Les Exclusifs de Chanel

Boy 2016

7.9 / 10 476 Ratings
Boy is a popular perfume by Chanel for women and men and was released in 2016. The scent is fresh-powdery. It is still in production.

Main accords

Fresh
Powdery
Floral
Fougère
Citrus

Fragrance Notes

LavenderLavender LemonLemon MuskMusk HeliotropinHeliotropin CoumarinCoumarin French geraniumFrench geranium Grapefruit zestGrapefruit zest Orange blossomOrange blossom SandalwoodSandalwood VanillaVanilla MossMoss RoseRose

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.9476 Ratings
Longevity
7.3416 Ratings
Sillage
6.8417 Ratings
Bottle
8.2383 Ratings
Value for money
6.5141 Ratings
Submitted by OPomone, last update on 06.04.2024.
Interesting Facts
The fragrance is part of the "Les Exclusifs de Chanel" collection.

Reviews

10 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
9.5
Scent
Atanarjuat

23 Reviews
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Atanarjuat
Atanarjuat
Top Review 81  
Snap out lances
I feel very comfortable here with you. And I really do. No other forum that matches my interests has a level like this one. For this in advance a big thank you! But lately I had to read more and more statements and comments that make me think. There was talk of "thigh spreaders" and "can openers", of "pantydropper(s)". Such strange views of the world - here?! Yes, welcome to reality, Atanarjuat! Of course, the social mirror also lives here, does not stop at serving many clichés, stereotypes are considered absolutely real and true. But sometimes people are not these clichés at all, others probably correspond exactly to them.

So for "Boy," I'd like to break a clichéd lance. No. Clichéd
First of all a small one, the lance as a classic Fougére scent. In its fragrance category, "Boy" naturally fits in wonderfully: lavender, coumarin, geranium, something citrusy. Coumarin, which I usually like very much, is noticeable, as is the lavender at the beginning. Not a winterproof, sparse cooling lavender, but rather one that swings back and forth in the sun - carried by the wind. South of France, July, in the morning - it is not so hot yet. The whole beginning gets a bit strange, something stubborn is there, perhaps a nuance of character from Arthur Edward Capel?

"I would now rather marry Diana Lister Wyndham. By necessity, of course. "It's not a love affair, but it's better received by society." The Free Spirit Capel!? Don't make us laugh But there it is again, the appearance and being in the society... An argument with Coco? No, no, this is all going too far now!
This little discord between this nasty nuance and the bare beauty is inherent in this start and that makes the whole thing quite interesting. On the skin you already suspect a vanilla musky sweetness, on clothes the beginning radiates even longer. Finally it becomes powdery-elegant - yes, a quite classic Fougére, nobody who does experiments, just exchanges components. #issara

Mr. Parma recognizes the "Allure Homme DNA quite clearly". As a connoisseur of all Allure-Homme, I can only agree with this. One - with an "n" - immediately feels at home somehow, has been here more than once. A touch of green freshness remains until the end, which has nothing of "grandfather" or anyone else. Clichés? Apparently too many, too little freedom of thought!

There we are already at the next lance that must be broken. Who is the eau de parfum for now? Friends: for all of you. We already had this in the beginning: It. Is. Never mind. Everybody gets to wear it, everybody gets to like it. But it doesn't belong in a corner. Stereotype thinkers? Bye, goodbye! Perhaps Olivier Polge would like to depict exactly this, the ride on the razor blade (#barbershop) of both sexes. Everything for everyone. "Boy" as the image not only of the young man A. E. Capel, but also of the relationship between the two lovers Chanel and Capel? That may be - and this time not so far-fetched at all.

In general, expectations and requirements in society have changed in recent years. The point is to reflect on the liberation of rigid and changing gender roles. Some of us are still overburdened, no one takes it all the way. But a way of thinking that reflects: "Be as you are!" - regardless of gender - can only be the goal. "Boy" is like that! He smells different on every skin. I like it on my wife's, it's a bit powdery on her, but it smells a bit more barber-shopped on mine. Because I want to now? Maybe just a cliché of my brain convolutions, who knows?!

The last lance breaking is quite easy. When do you wear one of these? Whenever you like. Of course, I literally make it easy for myself there, but even here: Freedom, please. Woman and man seem to work in and of themselves with the scent, not because of the scent. "Boy" with its green freshness is very beautiful to wear in warmer climates and, after mutation, later scores points for soapy-creamy warmth in the coolness. Great!

For me, Olivier Polge - once again after weeks of testing and several attempts (I must have had my difficulties with him and had some déjà-vus...) - has succeeded in creating a basic classical best Fougére in the whole wide world. Of course, all this goes herbaceous, spicy, sharp, masculine...no, not the latter. That's what I wanted to prevent...

