Most of us have fragrance milestones: the first perfume we bought with our own money, our first "serious" perfume, and maybe our first signature scent, back before perfume mania sank the whole signature scent possibility. My first signature scent was Chanel Coco. Now, a couple of decades and hundreds of perfumes separate me from my Coco days. When I stopped by Nordstrom last week to ask for a sample of the Eau de Parfum, I didn't hold out much hope I'd still like it. After all, I've loved and left my share of 1980s blockbusters.
Silly me. It turns out all those sample vials of scent from drugstores to niche perfumeries I devoured over the years only led me to appreciate Coco's artistry more. Coco is warm, elegant, beautifully blended, and easy. No, it won't shock or challenge. There's nothing funky or bizarre or tough about it. But just as a dinner of perfectly roasted chicken, potatoes, sautéed chard, and glass of Pinot Noir by the fire won't rock the world, it satisfies far more often than the sous vide-cooked special from the latest darling chef.
When Jacques Polge created Coco in 1984, he seems to have aimed to marry Chanel's signature elegance to the trend for mega-Oriental perfumes kicked off by Yves Saint Laurent Opium. In Perfume Legends, Michael Edwards quotes Polge: "Coco became my interpretation of an Orient which begins and ends in Venice. Shalimar might take you to India, Opium to Marrakech, but with Coco, you would definitely stop at Venice."1
Edwards lists Coco's top notes as jasmine, peach, frangipani, mimosa, and orange blossom; its heart as cascarilla, orange blossom, rose, clove buds, and angelica; and its base as labdanum, sandalwood, tonka bean, leather, and opopanax. (Cascarilla is a shrub native to the West Indies with bark used to flavor liqueurs.)
To me, Coco takes the aldehydic top from the classic Chanels, then sweetens and fattens it up with a kick of orange. Chanel No. 5's rose and jasmine heart is there, too, but veiled with a pinch of clove and cinnamon and blended with a toned-down version of the sweet and almost chewy resin at the core of Opium, Estée Lauder Cinnabar, and Dana Tabu. The dry down is warm, woody, and quietly resinous, with the barely discernible intimacy of patchouli rounding it out.
The whole composition feels like a solid mahogany table rubbed with orange oil and topped with a vase of fresh flowers and a hot cup of milky chai. Coco is big and should be applied sparingly, but it's not the nostril scorcher some of the other 1980s fragrances, such as Christian Dior Poison and Giorgio, can be. Maybe it's Coco's name and packaging, but smelling it I think of charmeuse nightgowns, the insides of worn leather boots, 1940s sofas upholstered chocolate brown velvet, and brown lacquered fingernails so dark you mistake them for black. Coco, you old friend, welcome back.
Chanel Coco comes in a wide range of products, including Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Parfum. Matching body products are also available.
1. p. 207.
Oh Angela – you make my heart happy on this dreary Monday morning! My fragrances loves evolved as such from my early teens: Tea Rose, Jardins de Bagatelle (which I never got a bottle of when I was young), and then Coco, right after I went to college.
It was one of my first early excursions to the mall by myself. It was love at first sniff. Oh, to own a Chanel fragrance at 17! I got the edt pour bottle that they don’t make anymore for a long time now. It was easy to apply just a tad bit without the spray. It was my signature fragrance in the cool months until about three years ago when I began branching out into other fragrances. I have always owned a bottle now for 20 years, and I adore it. It is not necessarily the most amazing HG fragrance I now own, but it is definitely on the short list for the desert island/end of the world scenario. It is so rich, classy, warm, sexy, yet friendly. Not too much if you apply it just right. I think it is very overlooked and mercilessly clumped in with other heavy handed 80s fragrances. Coco always garners compliments when I wear it, and I love all three of the formullations, with the edt being softer and more powdery with that amazing opoponax. The edp is more rich with the warm orange accords and spices. And the parfum is just glorious – a never ending rapsody of warmth, spices, and ambery goodness. It is one of the few fragracnces I love that I’ve not ever tried to even review as I have so many personal feelings wrapped up in it that I am completely biased. I think it is the most beautiful of all orientals. In my biased state, I smell it’s influence in many current orientals that try to obtain a sheer rich glamour. I am so glad to see your review of it! All hail Coco!
Now that’s a love letter if I’ve ever seen one!
It was great for me to look at Coco with new eyes (or nose, I guess). I thought I know what it was all about, but so many years had gone by without my giving it a good sampling. I’m glad it’s back in the fold for me.
Angela, I take it you were reviewing the current formulation of Coco edp? Have you compared it with vintage? Enquiring minds (me!) would love to know. Thanks!
Yes, my sample was from a bottle of the EdP at Nordstrom just last week, so I’m assuming it’s new. I don’t have any older versions to compare it to, unfortunately, and it’s been so long since I wore it that I can’t compare them even in my mind. If you have any thoughts on it, though, I’d love to hear them.
Oddly — and frustratingly — enough, Angela, Coco is the one Chanel that I’ve never had any vintage of (yet! ), so I’m completely useless as a resource. I have it on good authority that the stuff from the seventies and even eighties is gorgeous, however, which wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
If I had to take an educated guess based on my experience with Chanel’s reformulations of No 19, No 5, No 22, Bois des Iles, Cuir de Russie and Cristalle, I’d say that you and I would probably be happy to live out the rest of our lives swimming in nothing but pure seventies’ vintage Coco, but that the current version is lovely and entirely satisfying in its own right. 😉
Coco didn’t come out until 1984, so at least we don’t have to lament the 1970s version. But it would be fun to smell the 1984 version alongside the current one.
Glad I caught this! Can’t thank you enough, Ann, for reassuring me about the beauty of the current Cocos. With some really mediocre reformulations out there, a girl can’t be too careful.
