How do you feel about Chanel Coco Mademoiselle? Chances are good your answer will say a lot about how you will like Chanel Gabrielle. From first sniff, Gabrielle brings to my mind images of Coco Mademoiselle stuffing her arms into one of Chanel No. 5 Eau Première’s ruffled chiffon dresses. After wearing Gabrielle off and on for a week, my feelings haven’t changed. To me, Gabrielle smells like a Coco Mademoiselle flanker.
Chanel house perfumer Olivier Polge developed Gabrielle. Chanel describes Gabrielle as “an imaginary flower — a radiant and sparkling, purely feminine Chanel blossom based on a bouquet of four white flowers: a rich, enveloping heart of exotic Jasmine shimmers with the fruity green notes of Ylang-Ylang, while fresh and sparkling Orange Blossom shines through, offering a glimpse of Grasse Tuberose captured at its finest.” (Additional notes include blackcurrant, grapefruit zest, mandarin peel, sandalwood and white musk.)
To which I add, stick that bouquet in a giant vase of Coco Mademoiselle, and you’ve got it.
But I’m starting off on the wrong foot. Some of you — many, for sure — adore Coco Mademoiselle. I’m not among you. To me, Coco Mademoiselle smells wonderful in passing, on other people, but its woody musk combined with the vanilla and patchouli lurking in its spices sends me for the Pepto Bismol after half an hour. Then again, Coco Mademoiselle was designed with younger women than I am in mind. So was Gabrielle.
Okay, I’m still on the wrong foot. Let’s rewind. Gabrielle’s packaging is gorgeous. The Eau de Parfum comes in a square bottle of delicate glass molded to look like it’s delicately quilted in five squares, with a gold label with raised black lettering settled into the center square. The box sticks to Chanel’s classic design, but instead of being white with black edges, it’s gold with white edges. The packaging, combined with the graceful name Gabrielle (Chanel’s real first name, by the way) begs for a feminine, sheer fragrance that forgoes trends.
Straight from the bottle, Gabrielle is gently floral, with a clean wash of orange blossom and a helping of jasmine and sweet rose that’s juicier than it is dry. But within three minutes, it starts going Coco Mademoiselle. Gabrielle thickens and sweetens in the particular vanilla-wood-musk combination that, to me, at least, is a recognizable signature. And that signature smells of ten to fifteen years ago, and the host of wannabes that followed Coco Mademoiselle’s launch. Gabrielle lasts most of the day on skin and has vigorous sillage for such tender looking packaging.
I wore Coco Mademoiselle on one arm and Gabrielle on the other to check my impression, and it stuck. Coco Mademoiselle is darker, spicier, and deeper than Gabrielle’s lighter, more floral, more girlish vibe, but they’re sisters for sure, especially on skin. On paper, Gabrielle stands out more distinctly as a clean floral. Whether on paper or on skin, you’re not likely to confuse the two fragrances, but you’d probably point to Gabrielle and say, “That reminds me of something. Wait, I've got it — Coco Mademoiselle.”
So, we’re back to the beginning. How do you feel about Coco Mademoiselle? If you love it and have been looking for its garden party sibling, get yourself to a tester of Gabrielle right away. If you, like me, admire Chanel and were hoping for something new, something with its own singular identity, you won’t find it here.
Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum will be available at Chanel boutiques on August 19 — Coco Chanel’s birthday — and on September 1 in department stores. A 100 ml bottle will be $135, and a 50 ml bottle will also be available.
Not a Coco Mademoiselle fan. I won’t worry about Gabrielle (but perhaps I will sniff it the next time I am amusing myself at a Duty-Free and see it). Now back to the comforts of 31 Rue Cambon.
Question, though: I tried No. 5 L’Eau, and didn’t like it. I think someone else said it smelled like nice shampoo, and that is what I got. What would you all recommend for someone who wants to try to figure out the magic of No. 5, but still can’t shake the association between that scent and her grandmother? In addition to 31RC I love Cuir de Russia and 28LP (my very first Chanel FB). Any particular edition or flanker or strength of No. 5 that might click with me?
It took me a while to fall in love with No. 5, but fall in love I did, eventually–after a number of years. (As I write this, I just bathed in No. 5 bath oil and sprayed No 5 body oil on afterwards–a rare occurrence, but I thought I’d note it!)
Eau Premiere is a good intro to No. 5, I think. I also love the parfum. First, I liked the EdP best, and eventually the EdT called out to me.
