To mark the centennial anniversary of THE perfume, Chanel produced seventeen new N°5-scented bath and body products with black and white utilitarian packaging inspired by everyday objects – refill stand-up pouch, tea tin, water bottle, gouache tubes, paint can and so forth. All these are limited edition, some are available online, some in pop-up boutiques only, some are already sold out. Which brings us to today’s question.
Saturday Question #71:
Are You Tempted by the Chanel Factory 5 Collection?
Have you bought any of the objects? Do you plan to? Are you tempted?
Bonus questions: Do you have N°5 in your collection already? Do you like it?
My Answer
For years I tried Chanel No 5 again and again hoping I would “grow up” to like it. I still don’t. I learned to appreciate it, and I even enjoy smelling it from others. But whenever I try it on my skin, I end up slightly disappointed that it keeps leaving me cold. I tried both modern and vintage versions, EdT and EdP, the original one and all the flankers. I kind of could wear No 5 L’Eau, but I do not love it.
And still, I’m tempted by this extremely strange collection. Luckily for me, the item that I wanted the most – the tea tin – isn’t available online, and none of the designated boutiques that are supposed to carry this collection is around where I live (I was surprised that not all Chanel boutiques got it!). Paint can is also not available. So, I’m looking at the soap in a tin, but for a small tin $45 seems too much (I don’t really care for the soap, I’m attracted to the tin). From the practical side, shower gel is the best product for me: using in the shower the scent that I do not mind but do not wear as perfume is perfect (otherwise the scent gets to mundane, and I somehow value perfume less), and it is still available online. But for me a dish soap bottle is one of the least attractive objects in that collection.
And then I started thinking… Maybe I should buy a bottle of actual perfume? It’s a new redesigned and, if I understand it correctly, limited edition bottle. And maybe – just maybe, I have absolutely no knowledge that it is or even could be the case – since it’s a special and limited edition, they’ve used a better quality ingredients (it’s wishful thinking, I know). So, should I finally get No 5 or L’Eau into my collection?
Of course, if I keep thinking for two long, the decision will be made for me: I expect the collection to sell out soon. Will I regret missing this collection? I wish it was No 19 or Coco – I would have pounced already, on the first day of the release. But on the other hand, No 5 is such an iconic perfume…
Are You Tempted by the Chanel Factory 5 Collection?
Image: from the brand’s site
Undina's Looking Glass 
OMG Undina, While the rest of the world is going bonkers over this stuff we are still awaiting its arrival in OZ. The paint tin calls to me but isn’t it filled with single use plastic pops of shower gel? That feels very naughty environmentally. Even so, I’d love to have that tin to throw used face masks ready for washing. GAH! Completely conflicted. So maybe the dishwashing detergent shower gel? It’s all so super cool that I think I hate it.
Having said that, I have kicked myself repeatedly over not grabbing a red bottle of No 5 or the body oil.
So, I have a little time to think but it will probably be a no from me.
Portia x
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Even if those individual pods are plastic (though, I’d expect them to be done from the same material Diptyque or Jo Malone do their bath and body samples), with the number of those inside, I doubt it’ll be more plastic than in a regular shower gel bottle. But the canister/tin is very reusable: I doubt anyone will be buying it for the content, so it’ll serve as a container for something else for years. (Have I talked you into it yet? ;) )
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YES.
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I love, wear, and have always owned the parfum. Since I was about 18. I have and wear the dry body oil. So yeah. However – I think this collection is kind of tacky. However! I would like to see it in real life and will take a look in Vienna. The parfum is always top quality, cannot imagine they made it better, but I will try it if I can. xx
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However x 2? Sorry. Typing and making dough at the same time. I should have just done a Steve. NO.
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Val, to tell you the truth, I’m surprised with your reaction to the collection: for some reason I thought that if anyone, you’ll appreciate the pop art aspect of this project. It shows how our perception of people do not fit the reality :)
Please report back if you ever see it IRL (I’m still not clear whether anything will be available in other boutiques, not the limited number of specially selected).
I chuckled at Steve’s reply, however (see, consider me using your extra one) it wouldn’t have been much of the interaction had everyone been just punching in Yes or No answers, would it?
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They have the collection in Vienna. And as you know I have them on WhatsApp. I have reconsidered. I may just score myself the bath tablets and have the tin on display in my white kitchen. Because well – a woman is entitled to change her mind. I might just need this. Stay tuned. ❤️
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No.
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:) Steve, it was probably one of the most laconic comments I’ve ever got on my post.
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I think I read your post at 4am in the morning after Lily my cat kept walking on my head in bed and woke me up. I don’t believe I was in the best of the mood, nor quite awake. But I stand by my response. :) xoxoxoxo
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Not at all
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Brigitte, your response I’ve predicted correctly :)
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Hahaha!! No buy. I don’t dislike no 5. In fact I wore it in the early 80s. I think you remember me at 15 getting admonished by an older ballerina for wearing it in ballet class. She said that it was too mature for me ;)
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I feel the same way you do about No.5 so I’m not tenpted but yes, I’d pick the tea tin out of all of them.
Like Val and Portia I’m conflicted about the whole concept. It is weird and risks being tacky but at least Chanel are trying something with a bit of humour for once.