Thanks for the great article, Angela, provocative and evocative as always. 😉
You’re welcome, and I’d love to know what you think of Coco.
Just back from the neighbourhood high-end drugstore Angela. Grrr. Only a tester of Coco eau de toilette; no edp in sight. Loved the edt, though, and found it exactly as you’ve described it: fresh and gentle with a nice powdery opoponax element. Santa, are you listening?
Oh, if you like the EdT, you should try the EdP, too! It’s a touch richer and less powdery (this based on an old EdT sample I have). Santa had better pick up a few bottles of Coco, because I’d like one, too!
Hello, I have had a similar experience with Coco since I was 20, now unfortunately I can not afford to use so often. Do you know of a similar perfume that is more economical???
Hi Angela:
Thank you for the great review! The Iranian lady I work for wears Coco sometimes and whenever she does I always notice the beautiful smell. I have never worn it on my own skin, but this review has made me want to hop over the the mall for a spray. I recently ordered a sample of Chanel No. 22 ( which I believe you reviewed at NST and also have a history with) from The Perfumed Court. When it arrived I sprayed some on myself and my mother and we both loved it. I’m confused about Chanel fragrances like No. 22 that aren’t available at the department store . . . are they in limited distribution or discontinued?
Yes, No. 22 was my first “serious” perfume (the first one I ever bought myself was Babe). I loved it. I like it now, but it doesn’t suit me, really.
No. 22 is still in production, but now it’s part of Chanel’s Les Exclusifs line, so it’s not available as widely as No. 5 and some of the more mainstream scents.
Yes, when I tried No. 22 with my mother I was thinking it suits her better. She wears No. 5 and I thought of No. 22 as being a bit bolder and warmer than No. 5 but it is still not as bold or warm as I tend to like (I really prefer orientals at this point). I already got her Infusion D’Iris for Christmas but might try and get her the No. 22 for Mother’s Day maybe, so that is why I’m wondering how I can buy it.
What a wonderful present!
AnnS: You’re right…I always thought of it as one of those 80s ‘big shoulders’ scents. I have to try this one! thanks, Angela.
It’s still big, but think of an early 1940s suit jacket shoulder and not a 1980s Thierry Mugler suit jacket shoulder.
So is Coco more suit jacket than sexy black dress like the girl is wearing in the ad? I like the ad by the way. What year does that date from?
Gosh, it’s probably more thick pashmina shawl than dress or suit–at least, to me. I’m not sure what year the ad is. It looks like Shalom Harlow. Maybe early 1990s?
It’s a beautiful ad, and it is Shalom Harlow. I miss the days of actual models, instead of celebrities. ( And I say this in spite of finding the entire business rather atrocious.)
I love Coco, but it’s one of the Chanel’s I’ve never been able to get away with. Maybe I need to give it another try….
But you like No. 5, right? So you’ve found a good Chanel to hang your hat on.
I always thought Shalom Harlow was one of the more beautiful models. She beats Keira Knightly with a stick, as far as Chanel perfume models go. I wonder what she’s doing these days.
Yeah, I love No. 5. And Bois des Iles. And No. 22. (Although that one was reformulated, wasn’t it? I don’t love it like I used to.) And Coromandel. But there’s always room for one more!
Geez, Keira Knightly could BE the stick she would be beaten with. Yes, no contest there. I used to collect Chanel perfume ads. I certainly don’t now.
If my memory serves me right, the first ads I ever saw for Coco featured Ines de la Fressange (sp?), with slightly tousled hair and some big strands of costume pearls. And then there were the great ads with Vanessa Paradis in the bird cage.
It is all those things – gorgeous tailored suit and pumps… LBD with sexy shoes and jewelry…. Cozy mohair, cashmere, et. al. sweater and jeans and leather boots… All those things. It just depends on how you wear it.
Great observation!
What a great review, Angela! I have a feeling you’re going to be bringing back a lot of memories today. An elegant little bottle of Coco parfum was my husband’s first Christmas present to me, and what I wore later on my wedding day. Throughout the 80s this was one of my mainstays, along with Fendi, another scent I feel doesn’t get the appreciation it should.
I have a friend who wears Fendi, and it smells marvelous on her. I’ve been telling her she needs to load up on it since it’s discontinued.
I recently rediscovered Fendi – it was my Mother’s and I had it stashed away in my closet. My son LOVES it (he’s a fan of fragrance). I thought I should get a back-up and was shocked to see the prices online.
Too bad about the prices! It wasn’t that long ago you could pick it up for a song at Marshall’s.
You can still find Fendi here and there for a surprise. I found some red tagged Fendi at our local Kmart for $9.99…. But I’ve also recently discovered that the Idole de Lubin smells almost exactly like Fendi, though not quite as strong.
I’ll keep my eyes open for it!
This time of year you can find Fendi in gift sets at drugstores, too. I’ll also be on the lookout for it.
I know! I keep my eye out when I’m there (and TJMaxx).
Oh how I love Coco, it is by far my favorite of the Chanels. Although I appreciate Chanel No. 5 for it is classic and timeless and a milestone in modern perfumery, I just like Coco a whole lot better. Its more approachable, but even sultrier for it. Although it is quite similar to many others, I must say that Coco is not your run of the mill oriental, there’s something that keeps it from being heavy, something airy in its resinous depths. Its still quite potent but less so than many others, I just love it!
Great description! There’s an arctic wind blowing outside my window right now, and Coco sounds perfect.
It IS a good Coco day! What the heck is up with this wind? (Actually, it’s a good “stay at home with a fire going and a good old movie… and wear Coco” day.)
I just ran out fast enough to snag a pork chop, and it’s home the rest of the day for me. Brrr! Your comment above reminded me of Coromandel, and I think that will be the scent of the afternoon for me.
