BellaSugar

Chanel No.5 Covers the Musée d'Orsay in Sequins

Miriam Lacey — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:10:00 PST

Paris's Musée d'Orsay, renowned for its collection of Impressionist paintings, is about to become home to a rather different kind of legendary work. From January 6 through 28, the side of the museum will be covered with an enormous Chanel No.5 bottle made entirely from 1,200 hand-assembled sequins. The ad itself is going to be absolutely massive as well, covering 2,890 square feet of the museum, and will be visible from the Seine. It's a rather decadent way of advertising, but would you expect anything less from Karl Lagerfeld?

The History of Beauty: Chanel No. 5

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:00:55 PDT

Here's an excerpt from a great history of Chanel's most famous fragrance we found on OnSugar blog Older Girl Beauty. Check it out:

From the beginning Chanel No. 5 has always been exclusive. It was first released in 1921 as a Christmas gift to Mlle.'s best customers and was limited to only 100 flacons. When these customers started coming back, asking for more, it was officially launched as "Chanel Nº 5" in 1922. Word is that this scent was the No. 5 bottle out of 10 samples presented to her, and that when asked how she would name it, she replied, "I always launch my collection on the 5th day of the 5th month, so the number 5 seems to bring me luck – therefore, I will name it Nº 5."

To see the full story on No. 5's ascent to icon status, just read more. Have your own cool story idea? Then why not start your own OnSugar blog?

How Well Do You Know Your Famous Fragrance Notes?

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:17 PDT

Fragrance notes are a complex and surprising thing. If a fragrance isn't very linear, the accord you get can be totally different than the sum total of its parts, and perfumers are often given to lavish, overstated descriptions of their ingredients. (How does Indonesian vanilla smell different from Tahitian vanilla if they're the same plant species, exactly?) I've gathered up five super-popular perfumes you've almost certainly smelled (or owned) at some point. Can you guess the notes, or are they as elusive as a whiff of fragrance? Take my quiz and see what your favorite scents are really made of.

Question 1 of 5

Chanel No. 5

Beauty Mark It! Because You Cannes, Cannes, Cannes

BellaSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:00:35 PDT

The 61st annual Cannes Film Festival begins today, and you know what that means: international celebrities donning their haute couture and going glamorous with their hair and makeup. If you don't believe me, just check out how stunning Angelina Jolie was last year. In honor of the most prestigious of all film festivals, I'm challenging you to bookmark beauty items that you'd rock on the red carpet.

I'll start you off with the classic fragrance Chanel N°5, because it's oh so French, and it's been represented by such Cannes staples as Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman, and Audrey Tautou. That's my choice. What's yours?

Share your choices by bookmarking items from around the web and tagging them with the phrase Cannes beauty. I'll feature your favorites here next Tuesday.

To learn about Beauty Mark It challenges and how to add your picks, check out this how-to. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores,

Chanel N°5 Is Reborn With Eau Première

BellaSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:00 PDT

Finally! Chanel N°5 Eau Première is gearing up to make its US, er, premiere! Since Chanel has vowed never to change the original formulas of its fragrances, this is the first variation of the acclaimed Chanel N°5 perfume (which launched in 1921). The new formulation is full of similar notes such as neroli, vetiver lang ylang, rose, jasmine, amber and sandalwood. The difference lies in the modification of concentrations to bring you a lighter and more refreshing rendition of N°5 by Jacques Polge.

What makes this perfume so special is that it still maintains the wonderful qualities of N°5 since it uses the same ingredients, but it ends with a more subtle scent, as if it were an Eau de Toilette. This modern incarnation is a treat to your senses and I can only hope this means more reinventions for Chanel essences.

Chanel N°5 Eau Première was supposed to be launched this month, but it seems the release has been postponed until an indefinite date in '08. So keep your eyes open for the five ounce bottle ($125) in coming months. I think I’m going to set up a little compare and contrast “smell test” to see if I can distinguish between the original N°5 and N°5 Eau Première, so stay tuned for my review!

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10 Sexy Perfumes Perfect For Valentine's Day

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:46:14 PST

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and nothing puts one in the mood for love like an alluring fragrance. Sexy doesn't smell exactly alike to everyone, though; if it did, we'd all be spritzing on Chanel No. 5 day and night. This Valentine's, get caught out wearing a scent that's just the right balance of flirty and carnal for you, whether you have a massive sweet tooth, love Anthropologie, or just hate perfume altogether.

See Front-Row Stunners Elizabeth Olsen and Olivia Palermo at Paris Couture Week

Allison McNamara — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:36:51 PST

Paris Couture Week Spring 2012 just wrapped up, and the City of Light was bustling with fashion's finest. Trendsetting celebrities including Elizabeth Olsen, Olivia Palermo, and Cameron Diaz were spotted making their rounds at the couture shows and looking fabulous while doing so. It appears that the overarching theme for Spring 2012 couture is ladylike silhouettes made modern via textural intrigue at Armani Privé, puffed sleeves at Chanel, and sheer fabrics at Christian Dior. Watch today's Fab Flash to see it all. On Allison: Jason Wu for Target blouse.

See Why We're Craving Karl Lagerfeld's Line Karl For Net-A-Porter!

Allison McNamara — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:24:57 PST

The king of elegance and mastermind behind Chanel's edgy-meets-ladylike style, Karl Lagerfeld, is taking another stab at designing a lower-priced line, this time for Net-A-Porter. The line is available today, with prices ranging from $35 to $1350. It covers everything from tough-girl accessories to pink moto vests and pleated leather skirts. Just watch to see why we can't wait to get our hands on this one-of-a-kind collection.

Emma Roberts Turns Up the Heat at Sundance!

Allison McNamara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:34:12 PST

Emma Roberts has been delivering a bevy of stylish ensembles recently, and her trip to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, this past weekend was no exception. From the red carpet, to the afterparties, to hitting the slopes, we can't get enough of this trendsetting starlet. See all of her fabulous outfits in today's FabFlash, and let us know which look is your favorite.

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:16 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many money lessons to learn from The Real Housewives.

One spent a season building a $1.8 million mansion and driving around a $1,280-per-month Escalade, only to file for bankruptcy with almost $11 million in debt.

Shortly postbankruptcy, she dropped another $60,000 on a shopping spree so she could continue to fit in with those in her social circle.

Even if you don’t end up with millions of dollars in debt - or have friends who are millionaires - trying to keep up with the Joneses (or the Gorgas, in this case) can not only make you feel lousy about yourself, but also inspire bad spending decisions. We call this phenomenon “money comparisonitis.”

How Having "Comparisonitis" Affects Us

In our own lives, the dangers of gazing enviously at the Real Housewives’ spending sprees, our neighbor’s new car, or that family down the street who can send their kids to private school are not only the fact that it makes us feel bad, but that it literally distorts our view of reality.

In other words, we look at celebrities like the Kardashians or the wealthier people we know, and we try to emulate their spending habits. “You’re not being truthful with yourself,” says Susan L. Hirshman, president of She Ltd., a consulting firm focused on enhancing women’s wealth, and the author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?. “As they make more money, that allows them to live a certain lifestyle.” In other words, you have to face facts and spend in accordance with your own budget, rather than feeling entitled to live a certain way just because other people do.

Read on for more.