Chanel N°19 Chanel for women

i love this one so much I can drink it if I could!!! so beautiful--unlike anything else..sophisticated..and clean, fresh..lifts your head up a little higher when you wear it..not in an arrogant way but gives you confidence..so lovely!!

I have a really old bottle of Chanel no. 19 - it's not even the same design as the one listed here but the old rectangular chunky splash bottle.

Anyway, this on my skin is a very earthy scent. It starts off bright, bitter, earthy and woody, presumably due to oakmoss, galbanum and orris root and then mellows later, sweetened by the florals.

Classy scent, although I'm not sure if the recent reformulations smell the same.

I love wearing Chanel no.19. It's a very elegant scent, easy to wear and not overpowering to wear to work and feel very sophisticated. I love both the edt and edp versions.

Both the EdT and the EdP have been reformulated recently. They are now very different.

I do love Chanel 19, it is probably my favourite Chanel perfume. it is fresh and green and with a lovely powdery dry down. It is so wearable. For day or evening. Summer or winter.

Meant to say that it would be fine to wear at the office as it is not at all over powering and quite fresh.

Timeless, feminine and very elegant. Chanel 19 quite powdery, floral, green - more of a fresh scent than a "clean" scent which is really fine by me. I do not get cold or power suit from this perfume at all, although it would certainly be in the office. This would be a lovely fragrance to wear to, say, a spring wedding where good manners and a little feminine elegance is called for.

Actually, I prefer edp to this concentration.

This one is more watery. So it less powdery and reminds a green colonge scent a little bit. The galbanum note is the most noticeable for sure. The only thing I like in it more is that it's more rosy than edp. But this version has much less noticeable iris and musk notes, that is why I guess the drydown is not as powdery, what I like in edp a lot.

I wonder if I liked Chanel №19 as much as I do if I'd tried edt first than the edp. I guess that no, despite the May rose note is really charming in it. But in general it doesn't have such an ideal notes balance that edp version does.

My choice is made.

Beautiful but does not last very long... need to spray lots to be able to smell it. :( Especially the cost of the perfume!!

One of my signatures! Even at the gym, everyone knows i am such a chic and picky straight man!

Having read the review in 'Perfumes, the Guide' which describes No 19 as 'Wire mother' as opposed to a snuggly more natural mother, and suggests that it will 'appeal to women who have ever wished to know what it is to be heartless', I'm here to defend No 19!

I was reading about it in Perfume Shrine and the comments there are testament to the affection many women feel for this perfume. To my nose it's a feminine take on the aroma of the great outdoors. This gives it the sense of being freed from a corset and is presumably why it was originally marketed towards the emancipated and more 'up-front' kind of woman when it was first released.

But really its message is gentle: I have yet to smell a perfume that so beautifully and abstractly conjures up the aroma of the countryside - from river valley flowers and hedgerows to sun warmed woods and mountain tops. There's even the mildest suggestion of the perfume of a wood-smoke fire and the idea of home-coming. We're used to the dry down of vanilla and musks, but here it's the idea of being gently brought back to earth

This is a classic, but it's still fresh and unusual and it's my all time favourite from all the Chanels and Guerlains

When I first smelled this at a fragrance counter on paper. I thought how awful. But then I went back and had them spray a little on the top of my hand, I sniffed and made a face. Then sniffed again and there it was the love began. It is just a relaxing scent. I am totally a Chanel girl. I wear Coco mademoiselle, Chanel 5 and Coco Chanel. But this is my evening sit down and relax at night scent. I purchased it to wear in the spring, but I loved this scent so much I couldn't wait till spring. I wake up in the morning in so relaxed when I still can smell it on my pj's. Chanel this is a superb combination of citrus, flowers and earth.

While a ton of glamazons worship number 5, I've always been proud to call myself a number 19 EDT kind of girl.
If these two chanels were sisters, no 5 would be the younger, attention loving spoiled sister. Whereas no 19 would be the older, collected and intellectual one.
Mossy and undeniably green. Has a very powdery iris note that I like because it's kind of spicy. Oakmoss makes it rich and musty. That "old wood" smell I happen to like. Hyacinth makes it clean. You must like benzoin since it's strongest.
Can make out vetivier and leather. Strongest in the top and base rather than the floral heart. Very heavy and bold scent.

they say the devil may wear prada, but when it comes to perfume, the devil sure wears that n 19...
and so after the good reviews and overall classic status i bought my n19 edt:)
i sprayed the edt, and an initial heavy oily, resin and green/grass note hit me and i knew i found the n19 i was expecting! i bought the 50ml.
my only complain is the perfume feels wattered down more than it should be. longevity is moderate at best and the powerful notes really fade after few minutes and im left with a light drydown that no one can smell. big worry when u're buying a chanel and payin the price. wish i could find a stronger version of n19.

EDIT: just bought the EDP concentration because the EDT has a too soft sillage and drydown. EDP is richer and its drydown is heavier.
4 stars.

So many capable reviewers have captured it No19 better than I...nevertheless I'll offer my meagre 2 cents. To me it is a of sucessful alliance of opposites...
languid dry wood smoke vs sharp freshly crushed weeds; cool bitter/sweet white flowers vs dry forest floor and leaves; ethereal vs earthly.

I have just got a new bottle after being out for a month or two, and I am reminded why I love it: This fragrances makes me feel calm and centred and in this world of novelty and screeching promises that's a kind of beautiful you can never have too much of.

In a world of taking the heat, burnt out stress and fiery tempers, everyone can use an inner garden. Somewhere cool to carry around and retreat to when the pressure's biting.

Chanel No19 takes me instantly to this place. The greenness of the opening that some find cold, unsettling even, is for me fresh and refreshing like first light on a day that promises heat and light.

The heart of the perfume delivers on this promise with a warm infusion of summer flowers, manicured leather and woods that gradually come to the fore in a base that never fully eclipses the flower border now in the background.

If there is a masculine assurance about this fragrance, this is due in part to the fact that many so-called aquatics and ozonics occupy a corner of this water garden like a babbling water feature.

For me however, these other fragrances lack the masterful progression that is No19's masterstroke: a transition as imperceptible yet magisterial as the change from dawn to mid-morning to midday that it emulates.

A wonder of nature.

This review is for the EDT:

To me, No.19 reads as a polite version of Silences by Jacomo, with less galbanum, and a more bread-like iris note. Chanel's handling of iris makes me think of moldy wheat bread - which is a good thing! It's a nice smell.

Of course it's extremely green, nice hyacinth and muguet notes interspersed with bitter-rubber rose and a quiet vetiver accord simulating leather. This is probably the nicest Chanel I've ever sniffed. Truly beautiful and well crafted, with lovely ingredients playing off each other in perfect harmony. Nature in a bottle.

As with many Chanels I've tried, however, there's always a little problem. In this case it's a VERY little problem: Silences. If you've smelled it, if you've worn it, if you've ever experienced the full-throttle greenness of that sinister perfume, you know that its iris is very powdery, grey, in-your-face, along with an explosive chalky galbanum that some would argue is crude and unbalanced, but when you smell what lurks beneath - such a silvery array of bittersweet white flowers - it's nigh impossible to resist the beauty found in such wonderful tension. When you smooth down these olfactory exclamation points, you get a slightly less-compelling effect, but in truth the difference in these scents is slight, perhaps even negligible. The difference in price, however, is another story . . .

This is my power fragrance, for when it's appropriate to be the ultra-professional ice queen--meetings with male colleagues who may try to push me around, f'ex. I can't do the EDP, because on me the EDP crosses the line between "assertive and cool" and "directly masculine." But the EDT is perfect for occasions when I need to communicate from the start that I won't take any nonsense.

Interestingly enough, my mother tells me that between the time Chanel No. 21 was discontinued in the 1970s and the time she stopped wearing fragrances in the mid-80s (before I was old enough to remember), this was her signature.

This was my signature scent in my late twenties. It smelled balmy yet fresh. It was subtle and classy, and I felt very sophisticated when wearing it. It's a great scent for a young career woman who wants to smell elegantly without coming across as too girly. I don't get the green tones very much, they are subtle. I've found that the eau de toilette worked better than the eau se parfum because of the composition. It is not a composition of an eau de perfume which I think should be delicate in its notes. But the eau de toilette is a superior fragrance and worth its money, if you are searching for something that is known but not that often worn anymore.

smells like opening a book in a super old library with wooden floors

Not for me but too 'heady' with the floral components. A lasting, green powdery scent. Right off what seemed the essence of smoke.

Someone told me that No. 19 smelled "like Heaven".
Since my idea of Heaven is a deep and possibly enchanted forest, he was exactly right. I think of tiny green-skinned silver-haired fairies who sleep in beds of oakmoss and dress in flower petals and leather garments made from the lost gloves of hikers.
At the office, 19 is the perfume equivalent of a power suit, the attractive woman who refuses to sexualize herself and demands that you take her seriously.
Maybe that's why I tend to think it a tad too dry and serious.
I add the tiniest dab of Fracas to brighten it up, and that works well for me.