It’s unusually chilly here today, too. I wore Ivoire to work and it was all wrong. Stepped up to the relative warmth of Niki de Saint Phalle for the evening. Can’t wait to try Coromandel! 🙂
Oh, Coromandel is a lot warmer than Ivoire! A lot different, too. Still, this chilly weather calls for something warm.
80s sounds really good to me right now!
You, guys are so lucky to have a cold weather and being able to wear “warm”, “winter” fragrances. I’m in Miami and it is 80s :(((
Oh, Coco is my teenage nostalgia scent as well. When I was 17 someone (probably my aunt) gave me the little mini they had gotten as a gift with purchase (probably at Saks or Lord & Taylor) and I treasured it. I wore just a drop with my “long black” whenever I played a concert (“long black” is female musician shorthand for formal concert wear, which must be both). Now I keep a mini even though I hardly ever wear it — to me it smells ‘fancy’, like something to be worn only when dressed up. But whenever I do dress up, I’m usually going to be spending the evening in relatively close quarters (at dinner, or crammed into one of those way-narrower-than-you-think seats at the Metropolitan Opera or Carnegie Hall) and I hesitate to inflict Coco on those near me. So I wind up just taking it off the shelf to sniff once in a while. But it is wonderful.
It would be a hard one to wear when you’re seated cheek-by-jowl. But I can imagine Coco with jeans and a thick, soft sweater, too.
I always want to wear Coco when I get dressed up too. If I’m going to be in thick company, I just put a tiny dab of it in my cleavage and a tiny dab at the back of my neck. Just enough to be there but hardly noticable unless someone is really close. And I’ve never heard anyone complain – I normally get a lot of compliments when I wear it.
A few dabs sound perfect. I bet the parfum is good for sitting closer to the skin, too.
Harley, I don’t hesitate to inflict a little Coco on my stand partner in the cello section! He loves it as much as I do 🙂
Cello music and Coco: a nice coupling.
Thanks for your review. Recently I have been trying to figure out what perfume I want now that it is getting cold. I have tried all kinds of samples and still haven’t been able to chose. In the meantime, I went and bought a bottle of Coco, thinking it will work for now…..but I forgot how much I love it. Your review was spot on…..welcome back old friend!
It sounds like we had similar experiences! I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.
Forgot to mention, when I picked up the bottle at the department store to smell before I bought it, the saleswomen quickly said “oh no, that is too mature for you”. Funny, I have been wearing it off and on since high school (I’m 35 now).
“Too mature for you”–argh! Although it isn’t a gamine scent, true.
Man, I wish someone would say something like that to me! I never get “too mature for you.” 🙁
I’ve had the air of being 40 ever since I turned 8. I should have been wearing Youth Dew in the baby buggy.
Funny, because I recall actually wearing Youth Dew when I was eight. I’d sneak it out of my mom’s cabinet. She hated it, so she just thought it was funny.
Oh–and forever forty? Yep, me too. My first “real” job when I was 20 or 21, there was apparently a poll going around the office as to how old everyone thought I was. The range? 24 to 40. Thanks, guys.
I get that kind of thing a lot. I’m going to have to come up with a good answer to “how old are you, do you mind my asking?” along with “so, what do you do?”
What a beautiful review! I’ve yet to try Coco; I don’t know why, though, because it sounds right up my alley.
Time to remedy that! Both the EdT and EdP are easy to find. This review is for the EdP.
My high school nostalgia for Coco consists of an utter skank who wore it and sprayed herself in class every day. At least she smelled good.
That’s hilarious! It would probably ruin it for me, though. Once you associate a scent with a particular person, it sure is hard to shake that vision.
I’ve been reading this blog for awhile, and this post finally encouraged me to register. I found NST while living in France and searching for “my” scent. I receive a vial of Coco from the local Sephora and fell in love with it. I later made the connection after seeing the full bottle that it was what my grandma wore when I was younger. Although that might turn someone away from a perfume, it smells great on me. I usually apply two sprays and it’s still not overpowering. I haven’t tried the Parfum, but there is a distinct difference for me between the EDP and the EDT. I do not like the EDT, but the EDP is wonderful on me, and reminds me simultaneously of France, Switzerland (where I was when I was using the sample vial) and my grandma (in a good way; I’m 25 and I do not think this scent is “grandmotherly”)
All that said, I would say it is a bit too much for the late spring/summer and I only really wear it in the fall/winter.
I’m so glad you found Coco again! Maybe it’s in your DNA to wear it since it worked so well for your grandmother. I agree that it would be a migraine inducer in warm weather, though.
There is a very distinct difference between the edt and the edp. I’ve noticed that for many years. I think the edt is lighter and more dusty spices, orange blossom, and light amber, and the edp more thick, orange, floral, and ambery-patch. I have all three versions of it, and although mostly I do agree with you that Coco is a cold weather scent, occasionally I will wear the edt on a cold damp summer day. How nice of you to share your memories of your grandmother.
I agree–my cursory comparison is that the EdP is richer, thicker, smoother than the EdT, and more orangey.
The EDP sounds nicest to me, from what I’m reading here. Ann and Angela — would I bypass some of the aldehydes with the EDP (as compared to the EDT)? I don’t seem to handle the sparkly type of aldehydes well at all. Loved your review, Angela, and your “love letter” response, Ann!
I’m glad you liked the review!
I’d say the aldehydes with the EdP are less sharp and bubbly than the aldehydes with No. 5. They’re there–effusive and poufy–but they’re warmer, fattier.
