Chanel N°22 Chanel for women

This smells so very similar to Iris Poudre! I'm not sure I like it.

PERFECTION and my personal favorite as far as perfume goes. I wear this every day. Love #22 and have only a little bit left in EDT. This can't be purchased anymore in high end department stores so I did buy some direct from Chanel....we'll see if it compares

This is perfection in a bottle. And, yes, definitely the vintage over the new exclusif line. I have the new version, too, and it still tops any other fragrance, but there's nothing like the vintage EDT in the white plastic bottle with the refills (if I knew they were going to change the formula and discontinue, I would have bought up a store full of refills ten years ago!) . . . the pure parfum is even more divine and a tiny bottle lasts a really long time. Nothing can top this for me (and I've been searching for years). My husband loves it as well and hasn't liked anything else I've worn even half as much in the 15+ years we've been together. It's soft, powdery, feminine, loveliness-in-a-bottle - just can't even put it into words. My husband says classy, soft, graceful, sensual, beautiful . . . all the words you would want to hear! I just wish they would have never changed the formula and kept the old 1.7 ounce EDT classic refillable bottles. I used to wear it every single day, and that was when it was about $45-$50 for a refill. Now the vintage refills are three times that price if you can find them. But, yes, the new Exclusif version that you can get at Chanel boutiques is *almost* as divine. If anyone knows of another perfume that comes close to this classic beauty, I would love any recommendations. <3 xo

I remember spraying this at a department store before the junior prom. Certainly couldn't afford to buy it!! Sweet and young.

Review of Darrshan

Just tried the no 22 frm a vial and frm the very first sniff it was excellent , the powdery ness is like no 5 but it is longlasting and very nice , have ordered the 75 ml , waiting for the bottle, love it .

Chanel No.22, the vintage stuff. Quite different from the minimalist interpretation of les exclusifs. This stuff is POTENT. The opening volley of aldehydes is intense, to put it lightly. A diffusive aura of aldehydes, citrus, and florals clear the path for a very strange but successful accord - tuberose, french jasmine (the good stuff), rose, frankincense, amber, and woody notes (iralia? iris? cedar?). It's like spraying Joy and Incense Avignon in the same spot. Sensual and religious. A good combination!

Longevity and sillage are absurd with my 70s era Eau de Toilette. I get so many compliments with this fragrance every time I wear it, and it lasts all day. A woman who owns an antique store nearby HATES floral fragrances (and has kicked people out for wearing bad ones!) but said my fragrance was wonderful.

So let's do an assessment:

Unique? Yes. Fresh? Yes. Sexy? Yes. Compliment-getter? Yes. Any-weather? Yes. Diffusive? Yes. Long-Lasting? Yes.

No.22 has it all and then some. A must for every perfume lover and definitely my favorite of Mr. Beaux's collection.

i was sent this in a vial to test from another lovely generous fragrantican as i had been dying to test this after reading all the fantastic reviews..i'm afraid i'm not that impressed by it and actually prefer my no5..the initial spray hits you in the face with aldehydes and it has taken atleast an hour for them to ease off slightly..it has a fizzy start to my nose..i can now smell the powder and iris with a smokey background..it is to me quite similar to no5,but i personaly find no5 softer,creamier and has much longer sileage on me..if this was available at my local perfume counter i would probably invest in a small bottle,but for the price in the uk and the hassle of getting it i think i'll stick to no5 and enjoy the little of the sample i have left...
just to add not one person commented on my fragrance when i wore this :(..

No 22 is the Queen of the Chanels! What makes it so perfect (for me) is that it totally melds with your own unique chemistry. It is incomparable - a contradiction in terms - a paradox. It is powdery,creamy and slightly smoky at the same time - not cloying but deeply magnetic. Dark and light, multi-dimensional. It is the type of scent that draws people in - closer, and closer; hypnotic...

My feeling when I wear No 22 is of being a mysterous, black-veiled, cat-like, woman - slinking and floating on a wet-cobbled stone street, with a mist of rain and fog all around. There's a loud hush and awe as you pass...and slink away into the hazy distance...haunting the senses to the point of madness...

This is what Perfume should be all about - not name, brand or house, but about the effects it has on you individually and others...

Chanel No 22 is TIMELESS...