I used to think this is a galbanum-monster and went for the EDP version, but boy I was wrong! All this time I was missing this green, powdery leather (EDT) par excellence! Silly me. Sharp and clear (but not transparent), classy and empowering and yet not at all cold or offish, but very comfortable, warm and reliable. No projection or longevity issues whatsoever (as well as with EDP). I always choose to wear it whenever I have tough day at work and it works beautifully; it's supporting me the whole day long, without being heavy or fatiguing.
I'm aware there are plenty of people out there thinking Chanel - in general - is boring and conservative... They surely forgot to try No.19!

To the hapless gentleman at the Chanel counter who said this smelled like mildew:






I hope you step on a lego.

I used to love it. Years later....Talcum powders in the worst way. Nothing more,nothing less!!...

Review is for the EDT purchased in Mexico arriving directly from the French Market:

No.19 is a soft yet crisp bitter green floral with a powdery accent and a touch of booziness.

The cold bitter green notes softened by the Iris then accentuated by the booziness really does it for me.

A guy can do this although you must be ok with some soft powdery florals. This shouldn't be a problem considering what men wear today.

* In some ways it reminds me of the Eastern Oil "ORIENTAL NOUR" except not as intensely floral and more westernized.

Longevity is average unfortunately but not bad (FRENCH MARKET). Sillage is also decent but not amazing. You will most likely want to carry a decant with you.

I give this an 8/10 . An original play on FRESH Chanel Style. There are so many green fragrances out there but this has that unmistakable "pioneer" aura to it.

I decided to try No. 19 simply because I've been reviving my old love affair with Cristalle, and wanted to see if No. 19 would appeal to me as much. Wow, it does, and then some. The EDT goes on sharp and cool, but quickly softens and warms to a sweet, dry floralcy with a woody green shade, a drydown so smooth and divine that I barely can pry my nose from my wrist and stop inhaling it in deep lungfuls. I adore wearing this — it makes me feel like the best-smelling human being in the world!

very very nice, green soft and smooth on my skin. I can feel none of the agressive green sharp notes as the description in Fragrantica states. It is very delicate and classy fragrance on my skin and a complete pleasure to wear it.

I think the vetiver and iris mix; is why people say it smell "Cold and Aggressive" . Because the vetiver is sharp and dry, and the iris gives it the powdery sweetness, it smells odd, but i like it :P . In summer time no. 19 (on me) smells more fresh and clean floral. But in the colder weather its really just vetiver vetiver vetiver! which smells kinda masculine. I really love no. 19, its an all year scent. If you want to stand-out in a crowd wear no.19. But don't over do it, its borderline cloying.
It last for a loooong time, 8+ hours! And my skin is like a sponge, fragrances never last on me. :) 7/10

The absolute blast of earthy green notes that comes from this makes it an instant classic. I am mostly a gourmand/ sweet/ floral person. However, the very anti-thesis of its nature to my taste keeps bringing me back to this.
Give it a try.

rachel32
Some girls drove me crazy at a local store making me try perfumes, tried about 15 fragrances on me and paper, one of the girls sprayed chanel 19 on my left arm and i said to her "it's too green for my taste", when i came home i was smelling all the little pieces of paper and both my arms trying to remember which aroma belong to which piece of skin or paper, and then something really awful hit my nose, something so wrong i started to ask myself "what is this??!! What is this??!!" coz i couldnt remember after all the fragrances i tried, it was so moldy, earthy, like very old humid grass, what a horrible thing!! and then it came to my head it was Chanel 19, No ofense but i think im not the first person to say that maybe chanel fragrances are tooooooooooo overated, maybe this one didnt match my skin chemistry :S

Do I like the EDP or EDT better? Why can't I decide?

The EDT opens with a blast of green and is actually a bit smoother, the EDP is a bit sour in comparison, although if one had never smelled the EDT the EDP would probably read as green and smooth as well.

The EDT seems to develop more of a focus on the iris in the heart while the EDP picks up more rose to me. Although both are lovely at this time. The EDT seems to also have a stonger leather note to my nose. So far EDT is winning, but then something happens to make the EDP pull ahead.

In the drydown of the EDP, the rose softens, the iris comes out more and it keeps chugging away while the EDT starts to fade. Any sour or screechyness on the part of the EDP is long gone. Wearing each fragrance on each wrist I have to make sure I sniff the EDT first for if I sniff the EDP and then move to the EDT wrist I can't even tell I have anything on.

I love both, perhaps the EDT more, but really I love both. One of my favorite fragrances of all time. Perfect for any occasion and great for when you aren't sure what to wear. Both have that wonderful Chanel quality, strong, long lasting, well made. I like to wear the EDT if I am facing a challenging day and need to stand up for myself. I feel like it will somehow intimidate those around me into bending to my will, but will do it in such a lovely, subtle manner that they won't even realize that they are terrified of me. It's sneaky. I currently am out of EDT and only have EDP and go back and forth about whether it is necessary to have both. Probably only for the avid collector.

Very similar to Parfum/EDP, amazing scent. Vetiver vetiver vetiver :D
definitely a classic. strong, crisp and dry. A must try for fumeheads.
10/10 on everything from me

Edit: I proudly own this now :)

they tottally destroyed it.
i tested last year and it was amazing...a sharp green chypre aith an exquisite note of galbanum.
it stayed on my skin for hours and now...it is disappointing. it is very light with no sillage and the galbanumis simply watered down and even totally missing.
total waste of money.
i bought it yesterday and my impression is that
it is very close to the edp version now, but watered down.

On discovering perfume when I first started working and could afford it, I tried No 19 as I loved other chypres. Then, almost 30 years ago, I liked the green opening but found the florals just "meh". I never tried it again until recently after reading that it had been reformulated.
WOW!
The green opening was there although not as sharp as I remembered, this lasted just a short time then the most beautiful floral heart opened. Creamy, smooth and complex this wonderful melange lasted hours until it inched imperceptibly into an intimate woody dry down. I simply do jot see this as a chypre.
The dry down is still there 10 hrs after spraying and this is the EDT!
This could become my floral go to along with No 5

If this is the reformulation it's an improvement in my book.

Wow! It's a gorgeous masterpiece and I LOVE it! I have longed to find a Chanel that works well on me. As it develops on my skin suddenly it is reminiscent of Must de Cartier, which I love, and (beloved) Vintage Emeraude. I also love the many wonderful reviews you've all written with such poetry and passion. I've grown tired of fragrances that everyone can enjoy on me BUT me. Long after I think a fragrance is long gone, someone complements me. That is nice, but I'd like to enjoy it too. So Far I think this one is a secret to enjoy for yourself. I really love that idea...

This is my sister's choice: she is a beautiful and very elegant young lady.

I haven't tried this yet, but from the description, it's on top of my shopping list. I've been searching for something to replace Lauren. Contrary to what most reviewers reported with Lauren, on me, it basically boiled down to two scents: Lily of the Valley and leather. Since it was reformulated and made so fake green and fruity, I don't enjoy it like I did in the 80's and very early 90's. I've been wearing clean scents, but missing a truly "signature scent" that the clean scents just can't qualify as. 19 sounds like it will fit the bill nicely. I'll update after trying.

I'm not trying to be contrary, but I don't find this to be at all assertive or cold. The top notes are slightly grassy and galbanum, but I have many other fragrances that are sharper and more tart than this. It quickly dries down to the very softest rose-iris-leather. It is quiet but persistent and wears close to the skin for me.

This scent is one of the most subtly intriguing you'd ever find lingering on a silk scarf, because it smells more like a fabulous-smelling person than a perfume - I've heard many scents described this way but this is the only one I've found that actually does this for me.

While it is available at almost every perfume counter in America, like most classic Chanels it still manages to convey exclusivity, privilege and unassailable good taste. I'd actually pick this as one of the most refined of all the Chanels.

This scent is simply not legible from a scent strip, it must be worn. Perhaps its flinty reputation is a result of the challenge of an internal contradiction between cool greens and warm leather. I think this is why people speak of perfume as having intelligence and even personality. This perfume makes you do a little work to understand it, it doesn't spoon-feed you an immediate message as to what it's about. It doesn't approach you first but we confuse that with being unapproachable due to a dearth of subtlety and patience.

I think I may also have had difficulty understanding this due to the gulf I find between Chanel's marketing (bold, daring) and my perception of it. If I had to pick something that I feel The Guide described poorly (though hilariously) this would be it.

Make the effort and you may relish the "hard to pin down" nature of this scent which allows you to wear it daily without getting bored.

I was bought this beauty by my mum for my nineteenth birthday...unoriginal perhaps but a lovely present! I have owned a bottle ever since and can't believe how confidently i wore this as a nineteen year old student, it is such a confident and feisty perfume (I put it down to the fact that it was the 80s and in a sea of Poisons and Obsessions 19 must have seemed like an eau de cologne!) I love it's assertive green character and reach for it on days when current perfume feels like an overwhelming fog of fruity Gatorade/snapple/gummi bear madness.

