Created by Jacques Polge and launched in 1984, Coco is a classic of the 80’s-style oriental genre. It’s not for the faint-hearted, it’s not the easiest fragrance to “pull off” (for today’s scent trends), and it has a strong, strong character, but… ahh! It is also so, so beautiful!
Review
Right from the first spray (from a stunning bottle, may I add!), Coco shows itself as a bold fragrance. Even if aldehydes are not listed, I get an almost aldehydic (very “perfume-y”, very Chanel) warm floral impression from its early opening, right before the scent unfolds, a few seconds in, into its baroque, amber-tinted palette.
The stars of Coco are definitely clove, with its spicy, slightly sweet trail; and sandalwood, lightly dusted with powdery tonka. This spicy-woody accord makes up the core of the composition, while other notes add interest and depth. They’re hard to pinpoint individually, but I glimpse a warm, abstract rose dipped in orange liqueur, and a hint of non-juicy, “dry velvety peels”-style peach. Smoky-leathery labdanum, sweet opoponax and amber create a rich resinous impression to the base. Last but not least, I also get a pungent, subtle trail of civet – not dominant, but surely there.
Coco smells warm, dry and husky, with a spicy-woody core, velvety rose-orange accents and a non-glossy, resinous ambery finish. I may have used the word “sweet” a few times in the review, but the resulting scent isn’t really sweet… It does, however, conjure up a non-edible impression of powdery cinnamon & clove. I especially love its smooth effect in the drydown.
Sillage is respectable, and lasting power, really good – above Chanel’s usual solid performance.
Coco Eau de Toilette
The EdT version of Coco has the same notes as the Eau de Parfum, but, as always with fragrances, the two versions don’t smell exactly the same. To me, Coco EdT feels “thinner”, a tad lighter and brighter. I don’t get such a deep, velvety texture from its orange & rose, and there are less smoky-resinous undertones. On the other hand, the civet is really prominent when compared to the EdP¹.
The two versions are very similar, but I think the EdT (which still feels very autumn-winter appropriate) loses a bit of the beautiful warm richness which characterizes Coco. So, for this fragrance, I personally prefer the EdP.
Fragrance Impressions
Notes: (Top) mandarin orange, peach, jasmine, coriander, Bulgarian rose; (Heart) mimosa, rose, clove, clover, orange blossom; (Base) labdanum, sandalwood, amber, opoponax, vanilla, civet, tonka.
Colour Impression: Ambery Brown.
Evokes: An elegant black&white film noir diva; chocolate-brown crushed velvet.
Similar to²: YSL Opium; Jean-Louis Scherrer Scherrer 2; Guerlain Samsara; Estée Lauder Youth-Dew; Chanel Nº5 (Parfum).
Season & Occasion: Autumn-winter, evening.
Conclusion
Well, Chanel did it again. This is a masterpiece. Like the legendary Nº5, Coco also creates that magical balance between feeling sophisticated, refined, mature and “serious”… and, at the same time, warm, enveloping, and comforting. Between the two classics, I’d say Nº5 feels more mellow and romantic, while Coco has a more dramatic, smouldering style. I love both, really!
¹ Curiously, I get the same impression when comparing the different concentrations of Chanel Nº5 – much more civet in the Eau de Toilette than in the Eau de Parfum.
² Compared to other classic spicy-orientals… I’d say Coco isn’t as soapy-resinous (and loud) as YSL Opium, nor as richly wrapped in honeyed amber as Estée Lauder Youth-Dew or Jean-Louis Scherrer Scherrer 2 (it feels more “serious” than those two). On the other hand, it doesn’t feel quite as crisp & woody as Guerlain Samsara (in contrast to which I find Coco gentler and more feminine). Not sure if these comparations help, but I hope they might at least give you an idea of where this sits on the genre’s olfactive “spectrum”, lol.
Fragrance Review: Chanel – Nº5 (Parfum)
A grand chorus of beautiful notes.
Fragrance Review: Estée Lauder – Youth-Dew
Smoke, spice, amber, and… Coca-cola!
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