31 Rue Cambon is the boutique where Coco Chanel started the House of Chanel, and to this day her legacy stands there. So of course the perfume that would be named for that address has to be grand. And yes, 31 Rue Cambon is. When someone says a perfume smells French, this is what I envision that perfume to smell. It is a modern chypre, without the oakmoss, but you do not miss it. Jacques Polge, who signs this perfume, has crafted a modern perfume that feels and more importantly, smells like a classic.

It starts with a floral bouquet of iris, jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, and is fuzzed out by Chanel’s trademark aldehydes. It smells very Chanel, and at times, I feel like I am sniffing Chanel no 5. In my younger years, I probably would have called this very ‘old lady’ like, but now that I am older, I cherish it because it smells like a perfume you would wear when you want to wear perfume. It is a little ‘formal,’ I think, and I don’t know if it fits me wearing it while I buy groceries at Trader Joe. But with a nice cashmere sweater, this more than fits.