It’s that time of year again: Christmas, also known as the most wonderful time of year, in fact, and it’s the time to get that Christmas shopping underway. Instead of a Christmas gift guide this year, I’m switching out my regular Candy Crush posts for just as regular Christmas Crushes instead. In these posts over the coming weeks you’ll find some wonderfully scented gifts just in time for the holiday season, with products that I am crushing on. So get ready for some marvellous Christmas gift inspiration!
For the sake of today’s post I am pretending that the interlocking Cs in the CHANEL logo stand for ‘Christmas Crush’ because the very first of my Christmas gift posts is dedicated to none other than the famous french couturier. This Christmas CHANEL are promising us glitter and gifting extravaganza with two fragrance products that celebrate the beauty of their most iconic scent, in both its classic and modern interpretations. They are a practical and streamlined Twist & Spray for Nº5 L’Eau and a rather decadent, nay, shall we say excessive, gold, glittering body gel for Nº5. That’s right, folks, I’m kicking these Christmas Crush posts off with a big, shimmering, CHANEL bang.
Nº5 L’Eau Twist & Spray
When Nº5 L’Eau came out last year I pretty much became obsessed with it. What I love so much about L’Eau is the fact that it manages to be immediately recognisable as the kin of Nº5, serving the original’s fizzy floral DNA in spades, but at the same time it feels entirely new. It’s a really clever piece of work and it seems to have really resonated with consumers by bringing Nº5 bang up to date for the modern era. So yes, I’m here for Nº5 L’Eau and luckily for me, and people like me, CHANEL have given this latest take on their flagship scent the travel spray treatment just in time for Christmas.
Now, if you’ve not had the good fortune of trying or owning one of CHANEL’S excellent twistable travel sprays then you, or the lucky person you are gifting for, are in for a treat. The Nº5 L’Eau Twist & Spray is a sleek off-white atomiser in a handsomely squared shape. A simple twist of the cap raises a chunky atomiser that dispenses Nº5 L’Eau in all her bubbly lemon fresh and floral-musk glory. Refilling is easy (it comes with 3x20ml Eau de Parfums), simply involving a quick pull of the atomiser and slipping in of a new one in. Like Nº5 L’Eau the presentation is clean, clear and completely CHANEL. Consider it a crush, people.
Nº5 L’Eau Twist & Spray is the perfect Christmas Crush for a CHANEL-addict in training (it would be a wonderful first perfume for someone) and anyone who adores Nº5 L’Eau and could do with one to keep in their handbag (or manbag, let’s be gender inclusive!).
Availability
Nº5 L’Eau Twist & Spray is available in 3x20ml Eau de Parfum for £79. A gift set featuring a 100ml bottle of Nº5 L’Eau Eau de Parfum and a 20ml Twist & Spray is also available for £145.
Nº5 Fragments d’Or
Look at this! Just look at it! Isn’t it a thing of beauty?! Yes is the one and only answer to that question that I will accept, Dear Reader. CHANEL always launch beautiful products as part of the Nº5 bath and body line (take last year’s Body Oil, for example, which I was obsessed with and still am, to be honest) but they have really outdone themselves this year with Nº5 Fragments d’Or, a shimmering body gel that leaves one glittering in gold fragments and beautifully fragranced with the iconic scent of Nº5.
We do love a bit of shimmer here at The Candy Perfume Boy and Nº5 Fragments d’Or certainly delivers on the glitter front. The huge bottle (250ml!!) contains a vibrant gold gel that moves with beautiful fluidity. It really is liquid gold and it smells tremendous. All one has to do is undo the screw cap, pour a little bit on (and a little goes a long way, I warn you) and rub it in gently. I really like the texture which dries very quickly (almost as quickly as one of those nifty hand sanitiser gels), leaving the skin feeling silky and adorned with a generous helping of sparkle, coating one in gold flecks that are noticeable but not overly so (a shimmer bomb this is not). The balance is spot on.
But what about the fragrance right? This is a perfume blog, after all, not a glitter blog (now I need to start a glitter blog, damn!) Well what is there to say other than the fact that it is Nº5 in all of its glory? The fragrance isn’t overly strong, but you’re not going to want to wear it with anything other than Nº5 because this product is instantly recognisable as the most famous fragrance in the world. I’d say that it’s closer to the Eau de Toilette than any of the other concentrations, boasting its crisp, dry quality and signature aldehyde sparkle. It smells gorgeous, but it is Nº5, so that’s a given!
Nº5 Fragments d’Or is the perfect Christmas Crush for a Nº5 devotee and any lovers of glitter on your ‘to buy for’ list. I know I’ll be putting at least three on my Christmas list, but I do love me some glitter…
Availability
Nº5 Fragments d’Or is available in a 250ml size for £70.
Disclaimer
Samples, notes and quotes via CHANEL. Images are my own.
The Candy Perfume Boy 