"The bravest action is still to think for oneself. Out loud."
(Coco Chanel)

29 Comments
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Versailles

4 Reviews
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Versailles
Versailles
Top Review 54  
A classic Fougère
In Les Exclusifs there are currently two fragrances named after personalities: "Misia" and "Boy". Fans of the Chanel brand are already aware that Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel (1881-1919) from 1908 until his death in 1919 was Coco Chanel's lover and financial supporter. How big the influence the Englishman Boy really had on Coco Chanel's life and thus on the fashion house Chanel, however, is less known to many. Boy is still omnipresent at Chanel. He was the man who finally turned the young woman "Coco" into Coco Chanel. It is therefore fitting when Coco Chanel himself later said about him: "He gave birth to me". Boy met the then 26-year-old seamstress in 1908 with her mutual friend, horse lover, polo player and her lover at the time, Etienne Balsan. In contrast to Balsan, Boy's family was considered 'nouveau riche', the family fortune was hardly a generation old. His British father had made his fortune with the shipping of coal, his mother, a Frenchwoman, Coco Chanel was not unlike Coco Chanel, which, apart from the similar temperaments of Coco and Boy, was probably the reason for the attraction between the two. Boy was the first to discover that Chanel was an excellent businesswoman. He quickly became not only her lover, but also a teacher and transformer. It was he who introduced Chanel to the world of the arts, philosophy, politics, music and literature, it was he who awakened her business sense, inspired her fashionably and dared to openly criticise the already scratchy Coco ["You acted badly", "You lied", "You were wrong"]. It was he to whom Chanel owed her lifelong passion for collecting the artfully crafted Asian wooden fans, the so-called Coromandeln. It was he who had Chanel's first designs from Jersey re-cut by a tailor made of tweed. It was he who opened the boutique with her in the luxury bathing resort of Deauville. It was he who brought her new customers through his social contacts. As progressive as Boy was in his thinking for that time, he ultimately subordinated his feelings to professional ambitions and his own principles. He never married Coco Chanel and maintained further relationships during the relationship and married an Englishwoman, Diana Wyndham, 'according to her rank'. During the short marriage of the character incompatible couple, Boy "shone" most of the time in absence, preferring to devote time to his lovers or professional ambitions.]

Fragrance:
If you look at the reviews of "Boy" here in the Forum, you will inevitably come across the term fougère. The first fragrance to bear the word fougère in its name was the "Fougère Royal" by Houbigant in 1882. In this family of fragrances, lavender is classically the top note, while coumarin or oakmoss are contained in the base. Coumarin is a synthetic component that can be obtained from tonka beans, for example.
How does the scent smell now? The lavender note is easily recognisable from the start and is the main protagonist throughout the fragrance. She doesn't smell old-fashioned or too woody. The fragrance, like the other fragrances in the house, has the 'typical Chanel note' that gives it elegance. The scent is embedded in sandalwood and vanilla, which make it softer, so that although it is marketed by Chanel as a men's scent, it can also be worn with ease by a woman. The coumarin note is often compared to "freshly mown grass" or "hay". In fact, it has a slightly sweet smell, which later turns into an intense, spicy aromatic fragrance. In addition, the oak moss in the base gives a slightly green undertone. When I wear the scent, I also notice that it is circulating, which means that it always returns to its original notes, repeats itself. I have compared the ingredients and structure of the historical "Fougere Royal" (1882) and "Boy" (2016). It is noticeable that "Boy" has more in common with the historical "Fougère Royale" than with other fragrances listed as modern Fougère today (e.g. Kouros, Armani Code, Eternity for Men, Azzaro Pour Homme). In this respect, the fragrance is rather a return to the roots of Fougère. Maybe the real Arthur Capel even wore the "Fougère Royale". However, this remains speculative. In summary, it can be said that "Boy" is elegant, powdery with vanilla and green undertones, spicy aromatic and smells of lavender.

Chanel: "1919, the year I woke up famous and I lost everything". Chanel mourned a double loss in 1919. She not only lost Boy in a car accident, but also suffered a miscarriage shortly before his death, as a result of which she could never have children of her own again. With the generous inheritance bequeathed to her boy in her will, she acquired the last traces he had left on this earth: the Bel Respiro holiday home, the interior of which she had painted in the company colours characteristic of today [beige and black for the roller shutters as a sign of mourning]. In summary Chanel said about him: "He was the only man I ever loved. He died. I have never forgotten him. He was the great chance of my life...He was for me my father, my brother, my whole family".

15 Comments
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Ajfe

32 Reviews
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Ajfe
Ajfe
Top Review 28  
Boy/girl
I chose the fragrance 'Boy' for my first comment, because there is not much female part to read about it so far.

Forgive me if I can't keep up with the description of the fragrance, as I said my first comment.
Here we go:

Chanel... I always thought about 'old-fashioned grandma scents'; but I was still interested in new scents from Chanel and Chance in all variations - which I don't like 100%.
Then I came across the Les Exclusifs series by Chanel, like Riviera, Jersey and Boy.

Boy is sparkling, fresh at the beginning, then the scent on my skin changes into slightly green, mossy powdery flowers with a vanilla undertone to finish.
I like the lavender that I perceive to the end, in between lemon at the beginning and vanilla with musk at the end.
In between there is a somewhat mossy, mouldy, bitter note, which reminds of men's fragrances.
But this mixes quickly with a few flowers.
All in all, an interesting, changeable fragrance for 'male' and 'female' equally as I find.
The fragrance experience lasts for about 6 hours and is wearable for every occasion as I find.

