Ernest Beaux is the perfumer who changed everything. Born in Moscow to a Franco-Russian family, he served as an officer in World War I before entering the laboratories of A. Rallet & Co. in Grasse.
“I went to present her with my creations – two series: 1 to 5 and 20 to 24. From these she chose several, including one labelled Number 5.”
Ernest Beaux · Beaux, "Souvenirs d'un parfumeur", Industrie de la Parfumerie, Oct 1946 (trans. via Bois de Jasmin)
In 1921, he presented Coco Chanel with a series of experimental samples — and sample number five became Chanel No. 5, arguably the most famous fragrance ever created. By boldly incorporating synthetic aldehydes into a floral bouquet, Beaux shattered the conventions of natural perfumery and ushered in the modern age. His legacy is not merely a fragrance but an entirely new way of thinking about scent.
1921Chanel No 5 ParfumChanel
1921N°5 (Vintage) ChanelChanel
1922N°22Chanel
1925GardéniaChanel
2007Bois des IlesChanel
2007Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 22Chanel
2016Cuir de Russie Eau de ParfumChanel
2016Eau de CologneChanelRevolutionary use of aldehydes and synthetics to create abstract, otherworldly floral compositions that transcended anything that came before.
Scentsation editorialChanel · 1921Chanel No 5 Parfum13,739 ratings · ★ 3.6702Chanel · 1925Gardénia1,971 ratings · ★ 4.1103Chanel · 2007Bois des Iles1,934 ratings · ★ 4.3304Chanel · 1922N°221,471 ratings · ★ 4.2405Chanel · 2007Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 221,306 ratings · ★ 4.2306Chanel · 2016Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum1,001 ratings · ★ 4.10
Radiant luminosity and ethereal transparency. Kurkdjian's fragrances glow — they possess an inner light that makes them feel both airy and profound. His palette favors ambroxan, saffron, and delicate florals, composed with a musician's instinct for harmony.
234 creations
Refined elegance and measured sophistication. Polge's compositions for Chanel embodied the house's aesthetic — never too much, never too little, always precisely right. His fragrances have the quiet authority of impeccable tailoring.
76 creations
Noble materials and classical structure. Creed fragrances are built around the finest natural ingredients — ambergris, royal water, hand-selected musks — composed in the traditional infusion method that has defined the house for centuries.
54 creations
Sources · Beaux, "Souvenirs d'un parfumeur", Industrie de la Parfumerie, Oct 1946 (trans. via Bois de Jasmin) · Wikipedia · Fragrance credits and counts from Scentsation's catalog
