Chanel no 5 smells terrible.

[ReelingRoundtheFountain]

I don't get why people like Chanel no 5. It smells horrible to me. Musty and cat pee.

I also strongly dislike patchouli and anything with patchouli in. Does Chanel no 5 have patchouli? Maybe that could be why?

Anyone else, or am I alone?

I don’t like it either - it smells like old lady perfume to me. It always surprises me to smell it on someone young.
Probably because my Grandma used to wear it though rather than anything else.

It's awful, I don't know why it's so popular 🤮

I love it. Most modern perfumes smell like shower gel or room freshener spray, absolutely no substance or drama. If I want to smell like fruity shower gel - I am using shower gel, no need to pay extra £££ for the shower gel scent to be decanted into a bottle with alcohol.
But I do admit most classical perfumes now smell worse in new formulations, as original ingredients have changed. Many animal and plant compounds are strong allergens and now are band from use in production.
PS if that matters, I am in my thirties.

Hated it in the 1970s. Hate it still.

You are quite right, OP.

I love it! Admittedly I did used to work for Chanel and perhaps I’m biased because of that.

It would be boring if we all liked the same things.

It's not my favourite Chanel but I don't hate it. I like it better than no.19 and Cristalle.

It used to smell divine but the new formulation is awful.

In 1973 many ingredients in famous fragrances were banned.

Different people like different things.

you're definitely not alone with the cat pee smell.

I've tried to like it many times but it just doesn't smell good to me. None of the classic Chanel perfumes do, and most of them (new and old) give me a headache. I would take Shalimar or L'air du Temps over No.5 anyday.

@TheYearOfSmallThings - I’d forgotten about Shalimar! It used to give me sneezing fits - I was so disappointed because I liked it.

I love No.5 but I understand it’s not for everyone

Same. It smells like talcum powder to me so I always associate it with my Nan. Unfortunately my now departed DMIL made a mistake once and bought me something No 5 instead of Mademoiselle and then for every birthday and Christmas from that point forward bought me something No 5 related! It had gone on so long I didn't have the heart to tell her I hated it!

I don’t like Chanel No5 either, but I do like patchouli.

I think it depends on the person's skin. I have smelt it and loved it on one friend, didn't realise it was No.5. My mum used to wear it and it smelt fine, not lovely, but tolerable.

I think I may be a modern day, female Jesus because I turn most perfumes into cat pee. Sadly I'm not sure there's much of a calling for that particular talent though.

My MIL wears it and it does not smell good on her.
Maybe that's why I dislike it.

Good job we're not all the same

I really dislike it too.

I love it. Worn it for 30 odd years, since I was 20.

I really dislike the sweet, sugary, vanilla, gourmand scents that have been popular for years. Generic, boring and lacking imagination.

It was the first artificial perfume apparently, so wouldn't have patchouli in it because that's a natural product.

I used to love something else that's discontinued, but Chanel no. 5 is a close second. Funnily enough I can't smell some of the other Chanel perfumes at all.

Same here.

No.5 smells amazing on my mother but awful on me. No.19 smells stunning on me but horrible on her.

OP, try No.19 or Cristalle to see what you think. They are very different beasts to No.5 and the only Chanel fragrances I like.

I love patchouli, I don't think it's one of the notes in No.5, but I'll give anything with patchouli in it a hopeful sniff because chances are I'll like it.

I've always wondered if it just doesn't 'take' on me, as I just get that old lady's dressing table smell when I wear ir. I felt so guilty when MIL bought me some one Christmas as I knew I wasn't going to wear it.

I also find it an acquired taste. I'm currently training myself to like it though as an ex boyfriend bought me a huge bottle many years ago and I don't like seeing things go to waste. The scent you're thinking of isn't isn't patchouli, I think it's ylang ylang.

I don’t like it either. It actually makes me feel nauseous

Does it have jasmine in it? A lot of people find jasmine smells a bit like cat pee. I dot. Think to has any patchouli in it. I don’t mind it, but I wouldn’t wear it because it smells “old” to me.

I don't like it either. I can't explain it but it smells like an old lady to me.