Chanel No. 19 c1970

Chanel No. 19 by Chanel: launched in 1970. Created by Henri Robert. In USA in 1972. Chairman of the board of Chanel, Inc, at the time, H. Gregory Thomas (who also served as president of the company for 32 years),  said that his good friend, Mademoiselle Chanel wanted a perfume all her own. It had to be something very different from Chanel No. 5, and she commissioned her top perfumers to work on the new concoction. 

A confidante of Chanel's is said to have told her: "Why not bottle that indomitable, creative, magnificent spirit of yours? Make it your own personal signature. There must be a fragrance that captures the very essence of Coco Chanel. There are many, many ways I would describe what is uniquely you. But I shall choose perhaps 19 of the most obvious. This perfume must do justice to each. You will always be young no matter what age you reach. And truly elegant in your manner and lifestyle. Intensely female. Graceful. Casually understated. Contemporary. Brilliant. Witty. Fascinating. Generous. Honest. Courageous. Outspoken. Supremely confident and completely independent as few women are or ever hope to be. You are logical. A perfectionist. Unforgettable. And way ahead fo your time and the rest of us as well."

According to the story, Chanel was both delighted and amused by it. And having been born on Aug 19, she found the temptation to name the new fragrance No. 19 too great to resist. This was Coco Chanel's private perfume which she used for the three years preceding her death. Her own private stock, she occasionally gave some to special friends or select couture customers of the 31 rue Cambon salon. But mainly, she kept it to herself, "So that," said Chanel, "when I leave the room a touch of me remains."

Thomas promised her that the fragrance would not be marketed until her death. "She felt that she didn't want it sold as long as she was alive," said Thomas. The unnamed perfume's formula was found among her personal papers. The perfume came to be named Chanel No. 19, after Coco Chanel's birthday, August 19. "She was born on Aug 19," said Thomas, "I know the real year of her birth, but I'm not telling." (It was revealed it was officially in 1883).

"There's no such thing as a fashion in fragrance," said Thomas. "You can't do better than have  a great classic. We think we do in No. 19. It's in the middle of the scale, halfway between dry an sweet and it has a sensuous appeal. People are returning to the enjoyment of their senses" look at the interest in food and wine."

The new fragrance was packaged in the classic, simple bottle and boxed in sleek black and white emblazoned with the double C's. Prices for the fragrance ranged from $7 to $100 and was matched with eau de toilette and bath powder. The Chanel way is to use everything in one fragrance from soap to bath oil to perfume. 

At the 31 rue Cambon salon, the first floor of the salon was filled with the new perfume. The infamous Chanel No. 5 had to be taken out of drawers.

"We've been testing it for almost two years in Europe. You know, European women are so sophisticated about perfume," said Mademoiselle Josette Legoux, representative for Chanel. She explained that Chanel No. 19, was "more contemporary, heavier, and sweeter than No.5." She further added that, "Women want a stronger perfume today because of the pollution, you know. A woman should choose a fragrance for herself. She should buy what she likes. Well, considering maybe a husband or a boyfriend. When someone asks what you are wearing, it's much easier to remember a number."

Thomas said "It's a classic perfume, equal in quality to Chanel No. 5. It is still in a trial period, however, and must prove its worth. Chanel No. 5 now sells for $32 an ounce, just slightly less than gold, which sells for $38 an ounce. Chanel No. 19 projects a pink image. Pink is a feminine color. This perfume puts you in the pink with the warmth of a floral explosion. It employs iris-violet as its top note aroma - the first thing you smell in a perfume. This is compared to Chanel No. 5's dry martini top note and black and white image. - encompassing all color. Chanel No. 5 is halfway between sweet and sour on the fragrance scale."

Yvette Marie, a consultant with Chanel's fragrance education department said that "We realize that not all women wear Chanel No. 5, that's why we are introducing Chanel No. 19. Women are entitled to a choice if they like classic quality in perfumes Also, any woman who's ever tried Chanel No. 5 will use it again."

It was introduced in the USA in September of 1972.

H. Gregory Thomas held an all-pink luncheon at Perino's (101 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles), for the press to introduce the fragrance to the United States. To further expound the pink theme, he poured pink champagne (Piper-Heidsick, 1966 vintage) into slender glasses for the members of the press who were lucky invitees to the luncheon. The dining tables featured centerpieces if pink roses on pink linen tablecloths.For the luncheon, tender crab legs were flown in from Eureka, California, and were served alongside lemony veal piccata and crispy fried eggplant, a hot pink souffle culminated the end of the luxurious meal. To clean the hands of the diners, finger bowls with floating pink rose petals were set at the tables. The affair was overseen by the fastidious maitre d'hotel, Bruno Petoletti who conducted the event with precision. Thomas was accompanied by Yvette Marie, from Chanel's fragrance education department.

