Chanel N°5 The Hair Mist (Le Parfum Cheveux)

I'm a sucker for Chanel No.5 paraphernalia. A hopeless sucker. Which reminds me that I've just finished my most recent tub of body powder (must rectify soon).  I 'm devoted to the limited edition body oil (a backup bottle is stashed away), so it was obvious I was going to buy the new (or newly launched?)  Chanel N°5 The Hair Mist . If I can make my hair smell like No.5 I'm so going to do it.

The thing is that the hair mist is not quite up to standard. Yes, it smells like Chanel N°5 . Ish. Sharper, more like a cocktail of vodka and aldheydes.  The No.5 DNA is there, but less fatty and round than in most other product, it's too far removed for my taste from the eau de parfum or eau de premier, and obviously lacks the dirty bite of the very vintage eau de cologne. It's too sterile, and to be honest, also far too ephemeral.

My hair is a scent trap. It's thick and retains the fragrance of shampoo, conditioner, and the various hair masks I use. Moreover, it stays fragrant until the next washing. To test the hair mist I washed my hair in Head'n'Shoulders or baby shampoo, trying to get the full effect of my Chanel. I was rather disappointed, with a 1.35oz bottle you can only spray with so much abandon, and it never seems enough if I restrict t to my hair (and I have a lot of hair). However, I did find that allowing the mist to graze a hair scarf or a summer shawl gives me a bit of extra No.5 around me, so it was not a total waste. Otherwise I'd say that Le Parfum Cheveux is rather overpriced, and I'd stick with the brilliant bath and body products and keep scouring yard sales for the vintage perfume.

Chanel N°5 The Hair Mist ($65, 1.35oz, made in France) is exclusive to Chanel.com.

Image: Candice Bergen for Chanel No. 5,1960s.