In 1978, in Paris, Jacques Polge became only the third perfumer in the history of Chanel, after Ernest Beaux and Henri Robert. He held the post until 2015, when it passed to his son Olivier. In between, he made Coco, Coco Mademoiselle, Allure, Chance and Bleu. Think of the bottles you know from the last forty years of Chanel counters. Most of them came from one man. It is a quiet kind of authorship, and it is why the house smells like a house.

Chanel Chance is the one I would call the friendliest of that list. Chanel describes the line as inspired by Gabrielle Chanel's daring spirit, with a nod to fate, and quotes her: true chance is what one creates for oneself, a state of mind, a way of being. I like that it is not about luck. It is about saying yes. There are five expressions now, and they share a shape, a round bottle, so the colour of the liquid is the mood.

The trick is to choose the mood, not the name. The original Chance comes in an Eau de Parfum Spray and an Eau de Toilette, and Chanel describes it as floral notes heightened by pink pepper. Eau Tendre, in both concentrations, is the soft one, and Fragrantica lists quince and grapefruit over hyacinth and jasmine. Eau Fraîche is the green one, listed with lemon and cedar. Eau Splendide, the newest, launched in April 2025 under Olivier Polge, and is listed with raspberry, rose and violet. Eau Vive is the zesty one, which Chanel says has grapefruit and blood orange. There is even an Eau Splendide Hair and Body Oil, for anyone who likes a scent to sit on skin rather than in air.

Here is how I would choose from the wider shelf: decide whether you want to be noticed or to be remembered. Some of these arrive in the room a second before you do. Some keep the room curious after you leave.

Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum and its Intense version sit beside Coco Eau de Parfum, and Polge created all three, according to the house timeline. If you like Chance but want something with more presence, this is the trio to try next. N°5 has three expressions here, the Eau de Parfum, the lighter N°5 L'Eau and the N°5 Eau Première, so you can try the idea at different weights. Allure Eau de Toilette is another Polge creation, and Coco Noir is the evening one, judging by the name alone.

A pairing I like: wear a Chance in the daytime and a Coco or a Noir at night, and let the wardrobe do the rest. The round-bottle scents suit offices and errands, and the darker ones suit dinners.

What I would skip: stacking two Chanel scents on the same day. They were each made to be worn alone.

Start with a habit that needs no shopping trip: spray a scent on your wrist, walk away, and smell it again after an hour. What is left at the hour mark is the perfume you would be wearing. The first ten minutes only tell you what it wants you to think.

If you like Chance for its brightness, there are a few directions. Hermès has two garden scents in the grid, Un Jardin Sur La Lagune and Un Jardin à Cythère, both eaux de toilette, both for anyone who likes a fragrance that feels like a place. Prada's Infusion de Rose is an eau de parfum with mandarin and neroli, and Régime des Fleurs makes Glass Blooms.

Juliette has a gun makes Magnolia Bliss, Dolce&Gabbana sells Light Blue with lemon and apple, Glossier You Fleur is the softer, skin-close pick, and Lancôme Idole Peach 'N Roses has the sweetest name of the group. Together they show how wide fresh floral can be, from citrus to peach.

A pairing I like: a fresh floral on the wrist and an unscented body lotion underneath, so the perfume is the only thing that speaks.

What I would skip: buying a full bottle off one spritz in a store. Try one scent for a full day first.

One rule for matching lip to scent: match the weight. A light, fresh scent asks for a light lip, and a rich one can take a bolder one. Chance Eau Fraîche and a tinted balm belong together. A dark Coco and a velvet matte do too.

Chanel's balm and flash colours are the everyday end. Rouge Coco Baume is a hydrating tinted lip balm, Rouge Coco Flash is a hydrating vibrant shine lip colour, and Rouge Coco Gloss is a moisturizing glossimer for a wet finish. Rouge Allure L'Extrait is a high-intensity, concentrated lip colour and Rouge Allure Velvet is the luminous matte. Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue pairs colour and gloss in one product.

Then the liner. The Le Crayon Lèvres comes in two forms, a precision lip-defining pencil and a longwear pencil, and either one is what stops colour from wandering over the day.

A pairing I like: the Baume with Chance Eau Tendre and a Velvet matte with the original, so lip and scent tell the same story.

What I would skip: a strong lip and a strong scent in the same outfit, when you are going somewhere quiet. Let one of them lead.

I think Eau Tendre is the easiest way in. It is soft without being sleepy, and the Eau de Toilette is the lighter of its two forms. If you want something brighter, Eau Fraîche is a good second, and the original Chance stays the one to wear when you want to be a little more confident than the day requires.

Spray it, walk around, and let it settle for an hour before you decide. Gabrielle Chanel said a chance came up and she seized it. You have a wrist and an afternoon to find out.