...really can't expect anyone who likes to smell like the top of Carmen Miranda's head to appreciate this perfume. No. 19 is uber classy and and thus, deadly sexy.

Light, tender, FEMININE, super classy- could never be described as cloying...If you don't want to smell like a fruit bowl in any way, shape or form this is the one!

There are a lot of great reviews here, so I’ll try to not repeat anything that has already been said about the wonderful Chanel No 19.

I just want to add: this is the perfect work fragrance for me because the evolution of its scent coincides with the evolution of my day. The initial “icy green galbanum dagger” wakes me up and gives me a classy confidence before the difficult start of each day. As the day progresses, the scent reveals its softer notes of iris and lily-of-the-valley without losing its leathery aspect. This calms me in stressful situations without making me forget that I am still at work and need to perform up to standards. By the time I get home, I am left almost entirely with a pleasant iris, making me think of beauty and rest.

The complexity and multi-layered nature of this fragrance maintains a feeling of mystery and keeps me from getting tired of it. What can I say? A real find!

Oh, what a great scent!
It'so classy, ethereal and animalic, clean and "dirty" at the same time...
It's so sensual and subtle that it could be exchanged as the natural scent of a person.
Green, woody, floral, leathery: a very complex fragrance in which all the notes find their place to form a miraculous balance.
The sillage of the EDT is not overwhelming, it smells quite close to the skin... but the lasting power is good.
A real masterpiece, I love it!

I think this one smells better on a guy.

I ordered a sample of this and I'm really trying to like it. At first sniff of the sample, my eyes watered and I got this sting in my nose. I tried it anyway. It's interesting on my skin, but I ultimately don't think I love it enough to buy it. It's a bit harsh, strong and soapy. I read somewhere that this scent is supposed to be similar to Deneuve - my long time love that is now discontinued. Side by side, I smell no resemblance at all. Deneuve was sweeter and not so harsh.

Love it. This is my go-to, everyday, signature scent. It's cool, confident, professional, yet unmistakably feminine. I was going to purchase Chrystalle but went with this because it's less synthetic and metallic. Lasting power is okay - I can still smell it 8 hours later if I hunt for it. However, I wish it projected a bit more.

How many of us TRY to like a scent we think we should like and dismiss a scent we don't think is in our style. I didn't think I liked chypres, but I can't stop choosing this in the morning. I have always considered citrus scents as the perfect go to for day, but we got a big snow and blast of cold yesterday and this scent seemed to perfect reflection of clean powerful cold. Odd that initially I thought 19 just reminded me of a woody men's soap, albeit a rediculously high-end soap. Silly me.

Ah, poor misunderstood galbanum. Not nearly as obviously pretty and adored as your resinous sisters. Labeled as "cold", "bitter", "harsh", but more of a prickly pear, a sabra - thorny on the surface, but sweet at heart. There is no doubt why people call you assertive. You push to the front of the line demanding to be seen and heard before all others. However, once you become more comfortable your sweetness shines through.

I love you galbanum. Just the way you are.

This is one of those perfumes that I really don't get.. I mean loads rave about this but it just smells like decaying grass. Or no.. maybe hay? I don't know.. its dry, vomit green and just repulsive!

I first tried Chanel no. 19 edt as a sample, didn't care for it much at all and filed it away. I was mostly trying florientals and the sharpness of no 19 struck me as harsh.

Recently I've been hunting for something lighter and greener and decided to retest my Chanel sample. I'm so glad I did! It is rather sharp and astringent when it first goes on, but quickly softens to delicate light green with the tiniest touch of powder. It's hard for me to pull any individual notes from the composition, but I have grown to truly appreciate it as a crisp contrast to my usual orientals.

It's like a dry chardonnay for my skin.

I smelled this yesterday, It is light fresh and powdery very nice but it didn't last on my skin very long it fades really fast

Has anybody tried No 19 perfume? I would appreciate to receive some opinion about it, as I would like to bye it. Thank you in advance!
02.11.2011

I agree with JTD, it is akin to Scherrer...Being a 'gourmand fragrance' freak, I tend to surprise my b.f. with this chypre when i wear it. It somehow enchants me though it has almost zero sweetness to it. To me, it is a green vine scent filled with mysterious mossy notes like a lush forest hideaway... I love galbanum and resins, which pairs off wonderfuly with the leather and slight pepery notes to give it warmth and durability. I have worn this for years and still get compliments on how fresh, clean and 'classy' i smell.. The orris root seems to remain throughout the composition blending deliciously with vanilla and ylang-ylang . This is decidedly my favorite Chanel!

No. 19 is the most mysterious of the Chanel fragrances. I think of the poem by Sapho, from which comes the famous line, 'I am greener than grass...' when she expresses her rage and sorrow at seeing her lover flee. Green envy, green passion - there is something bewitching about No. 19.

Yes, it's unbelievably green - grass, herbs, flower stalks, vines, unripened vegetables - what could all these scents be? And yet shortly after spraying, flowers blossom and a well-toned sweetness evaporates into the air, mixing sharp and smooth together. I can't help but think of the scent that comes from freshly cut fruit tree branches (like when you're trimming a pear tree.)

The dry down is ghostly; it comes a bit quickly, and yes you can tell what was there before (the greens leave a footprint on your skin) but it's as if No. 19 stole away from you and got out of your hands. The resulting soft echo is beautiful, but almost teases you with a memory of what came before.

I love the mystery of this scent. Is it perfect? No. Is it for everyone? Definitely not. Can it be yours and no one elses? Yes! That's what I love about No. 19 - it's a secret.

The opening of Chanel 19 edt is one of my favorite experiences. It is a focused demonstration of the iris. I agree with many of the characterizations of 19: venomous, aloof, off-putting. 19 is powdery, but coldly and bluntly so. Up top, other notes, especially galbanum and hyacinth, accentuate the iris root and add to the wonderfully acetone, dry-cardboard smell of 19. Chanel 19 edt is a floral fragrance, but far les so in the topnotes than in the heart. The chill remains, but the acetone and paper recede, and the rose/jasmine heart continues the green trend right through to a grassy, vetiver drydown that I would ultimately categorize as woody-floral.

If I could make any perfume moment last forever it would be the topnotes of 19 edt. (Aside: I feel similarly about Cristalle and Pour Monsieur. Love them. Just want to drink them in. But, sadly, all three edts are brief experiences.) Despite its passing nature, though, I love the whole shape of 19. It is a beautifully worked-out fragrance and has a coherence of tone from start to finish that is both effusive and logical.

My dilemma: the concentration. The various Chanel concentrations are notorious for their qualitative differences. The edt is not a dilute version of the edp or of the extrait. It is a different formulation. I’ve fallen in easily with one concentration of the other Chanels. No 5: I understand the edp; I enjoy the edt. Cristalle: I don’t quite understand the edp (it has a niceness that defeats the pretty brutality of the edt) and want to live in the edt. For 19 I want both the edt and the edp.

While there is a similar componentry, the edp is leathery and warm where the edt is a cool, rooty/grassy floral. The evolution of the edp has a much slower timeframe, and gives a warm treatment to its flowers, rose in particular. Though distinctive, the edp winds up a broken-in green, leathery chypre not far from the drydown of Scherrer’s Scherrer.

I sprayed this on based on the notes; it sounded very pretty. It immediately smelled like urine on me.
Body chemistry is fascinating, isn't it?

My absolute favorite Chanel EDT! Reminds me of vintage Rive Gauche. No.19 is YlangYlang and crisp green but with a power boost! The dry down is Leather, Oakmoss and Vetiver. No.19 has a lovely sillage that stays close and lasts (by my nose) about 5 hours. A great scent that stays loyal from beginning to where my nose stops notice. Mostly, I reach for this in cooler weather and on rainy days,heavenly! Anxious to try No.19 EDP.

No.19 EDT is perhaps one of the most polarizing scents I've ever smelled. Reviews tend to validate this as people tend to love or loathe No.19. It starts off with an icy green galbanum dagger to the chest, which remains hilt-deep for hours. Spicy leather and musk begin to creep out after the half hour or so, but No.19 stays primarily the same from first spray throughout its incredibly long dry down. I get absolutely no florals from this whatsoever, and yet, I can't imagine this on a man. No. 19 is too ice queen, bitchy, bespectacled school marm in tweed rapping a yard stick on prim leather gloves to be masculine. Withering glance in a bottle.

It's the middle of December, and there is snow on the ground. A tall, regal, beautiful woman is walking up to your home. Her hair, nails and stockings are perfect. She is wearing a mink coat and black spike heels. She is about 40, walks confidently, almost (but not quite) haughty, through the chilly air. She enters your home, and hands her mink to you to hang up. The fur is still icy from the cold, and you can smell her perfume on the mink. It's Chanel #19.