Have you tried Eau Premiere? It feels fuller and less shampoo-like than L’Eau to me.
Thanks so much, Angela. I have not tried Eau Premiere. I am about to switch from living in a town where there is no place, other than the drugstore, to buy fragrance, to four months (yay!) in a Real City with Perfume Boutiques and Department Stores. My nose is already quivering in anticipation, and I will test Eau Premiere as soon as I find it.
Do try it! To me, it’s a better introduction to No. 5 than L’Eau is–at least, for someone who truly loves perfume.
I agree on Eau Premiere, it’s got more substance than L’Eau but also more wearable than No 5.
That’s a great way of describing it, floral gal.
The body products! I loved the elixir which is now gone. But try the body lotion/creme, so much softer and smoother than the perfume and still unique and recognisable.
I will, thank you!
Thank you for such a frank and honest review, Angela. As for Coco Mademoiselle, I find it to be nice in passing but a little overbearing and sickly to wear. Not even close to the magic of Cuir de Russie, Bois des Îles, 31 rue Cambon, or even the underrated Eau de Cologne.
(If the income generated by Coco Mad/Gabrielle etc. keep the Exclusifs in production, I’m not complaining!)
Yes, I know just what you mean. A perfume house has to make a living, right? But if it can also afford to release beautiful fragrances that might not please the masses, so much the better. I feel just as you do about Coco Mademoiselle. Sometimes I’ve smelled it on others and loved it–on them. I simply can’t wear it.
I always compliment Coco Mademoiselle on others, but don’t like it on myself at all. Not Chanel’s biggest fan anyway, although I admire quite a few. I will try this, but my hopes are not high.
What Chanel is your favourite by the way?
Same here. I like Coco Mdmsl on others, but its not ‘me’. Most Chanels are not ‘me’ (only love Sycomore edt so far). But of course I will try it when I bump into it (and Chanel will def make sure I will bump into it hahaha 😉
Sycomore is fabulous! I do love No. 5 and Coco, too, and Cuir de Russie (and Bois des Iles and probably some others I’m forgetting). But I can leave Coco Mlle and Gabrielle on the counter.
I feel like you do about Coco Mademoiselle. I didn’t used to be a huge Chanel fan. I admired them but figured the brand was oriented toward someone different than I. Then, somehow, No. 5 crept up on me. Now I adore it. I always liked Coco and Bois des Iles, and I grew to love Cuir de Russie, too. Then, a bunch of Les Exclusifs started smelling great to me, especially Sycamore. Egoist is pretty great, too. For me, Chanel was a slow burn, but now I like so many of their fragrances. Just not Gabrielle, sadly.
Coco Mademoiselle smells like fancy rubbing alcohol to me, so I’ve always wondered what it is *supposed* to smell like.
You must be anosmic to something going on there!
Well, Gabrielle definitely doesn’t sound like my kind of thing as white florals, especially tuberose, end up smelling like air freshener on my skin. The cheap kind like Wizard. Coco Mademoiselle is my daughter’s signature scent and it smells great on her but I’ve never tried it myself.
I’d say, try your daughter’s Coco Mademoiselle. If you’re nuts about it, try Gabrielle. Even then, you just might like Coco Mademoiselle better.
I had watched YT video reviews of Gabrielle where people alluded to CM and Chance being the parents of G.
I had samples of both and wore them a few weeks ago.
Chance was meh and ‘perfume for someone who doesn’t like perfume.’
CM was OK, had a sour fruit note in the heart that smelled of litchi/lychee (on MY skin, YMMV). 6 hours on, I smelled mothballs.
Where are the mothballs?
Why, they’re on me.
The patchouli fraction used in CM was a bit iffy from the start, but strong camphoraceous mothballs in the drydown.
I will sample G when I encounter it, but won’t seek it out.
My guess is that Gabrielle won’t be a hit on you. Let me know if I’m wrong, though!
I will try as soon as I have the opportunity! Now after reading your review and as I was guessing; this is only geared towards Chinese customers wanting to buy a Chanel fragrance not too complicated/serious to bring home from the European holidays. Let’s face it; they are more and Chanel wants the bucks.
I guess we perfumistas need to keep our interest/ hope
within the Exclusive line.
Or with other lines. I really respect Chanel, but there’s lots of other good stuff happening in the perfume world, too.