Hi H – Aldehydes? What aldehydes? LOL. Well, you could have knocked me over with a powder puff a few years ago if you had said there were aldehydes in my Coco. It has a classic Chanel style bergamot/aldehyde/floral opening — really standard oriental structure stuff, but still that Chanel “style” . They are there, but structural only. Nothing like No 5, No 22, etc etc….
Exactly. They’re not the same nose tingling aldehydes you get in No. 5, and I bet lots of people don’t even notice them.
I love your “solid mahogany table” metaphor — beautiful! Can you believe I have never actually tried Coco myself, only smelled it on others? It’s been on the must-try list for about two years now. Your review has kicked it up to the top of the list.
Get down to the mall and give it a spritz! Then let me know what you think.
Oh, I love Coco! Your lovely review reminds me that it was on my FB list for the cooler weather and I have yet to make the purchase.
This summer, when I was in my full-blown mania stage, I headed in to Ulta to sniff some of the classic ELs and Chanels and sniff some of the classic masculines, as well as see if there was anything new and worthwhile. The SA kept trying to steer me towards summer flankers and looked aghast when I gave myself a healthy spritz of Coco (it was over 100 that day). After that, I had to explain my purpose for sniffing and ‘fess up about my FB count – at which time we understood each other perfectly and had a blast sniffing different scents and reminiscing about big, bad 80s scents.
Oh boy, those ’80s scents. Of them, I think Coco stands out in the best way.
It sounds like you had fun at the department store!
I was thinking about being the best in the department store the other day after reading the D & G Rose the One review, as I actually skin tested RtO waiting to buy the cute little Chanel Parfum wardrobe set – in which there is Coco, No 5, No 19, etc etc…. Of all the commonly available mass market fragrances, Coco and No 5 in the Chanel line really do stand out as different and still quality. I suppose there are also a bunch of good ones in the Lauder line too… but year after year, there those classic Chanel’s are available to the masses, and still smelling good!!!
The Chanels are still wonderful, but I hold my breath wondering what reformulation is doing to them. They can’t possibly be the same. And I really see the difference in No. 19.
I know — I worry too. I need to do some batch formula research on Chanels, and try and get some older bottles. I already have a bunch of Coco, but still. You hate to see your favorite ruined. And I am one of the heretics that actually likes the new edt formula of No 19. But I do have some of the No 19 parfum that has that wonderful leathery-vetiver drydown.
Yes, it’s that leather and fullness I miss.
Cute little Chanel parfum wardrobe where??
I’ve seen them at Macy’s. They ARE cute, and not badly priced, either, as I remember.
Macy’s shows the mini wardrobe colletion online but you have to buy it in the store. Nordstrom had them online, but no more. It is a good bargain, as you get about 7 mls of each of 5 Chanel parfums for about $125. It is a good bargain…
It’s at Bergdorf Goodman on-line: http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prodChanel.jhtml?itemId=prod48800007&parentId=cat330901&masterId=cat260803&index=73&cmCat=cat000000cat000006cat260803cat330901
Tama-You can get them at Nordies or Macy’s. It is a lovely set!
It’s interesting to me that your “full-blown mania” occured during the summer because my mania always waxes when it gets cold outside.
Mine too — I have been in full-blown mania since about October, but I need to stifle it a bit so I’ll have money for Christmas gifts!
Isn’t a beautifully scented you gift enough?
Well, of course I think it is! 🙂
Well, this is my first full year of perfumista-hood; plus, the summer was when I started heavily sampling and getting decants – mostly because I’m off work in the summer and have the time. I also had end-of-the-year gift money, a bonus, and birthday money saved up to spend on perfume.
Plus, the a/c is usually so low during the summer here, that it’s not bad to shop in the summer. The Coco actually wasn’t all that overwhelming in the heat either – but I would probably go with the edt or spritz very lightly if I were going to wear it then.
I tend to get more manic about scent in the cool weather, too.
I’m just the opposite. I don’t get manic about *anything* this time of year, being hit with a serious dose of SAD…so I have many more warm weather frags than cold weather ones, despite needing just the opposite.
Oh no! You need cheering up with cheerful fragrances. Happy perfumes. Another good post possibility.
Boojum, sending you a fragrant hug to ward off those winter blues.
And Angela, Happy Perfumes would be a great topic!
Pffft, I hear ya. On the topic of mania, though: last year I tried some serious light therapy and while that really did work like a charm, it was pushing the edge of mania. Might be worth a try all the same.
Great smellies always help, of course 😉
There’s lots of SAD in my town b/c it’s so often overcast, and I have a couple of friends who wake up by light boxes. They swear they help.
Hi Angela!
Coco is one of the fragrances that I always wanted to have, but I ever get delaying buying it to buy in its place other fragrances. I remembered that when I`ve smelled it on a strip i felt like it was a mature, less sweat and more focused on resin version of gaultier 2. Gaultier 2 look totally teenager when I sniffed the complexity and presence of Coco Chanel. Do you know if there`s differences between the EDT and EDP? And what do you think of a man using it? Since I`ll turn 22 in 3 days and I have an auntie that will leave to choose a fragrance as my bday present, this review may turn coco to be finally part of my collection
PS: My milestone was M7. It was the first expensive fragrance that I`ve bought. From niche, I think my purchase milestone was Tom Ford Extreme Man
Hi Rickbr – the edt is much lighter and “powdery” as opoponax is powdery than the edp which is more of a classic rich oriental with a traditional amber-patch trajectory. Both of them have nice floral accords, though the edt tends to be lighter orange blossom and the edp more of a rich orange/mandarin. I do think a man could wear it, though it does have the pronounced floral accords. You may actually want to try the body cream which is much darker than the edt or the edp – perhaps they had to tinker with the formula to get it in the cream? I don’t know, but it always smells much darker to me than the regular edt or edp. The parfum, of course, is a rich version of the same, and maintains the same floral accords. If you think you could wear fragrances such as FM Noir Epices, Guerlain’s Nahema, Amouage Lyric for men or women, Lancome’s Magie Noire, Caron’s Parfum Sacre, etc etc, then you could wear Coco.