I will wear this on my wedding day! I am so pleased to have discovered this magnificent scent! It is begging to be my signature, but my beloved coco mademoiselle is my "anytime " and "anyplace " fragrance that makes me feel comfortable and confident! No. 22 is pure indulgence for my nose and I would hate to ruin it's magic by wearing it all the time. It is a scent for special occassions since it is a special scent. I have not smelled anything like it and fear I cannot do it justice by trying to describe it's beautiful aroma in mere words. I do love my no. 5 as well but find that no. 5 is a bit maternal at times (which is fine for me since I am a mommy :)) but when I want to feel innocent and feminine (almost virginity in a bottle) I reach for no. 22. You must try this on your skin to appreciate this intoxicating fragrance! Hats off, Coco!

@TheCountess: I found it at Bouganvillea Perfumeria on St Croix once. Don't know if you ever make it over there or not, but they had it at one point.

Slowly, Like Smoke

I can tell you right now that I will be very dissatisfied with the words I can muster to describe how absolutely gorgeous this scent is. For every adjective and metaphor I might use, think of a better one, and Chanel No.22 will meet it.

The beginning is comprised of fizzy aldehydes and a little bit of heady sweetness. Many claim 22 is similar to No.5. I agree that they are similar but only during the launch and top notes. I can tell they're made by the same house. After the launch subsides, Chanel No.22 comes into its own. The dustiness, richness, and musky powder roll in slowly like smoke.

Putting iris and vetiver in the base and having it ease in while still presenting nutmeg lends an incense-like effect. It probably contains incense notes, but they're not listed on Fragrantica. It's incredible, and it reminds me of time spent in church when I was young.

I love how harmonious all the elements of this fragrance are. Every inch of this fragrance is perfectly composed. Nothing in Chanel No.22 is clunky or awkward. It isn't obvious or common. It is a glorious delight of a perfume. I can't stop smelling my wrists, and I think I may have moaned aloud the first few times I smelled No.22 on my skin. I want a huge bottle.

Can be bought online at Chanel.com only 220.00 for a HUGE 6.5 oz bottle :D

Should I have smelled this at the very beginning of my perfume quests, I would be thrilled. It is well done, possess the usual Chanel qualities and background. Also high on vanilla and tuberose. The drier woody notes make it better than most of the floral aldehydes, although it is somewhat heavier too (due to the powdery touch).

The description of the notes above and the note pyramid does not correspond to each other, I wonder anyone else realised?

All in all, I would go for No 22, had I not owned a just as stunning and good quality alternative, which is the lesser known Giselle from Carla Fracci. If I won the jackpot, would not mind a bottle of it though.

To "irisjetaime":

Thank you very much :). I got oriented at the mall at a Chanel counter and they told me it's only sold in boutiques. The closest, I believe, it's in New york. It's like Allure Sensuelle, which it's not sold around anymore. I bought it at a vintage shop. Anyways, thanks!

To "Thecountess"...

Dear you,

I just want to tell you that we only can buy Chanel n°22 in Chanel boutiques.
Just look for a Chanel boutique which is close to your home and straight up ! Buy it... ;O)

Regards from France...

Iris.

I need a little help. Chanel No.22 is not sold anywhere in Puerto Rico. I haven't tried the duty-frees though. Anyways, ¿can anybody tell me another perfume that smells exactly like it? Or I can just wait to my trip to NY and buy it... If anybody can help me, I'll appreciate it!

i did not try it just smelled tester in the shop and it was like no5 to me only bit more modern, and more likable, but cant say anything more about it...

mmmmmmmh, if God exists I'm fairly sure he/she exists in a bottle of Chanel 22 (referring to the vintage, but the newer version comes in at a close 2nd).

I ran out of one of my favorites possibly my most favorite perfume of all time, that being chanel 22, just recieved my vintage bottle in the mail
words can not describe the beautiful genius of this perfume.

I have the EDT version, but have also owned the cologne and both are long lasting and so smooth creamy gorgeous, dreamy, heavenly scents.. I'd love to get my hands on a pure bottle.