Exactly! Let them earn the bucks so they/we can have fun with Cuir Russia or Beige
Now you’re making me want to find a bottle of Cuir de Russie to spritz myself with!
What a horrible comment! [Ed note: statement removed] I am Chinese and I do enjoy Gabrielle – does this make me lesser than you? Am I “less complicated/serious”? Can I not enjoy Les Exclusifs as you do? [Ed note: statement removed]
I really do enjoy perfume and I would love to learn more and be more involved, but “let’s face it” comments like yours make me sad that some people in this community are so unaccepting and close-minded.
[Ed note: Vesper, I am so sorry you were offended by the original comment, but despite that, we have a strict comment policy and you are not allowed to make personal attacks on another reader. I left most of your comment but removed two lines.]
I’m glad you enjoy Gabrielle! How do you feel about Coco Mademoiselle, and do you see a relationship between the two fragrances? I’d love to know.
looks like the “strict comment policy” mentioned in the Ed note is fine with racist comment….
Discussing the fact that some fragrances are formulated to appeal towards specific segments of the world’s population — and they are, that is not disputed, and is in fact acknowledged by the brands themselves (although I have no idea if it applies to Chanel Gabrielle) — is not inherently racist. If the original poster went past that or did not think hard enough about how their comment was worded, that is unfortunate, but it does not fall outside of our comment policy. We talk about cultural differences in perfume preferences here frequently.
Brands usually say they will make fragrances lighter when trying to appeal to the Asian market, and I assume that is what Racine is referring to above.
If anyone wanted to object to the original comment, they are more than welcome to, so long as they do not make personal attacks on another reader. We are not trying to discourage conversation or disagreement, we are trying to discourage being mean to other readers.
Thank you very much for this excellent review, but I was disappointed to read it. I think we are sister smellies. Chanel had such a great opportunity to turn the page! What if they had replaced the blackcurrant with a green rose? (ooh…) I like No 19 EDP myself.
That’s how I saw Gabrielle, too–the chance for something new and wonderful. I’m sure lots of people will find it wonderful, but it doesn’t really have its own thing going on, in my opinion. And, yes to No. 19!
…but yes, the Gabrielle flacon is beautiful!
It really is! It feels nice in your hands, too.
Having never smelled Coco Mademoiselle, (not a Coco fan) the association that popped into my head was Chance Extreme.
Despite the promising notes, I didn’t detect any of the usual Chanel quality materials.
Agree that Eau Premiere is the gateway to No 5 appreciation. I didn’t even care for EP the first couple of tries, but now I adore its ylang/sandalwood aura.
I haven’t smelled Chance Extreme, and I admit I probably wouldn’t seek it out.
Ha, that’s because I made it up…Gabrielle makes me think of “Chance Forte.”
You had me fooled!
I’m not a fan of Coco Mad, and not one of the younguns this launch is aimed at. Thank you for advising me, Angela, and saving me a trip to Saks! I’ll stick with my Cristalle, No. 19 and various iterations of No. 5.
You might be interested to try it just to try it for yourself, but it sounds like you’ve already found some wonderful Chanels!
I do like coco mademoiselle, and will at some point try the new Gabrielle.
You might love it! Especially if there are times you want to wear Coco Mademoiselle, but you’re afraid it’s a little too autumnal.
Aww thanks, I hope I do love it! Glad there will be a 50 ml available.
The smaller sizes are always nice.
Definitely not a Coco Mad or Chance fan, and not even a huge Chanel fan overall, but I will sniff this if I happen upon a tester.
Ditto.
I’m sure you’re not alone.
I’d love to know what you think of it!
So I got to smell Gabrielle. It smells fine and I’m sure it will be a hit with younger women who are bored of Chance or Coco Mad. Not something I would buy or wear, but I think it is pleasant.
I have a vague memory of Coco Mlle as florals plus a little bitterness but beyond that no idea of how it smells. September will be a good time for a trip to a perfume counter. I may do a side by side test like you did, very clever! Thank you for the thoughtful review. I suspect I too am not the target market, but I am curious even so.
Testing things side by side is for me such a great way for aspects of each fragrance to stand out.
Gabrielle is such a big release, it’s hard not to be curious!
I will need to see it in person but I don’t like the bottle from the picture. That said, if it came in 25 or 30 mLs, I will buy it for the bottle-cuteness factor.
I wish more things came in smaller bottles.
I want to try Gabrielle but have no expectations.
I don’t know if I will like it or not although it sounds very feminine.