Hi Ann! Your description made me want the edt, the edp and the body cream now lol Althought i think the edp is more my style, i love rich orientals with amber & patchouly. Noir Epicees was a great surprise to me, since to my nose it has a chypre spicy vibe that i wasn`t expecting for. About Lyric Men, I don`t if i like it or not, because of its creamy spicy rose is something that looked very close to a natural rose smell, and i like my roses more abstract and creamy, but without doubt is an stunning fragrance.
I don`t know Magie Noire, neither Parfum Sacre nor Nahema, but I wear Kingdom, Nu Edp, Black Cashmere, Gucci Edp, Chaos, Cristalle Edp, among others, so I think I`m not the usual guy rs
Hey, if you can pull off those, definitely try Coco.
Honey … you smell terrific. I love that list! And I agree that Coco would smell great on a man.
I discovered recently that I like a lot opoponax. Fahrenheit Absolute on me has, on it backstage, a sweet, lightly resinous, powdery smell, and I`m sure that is from opoponax, since I`ve used a local fragrance from Boticario, called Dimitri RedVolution, that was centered on opoponax and had a similar smell
Maybe the EdT is a good bet for you, then.
Once I realized that I love opoponax, I almost always love it in any perfume I try it in. Now it is one of my fav, and I find it particularly prominent in the edt of Coco. But you know, I have the edt and edp of Coco because I like them both for different reasons.
I think AnnS describes the difference between the EdT and EdP well. I also think Coco would be good on a man–I really do. It’s worth a try, anyway.
I have been looking for an oriental, a sexy oriental and I always skip over this one because my deceased mother always wore Chanel perfume. Chanel No. 5 and Catherine Deneuve were her scents. I remember smelling Coco last year and even though it’s not No. 5, I still couldn’t get the image of my Mom out of my head when I sniffed it.
While I love and admire my mother, she’s not what I want to think of while I am trying to look, smell and feel sexy ~ LOL! Now reading this great review and all the other comments, I may have to try again with a more open mind this time. Keeping my fingers crossed!
True, smelling like your mom might turn off the sex appeal. But Coco is worth a try, anyway. To me, it’s more elegant than sexy, but elegant can definitely be sexy if played right.
Oh! I adored Coco! It was my first Chanel, I bought a stoppered flacon and wore it all. I have to say, the bottom 1/4 inch was particularly stunning, I wish I could have that again… the vintage bottles I’ve bought (trying to recapture that scent) smell richer and more liquor-like to me, probably just age. Luca Turin I think described it as dated, to which I say, pfffffffft.
Yeah! Another Coco lover! My first bottle was also the pour bottle with the screw on top. When I bought it in that shiny black box, I felt so glamorous. I loved just holding it – it was so minamalist. I wish they still sold that style bottle as Coco really does better from dabbing than spraying. Made it easy to justify buying the cute little parfum bottle, lol.
I once had a Coco bar of soap. It lasted forever, too.
I agree! Yes, with all that resin you get a reminder of the 1980s, but I really feel Coco is a classic. It’s been years and years since I’ve worn it, though.
Dated???? Coco is a glorious gem.!!!!!!!
It’s so nice to see so many fans!
I can appreciate Coco for the classic that it is, but like No 5, I just can’t wear it. I swapped for a bottle several months ago and gave it the college try, but to no avail. Orange blossom is completely unfortunate on my skin; orange combined with the aldehydes is the nail in the coffin. The drydown *is* wonderful, but I can’t make it that far. A friend of mine wears Coco almost exclusively, and it is divine on her. Is it coincidence that she also looks the part: raven curls, womanly figure, bold yet inviting personality? That might be a good poll topic: Does your outward appearance match your taste in perfume?
Great poll possibility!
There are a number of perfumes I like so much but just can’t wear, either, so I’m sympathetic to your plight with Coco.
I have a friend who wears Coco, and her boss ever so subtly told her one day that she is “allergic to cheap perfume.” My friend nearly had a fit. Coco? Cheap? Excuse me? I can only wonder what her boss thinks is good perfume.
I am allergic to cheap people (and I mean cheap on the inside, n’est-ce pas?).
I hear you, sister.
Cheap? How irritating! And presumptuous. The boss would probably say he likes a “simple” perfume, something “natural”. And he probably splashes on the Old Spice.
The boss is female (why that makes it more irritating to me, I don’t know), and I suspect she wears hippie oils, if anything. Cheap? Ya don’t call that cheap?
Cheap on the inside is right, Anne. Who the hell calls someone out for wearing cheap perfume anyway? Cheap is as cheap does.
This is the perfect answer to that kind of attitude:
http://media.cellfish.com/public/2/5/6/87256/420.jpg
I have that magnet on my refrigerator!
That’s perfect!
Yes, I’ve just about had it with China Rain.
Good God. I am emphatically NOT a Coco fan, but it never smelled “cheap” to me. And I don’t think I’d ever ask somebody I worked with to give up their perfume, even if I hated it. (I’d probably ask if they could tone it down a bit until after work, though – and I do mean ASK. Not order, or insult.)
Before I’d ask someone to give up her perfume, I’d be asking certain coworkers to cut down on the use of “awesome dude”, smacking lips once a sentence, chewing with mouth open, etc.
Not coming in smelling like the Marlboro Man or stinking like BO would be nice, too. Can I ask people not to do that? (I know I’m a broken record, but seriously, I think those things are so much worse than a little perfume. Or even a lot of perfume.)
yes yes yes!
