Le Lion Eau de Parfum

Chanel has truly outdone itself with this Guerlinade-inspired fragrance! It's as if they took the iconic Shalimar and amplified its best qualities to create something truly extraordinary. A masterpiece of perfumery, if you will! 🔥

The lion was a significant symbol for Coco Chanel, and Le Lion de Chanel aims to reflect the passion and boldness associated with Leo and the lion. This fragrance has an evocative quality reminiscent of Coco Chanel's sun sign, Leo, which she embodied and made her own - ironic, as this scent struggles with its identity. While Le Lion is a high-quality, well-constructed amber perfume, it bears a striking resemblance to Guerlain's legendary Shalimar, the original oriental scent. Additionally, there's a hint of Coromandel, an old-world oriental Chanel scent, also featured in Les Exclusifs. Despite being as good as it is, I can't help but feel that Le Lion is a redundant inclusion. Le Lion launches with a bold opening as the top and middle notes unfold - a rich, resinous amber accord bolstered by a bright lemon note (echoing Shalimar). Sweetened by vanilla and grounded by woody notes, it's beautiful and satisfying, yet almost indistinguishable from vintage Shalimar. A pinch of patchouli adds depth as it develops, and the amber accord takes on an animalic quality with a touch of leather. Eventually, it fades to become a dark, musky, salty, animalic amber skin scent. The sillage is strong, and longevity is long-lasting. A rich, well-blended, multifaceted amber scent, Le Lion is enjoyable but also redundant.

The longevity of this fragrance is astonishing, rivaling the intensity of a nuclear explosion! A single spritz on the chest and I'm enveloped in its presence, capable of filling even the largest spaces with ease. Apply too much, and I fear suffocation - it's truly remarkable how potent this perfume is.

I'm utterly smitten with this perfume! My 75ml bottle has almost been depleted, mostly due to last winter's frequent use, and I'm disappointed that the larger size is priced at $400 - oh well, anyway. Interestingly, it opens very similarly to Shalimar; I suspect there might be a common ingredient responsible for this similarity. However, while Shalimar loses its initial scent and turns powdery and vanillic, this perfume maintains an unyielding, golden, resinous presence on the skin, wrapping you in the potent opening note with a touch of sweetness and a hint of lemon that is surprisingly warming. I've worn it today and yesterday for the first time after summer, and its persistence has been remarkable - it lasted all night and still lingered when I woke up! This fragrance is one of my go-to winter signatures, alongside Malesia by Xerjoff, which elicits numerous amazed compliments whenever I wear it; I'm in dire need of replenishing both bottles.

Today, I'm testing Le Lion on one hand and the current version of Shalimar EDP on the other. While Shalimar presents itself as muuuuch more citrusy and animalic in its opening notes, it becomes unpleasantly pungent when applied to my skin. The only time I find myself enjoying Shalimar is during the drydown phase. In contrast, Le Lion shares some similarities with Shalimar but offers a smoother, lighter, and easier-to-wear experience. I also detect a unique note in Le Lion that's absent from Shalimar - a subtle scent reminiscent of burning wood or incense. Overall, my verdict is that Le Lion will be staying in my collection as a friendly and versatile perfume.