Reading over the comments I heard something like 'board meeting'' which is not the idea I conjure up when I smell this vintage beauty, as stated below ''quite the opposite''

It is soft dark and light at once, the inscense creamy white floral heaven that exists in this bottle is nothing short of a masterpiece! While it is very comforting, to my nose it's also slighty sensual without any skank present. When you want to 'make love' and not just 'bleep your brains out' kind of ''sensual'' ..LOL

How perfectly to sum up all that is, the parody known as life played out harmoniously but off key found in this vintage Pièce de résistance they call chanel 22 ,the beautiful purity of the most amazing white flowers imaginable with lots of powdery softness combined with a devilishly decandant and inticing smokey inscence and slightly peppery spices make this a an unforgetable almost untouchable queen amnong queens, but dont get me wrong this queen does not rule with an iron fist, she is a Citizen Queen, picture princess Dianna older and crowned Queen, I believe this is what she'd wear, passionate, soft, understimated, caring kind,loving but dealing with her own demons.

Oh how I love Chanel 22, a far superior (in my opinion) perfume than (dare I say it) 'Chanel no5'. If you tried wearing Chanel no5 and cant.. so then tried the edt then the premier and still you cant wear it, I believe this is what you've been looking for all along.

And if anyone has a pure or rather, any version of chanel 22 powder, lotion, anything, lol,I'd be more than willng to swap :D

Adding, I believe If I had a lifetime stock of Chanel 22, I could give away 90 percent of my perfume (approximately 180 bottles, lol)

oh and I disagree I do not think this is unisex AT ALL, this is most definently a very femine fragrance, without a doubt, all woman, thus coming from one that believes Poison Midnight smells amazing on men :)

In my mind this would be the feminine version of 'Ange au Demons'

I've gotten big compliments on this and one big criticism. Tuff; I love it! A big aldehyde, it's surprisingly deep with its incense-like note, and explodes with white florals. Loving it since I was a teen and bought my first as an Exclusif a while ago. Before that I just bought refills for that elegent white canister they discontinued.

It's so interesting how one fragrance can summon different imagery for different noses. Another poster mentioned how "No. 22" reminded her/him of a good "boardroom" scent, when for me, "No. 22" is the complete opposite.

To my nose, this cozy, dreamy scent is a fragrance for lounging, early morning, in a cozy robe and slippers. The tuberose is chewy, soft and creamy with minimal indoles. The aldehydes are less sparkling than carnal and subdued, like oil dusted over with powder. There's an almost linen-like spiciness to it all, but the rich rose and tuberose add a dense, lush sweetness that keeps "No. 22" from being too dry.

Overall, the impression is hazy and like a cinematic representation of an era when most women stayed home during the day. "No. 22" feels like a mommy scent, almost lactic, even, in its creaminess. It reminds me of fluffy robes, chiffon curtains with big ruffles, percolating coffee with a dash of nutmeg, "Coty" Cornsilk face powder, "Tangee" lipstick and rouge -- it's retro in an almost idealistic way. While it's not always what I'm in the mood for, it's great for lazy mornings when you'd like to just wander in rose gardens, hang-out clothes, linger over coffee, wander through museums or National parks; in other words, it's a great weekend scent. It's a beautiful, sweet and creamy blend, that's in no rush to be anywhere in particular. It's best used for "savoring the moment".

That said, I would really be interested in seeing how this wears on men -- I imagine it would be perfectly balanced by leathery, musky tones and tell another story, entirely. It's a great fragrance.

On my mother, who has worn this often over the years, this smells like a deep, mysterious white floral. On me, it smells like incense - ashy, smokey, and dark. There's an Anne Rice novel where the main character wears this, and she's a witch. No. 22 is along the lines of Narcisse Noir in its unpredictability, and it's outstanding beauty. If you ever get the chance to try the parfum version do not miss it. You will never again smell anything like it.

i have now for more than 7 years and i use it on special occasions and it never changed ... i feel so special when i have it on <3

This is a very fine, harmonious and elaborated
fragrance, but nonetheless it is, for me, an epitome of what I could never wear. The tuberose and the adehydes at the top somehow upset (from my perspective) the freshness of the green notes. I love however the accord between jasmine, neroli, rose, and lily-of-the-valley here. In the drydown, however, comes the musky-vanilla, which is luckily contrasted by the vetiver.

