From 29 April to 6 May 2025, the Main Court just outside ARC has been transformed into a whimsical pop-up space in Sandton City celebrating the arrival of CHANEL Chance EAU SPLENDIDE – the latest addition to French luxury house playful perfume portfolio.

• Open to all, the CHANEL pop-up is open to walk-ins with no appointment required.
• It’s positioned as an immersive, interactive world that fuses fragrance with chance, music, mirrors, and just a bit of that Parisian flair.
• There are beauty tips to discover, perfume experiences to personalise, and even games of chance scattered around the display space.
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The CHANCE line has always been about the unpredictable. First launched in 2003 by Jacques Polge, CHANCE disrupted the house’s olfactory order with its signature round bottle and light-hearted attitude. Since then, it has grown into a family of four scents: the green EAU FRAÎCHE, pink EAU TENDRE, orange EAU VIVE, and now, the radiant purple EAU SPLENDIDE.

Each version is distinct, not only in colour and scent profile but in mood. According to CHANEL’s current In-House Perfumer-Creator, Olivier Polge, these are less about following a strict formula and more about expressing a feeling – something lively, emotional, and direct.

EAU SPLENDIDE fits the brief, even as it bends the rules again. It’s described as a fruity-floral fragrance with a paradoxical personality – light and fresh but layered and grounded. A bright raspberry accord leads the way, followed by floral notes of rose and violet, with rose geranium sourced partly from CHANEL’s fields in Grasse. As it settles, soft musk and cedar come through, finishing with a whisper of powdery iris. It’s subtle and refined, more a gentle nod than a grand gesture. Those looking for a bold, long-lasting statement scent might find it a little too delicate, but it seems perfectly suited for warm days, casual afternoons, or the kind of moment when you want to smell nice without shouting about it.

Online impressions so far have been mixed, with many users praising its elegance and freshness, while others wish it packed more of a punch. It’s described as cheerful, airy, and ideal for spring, but perhaps too understated for those who expect complexity and staying power from a CHANEL fragrance. Still, that very subtlety may be its greatest asset, particularly for younger fans or those new to the CHANCE line.

The promotional campaign for EAU SPLENDIDE features Belgian singer-songwriter Angèle, whose music and career embody the same spirit of seizing the moment that CHANEL has built into the CHANCE identity. Her specially composed track, “A Little More”, acts as the sonic backdrop to a film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, set in a hall of mirrors – a nod to the way life twists and bends, often revealing the unexpected. The visuals are quirky, dreamy, and unmistakably CHANEL, capturing that in-between space where perfume, personality, and chance intersect.

CHANEL’s choice of purple for this latest bottle adds a touch of mystique to the range’s palette. It’s a colour that speaks to intuition and creativity, with just a hint of rebellion – a little offbeat, a little unpredictable, but certainly not without charm.

As temporary retail experiences go, this one stands out for its simplicity. It isn’t trying to sell you a fantasy; it’s inviting you to play in one. Whether you leave with a bottle or just a memory, the Chance EAU SPLENDIDE pop-up offers a brief escape. There’s no velvet rope, no heavy-handed pitch – just perfume, play, and possibility.

And perhaps that’s the point. Chance, as CHANEL sees it, isn’t something that simply happens. It’s something you make room for, reach for, even chase. And for a limited time, in the middle of a Sandton shopping centre, you can take your shot at it – one spritz at a time.

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