht perfume choices are so perfect, it's hard to believe we don't command a fleet between us! Eau de Merveilles? Sel Marin? White Linen? Chanel No. 19? Call Simon Le Bon and Gilligan, and we're on our way!

    And Olfacta, good point re destination-specific yacht scents.


    Stefush -- Happy Birthday, and I gift you with a hypothetical bottle of Sycomore, obvs!

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  9. Elise -- Guerlain Vetiver is a classic for a reason. Wunderbar. Lovely for the ladeeez, too. Softer than the more uncompromising vetivers like Sycomore, Lalique Encre Noire and Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire.

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  10. On my yacht it's io di capri from Carthusia all the way. So naturally breezy and fresh, it knocks all so called "aquatics" into a cocked hat. There's fig in the mix but the fig plays second fiddle to mint and tea and a weirdly delightful hot, beachy rock note. It's been compared to Philosykos but it's way more nuanced. Almost Clooney-esque in suavity I feel....

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  11. Peter -- good sell on Io Capri! It's now on my "To Smell" list.

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  12. Like you, I am challenged by Vet and prefer Guerlain and Etro. I also find Ormonde Jayne Woman has a good deal of Vet, and that's really all I can take. I have a decant of the Chanel, and it chokes me - I mean I cough - when I spray it. Maybe I'll give it another try...Fat Electrician, by the way, smells pretty much the same to me :)

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  13. lang -- Vetiver does have a way of hammerheading all other ingredients of a perfume into submission.

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  14. It's true, it's true. But you've made me think that on a day when I'm feeling brave, I'll re-visit the Sycomore...

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  15. Katie:

    perfect timing as usual! Two days ago, the first DC day in the high 80s, out came the 200ml bottle of Sycomore. (Today, back to Bandit).

    This summer, Sycomore will rotate with my new flirt, Lush's Breath of God. (BoG stick is already in use in the gym - still armpits, of course).

    For omeopatic doses of vetiver, I think Oakmoss by La via del profumo could work. But I only have a vial myself, I need to buy the bottle.

    cacio

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  16. cacio! Glad you caught your inadvertent shout-out in my vid. You must have the most fascinating armpits in D.C.

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  17. Vetiver makes me cry...ahh it's a long sordid sexually-obsessed story. Will try this one, though. Have you tried Vetiver Dance by Tauer?

    Favorite yacht perfume? Hmmm, the closest I could get to is thinking what I would wear on a pontoon (oh how I want one)...I think I would wear a mixture of Herbal Essence and Coppertone.

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  18. oh but when I think of yachts I have to think of "The Sailor from Gibraltar" - what would Anna have worn? hmmmm

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  19. Bloody Frida -- you comments are jam-packed with all kinds of implied intrigue!

    Vetiver Dance isn't for me.

    Herbal Essence and Coppertone is quite brilliant for a pontoon fragrance!!!

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  20. Katie, come to BFV! We'll bring Bonks and have a grand ole' time - esp talking about the intrigue...and drinking too much wine...and smelling tons of 'fumes..and.. :)

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  21. Some of the best vitivers can be found at Infiore. All natural perfumes- their vetiver sambac is vetiver tamed with jasmine sambac... so beautiful!
    I wasn't a vetiver fan either until I found Infiore. Check them out.

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  22. Sycomore is gorgeous. It's different each wear and in different weather conditions. Bought a full 200ml bottle after just one whiff of it. And I never regret buying it.
    Try a full wear once, Katie. Just your wrist won't do. 4+ sprays all over. It's so dynamic. The beauty really shines after 5+ hours in hot weather. Amazing drydown.
    Or maybe have your hubbie wear it. I do think it works best on a man.

    You would be better off with 31 Rue Cambon. Being a Coromandel junkie as well I'm sure you'll love that one. Gonna buy a big bottle of it soon. Dying for a review on that one by you!

    All the best to you!
    Regards, xLiq

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  23. liquidtv, 4+ sprays of Sycomore would have the same effect on me as salt on a slug. The force of Sycomore would dematerialize me in no time!

    You'll get no argument from me that it's good stuff - just not what I crave personally.

    After Coromandel, the Exclusive that has my heart is Bois des Iles.

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  24. Haha! Salt on a slug. :) Nope we won't do that to you then...
    Bois des Iles is wonderful too, yeah!
    Still making my mind up but so far I'm hooked on the 2 testers the Chanel SA gave me a few weeks ago. Prolly gonna get that this autumn. Will be a great addition to my Egoiste addiction. Can't wear that all the time, huh?
    But first things first: Rue de Cambon is great for spring / summer. I doesn't get too hot here, so it will be perfect. Still got a full tester (gotta love those Chanel SA's who know how to lure you back into that store, haha!), but when that's finished I'll hit that store once more!

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  25. Katie,
    I really loved your charming lively humorous review on Chanel Sycamore. I have to say that I have Chanel Cuir De Russie and when I bought it I tried out the Sycamore. It smelled to me like my old dorm room with a towel stuffed under the door. Like Marijuana! I wondered it it was just me but your review confirmed it. I am heading off to the Chanel Boutique this weekend for a sniff around at Coco Noir and I think I will try Sycamore again. But I will probably end up with Coromandel.
    Anyway, I do so enjoy your reviews, they are always smart, informative and well researched presented with a wink and a smile.
    Cheers,
    Lanier

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Lanier, your kind remarks made my night. Coromandel was my Exclusifs choice, too. And I'm verrrrry interested to see what Coco Noir is like.

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    2. Katie,
      I just won a sample from Undina's Looking Glass blog. It will be here in San Fancisco on Wednesday. I can't wait to see where I fall on the subject of Coco Noir.
      Cheers,
      Lanier

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