Les Exclusifs de Chanel

Sycomore 2016 Eau de Parfum

Version from 2016
Sycomore (2016) (Eau de Parfum) by Chanel
Bottle Design Jacques Helleu
8.3 / 10 454 Ratings
A popular perfume by Chanel for women and men, released in 2016. The scent is woody-spicy. It is still in production.
Layers well with Un bois vanille

Main accords

Woody
Spicy
Green
Fresh
Smoky

Fragrance Notes

VetiverVetiver CypressCypress JuniperJuniper SandalwoodSandalwood AldehydesAldehydes Pink pepperPink pepper SpicesSpices TobaccoTobacco VioletViolet

Perfumers

Videos
Ratings
Scent
8.3454 Ratings
Longevity
7.9408 Ratings
Sillage
7.2406 Ratings
Bottle
8.4368 Ratings
Value for money
6.5177 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 25.04.2024.
Interesting Facts
The fragrance is part of the "Les Exclusifs de Chanel" collection.
Variant of the fragrance concentration
This is a variant of the perfume Sycomore (2008) (Eau de Toilette) by Chanel, which differs in concentration.

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
10
Scent
Siebenkäs

35 Reviews
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Siebenkäs
Siebenkäs
Top Review 45  
The latest from the press
Breaking news from the "Perfume Messenger":
As we have just learned, our gossip reporter
7-Cheese is on to a hot new thing... rumors
he's supposed to be getting a hot package from the headquarters of fragrance
guru J.Acko's headquarters. Assistants to the scent guru
speak of a "pyramidal selection of the first order".
From 7-Cheese itself we received only via CB radio
the following short message:

"Am in a sycomore frenzy. Turin is right: If putting it on
does not make you shiver with pleasure , see a doctor..."

That's all we've been able to find out so far, but well-informed sources
however, assure that our man here speaks of the EdP.
We'll stay tuned for you!
15.20.We have just received new word from our gossip
reporter! reporter! Here you go:

"...Didn't even know you could melt vetiver!
Sycomore Edp is a creamy soft vetiver oasis that will spin you
into a cocoon" (here he means "cocoon," the
Douche. the ed.) "This incredible softness
is reminiscent of cashmere, but without any cashmeran at all..."
Here, unfortunately, the message breaks off.

16.23. again message from 7-Cheese!

"How on earth did they do it? Polge and Sheldrake
really alone? Or was there someone else from the CIA in on it?
The scent has relax power that could be used to calm down riots
could... also have a breeze..." (here he means "breeze", the
Spelling dilettante... the editor) "...white Chanel pepper
noted...and a cool bouquet of elegant flowers that
but only brightens. Vetiver and cypress dance
Ballet...why does the word "Encre Blanche"
suddenly come to mind...? comes to mind...Need tea...and anise cookies...now...

Sorry to break off the news here...
We were beginning to think - that's it, when our trainee brings us
brings us a telegram (he just came from getting beer) -
here, dear readers, the contents:

"21.15. Rosamunde Pilcher film switched off in the middle.
Don't need an ideal world story, I've got that on me!
The Sycomore dry-down is more like a dry-up - up in the sky -
off into scent nirvana." (crunch, does he never learn how to spell anything
correctly... the Red). "How complex can a vetiver-
Fragrance be? How can roughness be so incredibly
smooth and sophisticated? What club am
i go to now, to get my fill of this scent?"
Unfortunately, that's where the message ends.
Just after lunch, two days later. A dog is standing
in front of the editorial office -Kunze of the regional perfume-
nachrichten discovers a small letter on his collar.
Our intern may take it off and bring it to us.
You, dear readers, may already guess what the message reminiscent of the
Dog Mail days contained...

"18.14, St.Tropez at late Blue Hour.
A billionaire's daughter who has Good Taste in perfume
owns - who would have believed that a poor reporter
like me would run across just such a one!
At the bar of the "Sansi Bar" she had caught my scent
picked up. Later, in the Lear jet, she spoke of a
"wonderful mild melange of the finest light tobacco,
over which, however, lay a woodland note that made the seemingly
contradictory managed, namely the topos "forest"
with elegance and glamour to couple... a forest in which
enchanted Chanel princesses snort lemon powder
snort lemon powder... to the sounds of Lana Del Rey. .."
Well, you don't usually get me this quickly,
but her offer to open a men's
fragrance boutique with her in St. Tropez To open a men's perfume shop with her in St. Tropez - of course I couldn't
refuse. If only because I owe it to the readers of the
"Perfume Messenger", here on the spot the latest,
Hottest and hottest to track down like, yes like...

