This winter I've been trying out the scents of the Chanel prestige line, Chanel les Exclusifs and I can't help myself but thinking of them as different archetypes in the life of a make believe upper class family from the 1920:s. There is Chanel 22, a beautiful but spoilt blonde. Always gets a little bit too tipsy at the family dinners. And Bois de Iles - the annual holiday to the Carrabean that the exentric patriarch forces everyone to go on.
In 28 La Pausa, I find a shy young girl (or boy!) that doesn't fit in with the rest of the family and their extravagances. Someone who's at her happiest staying alone in the library, maybe writing in her diary, reading books or just dreaming while everyone else is out playing crocket or trying to talk one of the servants into a little private rendez-vouz behind the stables. She's an introvert - and that's just fine with her!
28 La Pausa (named after Coco Chanel’s house in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the French Riviera) starts with a burst of bergamot. The citrus lasts for about an hour on my skin, after that it's all in iris. It's dreamy, softly woody, I get blue ink from ballpoint pens, fresh air wafting in through an open window. This scent is faint but very well composed, nothing out of place. It has an elegant and high class air about itself. A scent for someone with good taste and no need to prove anything to anyone.
Pic: http://augustus-hare.tripod.com
You perfectly caught the shy spirit of La Pausa in your review. La Pausa is the perfect scent to choose those rare but confusing mornings when I really don't know what to wear. La Pausa can't offend anyone and it's (as you point out)a citrus, light woody take on the iris, one of my favouritenotes.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a very nice scent! I've been wearing it to work on days when I know I'll be spending a lot of time in near airless conference rooms, packed with people. On those occasions it's best not to smell to much :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your review very much - I love the whole theme of the 1920s family - though I don't suppose they would have had actual ballpoint pens to smell in those days... : - )
ReplyDeleteI get a very cool sensation with this perfume, as I do with the woodier Timbuktu from L'Artisan. In the case of La Pausa, I once likened it to "cryogenic iris", it's that cold!
Thanks Vanessa! Yes, you're probably right about the ball point pen, and I'm not sure people like that went on vacations to the Caribbeans at that time either, but well... Yes, I also find 28 La Pausa on the cold side. I haven't tried Timbuktu yet but it's on my ToTry wishlist.
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