Chic by Carolina Herrera

Thanks to a friend, I was lucky enough to try it; she gifted me a decant. Upon applying it, I immediately knew it was a turn-of-the-millennium fragrance with two great noses behind it. On me, the Bulgarian rose is notable and doesn’t fade (though there are white florals); as it dries down, this rose blends with a bouquet of whites such as jasmine, neroli, and orange blossom, with a slightly powdery and clean dry-down. Being a proposal from over twenty years ago, it isn’t explosive but rather delicate and clean. It lives up to its name: it is discreet and elegant. The trail is subtle and lasts about five hours on my skin.

The first time I smelled it was a sample my dad gave me when I was 21 and I fell hopelessly in love. My boyfriend at the time gave it to me knowing how much I desired it. Its scent lives up to the name it’s exactly that: a scent for a chic woman. The bottle is a dignified representation of the modern and minimalist style of the 2000s. I love it and want to have it again ❣️

I owned it years ago and wouldn’t buy it again. It didn’t displease me, but I never adored it. It’s a fresh, floral scent with moderate longevity, quite soft at first but which later becomes very intimate.

My mum had this in 2004 and it was a wonderful scent: sweet lemon, fresh and very feminine. Years later, I smelled it again and noticed they had reformulated it. It was one of the biggest disappointments of my life 😢. It was delicious and addictive; now it smells like nothing, generic and boring.

I used it for years; it’s very versatile. It’s not that overpowering floral that invades everything, but rather a correct, soft scent without much intensity. Perfect for work and everyday wear.

It was my favourite fragrance for years, the one you love and think you’ll never change. I started using it in 2004 and adored it. In 2006 or 2007 they changed some notes and I hated it. I even hated Carolina Herrera for doing so. I never had a perfume I liked as much as the original formula of Chic.

On me it’s floral, fresh and clean. Very feminine and mature, good for the heat if used moderately because the floral charge is strong. It has a wide trail and lasts about eight hours. It goes well in the office or with executive attire, adding formality. It’s already discontinued, so I use it with care. If you like Ralph Lauren Romance or Estée Lauder Pleasures, you can buy it blind. It also reminds me of Kenzo Air, but more informal.

I bought it for the bottle, but on my skin I only sense the rose and a touch of citrus. There’s no freesia, sandalwood, musk or vanilla. It sounds like Ralph Lauren Romance, another rose scent that doesn’t stand out.

To me it feels heavy for very hot days, like today where it’s 30 degrees in my city. I don’t find it exquisite in the heat, but in the cold it feels warm and delicious.

It’s not my style, they gave it to me as a gift, I used it out of obligation and in the end I put it away in a drawer.

My mother had it for years until they took it off the market; I absolutely loved it and she would sometimes put it on me for school because it smells richer than my perfumes. It’s floral elegant and with a woody touch. It brings back memories of rainy days and New Year’s parties when we went shopping for gifts or my mother’s coat. Also it lasted for ages. I think it was the best of Carolina Herrera and the most elegant although I like CH L’eau and 212 which are more casual.

I love this fragrance, it has accompanied me all my life and I never get tired of it. I find it rich and on my skin it’s very long-lasting, which is what I look for in a perfume. I still use it to this day despite having others; it will always remain among my favourites.

I used to wear it a classmate at uni and I loved it. One day I asked her what perfume she was wearing and she took out her CHIC bottle to spray my wrists… it was love at first sniff and since then many bottles have passed through my dressing table. But the last one I used two or three years ago seemed to last forever; perhaps they changed the formula or I bought the wrong one but it didn’t smell the same anymore I hated it and never bought it again. I must smell it again one day and discover what happened in our love story.

On Fragrantica, someone once said CH didn’t make good perfume, and I agree. Chic was a gift that didn’t suit me; it smells utterly ordinary. I never felt special wearing it; in fact, I’d only use it if I felt terrible and wanted to blend in.

I must admit I finished an entire 100ml bottle of this perfume. I simply got used to it; I can’t say I loved it. Now I know that the note that dominated on me was freesia. I can’t claim I detected sandalwood. Personally, I enjoy fragrances that contain it within their notes. It’s pleasant, feminine… A work colleague told me I smelled of strawberry, but she didn’t mean the fruit; she was alluding to ‘a well-bred girl, a pampered girl’, saying my perfume smelled expensive. Would I buy it again? No. I’ve found prettier ones that combine much better with my skin chemistry. It has good longevity and presence.