Objectively speaking, this is very well done, and I could imagine it's a kind of ideal fragrance for women with more sophistication and French-like sensibility. But, from my point of view, this evokes the perfect uptight elegance of the 20's and 30's, and I would feel the need to disturb somehow that elaborated perfection, to get closer to a more natural effect. My own tastes are for more modern fragrances, yet I may appreciate the beauty of this exquisite creation.

If you remember Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas) from "The English Patient" wearing a simple elegant white dress at a Christmas party, I may imagine Chanel #22 as being the right perfume for her on that occasion.
4.75/5

First let me start off my saying this is my favorite Chanel! No 22 is the envy of all ancient Chanel's! This classy beauty is by far one of thee most interesting & highly appealing fragrances I have come across! It opens up with a tremendous burst of Aldehydes in which No 5 can not compare. It then slowly progresses into a soft white rose fragrance which is later dominated by the best part of this fragrance which is the base! Incense, Vanilla & Vetiver form a highly delectable delicious aroma that is soothing to both men & women. No. 22 becomes a skin scent which is the only thing I do not like about it. I wish it could project for miles, however it is meant for close quarters & it preforms very nicely. Dare I say this is far superior than No 5 is a understatement. The vintage formula is best, altho the Les Exclusives line is not bad, I noticed they did tone down the incense in the newer version, however a remarkable structure to a underestimated fragrance IMO! Long live NO 22!

My all time favorite Chanel and favorite aldehyde, hands down. Not as powdery as many aldehydes, nor as metallic, but it still has hints of these elements in with a spare, French-vintage sensibility. Just classy.

This one, together with Sycomore, Bois Des Iles and Cuir De Russie IMO stays at the top of the Chanel Collection. Sort of a pushed to the limit version of N.5. The Huge amount of aldehydes in the opening is almost breathtaking. It's like beeing on top of a 2300 feet mountain and having a deep breath. It takes serious and very solid skills to make a fragrance like this and do it perfectly as it moves on a very dangerous territory that can easily turn into disastrous displacements. Chanel N.22 is the apotheosis of aldehydes fragrances and yet a very elegant and classy-classic perfume.

Ever wondered how aldehydes smell like? Check this out and, at least, you'll end up having bigger lungs. A masterpiece.

I'm sorry but I won't go through the orthodox scent explanation as I think this is the kind of fragrance everybody should at least test.

Rating: 9/10

I discovered Chanel 22 around the time of my 22nd birthday, and I took that as a sign :) and treated myself to a bottle; all these years later it's my signature scent. When I wear it, inevitably some total stranger will tell me I smell wonderful and ask what I'm wearing. I was dismayed when it was discontinued, and bought several bottles on eBay...then when it came back as a boutique fragrance, my children bought me a bottle. But like all scents, it's individual to the user...and doesn't smell the same on everyone.

(Review edt)

The first thing that come to my mind was Parfume for baby Clothes, or a beautiful strong baby powder. It's pretty rare because chanel's fragrances have more Personality.

Anyway is better than fracas, and is very relaxing, tender and lovely but nothing special.

Old-fashioned aldehyde- intensely powdery, vintage soap..a classic for sure but you must appreciate this type of perfume to enjoy no22. Sadly it is too dated for my taste, reminds me of the base guerlain used for its classics..that said, great longevity and sillage, lovely drydown.

Very reminiscent of No.5, like its long-lost cousin, but it's a slightly more old-world floral. Many people say they can't wear No.5, so this would be a good alternative to try. It's less powdery and less complex than No5. The heart of this fragrance is white florals with a touch of rose, and I even get a bit of sexy incense. I believe it's the nutmeg that creates this dark and sensual effect. The drydown is superb--sweet florals with barely a touch of creamy vanilla. It's so decadent.

I smelled this in my late teens as a body powder which I desperately wanted and kept returning to to smell and consider, it was on sale, I think $50...still too much money back then and now.
It smelled citrusey fresh and spring fresh at the same time with a mysterious undercurrent which intoxicated me . I have quietly covetted it ever since.
My mother is a long-time No5 devotee and I noticed the Chanel signature but it was fresher and again,very intoxicating, like a spring day when walking down a pretty, breezy street and you know you're smelling something fresh pure and alive, but you don't know what, you just want to find it.I imagine this is what The Secret Garden smelled like as the gate openned.

