Beige has an (undeserved, I maintain) reputation for being the weakest of the Chanel Les Exclusifs line. Luca Turin called it “a total screwup” and declared that “it smells like a dated, dismal average of Ma Griffe, L’Air du Tempts, and Climat.” (It smells like none of these things. Like, at all.) Beige is also often denigrated as shampoo-like, which, well, if your shampoo smells like this, I want the name. To me, Beige is a luscious tropical white floral, like a smoother version of my beloved Kai or a less aquatic take on the original Marc Jacobs perfume. Beige is probably the most accessible of the Les Exclusifs- no prickly aldehydes or austere iris, just creamy white petals. It is sweet and lovely and wholly unobjectionable. Beige may not be the most unique perfume on the block, but it smells great, and at the end of the day, isn’t that the point of perfume? (Now, would I pay Chanel prices for it? Not while Kai is only $48.)
SCENTS OF SELF 
You’ve inspired me to dig out my sample and give it a proper try – I love a smooth white floral.
That is exactly what you’ll find in Beige! Please share your impressions with us, if you get a chance!
I haven’t smelled this one. The one time I got facetime with Les Exclusifs, it wasn’t on the top of my to-try list. It sounds nice though. Then again, what do I know? I liked Jersey! LOL
Poor, poor Jersey. I wonder whether it sells particularly well? I think Beige is much nicer than Jersey, anyway.
whether Jersey is selling begs the question I always have about exclusive lines: who is buying them? Is it mostly perfumistas (who probably as a whole don’t like Jersey) or mostly affluent people who have middle-of-the-road or undeveloped taste in fragrance (who, I’m guessing, might like Jersey)?
Or not that the affluent non-perfumistas would just lurrrrrve Jersey. It’s moreso that it’s the new thing and it gets suggested to them, and then they find it non-objectionable. You know? That said, I think I’m the only perfume person on the planet who liked Jersey. LOL
I like Jersey. And since Ari brought up the shampoo thing, I’d love a Jersey shampoo. But I hate Beige, I can feel no flowers, just a sheet of beige formica. Wouldn’t buy it for 10 bucks.
I was gifted a decant of Chanel Beige several years ago from a lovely reader at NST, and while I don’t understand the criticism it recieves, it turned out to be one of the very few perfumes in existence that I’m allergic to. The others being Givenchy Organza — I had a FB that I cannot wear and may gift to my co-worker since she loves the mini I gave her — and as much as it pains me to say Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’Eau. I still wear the latter because I love it so, but last spring when I bought a bottle I kept having terrible allergies and realized I was allergic more or less to myself and nothing that was blooming. I need to see if there’s something in all three of these that might be causing this.
As for Les Exclusifs, I will forever be a Chanel No. 22 kind of girl, but I’m lucky w/ aldehydes, which turn to beautiful incense on my skin.
And let me now have this gushing fangirl moment and say how meeting you was the highlight of my weekend. You’re so adorable and travel sized and I wanted to stuff you in my purse and carry you home with me — yeah, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. Nope. Thank you for the lovely gifts. I have a slew of perfumes I want you to try whenever I remember to order more decanting supplies.
I want to respond to this comment, but my fingers can’t type while my arms are flailing around in bashful delight!
I honestly don’t care what Luca Turin thinks about perfume. It’s just his own opinion and I dare not to agree with it.
And Beige is great, a lot of creamy ylang-ylang 🙂
Good for you, Lucas! I think it’s certainly clear that Mr. Turin is no more objective than the rest of us.
perfume is such a good reminder of the subjective nature of sensation!
I am with you on Beige, To me it really has a stand alone and unique signature in the Exclusifs line. Not right for me but I do love to smell it on others.
OMG, I would be THRILLED if others around me wore Beige! It would be a huge step up from the ubiquitous Coco Mademoiselle.
Yes it would!! LOL
I am totally with you on this one – honeyed, luscious white petals, with a slightly offbeat hawthorn note. And I agree that if this smells like shampoo, I’d want to know which one! You summed it up as it behaves on me to a “T”. For me, the weak link in the Exclusifs stable is Jersey. Pointy lavender sprigs and laundry musk.
I can totally see you and Beige together! And very much agreed that Jersey is more egregious than Beige. As for the shampoo, Alyssa Harad told me that she finds it similar to “the Finesse shampoo [she] used in the 80’s.”
Beige was my first favorite in the Exclusiffs line and I still like it and have a mini bottle and a decant – for both of which I actually paid – to prove that “like” 🙂
Did you find the mini on ebay, Undina? I wish you still got those adorable mini bottles with your Les Exclusifs purchase. I would love a wee Sycomore or No. 18!
Yep, eBay. The best I could ever do with a Chanel boutique was to get a couple of samples.
THANK YOU. I happen to be a big fan of Beige, naysayers be damned,
xo