Chanel, Coffret Set, Cuir de Russie, No. 22, Bois des Iles, No. 5, 4 x 7.5 ml. or 0.25 oz. Flacons, Parfum Extrait, 1924, Paris, France ..

"When couturier Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel launched her debut perfume No. 5, in 1921, it changed the whole world of fragrance. Perfumer Ernest Beaux produced a portfolio of samples for Mademoiselle to try .. and she chose the fifth proposal. So No. 5 was born, and has since gone on to become the most recognised name in perfumery, worldwide."

"Ernest Beaux remained the brand’s exclusive perfume designer, or ‘nose’, right up until 1952, creating further landmark scents including Chanel No. 22, and a trio of fragrances which now appear in Chanel‘s Les Exclusifs line: Cuir de Russie, Gardénia and Bois des Îles." The Perfume Society.

Famous Chanel N°5 is a symbol of good taste and is currently one of the best selling perfumes in the world. Coco Chanel asked the perfume designer Ernest Beaux to create a perfume ' which smells like a woman'. Chanel N°5 is a very complex fragrance which does not allow any of the fragrant components to be isolated out of the composition, what was exactly a request of the great Chanel .. the perfume should not smell like a rose, or a lily of the valley, but as a composition.

'The perfume became famous thanks to many celebrities who wore it, among which Marilyn Monroe. Chanel N°5 is often connected to her name because during an interview in 1954 she said that in bed she wore only ‘some drops of Chanel N°5'. That statement became a superb advertising slogan and a reason for millions of women around the world to choose this perfume. The current Chanel N°5 face is Nicole Kidman.' Fragrantia.

Working on creation of this perfume, Ernest Beaux created and for the first time used the synthetic component .. aldehydes. In his formula the aldehydes are accompanied by fragrances of rose and jasmine. The fragrance of aldehydes is pure and fresh, reminds of the odor of clean linen just brought in the house form the fresh frosty air. It is said that the famous creator drew his inspiration for creation of this fragrance from one of his visits to the Arctic Circle and the smell of water in midnight. The unique smell of frozen lakes and rivers fascinated him so much that he decided to replicate it in his creation.

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Launched in 1921, Chanel N°5 is the first perfume in the floral-aldehyde group and the first by the quantity of aldehydes in its composition.

Top Notes are Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Lemon, Rose, and aldehydes
Heart Notes are Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Iris, Orris, and May Rose
Base notes are Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Oak Moss, Patchouli, and Vetiver

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Bois des Iles translates to “Wood of the Isles”, and has a long, rich history. Ostensibly the very first “woody” fragrance for women, it was released in 1926 and was the result of collaboration between Coco Chanel and her cohort in olfactory adventures, the great, legendary Ernst Beaux. He was a Russian émigré who created some of the greatest perfumes in history, and an extremely intellectual man who supposedly used both Tchaikovsky and the great Russian poet and novelist, Aleksandr Pushkin, as his inspiration for Bois des Iles.

Top notes are Aldehydes, Bergamot, Coriander, and Petitgrain
Heart notes are Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Orris, and Almond
Base notes are Vetiver, Sandalwood, Opoponax, Tonka Bean, and Vanilla

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Cuir de Russie .. The composition starts with aldehydes moderated by the mild nectar of a classical floral trio – rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang. The ending comes as smoky, animalistic notes of dark leather.

Top notes are Orange Blossom, Bergamot, Mandarin, Iris, Jasmine, Rose, and Ylang Ylang
Heart notes are Cedar Wood, Clary Sage, Amber, and Galbanum
Base notes are Vetiver, Styrax, Leather, Vanilla, Spice Bush, Incense, and Cade Wood

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Launched in 1924, Chanel No. 22 is a gorgeous duet of white flowers .. soft citrus flowers .. and then gentle incense emerges. After an hour and a half or so, just the incense, grounded slightly by vetiver, burns along quietly. The beautiful feminine jasmine, ylang ylang, and tuberose are blended so that none of them stands out from the others.

The top notes are Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose, Bergamot, Neroli, and Peach
The middle notes are Tuberose, Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Orchid, and Ylang Ylang
The base notes are Tonka Bean, Amber, Nutmeg, Myrrh, Vanilla, Incense, and Vetiver

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Offered here is a charming coffret of 4 miniature 1/4 oz. bottles, equals 1 oz. in total. These are No. 5, Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, and No. 22. All of these iconic perfumes were created in the 1920’s by Ernest Beaux. All of the flacons are almost full. They have been previously opened and gently used. I have topped these up from my sample decant bottles to make them full. There is a stain on the No. 22 label.

Charming and collectible ..