This was a disappointment. The edp smelled like White Shoulders on me and I was very turned off by it. The iris poudre flanker is also nothing but leather.

I sprayed this on my wrist and got the usual No. 19 famous bitter opening. I went back to smell it 20 minutes later only to realize that it was gone! I find this ironic because I cannot scrub the edp powder off my skin, yet, I am not even given a chance to enjoy the edt!

I am sorry that this is one of the Chanel classics I do not get along with!

I love the drydown. Actually I think I like it best about three hours in. Then the sharpness of the green opening has melted into the softest flowers with just a little bit of something "dark and dangerous" lurking in the background. (edt)
Would just love to try the pure perfume!

Its 1971. Coco Chanel is still alive. No 19 is launched. August 19 was her birthday. It was a day the perfume world would not forget too soon. Indeed, it took the chypre where it had never been before-to the house of Chanel!

Green oakmoss, galbanum and vetiver hides rich potent redolent spring flowers that held so much promise to those whose loved to flirt. Indeed, it is the greenest "heart on the sleeve" ever created.

I remember the original brilliance in the 1980s and thought this cannot be matched. Indeed, thing never were greener or hopeful.

Yes, I was gifted a new formula and felt all hope leave my heart. Everything was intact except the oakmoss...There was a bit too much iris. This was more of the late May disappointment as my garden fades. Coco must be rolling in her grave. Shame on the reformulators!!!

Celebrity=Ali Mcgraw in Love Story

Sexy forest.

First off I went into this experience not really doing green scents or chypres because they kind of scare me or turn me off. I usually go for sweet gourmands or heavy rose or powdery scents but No. 19 has had me intrigued for awhile. Reading reviews on No. 19 edt and edp as well as reviews on Cristalle I chose No.19 to pick next.


Today I went to the Chanel boutique because I read somewhere online that you can buy the no. 19 edp there. I had a really nice sales girl, and she told me it's not available in the U.S only the parfum, edt, and body products. I sampled the edt and was surprised that it wasn't as "ice queen" as I thought it would be.


No. 19 opens with a light grassy green scent and dries to a very beautiful soft iris with a musky leather undertone. When I left Chanel because they didn't have the edt, I walked to Bloomingdales and on my way I kept getting whiffs of a very beautiful soft Iris-floral scent. I felt like I was in the south of France walking through an Iris field barefoot feeling the soft green grass under my feet and the sunshine on my face. A soft breeze whisks through the Iris petals, leaves and stems leaving my nose filled with a delicate perfume. This i'm imagining as i'm walking though a sea of tourists on dirty streets and the blazing nyc heat on my back lol.


I ended up buying it at Bloomingdales which was very well stocked with rows of bottles of no. 19. It's a scent that's overtly feminine with no traces of masculinity what so ever. No. 19 feels extremely personal as well as fragile but strong. The first perfume I have ever tried that has actually made me feel deep tenderness to sheer hapiness. I can definitely see why Coco Chanel kept this perfect fragrance to herself and only released it before she died. Thank you Ms. Chanel for my wonderful introduction to green fragrances.

I know Chanel would be horrified but I wear No.5 lotion and spritz No.19 perfume with it. They mix together on me and it smells divine I couldn't live without the two. I also adore Coco Chanel. When I mix No.5 with 19 it is a soft shower fresh smell that wafts around me all day. That's just me maybe others would be horrified and think I have no class or respect for the perfume but I think in this case these two compliment each other very well.

I love green chypres and florals, so how could I not love this? I honestly don't get Chanel No. 19's bitey reputation. This is supposed to be the heartless perfume for the ice queen, but I don't feel it. Perhaps 19 smelled "meaner" pre-reformulation. The beginning is as cool and green as an early-spring wind, but the heart! Oh, the gorgeous, rich rose and iris heart. It's so soft and inviting, as is the vetiver base. The whole composition has a silvery sheen. No. 19 is probably my favorite Chanel.

Of all the Chanels I have tried, this one is my favorite. It is not as overpowering as the legendary Chanel No. 5, and the scent is subtle. Okay, the liquid is green, but it doesn't take away from the wonderful smell. This week, I bought the body lotion for $50.00 and it was well worth that money.

I do not understand this perfume.
I am certain that if it had a different logo, it would have a different reception.

This is a beautiful floral, sensual, classically feminine perfume. I would happily wear it all the time, although as with No.5 (I've had both), this sits on my skin and reacts to something within my chemistry because both fragrances turn into eye-wateringly strong and very acidic cats urine. I bought it after having a spray of it on a card in a department store. When I used it on my skin I was incredibly disappointed. Pretty fragrance but it just doesn't like me.

This is one of the only two "green" scents I like to wear in the summer. (Versace Versense is the other.)

While Versense seems very "moist" and citrusy, and is a very masculine scent, N 19 is arid as the desert, ultra-feminine, flowery but so well blended with a gorgeous base that goes on forever.

This and Cristalle are summer faves. While Cristalle is sharp as a pin, cold, and almost a metallic-electric energy to it, I find No. 19 to have smoother edges, a warming quality, and a more vegetal calm energy to it. I think No 19 is like the "Yin" to Cristalle (or Versense's) "Yang." It smells like rich ladies who lunch to me.

initially i was horrified by the green-ness of this. all astringent and eye watering (ylang ylang, jasmine and lily of the valley together will do that to me). slowly but surely though it mellowed for me to get the iris and the oakmoss. it had a hint of prada's delicious infusion d'iris for all of 10 minutes before the musk, sandalwood and cedar descended and it changed again to something that just wasn't sweet enough for me. i can see it's potential but it just needs tipping slightly in a direction that's more me. i have a soliflore iris that i am going to experiment with and see if the addition of that takes it to a more 'me' plane. tbc!

This was a true leather scent to me. Very soapy, leathery, with vetiver swimming in and out and a hint of powdery iris.

Lovely perfume! N°19 and N°5 are classics!

N°19 is green narcissus & hyacinth scent! My daughter love this.

The opening of No. 19 EDT smells strangely similar to that of Agent Provocateur--deep, sharply vegetal, and dry as a bone. However, while AP stays dark, sexy, and slightly animalic, No. 19 develops into a sheerer, more delicate scent. It also becomes fresher and, for a lack of a better word, "juicier," with the emergence of the subtle aldehylic/floral notes found at the heart of most classic Chanel fragrances. The clean powdery feel of the drydown--a combination of cool iris and smooth leather--is also what ultimately distinguishes the classy, hoity-toity No. 19 from the vamptastic woman-on-prowl that is Agent Provocateur.

While AP wears like dark green velvet (plush, sensual, and of the night), No. 19 is AP's much more respectable day face, a scent that wraps around a woman like light green silk.

Made for a true lady--one of exceptional poise, keen intellect, and deep sensitivity behind a facade of cool elegance. A beautiful and sophisticated scent.

This is Chanel how we know it! Classic, unique, comfortable yet misterious, dangerous and very serious. No.19 is outstandingly timeless with its bitter explosion of sharp green notes, floral patterns and a powdery vibe that is never the same. Anytime you wear No.19 you discover the countless facets of this masterfully crafted composition that is able to be at the same time cold and warm, lovely and aggressive, reassuring and scary as only one great woman can be.

My only concern (if I can call it so) is that in the reformulated version leather is playing a very marginal role while I've been told in the vintage version was way more relevant. Nothing that really changes my mind on this masterpiece, but I will surely do all it's possible to put my hands (an nose) on a vintage bottle. An all time favourite.

Rating: 9.0/10

Le 19 est magnifique. Moi je l'adore et je le porte depuis sa sortie

This is a beautiful scent! It is rich and well blended. Very strong opening, beautiful green floral notes and the dry down is what I love most. Dramatic and interesting. I smell much powder in this perfume and while the edt and edp can sometimes smell sharp on me, the parfum is all boozy soft edges with a very sexy quality. It reminds me of my mother. She loves Chanel 19! Now I just realized why she loves this scent so much. Timeless, elegant, good strength with star quality. It almost never fails to generate compliments when I wear it. Chanel never stops amazing me. I love it!

Now that its getting hot and humid in Iowa I keep my Chanel #19 in the fridge and spritz it on to cool off!

I love how this smells in the bottle and on a tester strip but unfortunately it just doesn't smell right on my skin. It's crisp and green at the top, in a sparkly and refreshing way, but as that fades, I find it becomes a strange mixture of soapy and metallic.

I have a mini of vintage of this,and it's very nice perfume,very green,with strong note of leather at top with very delicate old kind of aldehide.

my best blind buy ever!!! Thanks my fragrantica buddies for helping me to decide... :D

My ultimate fav!! i was bought this by my mum when i was just 16, then just recently by my boyfriend. (am now 39)! I still love it just as much and can go through a bottle fairly quickly!! Love it.....xxx

This is i would have to say probably my all time favourite fragrance (and there's loads that i love!) I expect i will always have a bottle of this. When i wear this its like I've gone back in time to the streets of Paris in say 1920s,(even though it wasn't made till the 70s it has that old worldy feel) elegant, confident, feminine. Very unique and very chanel i adore my No.19. If i have one gripe its that the lasting power is not so great on me (is anyone else having this problem? is it me or did it used to last longer?)