I usually prefer the unisex approach
I’d love to know what you think of it, Lucasai! Yes, it does read to me as traditionally feminine–more so than Coco Mademoiselle.
I will report back once I have a chance to try it
Great!
I thought there was talk of black currant in this one? A note which many of us approach with caution. Did you notice any?
And tuberose? I had expected a perfume with a little more character than the one you describe. Silly me I guess.
Nothing that says “hey, I’m a glamorous tuberose” to me. Instead we get the “chanel flower” accord of vague, clean-ish white flowers with a hint of juiciness.
There’s a hint of fruitiness (just as in Coco Mademoiselle, to go on and on in comparison) but nothing that read to me as kitten pee. Nothing nearly as prominent as in, say, Chamade.
Ah, okay, thanks.
You’re welcome! Do try it, though, if you get the chance, and let me know if it doesn’t smell that way to you.
how does it compare to Beige or No32? I have a hard time discerning all these florals. Too bad they didn’t do something more interesting in footsteps of No18 or Cuir de Russie…
To me, it’s a very different fragrance because of the musky-woody base. That’s what (again, for me) sets it apart from the more traditional Les Exclusifs “Chanel signature” florals with with the waftier body.
Great review Angela 🙂
I have t smelled it yet, but I have read many reviews and it strikes me as “just nice”-nothing you will run to the Chanel boutique to buy-or perhaps Chanel addictive will 😉
I don’t care for Mademoselle..I remember I liked it when it came out, but now I smell it everywhere and it is suffocated in it’s own success 🙁
I bet Chanel use all their money on the Les Exclusifs and the mass market gets the leftovers the don’t wanna use 😉
I was thinking that a good portion of the Chanel money went into PR and marketing this one. I am happy for Les Exclusifs, though!
I think you are right about that 🙂
I do too..but I am not very fond of the edp’s..sadly 🙁
The perfumista’s lament…..I sympathize!
I always smell Coco Mademoiselle on others, A LOT, it is so popular and definitely one of the few perfumes I can pick out in a crowd. anecdotal commentary – a lot of people who I have associations wearing it tend to be rude. So, there was not much hope that I would become a fan. I do love Coco tho. All of my observations are social, still developing my sense of smell, I hope.
I will certainly try this at the counter!
So much of how we appreciate scent is in the “social” part of it, I find. Once I start associating a perfume with a person or certain type of person, I’m sunk. (I guess this is why branding is such a big deal.)
I love the original Coco and don’t think it was improved by the addition of fruit in Coco Mad. I’m curious to try Gabrielle, but agree it would have been great to see Chanel come up with something new and wonderful.
My feelings exactly, on every point!
I like Coco Mademoiselle! I have a few sample vials that i will wear in winter and early spring.
I am definitely goung to give Gabrielle a sniff-a-roo, hopefully soon!
Might also pick up a lipstick while i am at it, that 2017 fall collection looks gorgeous.
Hey, Gabrielle could be perfect for you, then! The Chanel nail polishes are gorgeous, too. I have to stay away from those lipsticks–they’re too tempting….
Oh what a shame! And missed opportunity to create a new classic for a new generation.
Maybe we’ll have better luck next time.
Got me a small bottle Friday, and I got to say that I am enjoying it, it is something I am liking cause I did layer CM body cream with Chance and I really loved it…oh, and got me some lip sticks too.
It sounds like a great day!
You liked Gabrielle better than I. To me it smells like a boring eau flanker after being pushed into a pool. I’d try it again but it seems pointless, especially with the much superior No 5 l’Eau so recent!
Thanks for reporting in! No. 5 L’Eau was a carefully thought-out one and did seem to fill a need. I wonder if Gabrielle is selling well among the non-perfumistas, though? I wouldn’t be surprised.
This review made me laugh so hard, Angela. The snark and wit was hilarious!
I definitely agree, that Gabrielle has similarities to Coco Mademoiselle. But to be honest, it mostly just smelled like a generic fresh floral to me. It has that typical Chanel signature, but was still rather boring. Though, I will give it credit, for being classier than most perfumes marketed at the 18-30 crowd. The bottle is an elegant masterpiece, there is no denying. My 27 year old sister is considering getting Gabrielle, and it does suit her tastes. When it comes to Chanel, my favorite will always be the original Coco.
I’m with you on Coco! And my favorite, Cuir de Russie. I hope your sister enjoys Gabrielle, though, if she gets a bottle.