One of my big fragrance purchases in my later college years. I liked it and the idea of owning such a classic scent, but I never full-out loved it - it was just too strong for me and at that point in my life I wasn't secure enough with a fragrance that had such an assertive opening. The sillage was good as you'd expect, and the dry-down better than the top notes, but the timing was off. Now that I'm older, this might be a better fit (but I'm in over my head with Dulcis in Fundo right now, so it'll have to wait).

Like many others, this was my first love perfume. I bought it because it was No. 22 with no great expectations; but, then I fell head over heals. It's soft, mysterious, heady, everything a woman should be.

Today I received this perfume from my son and daughter as a birthday present.A lovely scent indeed, similar to chanel no5.I have it on and it is an amazing soft and luxurious scent.Dry down is wonderful powdery and elegent.Love it.One of top ten on my list.

It was my first serious Chanel fragrance in my twenties... I never could fall in love with No.5 trust me as I've tried over the years but there is something about No.22, it was love at first whiff. Something sophisticated and tender, almost melancholy. I don't believe the aldehyde is as strong in No.22 as it is in No.5 which to me is much more assertive and for a much bolder personality.

I do love Chanel No. 22. Like a reviewer below, it was my mother's fragrance, but I have always loved white florals and so I now have myself the parfum and EDT. It is my opinion that aldehydes are not well-understood by modern consumers-- most people say "soap" "baby powder" or "old lady" when they smell a classic floral-aldehydic concoction like No. 22 and frankly don't know what to make of it. Maybe I am simply old-fashioned but I much prefer a distant, cold, and elegant scent like No. 22 to an over the top gourmand like Viva La Juicy or Pink Sugar, which seem to be all the rage these days.

My favourite of ALL the Chanel line.

PERFECTION.

It took me a long time to fully appreciate No.22, it was my mother's scent you see, so it was at first avoided and then romanticized in my head. I was quite unsure how I would react, but I recently tried it anyway.

It is not the scent I remember, as I recall something a bit starchy and something with a tobacco aroma (I did say my mom, and she was a devoted smoker). What a revelation to try it in 2009! A stunning white floral aldehyde, this one and amazingly youthful despite my associations (mom always tried to be young). The lily and orange blossom in the opening is serene and deep. The muguet and neroli try to pep it up but the overall feel is a "don't muss me up" bridal bouquet vibe. I will agree that it is not a sparkly fresh scent, but it is clean as can be, almost pure in its aloof untouchable quality. It is attractive and beautiful but it says "keep your distance".

Chanel No.22 is probably something I will never want to own because of my history with the scent, but I admire it much more today. I can appreciate and value its romantic aldehydic bouquet, I can adore its history, and I can fully understand why mom wore nothing else. But I need more warmth and "come hither" in a fragrance. Alas, this beauty is not for me.

The name, the history, the mystic of Chanel...
After purchasing a sample of #22 edp I apply it sparingly to my wrist with giddy anticipation and what do I get? Am I swept away by the beauty of a classic fragrance? Engulfed by a cloud of quality ingredients blended to perfection?
Uh, no...After the initial aldehyde and flower blast (which is wonderful!) I get... bath soap...expensive smelling but soap all the same. And the sad thing is it's dark, dated, heavy and cloying, not clean or fresh.
I'm so disappointed. Is it the benzoin? I don't know.
I loved the sparkle of Coco but I find I much prefer the early scents of Guerlain and Caron to this attempt by Chanel.

The absolute best out of all Chanel perfumes. Try it - georgous. If you like no.5, you will adore no.22... The parfum if you can get your hands on it, as it is so very hard to find smells a little different on than the EDT... Just my take.

I own the EdT, before it was made part of the Exclusifs line.

No. 22 has notes reminiscent of No. 5, but No. 22 is more dry and definitely more woody and with incense notes.

A little goes a long way with this one. Too much gives you a sharp powdery rose with incense notes. Less gives you woody and airy incense notes that are very seductive.

This Chanel is not for everyone, but for someone with just as much character and independence as this perfume.

