Beige Eau de Parfum
Chanel (2016)

I would argue that Beige is the most mainstream of all Les Exclusifs. It wouldn't be out of place as a Cartier non-exclusive or a Givenchy exclusive (shade intended). I am glad to see I am not the only one who immediately recalls Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo (no more tears!) when the top notes hit my receptors. I always loved that smell, but in of all places...

As the top notes...erm, detangle themselves, the character that I would more likely associate with the line and with J Polge come through. The suns rays hitting the face of a lass in a big dumb hat on which she pinned a creamy plumeria flower. Pretty. The peppery-cool-floral accord of freesia fleshes out the heart, and for a good stretch its a laid back and lovely honeyed floral—but not for me.

This perfect for those who are happy to see Pumpkin Spice is back on the menu.

The name, and the imagery it conjures, is unfortunate. I mean, a perfume based on the color of nothing? Then again, this is a Chanel, which means that when the powers that be are determined to create the scented equivalent of a closetful of neutral basics, at least they do it thoughtfully and with top-dollar ingredients.

Honied, slightly tropical, and buttressed by a hint of indolic earthiness, Beige is extremely wearable, broadcasting an easygoing chic that, yes, pushes the limits of upper crusty, but in a way that is aspirational rather than off-putting.

Too bad it’s an Exclusif, which means if you don’t have access to a Saks or Neimans, etc., or the means by which to gamble a blind buy, then you’re out of luck—even the slew of decant sites that are popping up all over the internet don't offer Chanel. If it were easier to test this stuff, I bet the ladies who lunch crowd would be choosing Beige as their daily driver rather than the rapidly-becoming-ubiquitous Baccarat Rouge.

This is one that I definitely had to get onto my skin before the full appreciation could occur. But once I did, wow! That’s when all the nuances of this relatively simple, but oh so timeless and classic scent emerged. It’s just beautiful. In a very reserved fashion. Definitely classic and timeless, and quite honestly, the world most perfect workplace fragrance… year round. I can so picture a very timelessly dressed woman wearing this. Not an edgy girl or a slave to the latest fashion trends, but the one who just always looks polished and put together. This is one of those fragrances that says so much about the wearer. Gosh I’m sorry, let me tell you about the scent rather than the person I imagine wearing it. It’s soft florals with a definite touch of honey but it doesn’t smell overly sweet or syrupy, it’s just a perfectly balanced thing of beauty. I get a touch of that frangipani in the back, and the mildest and most pleasant hint of soap. But I wouldn’t really call this a soapy scent. It’s just a beautiful little hint. Good longevity and very polite projection.

Chanel lends its founder’s mystique to this fragrance, among its others. The description on their website:
“I take refuge in beige because it’s natural,” said Coco Chanel about her beloved colour. Sandy beige, honey beige, clay beige, whitish beige…Gabrielle Chanel loved the infinite variations of this natural, elegant colour with which she surrounded herself, taking refuge from the chaos of life.
So it sets a scene for this fragrance hardly more fanciful than many perfume descriptions. I did have expectations of a ‘beige’ fragrance, sort of intimations of an office perfume, but with a Chanel sheen. I think it is that.
It does a good job of delivering a controlled, put together, tasteful palette of neutrality. You will win the office jackpot for having the most tastefully accessorized of fragrances.
It has a neutral opening which slowly shifts to a subtle floral honey. It's very pleasing on the skin.
It meets others in the middle - Beige is well-judged, tasteful, non-histrionic, urbane, and chic. I like it.

Honeyed flowers. Just enough hawthorn to make it interesting, with bits of freshly broken branches. The freesia is tamed here, with frangipani keeping it calm and soothing. I find freesia can be quite rude in some scents. Here, I enjoy it.

This frag remains rather linear, stays the same, for quite awhile.

Honey notes linger on, as well as the gentle floral smell.