Chanel Chance Eau Splendide Is Here—and It's Nothing Short of Splendid

In a series of exclusive interviews with Preview, master perfumer Olivier Polge and Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Global Head of Creative for Chanel Fragrance & Beauty, pulled back the curtain on the fragrance’s creation, sharing a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes look at the intention, emotion, and sheer craftsmanship that went into shaping the newest addition to the Chanel Chance family.

Over the years, the Chance line has expanded into a kaleidoscope of moods and personalities. There’s the zesty green energy of Eau Fraîche, the tender romance of pink-hued Eau Tendre, the citrus boldness of Eau Vive, and the golden glow of the original Eau de Parfum. Each one captures a different facet of the same spirited attitude: playful, spontaneous, and joyfully unexpected.

Now comes Eau Splendide, the fifth—and perhaps most daring—interpretation yet. At its heart is a vibrant raspberry accord that brings an immediate, juicy brightness, softened by delicate hints of rose and violet that add an airy, floral lift. This exuberant opening is grounded by a sensual base of creamy cedarwood, velvety white musk, and a powdery veil of iris, giving the fragrance a sophisticated, lingering depth. The result is a scent that feels both playful and magnetic—crafted to capture that rare, electric feeling when you sense life is tilting in your favor.

At the heart of this creation is Olivier Polge, Chanel’s master perfumer and the visionary nose behind Eau Splendide’s magnetic composition. When I sat down with Olivier in Tokyo, he shared with Preview the inspiration, challenges, and craftsmanship that shaped this exciting new chapter in the Chanel Chance story.

In this Preview Exclusive, he shares the inspirations, creative decisions, and delicate craftsmanship that went into bringing Chance Eau Splendide to life.

"Chance Splendide is the fifth Chance. We already have four variations. I think when I started to think about the Splendide, I had them all in front of me in my mind. So, it calls for certain dynamism, certain freshness, that they are sparkling, colorful, and they are all made with very different raw materials. So even if they confer the same feeling, they are made with completely different shades. So I looked for raw materials that smelled completely different from the others." 

"Maybe it's easier to explain what Chance cannot be. It cannot be dark. It cannot be heavy. You know, it has to stand out. It cannot be difficult to wear. It has to catch you right away. So that calls for brightness. That calls for something that you can identify." 

"I think it's key. I first thought that it could just be [something interesting] to the perfume, the top note. But as I spent time living with Chance Splendide when I was creating it, I realized that there was something I liked about it, and I tried to shape the fragrance in such way that this raspberry feeling stays throughout the fragrance and plays a major role." 

"The raspberry accord is made of many, many different raw materials. And to really give you this clearly identifiable raspberry note, you have to have certain violet, certain rosy notes. And I think there was a natural evolution of the fragrance that allows you to hold this raspberry feeling longer, you know—this is the art of perfumery. Geranium somehow doesn't block the signature of the raspberry; it complements completely, it is not a contrast."


"How it went was that I created the scent, and when I felt that it was finished, then we decided on the color. And we decided based on the impression the scent gave us. There was, you know, these red fruits coming from the raspberry, plus the floralcy behind [it] is technically the violet; you have it mixing red and blue, so it gets a little bit more depth to it... You also have to compare it with the other Chance [fragrances], you know—the pink, the green, the orange. So it has to complement well. At the end of the day, I think a fragrance is well done if everything that makes the finished product connects well—a scent with a good color, with a good shape of the bottle, with a good name." 

"Well, the challenge was [for it] to feel that it brings something new to the table—for Chance Splendide to be as good as the previous ones."

"I can't really believe it that I'm the face of a new Chanel perfume,” Angèle shared in an interview. She described her earliest Chanel memory as a visit to a boutique in Paris with her father, where she first fell in love with the brand’s magic—an experience she now reflects on with childlike wonder. “I remember what it felt like watching all of these beautiful dresses, and the beautiful boutique, and the smell, so I felt so excited. And I could never imagine to be here later. And I'm always trying to pinch myself, ‘This is really happening?’ Because I want to, you know, keep this and to say this to the little Angèle who did not… imagine any of this."

For Angèle, the fragrance’s floral and fruity elements—especially the raspberry and layered floral notes—resonate with her personality, particularly in spring and summer when she feels most herself. 

Angèle also composed the song for the campaign, which she likens to '70s disco. There’s something “very joyful, but also quite nostalgic about this song,” she shared, with her favorite line being the French part: “J'y crois encore,” which means “I still believe.” It’s a fitting reflection of the Chance philosophy: embracing optimism, spontaneity, and the courage to take risks, whether it’s in music, fragrance, or life.

“Good question. It was a challenge. If you look at the movie itself, it's a lot about a hide-and-seek type of movie where she's, you know, it's almost like the chance is represented by the bottle—[it] appears, disappears; she's chasing it. But then she looks at herself, she's not sure... It's not a given to have a chance. You really have to provoke it, and you really have to seize it when really you think it's there—in a joyful way.” 

“You know, if I look at Asia, the country that had the longest faith in Chance as a fragrance is Japan. It's been a country that has been supporting Chanel since the very first day of the launch of Chance in 2001. There's a little loyalty behind that, I think, which I find actually quite nice.
I just think also, like, there's something [in Japan that's] ordered and crazy. I kind of like [how Tokyo] reminds me about, you know, of being rigorous. I think it's a very rigorous country... It's full of energy and a bit crazy also, and I like that.” 

“I think this fragrance tells the same story than the other Chance [fragrances], because Chance always tells always the same story: If you really believe in you, if you're courageous enough, and if you're determined enough to create the right environment for the chance to come, you'll make it happen. If you're not scared of putting back in the gamble of life what you've been winning—because you know you're going to be win more and life is only worth if you play. This is what Chance tells about; that kind of feeling when you're young, that you know, you go to the casino, you win, you put everything back on the table and bingo again, because you know you're gonna win. There's no other chance. Because there's no other possibility, because when you're young, you believe that chance is on your side.” 

“It's the adjectives you used... like light, spontaneous, and deep. How can you talk about something that feels very light, very spontaneous, very joyful, very positive? [That is] what the feeling of Chance is about. There's also something else that's a bit more complex than that. It's a bit deeper than that. I think this is what we try to get in the commercial to echo, because this fragrance is very beautifully generous and outspoken, but it has depth. Maybe a bit more in favor of the energy. Because this is an exhilarating feeling to know that you have the chance on your side. You know, it's like the world is yours. You become unstoppable.”