There are few places more intertwined with the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel than the Hotel Ritz. Situated on the venerable Place Vendome in the heart of Paris, this legendary property has played host to some of the most notable names of the last century. Chief among them, one Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel. The first Parisian boutique she opened of her eponymous line was, and still is, located just steps from the hotel on Rue Cambon. After deciding one day in 1937 to take a suite at the Ritz, Mademoiselle Chanel would call the hotel home for over the next three decades. Her memory still lives on in the Ritz – one is able to stay in her former suite, and the absolutely decadent spa there is associated with the House of CHANEL. For my recent stay at the Ritz, it only seemed fitting to pack some of my favorite CHANEL pieces and products. From my bags and accessories, to the contents of my toiletry case, CHANEL featured rather heavily in my travel trousseau, including a few pieces from the LES EAUX DE CHANEL collection.
LES EAUX DE CHANEL is a collection of fragrance-based luxury personal care products that are inspired by three locations that were also very dear to Mademoiselle Chanel. Deauville, the location of her very first boutique, Venice, where she escaped to after the death of her beloved Boy Capel, and Biarritz, where her first couture house was opened in 1915, all served as inspiration for the three unique fragrances used in the products. Eau de Toilette, body lotion, and hair and body gel make up the trio of products in the LES EAUX DE CHANEL collection. Created by perfumer Olivier Polge in collaboration with the CHANEL Fragrance Creation and Development Laboratory, LES EAUX DE CHANEL celebrates lightness and luxury. Paris-Deauville (not pictured here) has top notes of Sicilian Mandarin that blend beautifully with essence of rose and jasmine, basil leaf, and patchouli that result in a fragrance that is airy and carefree. Paris-Venice perfectly incapsulates the moody seductiveness of Venice. Essence of Neroli is intertwined with notes of vanilla, citrus, iris, cedar, and amber for a scent that is both complex yet subtle. Finally, Paris-Biarritz is a stunning olfactory representation of the sportiness and elegance of this costal seaside town. Top notes feature crisp grapefruit and mandarin, and are blended with white musk notes and lily-of-the-valley.
You can shop these beautiful scents via CHANEL.com or through the links below.