J'adore!

This is the perfume that I've been waiting for all my life. It reminds me of early mornings when the grass is newly mown and it is a serenely fresh day with the scent of delicate wild flowers in the breeze. The kind of mornings that you wish would go on and on, wrapping you in green gentle thoughts. A beautiful divinely inspired fragrance. Chapeau Chanel No 19!

i got it today i just love it...i can't stop smelling it...it seems to have some cristalle's notes now i go to find...simply gorgeous

I cannot add to the reviews below - everything has been said. I just wish I had not waited so very many years before I tested this one out. I guess because I didn't like No. 5 when I was younger, I was reluctant to try another, but I have Cuir De Russie, Coromandel and now this one (thank you Yamba1) and I hope to never be without it in my perfume wardrobe. Superb! 10/10

For many reasons I love this fragrance.
With its dry, cold and serious notes No. 19 becomes a part of you as a perfect confidence booster. I think it is an ideal mature scent. Instantly, it will make the woman who wears it feel elegant and classy.
Whenever I can’t decide what fragrance to wear I choose No. 19. We always find each other – it is very loyal, and will take me anywhere. It is not insisting on pleasing anyone; it is its very own. Still, if you fall in love with it you can count on it in any situation; always the same and always on your side. Unlike so many other scents it is never flirty or inviting in itself. It is not sexy on its own. However, it has a clever way to emphasize the self-confidence of the woman wearing it- and I think that is as sexy as it gets.

I had many expectations about this perfume. I've read about the 'coldness' the 'heartlessness' the 'confidence.' By the time I got my hands on it, I got a very different experience than I had anticipated.

This is a 'green' perfume but not extremely green. The opening is crisp, and occasionally I'll get a herby green swirl, but for the most part it's powdery and rosy, and then a powdery iris emerges after you've been wearing it awhile. To be honest the composition is very linear, with power dominating but changing from rosey, to green, to iris, to wood. The powder itself isn't of the baby powder variety, but rather a green-tinged powder made from some sort of herb, or wild grass, or something like that. The scent lasts for awhile but isn't very loud, which I like.

I have the EDP formulation, and I find it very old fashioned in the most perfect sense. Old fashioned in a way that makes you think "They don't make things like this anymore" with a tinge of sadness. Old fashioned that recalls things that are classy, and dressed up, and respectfully reserved. A scent from another time, but one you wish you'd been there for.

I really want to try the EDT now since I love green herb outdoor perfumes, but I am very happy to have found the EDP.

I've been wearing Chanel 19 for about 5 years now. It starts out green, for sure, but it dries down to a powdery, woody, slightly soapy scent. It has that unique "Chanel" powdery quality that many Chanel fragrances seem to have----the vetiver note, maybe? For that reason, it reminds me of Coco Mademoiselle (LOVE that stuff, too). I use the EDT, but I understand the EDP is far more intense. I don't wear it every day, but definitely on special occasions and on days when my confidence needs a boost.

I love it with all my heart! The most spring perfume I know - green green green fresh herbs juice, real explosion of freshness. So feminine, so classy. And, young girls, please don't be scared of trying Chanel 19))) It's extraordinary and non-common scent...

I was longing for something really classy, timeless and haute couture this sunday afternoon so Chanel No. 19 was the perfect choice. This scent is chypre, green and earthy in the beginning and then becomes so golden floral yet chypre.I prefer the EdP version because it is less green and more golden. I am an earthy Taurus so this perfume works perfectly with my skin chemistry. The drydown is gorgeous. Love it, love it, love it.

So much has been said about this one. All I would add is that this is the one to wear to your job interview. It is sophisticated, confident and smart.

It smells great on the smelling strip, maybe a bit powdery for me but with a fantastic green scent. It comes across as a cool fragrance and I really pick up vetiver and jasmine. The oakmoss doesn't shine through as much as I had hoped, but the cedar is pleasant. I really wanted the 'dirty, earthy' notes described by others on here.

On skin the powder note exploded on me (I had the same problem with Shalimar). It seems my skin ruins both of these fragrances and makes them unbearably baby-powderish. I got some hostile stares on the bus... I'm afraid it's not for me, but someone with different chemistry may be able to pull it off nicely if the right notes come through. I got on better with Coco and I still have Mitsouko for my 'earthy' fix :)

I had to try this again after many years. I tried the EdP version and it smelled to my nose exactly as I remembered it. If any reformulation is taken at Chanel it is of a kind that doesn't make too much damage to beautiful fragrances of the past.
Chanel n°19 is not my kind of personal scent. It's not really me, not even close maybe. I'm much more into n°5 or Coco or Allure EdP.
Anyway this is undoubtely a glorious scent! Very few modern scents perhaps have this glorious aura.
It's sharp and green. A different kind of green, quite ancient for me and beautifully elegant! What impresses me in these scents is their complexity, the number of undertones, uppertones, armonics... like a symphony, they never smell exactly the same from one moment to the other! This is enchanting! They don't smell like solid bricks like so many new fragrances even if nice.
There is woody-earth-green vibe in Chanel N°19. I agree with all those who feel taken for a walk in the woods. It's almost like smelling tree bark directly from the tree.
I don't think this is a man-magnet. Quite the opposite! It depends on the kind of men. Fast-fed and younger find it weird and also mom's like.
It's a perfume that put some distance between the wearer and the world, yet some brave venture to follow the elegant girl in the woods!
I feel it more or less in the same way I feel Guerlain's Chamade.
I think that they are bith a little outdated and so typically '70s, because that was the time when I smelled them more around and I was very young.
Outdated doesn't mean bad in my book!

The most earthy, yet elegant, fragrance I have come across yet. This is definitely a desert island pick for me. It is a subtle intrepretation of a woman who does not fear being alone, but who will go to the ends of the earth for the right man.

The three current versions are quite different to my nose (why does Chanel do that?). The EDT is very green and leathery. It goes on with a blast of citronella that hits you in the face the first time you try it. It's also a bit temperamental. Sometimes I will apply it and get an hour or two of leather before it mellows into the flowers. I am a huge leather fan, but when it misfires, that can be a bit much even for me! Of the three, I would say that only the EDT could be interpreted as being unisex (and it definitely could on the right guy). The EDP is way less temperamental and more floral. I can wear it, but I don't enjoy it the way I enjoy the other two versions. The earth and leather is so muted that it seems less adventerous to my nose. My very favorite is the parfum. It is EARTHY. The first thing I smell when I put it on is DIRT. That may sound horrible, but somehow it's not-perhaps because the florals soon come out to play and because it's so well blended. This is one glorious perfume. It has a vigor that I have yet to find anywhere else. It's like a walk in a cool forest. The dirt, moss, green leaves, flowers, your old leather boots. Heaven!

Intelligent, a bit introverted, adventerous, sexy. This is No 19. It has my heart like no other.

A walk through the woods - that's what this scent reminds me of. In summer, early in the morning the sun starts to shine through the pine branches. When you touch them, a shower of fresh fragrant dew falls down. The wood is incredibly silent. You can hear your breath as you're walking up the hill, looking at the velvety moss under your feet. That's what this scent feels like: the morning sun is there, the crisp fresh air is there, the silence is there, the incredible calm, focus and self-reflection is there. But when you touch the moss - there's a surprise: it's not wet at all. It's soft but it's dry, covered with velvety luxurious powder that has absorbed all the dew falling from the trees. And this surprising sensation reminds you of the the world outside the woods...

There hasn't been a perfume to which I have come and gone from it like 19. I hated it and loved it. Well, the hate was strong at first and love came with time. The possibility is, if you are beginner in perfume world you won't like 19, and if you have learned to anticipate new worlds in bottle then here it is how the Ode on solitude smells.

Chanel`s N19 is a lighthouse in a shadowy ocean. It is a brick maid sculpture of lonely giant. No doors or windows on its walls. Just the light. Distant and cold. Flowers are made of stone here. The pointy cliffs are carpet on which sun sits during the day, and a bed for tired seagulls in the night. Wind carries the thought of fishes from the deep water , and a dream of giant to find its coast.

I think the giant cries in the nights without stars.

Chanel No.19 is indeed "hard to classify and describe." So many excellent reviews already, that I won't attempt another one, except to say, Moss, Leather, Powdery Iris, etc - GENIUS combination!

25 years ago when I first began wearing it, it made me feel like the coolest woman on earth. Know what I mean?

I love this perfume. I finally bought it a few days ago and I have been in scent heaven ever since. To me it does smell green, almost like a lush forest. It reminds me of elegance, power and classiness, and does in fact bring me an extra dose of confidence when I wear it.