Sigh. I wish I had a signature perfume. If I had to pick one, it would probably be Kenzo Flower or else Gaultier Classique; Wait, that’s more than one… see my problem? I can’t be faithful.
Anyway, first “real” perfume, I would have to say Cover Girl (or whoever it was) Navy. Wore that like every day my Freshman year of high school, and the bottle is still about half full!
I know what you mean–it wasn’t long before my search for a signature scent hit a dead end. Maybe a couple of hundred signature scents, o.k.
Oh, Megan, I love kenzo flower. I am actually lemming for the flower essentielle. I think I did the whole signature fragrance thing backwards – I had my HG for about 15 years, and then I opened up the doors. Now I have so much in rotation that I don’ t smell the same one day to the next! I think I’d still be rotating between Coco and about 5 other standard fragrances I’ve had for many years, until the internet, blogs and on-line niche offerings came onto my radar!
You inspired me to dab a little Flower Essentielle from a sample on the back of my hand, and it’s so feminine and warm! Nice.
Yes, it’s a little more polished and flowery than the original Flower which has that wild green sap accord. I was actually wearing No 5 on the day I received my Essentielle sample. I can see the comparison – not so much in the overall smell, but the compact structure is very similar. Esp. that phase when No 5 gets into the rose & jasmine. I was very impressed, and especially like the vanilla-y drydown.
There’s that rush of powder, too, that rises then disappears. I’m just dabbing from a vial–I bet it’s different sprayed.
I still have my 30ml bottle of Coco edp that was given to me in 1985. It only has a bit left, but still smells amazing, even if it suffers from the associations with suburban high school life. Pre-perfumista days my total collection was No. 5, Cristalle, and this rich gem. Now that I’m sniffed hundreds of scents, I remain enamored of these Chanels and most of the rest.
You sound like a real Chanel girl. You must love Les Exclusifs! (I know I love sniffing through them.)
What fun to see Coco getting some love! This was my signature fragrance for a number of years. And by coincidence on Saturday I decided to check it out again after not having worn it for years, and it was great! Then I went online to see if I could any interesting reviews of it, and found it was sadly neglected. What a surprise to see your review (and all the comments) just a few days later.
What a coincidence!
Thanks for the post, Angela. My first “serious” perfume was Cristalle, that I bought before beginning college. My signature fragance is Chanel 19 and I got married wearing Coco, so for me, this scent has great memories.
Another Chanel girl. All such great perfumes!
and I forgot about Allure…. It was March 96. I was in the States, in St. Louis, my husband was attending a physics meeting, and I was there. Allure had been recently launched in the States, and every dept store was filled with the scent. I fell in love with Allure and bought myself a bottle as a “souvenir” from St. Louis. Then I came back to Spain, and for a few months I was the only woman around me wearing the scent that got me sooo many compliments.
Nice! Chanel definitely works well for you!
Dear Angela, wat a lovely review. After reading your article, I need to take a sniff of Coco again. Coco and Shalimar were the first “serious” perfumes I had in the eighties. I also have a special connection to Chanel Cristalle, I have been wearing it on my wedding day.
I’m glad you enjoyed the review! Cristalle is such a crisp, mysterious, lovely scent.
Such a pity…. Coco, Shalimar and I are no friends anymore 🙂
That was the wrong smiley. My PC does not want the correct smiley, ofcourse it has to be one which is sad or whining.
Gotcha 🙁
So funny! A cranky PC.
Hi Angela, I have to correct my opinion. This morning I was shopping for the last Christmas presents and I wanted to try both fragrances again. I could not believe that I really didn’t like them anymore. I went to another small perfume store (the advice is great). First Coco EdP on a paper strip, it smelled great. Than on skin, also great. Than Shalimar EdP on paper strip, too harsh, than EdT on paper strip, that one I liked. Than on the other hand, it smelled like I remembered it. Well I think my nose was a bit cranky last time 🙂 We are friends again 😀 Now I smell of Coco on one side and of Shalimar on the other side.
It’s so nice to welcome back old friends!
Glad you’ve found love for Coco again, Angela. Great when we return to scents we used to wear and get the same satisfaction from it that we had when we first tried it. I mentioned this in another thread, but I recently purchased a bottle of Rive Gauche, a fragrance I LOVED in the early 80’s and hadn’t worn since. Sure, the formulation’s changed a bit, but it still brings back memories. Still and awesome scent.
As for Coco, along with Opium, Cinnabar, Obsession, and the rest of the spicy, heady lot, I could never find an appreciation for them. Mals mentioned this on another blog, and I agreed with her. Something in all of these makes me cringe! Serious scrub action.
On the other hand, I ADORED the original Poison!!!! Haven’t sniffed it in years, though. I’ve heard it’s changed. How I loved that purple bottle…and that POW of a scent. I’m sure I cleared a few rooms with that one. 😉
LOL! And see… I find Coco to be a more subtle, refined, and wearable scent than those other 80s powerhouses. I call them the OOPs frags (Obsession, Opium, and Poison): all room-clearers in my book in even the minutest amounts…and face it, they were rarely applied in minute amounts. 😀 In fact, I never could keep them straight.
I’d sniffed at bottles of Coco before, but never tried it on skin, until Ann was kind enough to send me samples of the edt and edp. I need to spend more time with them, but find them cozy and perfectly wearable in cool weather…something I get a good 5-6 months of at least, here in MN.
LOL at OOPs fragrances! But, you need to amend that to GOOP fragrances – you forgot that industrial strength room clearer, Giorgio.
Nay, I didn’t forget it…I’ve simply never (knowingly) smelled it.
Once smelled, never forgotten, I’ll tell you that much.
I agree. Whew. It’s a stinker, in my opinion.
