Chanel’s new perfume was eight years in the making – and I tried it first

Chanel is one of the biggest perfume houses on the planet. With more than 40 women’s fragrances under its belt, Chanel’s prestigious aromas are a masterclass in sophisticated and elegant scenting.

After eight years in the shadows, the brand has finally extended its fragrance line with the UK launch of an addition to the chance collection. Introducing: chance eau splendide (£109, Boots.com).

While Chanel has dipped its toes into fruity fragrances before with chance eau tendre’s grape-quince accord and No. 1 de Chanel’s red-berry notes, eau splendide will be the brand’s first raspberry perfume. Chanel markets the fragrance as a combination of raspberry zing with rose, violet, iris and geranium, albeit grounded in cedar-musk warmth.

Chanel says this bright and delicate fruity-floral draws influence from the words of Coco Chanel: “Luck is my soul.” Like most fragrance marketing, that’s a little vague. It doesn’t offer much insight into whether or not this scent lives up to the hype, so I had to get my hands on the fragrance for myself. After an early preview of the perfume, here are my honest thoughts on Chanel’s first perfume in nearly a decade.

How I tested

After speaking with Chanel representatives at a preview of the brand’s ‘Chance Street’ pop-up, I compared the eau splendide marketing with the results of a full day’s real-world testing. Following the brand’s advice, I spritzed the eau de parfum inside my clothing and onto the base and nape of the neck, applying it around 9am and paying attention to its staying power as the day wore on. I noted any changes as the fragrance settled and reflected on any differences between the scents on paper and how they actually smelled on my skin. Here’s how I got on.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

As well as being The Independent’s resident Marc Jacobs perfume expert, I’m currently in the process of reviewing more than 20 popular eaux de parfum and eaux de toilette for an upcoming IndyBest guide. As for Chanel, I’ve spoken to the brand’s fragrance expert at Harrods’ salon de parfums boutique and have written about its other beauty best-sellers, including the les beiges bronzing cream. Now, after years of wearing Chanel’s chance eau fraîche EDP, I took an early look at the all-new eau splendide iteration.