The only thing is that its lasting power is very very low... I find that I can no longer smell it after no more than 2 hours. That might just be me and my skin but it's the one thing I find a little annoying about this absolutely gorgeous perfume!

I am reviewing the EDT and the EDP.

EDT: It reminds me of that smell in the air after a rain in the woods. It's an all-encompassing, green cloud of wet earth, green leaves, grass, and moss with a pinch of powder for femininity. I've never smelled such an earthy scent that was so sophisticated and wearable. It doesn't smell masculine at all. I love nature, and this fragrance is a tribute to all the things I love about the great outdoors.

(Update: Drove past a patch of pine trees. The smell of pine blew into my car. I smelled my wrist with the pine scent in my car, and it was absolutely divine. This makes a wonderful green winter scent!)

EDP: This is a whole different animal from the EDT. I would say that the EDP is sweeter, more floral, and less powdery. This might sound surprising, but sometimes I think there's marijuana in there. The first spritz smells of vibrant green plants, leather, and moss. I'm in a warm, sunny greenhouse full of lush leaves. As the scent develops, I detect lily of the valley mixed with some powder. It doesn't seem to have much projection at this point. I have to put my nose really close to my skin to smell it. And just when I have completely forgotten that I am wearing perfume, the projection changes completely. The warmth of my body causes the fragrance to gently radiate as I begin to catch rich and glorious whiffs of cozy, sweet, woodsy, cinnamon. The drydown is the best part.

I bought the EDP because it's a limited edition, and I love it, but if forced to choose, I would go with the EDT. While the EDP is indeed a green perfume, the EDT is more down-to-earth, more mossy, more raw.

As a description, I'm totally with MagpieMagpie below. It took me a while to fall for No 19 and I haven't ever worn a Chanel fragrance before. However, on several testings of the EDP I was hook, line and sinkered! Cool comfort is what this scent means to me, it is sexy in a way totally unlike what I usually wear (heavy, spicy, rich) and is instead mature, elegant and aloof. A snowdrop enrobed in frost...I just need a white mink coat to match now......magical!

Fascinating. The opening smells green (galbanum stands out to me), dry, and expensive. The somewhat leathery iris, elegant woods, and grassy vetiver linger for a long while, accented with whispers of classy florals. Sillage and lasting power were both about average on me. Chanel No. 19 smells professional and austere, but also... kind of sexy. Not a coy seductress kind of way. In an intimidating, take-no-prisoners, "I can do anything I want and I always get what I want" kind of way.

This is my perfume! I have tried many, many others over the years but tire of them all after a few squirts and come back to this. I think a lot of women have a problem with it because its not pink and girly or overtly flowery which is the modern trend on the whole. Chanel no 19 is the total opposite - grown up, sexy, earthy and classy. Strangely I've never understood the cool description at all, to me it smells warm and earthy, complex and enigmatic. It unfolds trhough many different levels like the smells you meet on a walk through a forest on a warm but rainy day. Many perfumes give me headaches, but this never has. I agree with the comment about being able to wear this if you can't get on with others, nothing works as well for me as Chanel no 19 - it has always been as close to perfection in a smell as it comes for me.

As a newbie to Chanel I figured the best way to start sampling the fragrances was to purchase the pure parfum Holiday gift set of 5 Chanel classics.

No. 19, I was told today, is not normally sold as a pure parfum but was for the holiday scent. That being said, I've never smelled No. 19 as anything but the pure parfum so my review may be a bit different.
This started off as GREEN! A very earthy/plant scent that I loved then it faded away on the dry down and really lost its power. Now I'm left with a very tart and tangy unpleasant scent on my wrist. Too bad - I loved that fresh burst that it started off with in the beginning. Perhaps it's just my skin chemistry.

This is cat perfume! I have the EDT, and 2 cats liked it - my sister's singing teacher's cat (for which it was like catnip!), and my own cat. Mine has disliked EVERY perfume I wear, except this one, where she rubs her face against it and licks.

I am wearing No.19 today as a "compromise": I really didn't want to wear any of my usuals. It was a gift as part of a set of five Chanel tiny Parfums. I would not have bought it but it's nice enough to wear from time to time.
In this sense, I have to agree with Yamba1 above who says: "This is my "go to" fragrance for the office. Chanel No 19 EDT is the smell of crisp efficiency. Nothing cloying here to upset anyone in confined spaces, but it will be noticed". I find No.19 to be light, delicate, and barely there on me. Coincidentally, I am also in Australia, which probably has something to do with how we both perceive No.19.

Chanel`s parfumes have always been too sharp to me..I just have come from the store with *Coco* on my wrist...What a mistake! I have made...too strong,too sharp...I smell like an old lady...

But this one - No19 - is something complitely different! Nice, smooth..very light..and you still can recognise those "chanel"-notes, which I smell in absolutely every chanel parfume...But here they are soft and nice :)

Simply:
So really earthy green, powdery - just tiny sweet, with warming lether in the base.
Chanel 19 is just so luxurious green!

Chanel no 19 conjures A rainy Sunday morning with gray skies on a lush Irish
moors with the musk of pure green grass damp from a early morning rain.
With the Morning mist blown from the sea
breaks the darkness of night into the new
dawn with some instinct you begin wondering around feeling the refreshing
texture of the green grass beneath your
bare feet you start to be aware of your
senses around you you smell the sharp
bright scent of bergamot and spicy hyacinth to awake your senses.
Then you hear the most haunting tune of
church bells your entranced by the clear
and most purest bells that chime you see
the most beautiful Celtic Cross made of
white stone and beautiful purple irises
and pale pink that adorn the alter of the Virgin Mary and the vivid color of
the ancient Celtic Illuminated Book of
Kells.

Chanel no 19 has a beautiful Earthiness
that is not comely sluttish or flamboyant it's a simple and pure scent
with a spiritual tone.

I agree with the previous review, this perfume can effect body chemistry. It smells very damp on me like I have been rained on in the most disgusting environment possible. Yet a friend of mine wore this perfume and it smells devine on her. Body chemistry does play a major role in this perfume. Such a shame this perfume did not agree with me as I think it smells great on the right person.

I bought this on an impulse, which is usually a bad idea. Anyways, I hate it, I know it's a strong word but honestly it reminds me of the smell of an airplane lavatory. It made me nauseous. I cannot wear this, maybe it just doesn't work with my body chemistry.

I love 19! To me it is a highly romantic,sensuous and warm woodsy scent.It opens with the fairy like scent of water lily,followed closely by juicy wet peaches and iris,and,iris root.Deep,dark,woodsy,mossy,at one with the earth.Jasmine and beautiful vibrant hibiscus blend in and become a creamy medley.THe drydown which comes hrs later is kissed with ginger,woody accords.Deep exotic woods in a mythical forrest,A georgeous scent.I think its raw sexy,not light at all.

Weird. I tested N19 before, and it seemed greener than the EDP I tested now. At start it was very green and old fashioned. It reminded me of everything that gone in past. But when it opened up in all colours, I discovered this pretty fiery, spicy fragrance. A little like dry tree bark dust feeling to it too [loves it] It pretty reminds me of new formulation of Chanel N5, which also has a bit fiery feel to it, but it tangles with aldehyde. N. 19 is elegant, classy, stylish and serious. Maybe 'elegant' doesn't suit it well, as, say , hot-blooded.

I live this green floral perfume. It's smells like nature and is elegant

Tried the EDT today. No.19 is a very nice pleasant unoffensive scent. Bit too light for me, but very good as an everyday fragrance.

This is my "go to" fragrance for the office. Chanel No 19 EDT is the smell of crisp efficiency. Nothing cloying here to upset anyone in confined spaces, but it will be noticed.

EdT vs EdP...
I started the day with a spray of each one on my wrists. The EdT opens much harsher, louder, quite brash, really, while the EdP has a cleaner green smell that stays much closer to the skin. As they develop, the EdT becomes overwhelming and, to me, even headache inducing in its sharpness and what I refer to as a "perfumy" smell (ie, mixed scent without clear notes, loud and somewhat cheap). The EdP stays close to the skin and develops a sweet-powdery note. In the final drydown there is not much to choose between the 2.
I prefer the EdP as I like the subtle, close scent. However, neither is a perfume I would wear on a daily basis. In view of the other reviews, I would certainly like to sniff the parfum concentration, but will not actively search it out.

Actually, I think the EDP is sweet. Yes it is very green but also sweet like a big bouquet of lilies of the valley and some other goodies tucked into it: A green sweet bouquet.

The perfume on the other hand is dark, earthy, mossy, spoungy, damp with a bit of harshness from mouldering wood. Like a walk in the forest in the autumn, when everything is on the verge to be overblown. Both are erotic beauties but also different.

The edt is still untested :) And I would alos love to try a vintage in any concentration.

