Cristalle Eau de Parfum 
Chanel (1993)

I've been wearing Cristalle Eau de Toilette since the late 80's. It's my desert island fume - wouldn't want to be without it and have procured full bottles of every decade it's been made (including a 1974 or '75 sealed FB in perfect condition that is beyond glorious). But until the other day, I'd never experienced Cristalle Eau de Parfum. I finally got a sealed FB (batch code 79O1 or 7901) & after all I've read, was expecting something markedly different from the EDT. But to me it smells almost identical, just "more of." Definitely a bit more dense as opposed to the ethereal eau de toilette, but unmistakably Chanel Cristalle. Very happy to have it, but wondering if maybe my nose is becoming defective since it smells so much like the original to me but so many people on this thread are hating on it? I'm at a loss to figure out exactly which year my EdP might be from...Raiders of the Lost Scent hints at 2013 or 2014? Anyway, the EdP is a mega-love for me, on the same high altar as the EdT.

Juicy fruit. Lively lily of the valley. A slight sharpness, tartness, with the lemon and bergamot that keeps the sweet fruits from being too sweet. Sunshine top notes, no doubt.

Jasmine and hyacinth stand out for me in the middle. The rosewood is a woodsy, fresh ripped plank smell. Iris is lost on me here. I don't smell it. It may be disguised by the rosewood which may explain it's slight "powder" accord.

Base of vetiver & oakmoss is light, earthy green. Not heavy. Perfect for warmer months. Oddly enough I can still smell fruit later on. Yet another Chanel that I grow to love, the more I wear it.

I have tried Christalle edp today from a sample. I have not liked it as much as the No. 22 sample I wore the other day, but it has its own merits: it is a strong, fruity perfume. The projection after a couple hours was impressive.

The first review by Calchic is what I echo. I own Cristalle EDT, EL's Jasmine White Moss, Eau du Sud by Annick Goutal and others whose names don't spring to mind. My husband owns Eau Savage and wears it often. Along with Chanel 19 EDP, Cristalle is my favourite Chanel. If that means I am an 'austere bitch' or 'heartless' then buy me the badge. I feel the warmth of the sun, the green green grass of home and the explosion of scented spring bulbs in Cristalle. It's my happy place, the spring lambs are eating daisies and I curl a knowing smile; by autumn the lamb will be delicious.

How do you escape the noise, pressure and the maddening crowds of a city? It is something we all can do; all you need is a park and the sky. Lying on the soft grass on your back looking up at the sky is an instant escape. Everything sinks into the earth beneath the soft damp grass you are lying on. Work, time, pressure, anger, frustration, worry, they all slide away as you seem to levitate toward the sky. The one thing that doesn't slide way is your sense of smell.

In Thursday's mail I received a bottle of perfume I had been looking for and waiting to try for many months. Filled with that anticipation we who love perfume all share, I opened the box and tested the perfume on my arm. Instantly I was transported to the Villa Borghese, the wonderful and enchanted park in the center of Rome. The smell of the earth moist after a May rain shower meets the nostrils with a primal pungent primavera punch. Flowers washed clean in the rain add to the aroma as you look up look up into the same sky in which Michelangelo must have envisioned God creating Adam amongst the clouds. There is a deep rich smell of bark in the background, the unmistakable smell of a city park. This is what I saw when when I first smelled Cristalle. I was lying on my back looking up at the most beautiful sky in the world.

Chanel's Cristalle Eau de Parfum opens brightly through the sun dappled leaves of the trees with a superb blending of exotic Mandarin, with hardy warm Sicilian Lemons. These are perfect Mediterranean citrus notes. There is a little juicy Peach in the back of the park warm and fuzzy in the sun adding a bright lush taste, up front at the entrance to the park Lilly of the Valley and Bergamot join in right. It is going to be lovely here in the Villa Borghese.

In the middle notes just far enough into the park that the city sounds fade with the there is the “Chanel” Jasmine, like no other jasmine in the world it enfolds you in pure delight like the laughter of a beautiful woman in the dark. Rich earthy Iris adds a note of dangerous glamour and reminds you to dig your fingers into the moist richness of this experience. Hyacinth and Rosewood are found in this part of the urban forest and only enhance and deepen the sensuality of this fragrance.

At sundown near the edge of the park the base notes of green woody vetiver and Oakmoss enhance the beauty of your visit to this place where the sky meets the city and there is escape for anyone seeking it.

Cristalle is marketed as a female perfume yet it is not at all overwhelmingly feminine. I would categorize it as a very bold uni-sex scent. Longevity is good and the silage respectable.



Chanel Cristalle Five Gold Stars *****