I agree with gg, it’s distinctive. Giorgio is what scented the halls of my suburban 80’s high school, not Paris or Opium. Exclamation and Sand and Sable were also popular, but the “in crowd” wore Giorgio.
It bothers me less than the other big 80’s room-clearers, though. I smelled a lot of Obsession and Poison while I was in college (late 80’s), and Opium seemed to ruin every movie I paid babysitting money to see (early 80’s) – but Giorgio is HIGH SCHOOL to me, and therefore to be avoided!
I do remember back in the day thinking that Giorgio might have been a pretty scent, if only it could have been dialed down to somewhere around a twentieth of its magnitude.
Boojum – I’m always happy to bring people on over! 🙂 I’m just glad you like it. (I was wearing your old fav Safari today…)
I consider it a serious lack in myself, that I can’t appreciate those resiny things.
I sniffed Coco at the Chanel counter again recently, just to make sure I wasn’t writing it off out of outdated prejudice. Nope: still hate it.
OTOH, I really liked Jungle l’Elephant, in miniscule doses, and I really, REALLY liked the Mercier Minuit Enchante. But in both of those cases, the spices seem to overpower the resins so that I don’t smell much of the resins. And also utterly adore Alahine (my Christmas present from The CEO), where the resiny stuff is just a thread, just a teeny-tiny wisp under the ambery labdanum.
It really does sound like it’s the resins that give you trouble, and not the spices. But in a way that’s good, because you know to steer clear of Youth Dew, for instance.
I like the Jungle L’Elephant too. I wear it in small doses too – it is so dessert-y! And I almost bought the Minuite Enchantee as well, but passed as it smells so much like Mauboussin, and I already have some of that too. But I do actually have trouble with Opium, Youth Dew, Stetson, Sikkim, etc. They all have some sort of very heavy lily, or cardomum, or resin, or something that I have trouble with. I actually was just given an old bottle of Opium from an elderly woman I am aquainted with and no matter how I try, I just can’t wear it!
That’s funny–my bottle of Opium came from the estate of an elderly Italian lady.
I bet you could find a good home for your bottle pretty easily.
Ooh, gimme gimme! I’ll buy it off of you, Ann!
Let’s swap! I’m Kalishka at MUA….
Ohh I LOVE Mercier Minuit Enchante-one spritz lasts forever and wears very well in cooler weather. It’s currently 34 degrees in SF. I can’t believe we actually had frost on the ground this morning!
I’m so glad it’s working out for you! I’m wearing Bel Ami right now, but my backup choice would be Minuit Enchante for sure.
30 degrees here in the South Bay! I’m wearing Bois de Paradis to warm me up.
You adored Poison and shunned the rest? Well. I guess even though Poison is loud, there’s something different in it than the others. It’s been years since I’ve tried Poison, too, come to think of it.
Karin – I regret a million times over that a number of years ago I got rid of a barely used bottle of Rive Gauche I picked up in Paris in the early 90s. I smelled it on a woman who just smelled fantastic, but I could never make it work for me. I would love to smell it again now that my nose is more developed.
That’s happened to me, too. I traded away a 100 ml bottle of Noir Epices about 5 years ago, and I’ve been shaking my head over it since.
Ack! Thud. Not Noir Epices!!… Oh, I will lament with you. I discovered NE this year, and just think it is amazing.
I know! I know! I’m such a dummy. Hopefully whoever has it now loves it.
I’ve had kind of the opposite experience with Rive Gauche. Out of curiosity I sniffed it in a dept store recently and was transported back int he 80s. Someone I knew, (or maybe it was several people) must have worn it, but I was darned if I could remember who but it was. I must not have liked this person – whoever it was – because despite RG’s great beauty, it brought back bad memories. I would love to wear it, and would buy it like a shot ‘cos it’s not too expensive, but, well, I just can’t. It’s a strange feeling – having a bad association without knowing why.
There’s the power of fragrance for you.
I don’t think I’ve ever smelled Coco, but sign me up for a sniff if it’s really like “a solid mahogany table rubbed with orange oil and topped with a vase of fresh flowers and a hot cup of milky chai.”
I need a sample. Oh, Ann….?
Well, give it a try, and YOU tell ME if it’s like a mahogany table etc. etc. It’s a good one to have in your scent vocabulary, anyway.
…Yes? LOL! Well, Joe, if you adore that Sikkim and that amazing Noir Epices, you do indeed need to test Coco. Unless something is terribly out of whack with your sniffer, I’d say it would be at least very OK with you. They could all be sisters, esp. the Noir Epices!
Never tried Coco, but after reading your wonderfully evocative review, I surely would like to! I’m sitting in a chilly (one of those days when the office building’s heat has just decided not to work…charming) and darkening office (oh, December), Coco sounds so comforting and delightful.
No building heat! And they’re still making you work? Yikes!
Chene is another great one for the cold. So warming.
Chêne for warmth — now THAT I can chime in and agree on. Love it.
Still haven’t tried that one, and really thought I wanted to, but have yet to meet a SL that really works on me. There were a couple maybes, but they were displaced by yeses that met the same need.
Chene isn’t much like the other Serges–or at least I don’t think so. It’s not particularly spicy (except for that perfect pinch of cumin mimicking a fire) and is fairly linear.
I’ve also yet to find my Serge, not that I’ve had the opportunity to try more than a couple so far…but Chene sounds appealing (Angela has a way of making *everything* sound so wonderful :))!
There are so many appealing–at least to me–Serges. I really do love Chene, but then I also love so many of the others. Have fun trying them!
Chene is wonderful. Now, when I’m walking the dog and smell wood smoke on an autumn evening, instead of thinking “fireplaces” I think “Chene”.