This is oh-so pleasantly sharp and green, almost slicing through the air before the powdery notes kick in to soften it up with such a classic, luxurious feel. The opening appeals to me - WOW. The dry-down is one of the most plush drydowns I've ever witnessed. The skin test mimicked the paper test. I was very impressed and surprised. I'm having a very difficult time trying to figure out how this could ever have been considered harsh, unless it was sprayed like air freshener.. lol
I'm also not understanding why this wasn't re-released as a unisex fragrance. It certainly wouldn't be a detriment to its marketability. When I tested this one out today, a woman nearby commented on how wonderful I smelled and asked me which cologne I was wearing.. I pointed to the bottle and her eyes almost popped out of her head. Yeah, I'm finally a Chanel fan.

No.19 (Parfum) smells like lush vegetation, really green, no flower at all in the beginning. The vegetation is more to a opulent, round end instead of the sharp crispy end.

Then it becomes more powdery, as in cool violet powder/waxy way, still no sweetness at all. Later on some dusty powder notes joins in and it is really close to skin. Soon after this phase, it starts to bloom! To me it smells elegant, still cold, but much less mean than before. It is in a refined cool way, something like talc/baby powder kinda cold freshness emits.

The dry down has a little bit weird but still nice rubber-like undertone, which is quite Chanel.

The EDT has a sweeter and fresher opening than the parfum. The vegetation is more crispy and young in a slightly more optimistic way. Soon I can smell some floral hint, something like Anais Anais’, but rounder and refined and the floral notes just gets better and better with time. Like a discreed rose plus cleanness of lily-of-the-valley. It makes me think that it could be what a little elegant white chiffon dress smells like. Similar to the parfum, it is close to skin but the EDT has better projection.

However, the dry down of EDT version makes me feel sick, it’s like leather plus rubber and I’m not a fan of leather notes.

Chanel No.19 is wearable because it’s really quite and close to skin, but to me, it lacks some kind of warmth I want. Not my cup of tea, but I’m sure it would suit some independent business guru in a meeting.

I had it, i wore it for a while, and got tired of this..metallic..sharp...green..weird smell..is it the galbanum??? not romantic, nor sensual, just...weird. It is elegant though, it smells expensive, not in a nice way, but ..like an old rich lady who doesn`t care about finding a man because she has herself and her money.

EDT:Gin and tonic followed by a thin green grassiness on my skin. Not unpleasant but slightly 'mean'.
EDP review - this one smells so much lusher and more beautiful. I enjoyed wearing it and felt that rather than being an unfriendly scent it was actually rather cosy! It brought to mind the Queen of Narnia when she sits in her carriage in white furs with the green shoots of spring peeking up around her. I want it!

The first 5 min of this fragrance, is like smelling tons of old and putrefaction green leather shoes. Sooo intense and overwhelming.


Then after a while Chanel 19 delivers a more calmer green scent, but I Still Don't Like it. Bores me... Sorry Gabrielle but I prefer smell flowers instead of this green piece of plastic. I Would Have loved to smell a Green ''Coco'' (1984) version. Is a pity that the years doesn't match.

I kept testing this for a while because I was reading fabulous reviews about it from its admirers. Every time I tried this, I felt like a color-blind person. It was like listening to people talking about wonderful colors and being unable to see any of them! There are so many great comments about its greenness, its " complex beauty" and how it is the only great GREEN fragrance of all time.

Wow, I am not able to get any of these. All I smell is soap mixed with dust and some aldehydic notes. I am sorry that I can't appreciate this one.

DELEATED IN PROTEST
- Taking a stand against Fragrantica’s editing

I love trees, forests and the countryside. I love Chanel 19!

Like any good perfume, Chanel 19 has got the power to take me on a rushed secret journey to the heart of mother nature and then allow me to relax and recharge my batteries in the middle of all that gorgeous greenery.

Wood, leather and wild flowers, it's just a mesmerising potion!
Determined, stubborn, feminist, opinionated, free and wild...this is the woman I see behind this scent.

No offence, but you got to be more than just a pretty face to put up with this fantastic juice. Not for the squeamish.

I 've got to say this. Many years ago i bougth this and it was big success of a scent. A serious, important, delightful, elegant, sparkling, green scent. Potent and long lasting on my youthful skin, made me feel a sophisticated young woman. Made me feel kind of unique because there weren't many girls who wore that perfume those days and i wasn't smelling it that much on grownups either. I don't want to repeat the notes. I want to say that even that, isn't the same anymore. I don't think my skin chemistry has changed that much. I don't want to say that it isn't anymore a good perfume which mantains some percentage of its passed glory, it's still a descent scent. But it's less dense, more weekened, has less character, like if it has lost something of its personality. I still want to were it, but it's like a love that lost it's stregth. 21.22

Walking barefoot through a dark forest at the dawn of civilization or, as Rousseau would say, avant la chute. Chanel No. 19 is a paradoxical artifice, creating, as it does, an illusion of untouched nature. Muddy earth, squishy mushrooms and wet spongy moss are massaging my feet as I walk. Dew is dripping from the shadowy leaves of trees far above.

A primordial scent which renders all words irrelevant, pure pretense and mendacity, No. 19 somehow leads the wearer back to the time before man invented sin. The epitome of nakedness adorned to re-create a simulacrum of nakedness. Rather like the manmade myth of Adam and Eve. Approach with caution...

In a clearing in the deep forest a group of half-dressed women are singing and dancing. In their arms there are flowers: irises, jasmine twigs, roses, hiacynts and lilies of the valley. They are all intoxicated from the abundance of flowers, and the wet fruity smell from the forest surrounding them. They are even walking over the flowers, crushing iris petals, stems and roots under their naked feets without noticing it. Some clothes are already on the ground, a veil of sunbeams is finding its way through the crowns. (edp)

Dionysus himself is standing aside, drinking his wine and watching the women and their act, without them knowing. There is an odour from him: mossy, earthy, green with a hint of iris root, woods and warm racily skin. It's a dark odour although he is such a bright minded nature. An intoxicating odour that is finding its way into the circle of dancing women, leading them to extacy. (perfume)

This is my choice for "if you could only have one fragrance- what would it be?" category. My friend in high school accidently spilled a sample vial on me in the 1970s. Ive been in love with it since! Its sophisticated, urbane, crisp and light. It reminds me of a walk in the forest with Catherine Deneuve. The main problem is that it doesnt last very long on me. I spray it on my clothes and Im in heaven for hours! No one has ever objected to it at work ( like so many other cloying oriental or heavy florals I've worn). My first spray bottle of #19 was a gift from my dad. I felt so "classy" and I think thats the memory I keep to this day.

OMG! I just love this one...But ONLY the vintage juice. I know they reformulated it, and it is just not the same, never will be. How can I ever forget reaching for that solid, heavy, cool metal bottle on my best-friend's night stand. To me, it symbolized sexuality, elegance, and maturity. I would still love a bottle of the older stuff. I long for those "coming of age" memories and the scent that goes along with them.

Almost bitey at first, sharp fresh and so greeeeeeen smelling, but give her a few minutes and she becomes lovely and powdery, so classic and she lingers on me and my clothes.
I really love that old world kind of thing Chanel has going on- so different and delicious after the seemingly endless parade of fruity floral/sweetie gourmand/celeb scent you find these days.

Realistic , not really aggresive, rounded but edgy , down to earth , Green , soft , elegant & feminine scent. for green floral lovers , the most delicate moss-vetiver & leather summer scent i have smelled .
Certainly one of my favourites with unbeatable earthy floral Chanel-y powdery drydown ,,, No19 is a Cold green summer Luxury.

I do not at all like this fragrance, was given as a gift. My favorite is really no. 22... beautiful. No.19 smells very very woody and earthy. Too green in my opinion. Almost more manly IMO. Even my husband could not stand this. Sadly I wanted to like it, everyone writes such raving reviews and I am pretty openminded (with the exception of Taboo, and Angel - ugh)but this is just no

Oh no, this is the chanel frgrance I like the least, its very green and strong in the beginning then it tames itself and it smells dated on my skin. I prefer cristalle and every other chanel fragrance , even though I can't wear chance I still appreciate it. This is just too green and powdery on me. I will pass.

beautiful. The other reviewers have described no 19 so well - green, dewy, classy, elegant and yet with many different dimensions, but this is the antithesis of cheap smelling to me - crisp sometimes but never sharp or sickly. During the day and it makes me feel fresh but interesting. I keep coming back to it, although I don't think the parfum lasts as well as it used to.

It has taken me a long time to write a review for No.19 even though I have been wearing it for years. To me, it has been a vary hard perfume to pin down. Just when I think I know it, another facet reveals itself. It seems to change depending on the weather, time of day, my own skin etc. This changeability is something that seems to be lost in modern perfumery, as linear formulae give it all to you straight up for fear that you would buy something else (metaphorical or what!). Well a little complexity and reticence suits both perfume and women and No.19 suits me.

I just love no19. Every time I wear people say it smells great and ask what perfume it is. My only disappointment is I am unable to get the deoderant spray which I used as a body spray .I hope this is not the beginning of the range being recduced or even discontinued.

