Chanel's In-House Perfumer Told Me All About the New Fragrance That Evokes Joy and Optimism

Reading about fragrance is like hearing about food—there's only so much you can understand until you smell it (or taste it) for yourself. Sadly, however, I can't mail a sample of the newest Chanel scent to all of our readers, so you'll have to make do with the written word for now. To get the idea across, I went straight to the source and interviewed Chanel's in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge. He is the mastermind behind the new Chance Eau Splendide, which is certain to become the scent of summer 2025 and beyond.

You're probably familiar with the four existing scents in the collection: the original yellow-tinged Chance, the green Chance Eau Fraîche, the pink Chance Eau Tendre, and the orange Chance Eau Vive. Now, a striking lilac fragrance makes five. If you think the hue is pretty, just wait until you catch a whiff of the notes of raspberry, rose geranium, and more. Scroll down to read my full interview with Polge, who nearly inspired me to quit my day job to follow in his footsteps.

What's the inspiration behind the new fragrance?

The inspiration behind it is very much linked to Chance. There were four and now five different Chance perfumes. More than specific ingredients, they share the same spirit, the same state of mind. Each time, they are composed of very different raw materials, which can fit different tastes. As I was starting to create the scent, I thought that the success of the perfume would come from its top notes—those notes that strike you right away. In the existing Chance perfumes, you have those notes of pink pepper and citrus, so I had the idea to start with certain fruity facets.

The top note of the fragrance is made of a raspberry accord because it is colorful. It has this high pitch, but also, I found it interesting that, with certain floral undertones, it has a violet note and a rosy note, so I thought that was a good start for the perfume. The floral is built around the geranium because of the rosy tone of the raspberry. The geranium is technically a leaf, but it smells very rosy, herbal, fresh, and slightly minty. The main facet of the middle note is based on an accord of cedarwood and some white musk.

What emotions do you think this perfume can evoke?

I would like it to evoke joy, happiness, and optimism.