The rest of the message was
chewed up and unreadable by the dog (a Coco Spaniel) chewed on and illegible. It took almost 14 days
until finally another message came - this time on the
Editorial answering machine. Here is the exact wording:

"Readers Even though my financial resources are slowly
drawing to a close, I remain full of optimism!
A few sprays of Sycomore give me renewed vigor,
here in front of the St. Tropez Homeless Shelter, I've
in just half an hour, 12 new subscribers
for the "Scent Messenger".
Sycomore is helping with this endlessly. Let me mention two
important additional components that contribute to the
Exceptional character of this perfume contribute:
first, there is the classic Chanel sandalwood,
that here takes over part of the vetiver taming
with its creamy-flattering aura.
And in addition, the cheeky, witty and fresh-cheerful
Juniper, which together with hidden citrus
Elements yellow-orange accents sets, yes almost already
flashes. In addition, this melted butter vetiver...
Dimmed brightness or controlled twilight?
In any case, a fragrance that invigorates and at the same time an almost
already meditative calm radiates.
At the moment, just the right thing here for me...
Oh, I just saw - the speedboat from Monte Carlo is coming
with a couple of starlets on board...
Guys, that's where I'm going... I'll report back...
Wait, where are my sunglasses..."

Too bad the message here ends in white noise...
Dear readers, but we'll stay on the ball for you -
with the very hottest news from the world of fragrances.
Remains us and the "scent messenger" also in these times
weighed and faithful.
The editors
27 Comments
8
Scent
Susan

59 Reviews
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Susan
Susan
Top Review 33  
Androgynous vetiver....
After the sad loss of "Vetviver pour Elle" (Guerlain) I am extremely delighted to have come across this one....

Even if the majority of lovers and owners seem to be male, this fragrance is still declared as a women's fragrance.... and I now understand why.....

It's a classic vetiver....something is certain....grassy-woody and pollinated with a pinch of pepper....Vetiver is definitely to be liked, otherwise it will be nothing.....

What distinguishes him for my nose from typical men's veils is his softness..... his softness.....

The beautiful Chanel aldehydes create a discreetly waxy impression, which takes away the hard edges and creates smooth, flowing transitions for the individual components, which are typical for them......a little sweet tobacco smoke intensifies this impression even more and creates a mood of warm woody earthy security.....with increasing dominance of the woody notes.....

As a frequent hiker, I have a loving relationship with the smells of the forest and nature itself......to moss-covered tree trunks for example......but in order to finally make it into my heart, I would have been allowed to have one more flower besides the violet, which from time to time cheekily flashes through the undergrowth.....but then it would no longer be this enchantingly androgynous vetiver scent....then it would no longer be Sycomore....
20 Comments
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
6.5
Scent
Allara

2 Reviews
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Allara
Allara
Top Review 17  
The same, but different
With Sycomore we have once again a beautiful proof that the indication of twin fragrances is quite interesting, but unfortunately not very helpful in the decision making process in the search for fragrances.

Encre Noire, one of my absolute favorites, is also listed here as a fragrance twin at Sycomore. And yes, if you look at the scents, mainly vetiver and cypress - fits.

And then there's the bottling. And you spray yourself with anticipation with a strong thrust on the wrist. After all, I don't want to wear a men's scent, and Encre Noire is a men's scent. And yes, I don't really care whether I'm wearing a men's or women's fragrance, as long as it's beautiful. But Sycomore is a declared women's fragrance, and I would rather wear a women's fragrance... :-)

And there this spray shot has landed on the wrist... Yes, he immediately reminds me of my beloved Encre Noire - but stop!
Ui, but he's got a lot of wood in front of the hut... (well, it IS a ladies scent - muahahah, collapses) and then quite a spiciness too... (although I actually like pepper a lot). But unfortunately too much wood usually has the effect that it smells after a while - I don't like to pronounce it - peeled on it. And this effect will appear quite soon with me here...

Oh, what a pity... but in this constellation it is too much wood and spiciness for my nose and in the end so completely different from Encre Noire with its light sweetness. If I didn't know any better, I'd classify the two exactly the other way round, Sycomore rather than men's fragrance - whereby I would find unisex the most appropriate for both of them.

