“A night in Paris. Sparkling lights and music. A crowd. And her.”

– Chloe Love Story

Here we are with the first review of a 2015 fragrance launch. That didn’t take long, now did it? Well technically, this one was available in some countries at the back end of last year, but it is only reaching the UK this month, but let’s not split hairs, shall we. The perfume we will be looking at today is Love Story by Chloé, the latest offering from a brand that I haven’t featured on the blog before (much to my surprise, actually). Let’s rectify that right now.

In perfumista terms, Chloé is best known for their eponymous signature scent launched in 1975 under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld. Chloé was, and is, a gigantic white floral chocked to the brim with syrup and powder – fearful (but beautiful) stuff for sure. It would be fair to say that the house’s output since hasn’t been as bold, but is still very pretty however, more so in the modern style of perfumery. I remember being particularly impressed with Love, Chloe (a very subtle powder scent) and I’d definitely put this new one, Love Story on that list as well.

For Love Story, Chloé has envisaged a feminine fairytale starring actress, Clémence Posey (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), directed by Mélanie Laurent (as seen in Inglourious Basterds), snapped by Inez Van Lamsweerde and scented by perfumer, Anne Flipo (MyQueen, Chloé Fleur de Narcisse and Manifesto). Housed within a padlock shaped bottle, a sign of love seen on the bridges of the city of lights, Chloé’s Love Story is a contemporary spring floral full of life and romance – an Eau de Parfum dripping with dazzling prettiness.

“Love Story is a modern story of seduction. Her. And him. Their paths cross, a few mumbled words, a beautiful moment.”

– Chloe Love Story

The Notes

Top: Neroli
Heart: Orange Blossom & Stephanotis
Base: Musk and Cedar

How Does it Smell?

The opening chapter in Chloé’s Love Story is an effervescent fruit accord that softly bubbles with the golden sparkle of orange and the fuzzy sharpness of blackcurrant. Both fruits, the citrus and the berry, are vibrant, joyful and mouthwatering, courting prettiness and refreshment in equal measure. The solar beauty of neroli, a note which never fails to provoke a smile, dances brightly underneath, elevating the juiciness of the fruit, but also creating a seamless link between the fruity top to the floral heart.

Speaking of floral hearts, Love Story’s is a good ‘un. The notes list orange blossom and stephanotis, both of which are present and correct, and provide indolic citrus warmth and indolic jasmine-like greenery, respectively. There’s also a touch of something fresher too, perhaps lily of the valley or hyacinth – something that cuts through the richness of the orange blossom and stephanotis, allowing them to be surprisingly delicate for such bold flowers. Anne Flipo demonstrates her talent masterfully here, and she has managed to extract the distinct signatures of each flower, but has somehow managed to present them transparently, without watering them down.

The base is all about musk, and lost of it. It’s the same sort of airy musk seen in NARCISO, but not on such a grand scale. Love Story is more subtle than the Narciso Rodriguez however, it still maintains that tension between velvety plush and powdery musk  and sharp earthiness that makes NARCISO so wonderful, simply presenting it as a light and nature-inspired musk in keeping with the general tone of the fragrance. Things definitely soften considerably in the base, and what’s left in the far dry down is a pleasing woody musk that strikes a very pleasant chord.

Love Story is an incredibly enjoyable spring floral that may not be groundbreaking in terms of its olfactory signature, but is so expertly crafted that one can forgive its lack of ingenuity. To my nose it feels like a light cocktail of white flowers accented with elderflower cordial – bold flavours yes, but handled with a slight of hand. The result is sweet and fresh composition up top, over a warm and green musky base, and it’s ever so pretty, one can’t help but fall for this tale of amour.

#ChloeLoveStory

To celebrate the launch of Love Story, Chloé are asking people across the globe to snap images of the things they love, or their own love stories using the hashtag #ChloeLoveStory. The best images will be put together in a special video released in time for Valentine’s Day.

Availability

Love Story is available in 30ml (£47), 50ml (£65) and 75ml (£82) Eau de Parfum. Matching body products are also available.

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Disclaimer
Sample and quotes via Chloé. Notes via Fragrantica. Image 1 via Facebook. Image 2 via nezdeluxe.pl.