Reading about fragrance is like hearing about food—there’s only so much you can understand until you smell it (or taste it) for yourself. Sadly, however, I can’t mail a sample of the newest Chanel scent to all of our readers, so you’ll have to make do with the written word for now. To get the idea across, I went straight to the source and interviewed Chanel’s in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge. He is the mastermind behind the new Chance Eau Splendide, which is certain to become the scent of summer 2025 and beyond.
You’re probably familiar with the four existing scents in the collection: the original yellow-tinged Chance, the green Chance Eau Fraîche, the pink Chance Eau Tendre, and the orange Chance Eau Vive. Now, a striking lilac fragrance makes five. If you think the hue is pretty, just wait until you catch a whiff of the notes of raspberry, rose geranium, and more. Scroll down to read my full interview with Polge, who nearly inspired me to quit my day job to follow in his footsteps.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Chanel)
What’s the inspiration behind the new fragrance?
The inspiration behind it is very much linked to Chance. There were four and now five different Chance perfumes. More than specific ingredients, they share the same spirit, the same state of mind. Each time, they are composed of very different raw materials, which can fit different tastes. As I was starting to create the scent, I thought that the success of the perfume would come from its top notes—those notes that strike you right away. In the existing Chance perfumes, you have those notes of pink pepper and citrus, so I had the idea to start with certain fruity facets.
The top note of the fragrance is made of a raspberry accord because it is colorful. It has this high pitch, but also, I found it interesting that, with certain floral undertones, it has a violet note and a rosy note, so I thought that was a good start for the perfume. The floral is built around the geranium because of the rosy tone of the raspberry. The geranium is technically a leaf, but it smells very rosy, herbal, fresh, and slightly minty. The main facet of the middle note is based on an accord of cedarwood and some white musk.
What emotions do you think this perfume can evoke?
I would like it to evoke joy, happiness, and optimism.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Chanel)
If someone would like to have your job, what kind of qualities would they have, and where would they start?
I’m a perfumer, and often, people say that you have to have a good nose, and it’s true. But I’m sure you could be a painter and wear glasses, you know? The nose is the instrument, but what goes through your mind and your sensibility is more important. I would say that, like any creative job, you should have a certain level of curiosity. I think it’s about creativity, curiosity, and trusting your instincts. Because there are no rules in creating scents, you have to be quite sure of yourself.
How does your job combine art and science?
Even a good lawyer has to be creative sometimes. Perfumers have to be creative, have good ideas, and be able to think about perfume on many levels. There is a craftsmanship aspect as well. You have to understand how raw materials combine—what you can expect from them, how you can stretch their identity, and things like that. Science is quite basic. It’s an experimental science. There are certain very scientific aspects in my field, but I have scientists who work for me as well. We have our own factory of raw materials in the South of France and have three scientists who really work on finding new ways of extracting raw materials or refining them, so they are quite specific.
What is something that would surprise someone to learn about your job?
People have stereotypes in their mind that I smell better than someone else or maybe that I would be able to smell someone’s perfume from the other side of the room, which is not the case. I don’t smell better than you, but I have trained to maybe be able to understand what type of perfume you wear. Maybe they would be surprised that it’s a job that you can learn.
Shop the New Chanel Chance Eau Splendide and Other Fragrances
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Chance Eau Splendide
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Chance Eau Fraîche
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Gabrielle Chanel L’Eau