Well, the nose wants what the nose wants - and so Sycomore is allowed to move on and hopefully make a nose happy, which can do more with it :-)
3 Comments
8
Sillage
9
Longevity
7
Scent
Torfdoen

22 Reviews
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Torfdoen
Torfdoen
Top Review 21  
The path taken Part 2
Again I stood at the fork in the yellow forest. The one path, the darker one, was in my good memory and I was tempted to walk it again. Alone, I'm a perfume walker (or walker), I also had to get to know the other one. It's much nicer, tidier, right in front of me. A touch of noble orange freshness caresses my senses, urges me to leave. They had even secured the path to the sides with ropes and removed the wild growths.

In the middle of the forest, pepper orange trees smell, reminding me of the earthy warm liquorice haze I heard during my first trail experience. They stand in line and limb, up to the clearing in the distance and drip resinous orange blood. Under them a moss carpet is laid out. I break one of the branches and can't believe my eyes: small plastic parts are worked into the wood. Also the moss, as clean as freshly rolled out and completely odorless. On the way small puddles of orange resin have formed and I have to be careful not to step into them. Now would actually be time for a cigarette break, I think, but apparently I used up the tobacco on my last hike. So I pause and become aware of the already intense sunrays that fall through the not very dense canopy of leaves. The air has now filled with tiny pepper particles that float weightlessly around like glittering dust.

In general, I am driven to the end by a sensual sense of vegetative-vetiver freshness, but I am not able to get ahead without further ado. Due to my inattention I sank too deeply into one of the countless pepper orange puddles. The sultry, peppery air is slowly becoming a bit much. I wriggle out of my stuck shoe and continue on my way with dwindling steps, careful not to put my foot in another orange peel.

The path makes some not noteworthy detours. With the clearing in the distance always in view, I hurry past the endless pepper orange trees, the image of impressive fields of salty-juicy sweet grass perennials in my mind. I accelerate my step and meanwhile hop quite gracefully over all the impassabilities that come my way. My hat's coming off my neck. Anyway, I'm leaving him behind. Someone will need him. Both to the right and left of me, I see nothing but these trees. Accurately, as if pulled on a string. I accelerate again and concentrate on the clearing
I run out of breath after half an hour. The clearing is in the far distance. It seems I haven't made any progress. I lie down exhausted against a tree, feel the thin layer of moss underneath me and close my eyes.

When I wake up, the muffled pepper haze has largely dissipated. It's still light. In the far distance the clearing. I suddenly find myself at a fork in the road. Confused and overjoyed at the same time, I walk towards the dark, overgrown forest entrance. But, I'm clipping. It's just painted on. Behind the huge canvas the pepper orange forest stretches out.

This Lutens Sheldrake, I think in a fit of rage. Chanel episode, I still think
10 Comments
6
Pricing
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
9
Scent
Mairuwa

12 Reviews
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Mairuwa
Mairuwa
Top Review 26  
"Hail to thee, Sycamore of Nut, mother of Osiris!"
for vetiver lovers, "Sycomore" has the status of a kind of Holy Grail - and for Chanel aficionados anyway. I had been looking for an opportunity to test it for a long time. The small perfumery next door doesn't stock it, and I wouldn't have felt comfortable forking out 200 to 300 euros for a blind purchase just on the basis of whispers and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Chanel has a penchant for exclusivity and has launched "Sycomore" in a range of the same name. "Les Exclusifs de Chanel" are each dedicated to a chapter or an element from the life of the fashion and style icon. They include fragrances such as "31 Rue de Cambon" - named after the address of Chanel's atelier and apartment in Paris, "Bel Respiro" - after her spring residence in the countryside of the same name, "Boy" - named after Chanel's companion Arthur "Boy" Chapel, or "1932" - after the year in which Chanel created an exclusive jewelry collection together with Paul Iribe. A whole universe of secret messages for adepts.

In "Sycomore", this self-referentiality takes place on a meta-level, so to speak, which remains entirely within the cosmos of fragrances. The name borrows from an old Chanel perfume, created in 1930 according to Mademoiselle's ideas and realized by none other than Ernest Beaux, the creator of the legendary "No.5".

However, the reinterpretation has at best an indirect connection with the historical fragrance. It is described as a very straightforward and elegant woody-floral fragrance, at the time like much of Chanel's style for women with clear borrowings from a more masculine domain - in this case the woody notes. However, the focus of this first "Sycomore" was a cedar-tobacco accord and not, as in the new creation, vetiver. Nevertheless, it certainly had a very androgynous effect at the time - "unisex" avant la lettre. The name "Sycomore" also refers to wood, and presumably not to the sycamore maple (Èrable Sycomore in French), but to the mulberry fig (Ficus Sycomorus) native to the Levant and large parts of Africa. The mighty tree was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians: symbolizing the sky goddess Nut, it is certainly worthy as the namesake of a Holy Grail.