After the guests finished their delectable meals, Thomas began to talk about the perfume. He mentioned that the "green perfume projects a pink image. Pink is a feminine color. Green connotes youth. Youth is pink. This green perfume puts you in the pink..a pink and passionate perfume from Paris.. with the warmth of a floral explosion as if you buried your face in a  bouquet of flowers. It employs iris-violet as its top aroma - the first thing you smell in a perfume, then ylang ylang blossoms of Nossibe from the Indian Ocean, jasmine, May roses, oak moss from Yugoslavia, Virginia cedar, anemone, sandalwood, plus musk, civet, and ambergris fixatives"." 


From Chanel:

"Originally created as Gabrielle Chanel’s signature fragrance, and named for her August 19 birthdate, N°19 expresses a rich, assertive blend of green and white flowers. The audacious, unconventional scent is reimagined in N°19 POUDRÉ, introducing facets of crisp green woods and precious iris for a truly timeless effect. True to the original, this unique fragrance remains resolutely modern, boldly sophisticated but ultimately sensual and feminine. View the film and explore the story behind the scent with Jacques Polge, Master Perfumer at Chanel."

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a green floral fragrance for women. It begins with a green top, followed by an elegant floral heart of fresh iris, jasmine, rose de mai, and ylang ylang, resting on a powdery, woody and mossy base. A tumble of delicate florals and French mosses, sandalwood and musk.

• Top notes: aldehydes, lemon, bergamot, Iranian galbanum, Grasse neroli, hyacinth
• Middle notes: narcissus, Grasse jasmine, rose de mai, lily of the valley, Florentine iris, Nossi-Be ylang ylang
• Base notes: cypress, cedar, French oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood, leather and musk

Chanel No. 19 is particularly interesting with its use of orris absolute as well as methyl ionones and methyl dihydrojasmonate (MDJ). The Coroliane base by de Laire was used by Chanel for the lily of the valley note in Chanel No.19. Coroliane was created by perfumer Henri Robert, who mixed the aromachemicals Hydroxycitronellal, Lyral with rose.


Cue, 1972:

"From Chanel, the ever- classic, 50-years young, and totally modern No. ... only with her friends has now made its American debut — No. 19, in the classic Chanel crystal bottle, from $9.50 to $500."

Harper's Bazaar, 1974:

"No. 19 (so-called because it had taken the exacting Chanel that many experiments to find the right perfume for herself) is a profusion of smells — of iris and jasmine, rose de mai, ylang ylang, oakmoss and sandalwood."

Black Enterprise - Dec 1989:

"The popular Chanel No. 19 also comes in a gift set appropriately named. Fragrant Fascinations, 1.7 ounce Eau de Cologne Spray, 3 ounce Luxury Body Creme, $48.50."

Product Marketing for Beauty Industry Retailers & Manufacturers, 1986:

"Chanel Creme Pour Le Corps/Luxury Body Cream. The moisturizing body creme is available in three fragrances: Chanel No. 5, No.19 and No. 22. Chanel No. 5 is tinted pink; Chanel No. 22 is tinted lavender; Chanel No. 19 is tinted mint green. The suggested retail price for the 6.8-ounce size is $40."

Chanel, the couturiere at work, 1995:

"It was called No. 19, after her birthday, and also to make clear that it was intended to appeal to a younger age group."

Bottles:

Chanel No. 19 was housed in the standard Chanel flacons over the years. The fragrance was first available in Parfum (Extrait), Eau de Cologne, and Eau de Toilette.

The Extrait was available in three sizes: 0.25 oz, 0.5 oz and 1 oz in the classic crystal flacon. A 0.25 ozspray perfume was also added.

By 1973, the Eau de Toilette splash bottles were available in four sizes: 2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz and 16 oz. the Eau de Toilette Spray Mist was available as 1.5 oz and 3 oz.


By 1986, the Eau de Parfum was introduced.


To open the classic Chanel crystal parfum flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Chanel in 1963:

"Remove cord and paper; with index finger as cushion, tap underneath sides of stopper lightly with glass object (glass on glass being the scientific method) while turning the bottle steadily between fingers, so that the stopper will be loosened evenly."

Voile Parfume was launched in 1995, a light, water based, alcohol free,  body spray that could be worn in conjunction with No. 19 or alone. "No. 19 Voile Parfume by Chanel, a body spray,  water-based, alcohol-free scent is similar to the original No. 19 but with a slightly fresher and more lightweight feel." Unfortunately this was discontinued a short time later.

Ancillary Products:

Over the years several bath & body items were produced, some of these were discontinued throughout the years and others were reformulated into new and improved bath and body products.

Bath powder was available by 1973.

The older products came in sleek white porcelain-like milk glass bottles and large black square caps. The older style bath soap is the oval shapes that look like eggs as well as square shapes. 

• Body Creme
• Body Lotion
• Bath Oil (huile de bain)
• Milk Bath
• Bain Moussant/ Bathing Gel
• Perfumed Bath Powder
• Bath Soap
• Deodorant Spray (eau deodorante)

Fate of the Fragrance:

Chanel No. 19 has been reformulated over the years.

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