Generally I don't really love Chanel fragrances, No5 is an exception, but No19 is a love or hate for me. I think it's one of the most unique and classiest fragrances, but wearing it is a different story for me..... It's green all right, but the leathery notes make it very dry and way too far from a "natural" scent on my skin. Unfortunatelly it never smallows on my skin it just stands out even at the end of the day, I'm aware all the tme what I'm wearing and I mean this in a bad way. I would say it's for dominant, self-consious, but very feminine and elegant women.

I have the edp and it simply smells fresh, green,clean, and believe it or not, quite sexy and elegant.Another classic.

Green, soft and sharp at the same time, fragrance that is truly worthy of respect. So harmonious, No.19 - long awaited, although never high on my wish list, such a distinct fragrance that is impossible not to recognize. EdT is far easier to wear than demanding EdP, wonderful, yet so calming perfume.
But I must admit when it comes to green-Cristalle is my favorite.

This Chanel classic is one of my all-time favorites and if I could choose only one perfume, this would be it. It doesn’t last long on my skin, but lives a life well over a couple of days on my clothing and hair. One does have to be a fan of bright floral greens to fully appreciate its beauty. It has an intensely sharp, fresh, crisp beginning, but after several minutes it develops into a rich, elegant blend of the softest mosses and flowers and, on me, just the slightest hint of leather. But, what I find most comforting about Chanel No. 19 is the subtle, yet exquisitely floral, soapy, powdery dry-down that lingers for days (again, mostly on my clothing).

A word of warning: No. 19 is the complete antithesis of sweet, fruity, or gourmand scents, so beware, faithful fans of the latter; you may recoil from this one! I have (and love) the EDT version, but have heard that the EDP and Parfum versions are nowhere near as sharp. Evidently, the EDP and Parfum are either unavailable in the U.S. or just ridiculously hard to find, as I have yet to sample either.

Way green and way sharp. This smells cheap and strong, what I'd imagine a lady of easy virtue to smell like. I know Chanel is THE house of choice for many, but I just can't see (smell) anything in this that I like or enjoy.

beautiful, refined, delicate, strong, expensive.

"it is one of the most delicate interpretations of leather you'll encounter"... Im agree with you debbborra; the leather note inside this fragrance its pretty delicate... and beautiful. Leather unmistakably for delicate and confident women

Haha, the you tube ad above is rather cringeing. I like no 19. I used to wear it, weirdly, in my student days - deep down yearning for stability perhaps, because it's a classic perfume

I particularly like oak moss and iris. It must be all the outdoor adventures I've had which I associate with happy times.

If you look into perfumery more closely you discover that they actually can't get a true match for flowers - a distillation obviously changes the original quality, so what they do is take a chemical 'photo' of the fragrance and reproduce that

I see this as a comfort scent because it's calming and green. It isn't harsh to my nose but it does have a dry down that's very lady-like - a little too lady-like for me sometimes when I want something a little more lush or rough

Can anyone recommend me a perfume that's green, mossy and woodsy, yet soft, contemporary, feminine and not sharp? Maybe a tiny touch of vanilla and rose?

I like this one alot. It smells like a field filled of loads of green grass and flowers blooming in spring. While it is a sweet fragrance it does not turn out overly sweet on me. Which is what I truly like about this scent.

I've never had any luck with Chanel fragrances and I definitely didn't fall in love with Chanel No.19 when I tested it today in the fragrance department.

Green is an excellent word to describe this scent. It's a mixture of wet sand, freshly cut grass and alfalfa sprouts to my nose. Something that I adore in nature but not on my skin.

This fragrance is fresh yet sharp and quite soapy. Although the floral notes are present in this fragrance, they aren't soft and feminine like other Chanel perfumes, instead they are sour and overpowering.

In the drydown I sensed the familiar soapy/powdery notes that are present in every single Chanel fragrance I've tried. I could easily pick a Chanel fragrance out of 100 other scents with my eyes closed.

I don't entirely dislike this scent; I do admire its individuality and freshness, however I'm more attracted to florals and sweeter scents. The lasting power is excellent, but that is to be expected from Chanel. On the right person this scent could be very distinctive, sophisticated and unique.

The bottle sat on a shelf for 12 years. Before I even mention the juice I want to say that the silver packaging is smart.

Everyone knows that it is classic and green. I'm not sure that everyone knows it gets better on your skin. Or that it is one of the most delicate interpretations of leather you'll encounter.

The top notes are not quite startling, but they verge on it. You get a big whiff of flowers right out of the gate. then it settles in to something that is just blended elegance.

There is a reason this is a classic. Unlike many of the classics however, this is easy to wear. It blends the best of classic perfumery with the clean lines of modernity.

I love this fresh green woody fragrance! I agree there is a coolness about it, but it's not a closed-off indoor scent. To me it is more like enjoying a walk outside on a crisp early Spring morning. My husband is quite an outdoorsman and enjoys it too. There's nothing cheap about it. It's mature, classy and refined - definitely one of my favorites.

I adore 19! I like the sharpness of the green opening; I really like the rose-jasmine-muguet of the heart; I love the leather-wood-vetiver* of the base, which lingers on me for hours. Like all Chanels, this is elegance in a bottle (that iris!), but this is one of the few Chanels that I really enjoy wearing. It feels very professional and empowering, and although I am usually a floral devotee, No. 19 feels like "me."

*Note: I prefer the older formulation. The new stuff (the new EDT is bright green) lacks the leather hint.

Tessture said something interesting - that people who can't wear any other Chanel perfume like No19. This comment struck a chord with me. I can't stand No5 or Coco - but I love No19. Quite simply, it smells like a vibrant, green forest.
I preferred the very lightest version of the scent. Even the EDT was too strong for me so I bought the deodorant spray which was perfect. To be fair I was 17 at the time so maybe an older person would prefer a heavier version. I found the spray very convenient to keep in my bag while traveling.

very effective in cold air.
It give a sense of green fresh floral with gentle spice oil. wearing this no.19 I feel really good and confidence.

I tried this one yesterday and it was so disapointing :(

It´s to green, almost acid to my nose. Yes it's true that after some time this perfume starts to smell lighter, but it's not what I had in mind at all.

yes I am a man who fall in love with this bottle.
I had test it last year.in my memory "nice clear clean PAPER" that what I love .so so clean

Now I win one of this no19 from e bay.

Aldehydic greens fade to pure, unadulterated bugspray on me. This one does not work at all with my chemistry, but if you cannot wear any other Chanel, I'm betting this is your baby.

Mitsouko's question has me thinking about perfume, men, and Chanel No. 19.

The men I dated never wore cologne, and never went crazy for perfume, and my now-husband is no exception. We have similar tastes in fragrance (neither of us likes overly floral, fruity, or sweet scents, we both like chypres and orientals), but he is not the perfume maniac I am. So when my husband actually loves a scent it is a big day....and he LOVES Chanel No. 19.

What I like about it is the iris root, which dominates from the very first spray and never backs off. At the same time, there are layers and layers of notes shimmering over the iris, making the fragrance very active, never flat.
There is nothing subtle about Chanel No. 19 except after a few hours when it softens. I actually prefer the gentler l'Heure Exquise by Goutal when I'm in the mood for iris. However, while my husband thinks L'Heure Exquise is nice, he says Chanel No. 19 is sexy, and an instant aphrodisiac. I won't argue with that!

I think of Chanel No. 19 as a mature, classic, and elegant scent: I wouldn't have liked it in my 20's. Like soirdelune, I thought of it as a cool, professional scent. I tended to wear it in the daytime. But now I'm not so sure! If you have a sample, try it out in the evening and see what happens!

This is the only Chanel scent that I like. And it is the only green scent I would buy. Why? Because it is so beautiful, and the most complex green fragrance I have ever found. It is also cool and refined - for someone mature - whether that be in age or demeanor.

Gorgeous, sophisticated, fresh. I've been wearing this on and off since I was about 17 - now the EDP although I'm thinking of going back to the EDT as it suits me better. The body lotion is lovely too for a lighter effect!

green, clear, diaphanous... delicacy and forceful at same time... nice for fresh days and to stay in a sensation of calm and certain way. It's a particular fragrance to peaceful and nice woman :D (i guess) ...

I find it harsh, sharp and annoying, like something rotting plants in a autumn forest. After couple of hours of tooth grinding I did have to srcub it off. But this was EDT, so EDP might be something else.

One of my all-time favourites; a really beautiful perfume for those who like green scents. I note that the text above speaks of an 'aggressive' green note: I would say that this applies more to the EDT than the EDP. For me, the EDP cannot be beat: fresh but powdery, settling into layer after layer of flower, leaf and wood. A good everyday perfume for a cool and independent professional woman.

Timelles and exeptional. Seemingly Chanel 19 is cool, keeps oneself at a distance...but why, in that case, this perfum so very please men? All!

Green and sharp, but not so sharp as Crystal.