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I spent some time thinking about it as I was contemplating this post and going through this collection on their site. I think that they did a very cohesive collection with a huge nod to constructivism (and pop art in the presentation of it). In my opinion, it’s not more (or less ;) ) tacky than Andy Warhol’s illustrations or Malevich’s teapot (both of which I don’t really like but accept as an art form and symbols of their corresponding time in history).
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Please do not compare this to the genius of Warhol. Thanking you in advance.
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Sorry, I meant it as an even bigger insult: I don’t think either of these are genius (but you do realize it’s my own pedestrian opinion, I’m not an art critic or even someone who claims to understand art, right?).
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Warhol defined a generation. Art. Film. Velvets. Just the Interview magazine alone —— but yeah. I have been into Warhol since I was 14. In other news I have messaged my Chanel dude in Vienna about the bath candy.
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Hmm… Maybe I should order that tea tin though you and get it whenever we meet in future? :)
As to Warhol, I completely accept his significance in the art and appreciate that. It’s just that apart from that, aesthetically that type of art doesn’t appeal to me.
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No interest. It’s a cute gimmick but I don’t like No. 5 and am not interested in collecting the packaging.
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I don’t want to collect the packaging, I want to buy something in order to reuse that packaging for something else! :) (With perfumes themselves the reasoning is different, as I explained).
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I have a small bottle of the edt- don’t wear it much. This collection holds no interest for me – just seems weird.
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It’s interesting that with this collection they seem to manage to miss not only those who doesn’t like this perfume (which is understandable), but even those who like this perfume enough to own and wear. Interesting.
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Not remotely interested. Don’t like No. 5 at all.
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Do you like any classic Chanel? Would you have felt different, had it been a similar collection for any other of those classic perfumes?
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If it were Coco, No. 19 or Coco Mademoiselle I would certainly be interested. Also, if they brought out any of those in a special edition coloured bottle I might be atm-twisted.
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I would be more interested in Chanel bringing back the refillable EDT canisters that they sold for no 5, 19 and 22. Before they had exclusives and refills were affordable for folks like me.
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That too.
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Yes! I have the canister spray of what is left of my late mother’s No. 5 edt, and my own canisters of No. 22 (the first Chanel I ever bought for myself, in my 20s), Cristalle and No. 19 (found online at a bargain price, fragrance in perfect condition). Those were great.
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Yes, I would be all for a colored bottle of one of my favorites.
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I would leap at a green bottle of No. 19.
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I love the no. 5 body lotion. It seems very warm and cozy to me (like wrapping yourself in a blanket on a cold day).
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I haven’t tried any body products but Coco body cream (which went off since I didn’t use it up quick enough), but I would expect all of them to be good.
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I don’t like No. 5 either and it’s not quite interesting enough ornamentally to me, so no. If they were No. 19? Maybe.
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I wonder… Do I attract people that, same as I, do not like No 5, or it’s just a coincidence that the majority of the commenters do not like it? :)
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Haha, it’s like a Sorting Hat for perfume people!
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I really like the oil can and could be tempted. In my collection, I own and wear No. 5 edp, but it smells better on my sister. I also have Coco edp, in vintage and current, Coco Noir, and No. 19 Poudre. I lovex100 No. 19 edp, but accept that my vintage Allure edp is the one Chanel that works best for me. But that oil can is very fun.
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I liked the idea of the oil can, but I rarely want to wear any perfumed body product – let alone the one for perfume I don’t really enjoy. But it looks interesting.
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Yes.
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As to the bonus question … I love Chanel No. 5 although not the EDP. Ask me how many different packaging versions I have of No.5 L’Eau 😆. I also like Eau Premiere and recently wore Cristalle from a decant and enjoyed it too! The EDT is always in my travel bag because it works well year round although it has poor longevity.
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So, tell me – how many different packaging versions of No.5 L’Eau do you have? ;)
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Not tempted at all. No.5 is a classic of course but it’s not a perfume for me. Not to mention the procesorem off-putting and I dont think these items are even available in Poland so the problem solves automatically😅
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Yep, I don’t see you wearing No 5 :)
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Not tempted, though I like some of the packaging. And I was happy to see that they’ve presented L’Eau in a refillable purse spray for the younger crowd that is its target market! I do like No. 5, but in limited doses and rarely for myself — it was my mother’s fragrance. I like Eau Premiere and L’Eau, and I did get one of the red L’Eau bottles when I found one in a boutique at half-price! I would jump at a green No. 19 bottle, I must say. I wonder if they’ll have any additional super Christmas offerings this year, for the 100th?
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I wish I got that red bottle! And I don’t even like that perfume much :)
I’ll keep an eye on what they offer this year. I don’t understand why wouldn’t they milk this success and produce more of the themed things. But we’ll see.
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Well, predictably I had not heard of this collection, haha, and am not tempted by it now I have! I do quite like No 5, and have had it bought for me by a boyfriend in the past, so it has happy memories, but don’t wear it now. I like L’Eau Premiere better and enjoy my little decant of that.
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These days “a little decant” of almost any of our favorite perfumes would be enough, right?
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I love this collection, Undina, and have just posted on it on IG. It’s very Andy Warhol-meets-Chanel. Who says Chanel doesn’t have a sense of humour?
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I saw it! Loved the Warhol’s homage :)
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Many thanks, dear Undina!
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