I got hold of extrait - wonderful fresh floral with some aldehydes and EdC - totally different, weird at the beginning and very sweet later. Now, I wonder which of them is rotten or whether it's possible that the different concentrations may differ totally. I like both, though.

bought a bottle of this at the chanel boutique in bond street, london, on a hot summer day. it made me think of winter, the opening notes make me think of sitting by an open fire. i cant find any white flowers. and can't understand it being made for a white clothes collection. for me it's a black smell. the warm orangey fire smell soon changes on me to something grey, heavy and almost depressing, the only thing i can describe it as is naples traffic fumes in rush hour. then it seems to turn to incense. my boyfriend says it's like a church that you want to run away from. i like the incense very much. i don't wear it that often. it suits a misty quiet grey day at the beginning of november. very halloween too. wish i really liked it, still trying!!

I recently obtained a collection of four classic Chanel samples: No. 19, No. 22, Bois des Iles, and Cristalle. With my deep love for Big White Florals, I saved No. 22 for last in the belief that I'd love it most.

I don't. And I'm so sorry to say that, because 22 has her ardent admirers, and I thought I'd be one of them. Like many people, I find No. 5 both powdery and cold (although my mother wears it beautifully), and the white florals along with the incense in 22 should warm and freshen the composition, which is otherwise fairly similar to 5. And I always, always find Chanels to be purely elegant, due to the large amounts of lovely iris butter tincture in them.

I never mind aldehydes, and the part of the scent story where the top notes melt into those sweet white florals was wonderful... except that it kept getting sweeter, and sweeter, and sweeter, until I honestly wondered whether I'd poured honey on my wrists. Generally, I find the sweetness of jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, muguet and ylang luxurious and heady, so I'm still surprised at how teeth-decaying No. 22 became on my skin. The drydown was truly gorgeous: iris, vanilla, and cool woody vetiver, laced with wisps of incense and white flowers, which finally (FINALLY!) lost their sweetness.

I was disappointed, but it may just be my particular skin chemistry causing this undue sugary reaction. It's Chanel; it's beautifully done and very elegant -- give it a try.

I think today there are ways to make more interesting, more sparkling fragrances...
Of course all the chanel N°'s are traditional, they have a story to it which makes them special and exquisite. Especially when it is discontinued like 22.
I remember someone writing it smells like that good smell you get from a well dessed, old lady walking past you in paris. I couldn't agree more with this statment!
If you try to ignore its history and all the hush around this fragrance it just smells like expensive white soap... and that's about all.
Again, I am sure for the time it was made something like this was no doubt a masterpiece, today I would have to consider it outdated.

The best of all the Chanels. A superior fragrance on all levels of the pyramid. One must know how to apply with discretion; applying on the cleanest and moisturized skin. To appreciate this gem is to appreciate the finest art.

An exquisite aldehydic floral with a delicious soapy-powdery drydown, and luxurious sillage. When I initially reviewed this scent a few months back I commented that it was gorgeous, but a bit shallow. I have since decided that No. 22 is gorgeous and anything but shallow -- as long as it is applied with a light touch.

Absolutely beautiful - this really is class in a bottle. Expensive, but you only need a tiny amount (apply with restraint) and it lasts and lasts. It surrounds you with a soft, refined, feminine aura that is always present, yet never overwhelming. It makes you feel elegant and special. Sheer luxury.

Goes on very French; a lovely soapy, tarry floral muddied with aldehydes in such a nice old-fashioned way. Smells like expensive French soap in the same way vintage Arpege does.The Edp lasts forever. I can see the 'similarity' to Chanel #5 in that the onset blast of aldehydes are similar, but they do not smell alike otherwise. Chanel #5 has powdery tendencies which this one lacks. Love this one.

Wonderful. The tuberose lasts all day & night, I was quite surprised seeing it is a Toilette that I tested. It is very different to Chanel No.5, though you can see the inspiration.

I do not find it like #5 at all. It is quite distinct to my nose and although I love it, I usually wear #5 which is sweeter to my nose. I love Chanel scents in general; but #5, Gardenia and #22 are my top three favourites. It is white flowers and softly dries down to woodsy and iris notes, with the orange blossom and neroli being the first to hit you when you apply it. Like Gardenia, it is hard to find and very expensive although very much worth it should you be able to get it. I am now wearing a sample I got at the Chanel counter some time ago and had refound just recently in my dresser drawer.

I've only experienced the silliage, and it is amazing. Agree - like #5 but better.