7 Comments
6
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
9
Scent
ShaunBaker

66 Reviews
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ShaunBaker
ShaunBaker
Top Review 15  
I want it rough, i want it hard, i want it... wait, what's that?
Chanel's new composition surprised me already very much. This scent is not new to me, but I never had the feeling to smell such a familiar scent. He lets me float, be free. Just put my worries aside and say: Everything will be fine. Boy's like an emotional hug when you need her.
Powdery, soft vanilla, a little floral, (with heliotropin and coumarin was not saved), soft like a cloud, blooming like a rose, simply beautiful.

Classic fragrances are exactly my thing, but I prefer vintage fragrances which mostly contain tobacco, leather, heaps of moss and woody notes. With Chanel Boy you can't even find a clue about it and yet I like the scent very much. He has shown me that it doesn't always have to be on the 12, that it only has to be bursting with masculinity like a quorum or kouros, no it can also be a bit softer.

At Boy classic notes have been taken up which can also be found in old barbershop fragrances such as Old Spice or Brut, I also see Jil Sander's background and Davidoff Relax as a personal reference to the fragrance. But don't expect a twin fragrance here, this is only my objective opinion. With Boy everything is even sweeter, softer and more powdery, which makes him independent. I would definitely be able to tell the scent apart from 100 others.

I don't know if I can wear it, I wouldn't know any opportunity for it, except maybe a walk, but I don't think it would fit me. Carried for myself at home makes more sense for me, because I get the great Sillage again and again in the nose. Of course, I can also imagine him as a woman, because he has a warm, soft aura, which makes him unisex suitable. I wonder why he came on the market as a pure men's fragrance anyway...
7 Comments
9
Bottle
7
Sillage
9
Longevity
7
Scent
Duftsucht

105 Reviews
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Duftsucht
Duftsucht
Top Review 20  
Maybe when you're grown up, sweetie boy!
Today is Chanel test day and he leaves me strangely unsatisfied. On one arm smells Boy, a men's fragrance, which I clearly see as unisex, on the other arm Bel Respiro. Both I had already tested once and they fell into the category again extensively test - so that the better may win.
First to Boy: The lavender start had already thrilled me at the first test and even now I like the start very much. The lavender is fresh herb and not in the slightest dull or brittle. In the course of time, the fragrance quickly becomes powdery and creamy. Elegant and round, no sound too loud, no unexpected turn and certainly no corner or edge. It becomes quite floral for my nose with a hint of citrus fruits hovering over it, which provides attractive freshness over the whole time. Pleasing musk and subtle vanilla are added and the varnish is ready. And this varnish is chanelig noble.
And this is exactly where my problem with Boy lies: he seems strangely indecisive, as if he were constantly asking himself: "Who or what am I and if so, how many? The youngster has already settled on some things. He is not a risky adventurer, dirty sex is not his either, the women at his side are always perfectly dressed and never laugh too loud, he drinks his tea (of course exclusively Yin Zhen - silver needle tea) from Meißner, Augarten or the like, in his suit he definitely has a handkerchief. A trace of mannerism? Oh boy, and how!! Never brown shoes with a blue suit, never white wine with a steak, but definitely the hip red wine from the Vinery in New Zealand, which he discovered during his last holiday to fish. But then only to assure himself that in reality he is completely different....
And although he is still so young, for me he looks older than many an 80 year old, with whom I have drunk wine in my life and (of course uninhibitedly, unrestrainedly and most unamefully) laughed a lot and loudly!
Maybe, maybe, maybe, if a few years or decades have gone into the country, his face is streaked with little wrinkles, his temples have perhaps already turned a little grey and the opinion of the others no longer itches him, then maybe something could become of us. But so, sweetie boy, I have to tell you unfortunately, you are too smooth and too perfect and perhaps just a ticking boring. Sorry, lovely!
7 Comments
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Statements

9 short views on the fragrance
OPomoneOPomone 8 years ago
7
Bottle
2
Sillage
3
Longevity
7
Scent
Olivier Polge made a powdery version of "Brut".
Why the hell should I pay €320 for this, when Brut can be found for < €15?
1 Comment
BertolucciKBertolucciK 4 years ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Boy smells like a classical fougère. It opens with the lavender and some freshness from the citrus. Then, it becomes more floral powdery.
0 Comments
HajuvanaHajuvana 7 years ago
I agree: the drugstore aftershave got the Chanel treatment. For the price of that Brut-dude's suit you get a nice, plush drydown, though.
1 Comment
Simo975gSimo975g 2 years ago
9
Scent
A very intelligent mixture of the barbershop structure (lavender, geranium, moss) with an Habit Rouge-inspired citrus-rose lifted by musks.
1 Comment
IanFriedrichIanFriedrich 7 years ago
8
Bottle
5
Sillage
7
Longevity
6
Scent
So, Chanel is tried to release N' 5 male version. Unfortunately, the powdery scent are strong which the masculine scent could not bring out
0 Comments
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