A highly complex blend of aldehydes and florals—including rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lily of the valley, and iris—layered over a warm, woody base of vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and patchouli—this perfume satisfies Chanel's request that No. 5 smell like a "composition" rather than any single flower.

As legend goes, Chanel picked the fifth sample, declaring, "I show my collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year, so let's leave the number it bears, and this number five will bring it good luck." [2] The chosen formula, which debuted in 1921, was an olfactory bouquet of notes that include jasmine, ...

Prestige perfumes typically have a higher concentration of oils and use more expensive raw ingredients, she explained, so as demand soars, so can production costs. “Chanel No. 5 is one of the best known examples of this. One of the ingredients is a rare flower,” said O'Neill.

The fragrance is known as a sophisticated scent worn by older women, and this age group, historically, has been Chanel No. 5′s target market. If you think about it, what high-school-aged girl has a bottle of Chanel No.