If I had to pick one perfume for life it would probably be Chanel Cristalle Eau de Toilette. This fragrance embodies many of the warm/cool, bright/dark contrasts typical of chypre fragrances I love so much and I’ve already spoken of. Also, it is connected to many fond memories.
I first tried it twenty-five years ago when it was given to me by a pen friend from Finland I was meeting in Rome for the first time. I was already a fragrance lover then, but I had never tried this one. As soon as we greeted, my friend handed me the prettiest Chanel gift bag that contained Cristalle in its perfectly simple, yet elegant bottle. This was the beginning of a great friendship, a fantastic summer, and a fragrant love story that has lasted for years.
A staple among green chypres, this ageless perfume was created by Henri Robert in 1974 and is as dazzling as a crystal, as sparkling as fine champagne.
The bright opening features lemon and bergamot, which are soon followed by hyacinth, the floral protagonist that blooms on my skin with its sheer green accents. The fragrance later settles into a suave and airy base of oak moss and vetiver.
Cristalle is clear and pure yet multifaceted as illustrated by the fragrance’s orchestra of notes that go from hesperidic to green to floral to mossy to woody. It is luminous, crisp, and cool with warmer nuances in the dry down.
The image in my mind evoked by Cristalle is of an elegant woman with a diaphanous and effortless charm. She’s a little aloof but radiant and lively.
In 1993, Jacques Polge created the Eau de Parfum version of Cristalle, a more opulent formulation with notes of peach, ylang ylang, and jasmine. One compelling review also mentioned civet, which I believe contributes to the fragrance’s richness. Although this is a lovely fragrance, the original Cristalle remains my favorite.
Cristalle Eau de Toilette is currently available at Chanel boutiques, along with the Eau de Parfum and Eau Vert versions.
I reviewed the fragrance from my personal bottles.
Photo: Sarah McGuire