Woods are also at the heart of the new interpretation of "Sycomore" created by Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake and first launched as an eau de toilette in 2008, but here, as already mentioned, with vetiver. I myself have the EdP version from 2016 to test, which I was finally able to purchase as a sample (many thanks to Jolene!). Many people think it doesn't come close to the previous version. I can't judge that, but it's fantastic in any case.

Sycomore" (especially the 2008 version) is often compared to Nathalie Lorson's classic "Encre Noire" from 2006. This is not entirely far-fetched, as they are both based on a striking accord of vetiver and cypress, which defines and carries the fragrance in each case. And even when I tested the 2016 version against "Encre Noire", I cannot deny a certain relationship. Nevertheless, the comparison is certainly misleading, at least if it is exaggerated and the two fragrances are described as almost interchangeable "fragrance twins", as can sometimes be read. They are certainly not, but are both masterpieces in their own right, which, apart from their central accord, are structured completely differently and each follow their own unique concept and different intentions.

Where "Encre Noire" is brusque and cool, "Sycomore" is rounded and much warmer. While "Encre Noire" relies entirely on cypress in combination with several vetiver variants and the somewhat pungent vetiver acetate, the central accord in "Sycomore" is complemented by juniper, which makes it less sharp and more spicy. The pink pepper does the rest. In addition, the Chanel fragrance has a softer and warmer counterpart in the base with sandalwood than the cashmeran in "Encre Noire", and the initially counterintuitive violet and a gentle veil of Chanel aldehydes also create a softer freshness, while a tobacco note contributes something sweet and smoky and balances the composition beautifully. Without question a great success among vetiver fragrances!

Which one is more successful? - Hard to say. The originality value of "Encre Noire" is probably greater. It has the more striking unique selling point. "Sycomore" implements the vetiver-cypress theme as a very noble and dignified feel-good fragrance that caresses rather than challenges the wearer. Of course, it does not have the radicalism and uncompromising nature of "Encre Noire". "Sycomore" is certainly the more conventional perfume, but that's really not a bad thing. It is certainly more versatile and appeals to a wider audience without ever being the least bit pleasing.

Lalique famously launched an "à l'Extreme" version of "Encre Noire" a few years later. This one follows a similar path in some ways, softening the fragrance with sandalwood and, in this case, iris, but at the same time relying on resins ranging from incense to elemi, resulting in a fantastically dark, smoky melange - for me, perhaps still the apotheosis of the vetiver-cypress accord.

But Chanel has also gone one step further since 2022 and has launched "Sycomore" as an extrait de parfum. Or is it a step back? Because on the one hand, the fragrance is even more exclusive here - you can choose between the standard version at just under 300 euros for 15 ml and a limited edition of 20 numbered copies in a crystal flacon and handmade, folding altar-like shrine, which is said to be priced in the five-figure range. In this version, it is likely to be as difficult to find as the original fragrance from 1930 and is therefore largely relegated to the realm of legend. On the other hand, Olivier Polge's reworking of the fragrance is supposed to be closer to Ernest Beaux's original creation in terms of olfactory notes - with iris, cedarwood and vanilla. Whether he really does this or whether it is pure marketing remains to be seen. Whether this can really improve "Sycomore" once again also remains to be seen.
6 Comments
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Statements

12 short views on the fragrance
CCatalina1CCatalina1 3 years ago
Forests, cool rivers, citrus clouds intertwined with sparkling aldehydes and memories of a grandpa smoking a leaf cigar smelling of love.
0 Comments
KuraiKurai 2 years ago
6
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Classic vetiver with a typical Chanel sauce. Or the usual Chanel blend with a vetiver twist? Either way, highly versatile quality juice
1 Comment
LillibetLillibet 6 years ago
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
Sycomore grew on me by degrees. It isn't a "swoon when you first sniff it" scent but it is tremendously versatile & I reach for it often.
0 Comments
TrahanasTrahanas 2 years ago
6
Sillage
9
Longevity
9.5
Scent
don´t know about the edt but this one smells divine
0 Comments
Traian1999Traian1999 2 years ago
in my opinion the best vetiver scent, works surprisingly well in rainy weather
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