See, and to me it’s not what I’d call smoky at all… just warm, rich, and slightly honeyed woods.
Oh, I agree with you. To me, Chene isn’t smoky, but it smells just like the fire that makes the smoke. I remember once sitting next to a friend’s fireplace that drew really well–no smoking at all (unlike mine, unfortunately). I could smell the wood heat with its cumin-y edge. Just like Chene. Not piney, not smoky, just pure burning wood.
I always have a bottle of Coco available to wear on chilly days and just when I feel like wearing it. Its such a classy fragrance.
I agree. Classy is a great word for it.
My kid sister wore Coco for years – I wonder if I could ever wear it without thinking I was in her skin? It is very pretty – I should give it a shot.
I have the same issue with YSL Paris and my older sister… particularly since it’s such a sillage monster.
Oh yeah. I could definitely see that.
It’s so hard once a fragrance is associated in one’s mind with a particular person. But, your sister–could be good!
Really enjoyed your review Angela with my cup of tea after a hard day at the office. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I don’t think I’ve ever even smelled Coco, much less worn it. I can’t even think why not. I’ve recently been swayed to Chanel by our resident chief enabler, and have ordered myself a bottle of Cuir de Russie, so this may be next!
One nice thing about Coco is that it’s easy to find. As much as I love niche and vintage scents, tracking them down takes time (and money!).
I bought a bottle of Coco with my last salary as a full-time employee (thereafter I worked freelance) in November 1985. I adored it and I am told it suited me very very well, but after several years it started ‘bothering’ me and I stopped using it. It still does when I happen to sniff it. No idea what tiny molecule is the culprit. I still think it’s a wonderful fragrance.
Too bad it didn’t work out on your skin! It’s nice to associate a fragrance with a particular time, though, or person or event. Hopefully Coco’s memories are good.
I might still be wearing it – 24 years later – if it had carried on being nice on me.
Yes, the memories associated with it are *very* good ones. 🙂
Good! (I sense a story there….)
Oh, my Aunt loved Chanel No.5 and 19. Unfortunately, none of the Chanels work out on me.
None at all? Well, I guess so much the better for your pocketbook, anyway.
This summer I won a couple of Chanel parfum mini collections on eb*y which I pursued mainly for the sake of stockpiling no5 and especially no22 (figured I could always sell the other scents if they didn’t speak to me, right?) It seems the weather is right for sampling the Coco, so I should get to it! Surprisingly, I don’t think I ever tried it– maybe the 80’s rep scared me off.
My own onetime signature fragrances were first, Aliage, then the original Chloe. I still enjoy Aliage in hot weather; Chloe is still beautiful but feels like something I’ve grown out of. It evokes happy memories, but isn’t who I am now.
I had a stretch of infatuation with Chloe a long time ago. That’s another one I should revisit. Have you tried it lately? I’m guessing I wouldn’t feel the same way about it much now, but who knows?
I love Coco and just bought a full bottle a few weeks ago. Perfect for winter. Warm, spicy, loveliness.
You’re all stocked up for the winter! Sounds great.
i have been fascinated with Coco ever since I was a Teenager. My mom would not let me wear it, she felt it was too mature for me.
When I went away for school I met a girl my age who wore Coco – she was one of these nicely groomed, minor nobility ladies that wore blazers and turtlenecks (this was Europe, so they are not really that rare there), excelled at track and still had a bit of a loud mouth (her nanny must have been a slacker), worldly and popular.
That’s what I wanted to be too, so I went and got my first bottle of Coco. Looking back, I do realize how silly that all is. But, whenever I have to feel extra grown up, I will probably wear some Chanel. BdI for work, Cristalle if I have to appear smart (or have to think really hard), Coco for the been-there-done-that attitude.
My journey down the rabbit hole of perfumania started with the 12 pc sample set of the Exclusifs from TPC. And I am still chuckling about the comment that $6000 is an amount most people will never spend on perfume in a lifetime. Jolly!
Coco has so many stories associated with it. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a book called “Coco”, and each chapter could be a different story? Yours would fit right in. I can see the characters right now.
I wore Coco in college and my boyfriend at the time tracked me down in a study room from its sillage. True story. Powerful stuff that Coco!
Wow! Good thing you were the only woman wearing Coco. Lord knows where he might have ended up otherwise…
Ha! I just saw this reply Angie. So true. He was that kind of guy too 😉
Just this week I was at the Saks perfume counter waiting for the SA to ring up my purchase when I commented to a gentleman that his choice of perfume, a bottle of Coco was excellent. Do you know he said, “all this for smelly water”. My response was not at all this is work of art and worth every penny. Can you image that?
“Smelly water” or not, he clearly thought it was worth it or he wouldn’t be buying it! I wonder if he was buying it for himself? Or maybe it was for someone else and your comment was encouraging for him.
Hmm … I wonder if he was buying it for someone, but resented the necessity.
I recall being at a fragrance counter last Xmas and observing a man gesturing to the shelf and saying to a SA: ‘Can ya get me that bottle of Bulgari there – yeah, the big one.’ Seemed like it was the regular Xmas present, and the bigger the bottle the better.
I like that! I can see it exactly. I hope he wrapped it with pride. (Come to think of it he probably took it to the gift wrap counter.)
Brilliant article, very captivating, almost relatable if i wasn’t a guy 😉
I think I guy could totally pull it off…
Sounds fabulous. At the end of last week a friend of mine told me that she always gets comments if she wears Coco. I haven’t tried it recently – but just might pop out later today to give it a quick test. Heavenly.
It’s such an easy one to find, that just about any department store should have it for a quick sampling. Let me know what you think!
Thank you for the wonderful review! I have had a long love affair with Coco, and hope to be in love with it for many more years to come.
I’m glad it’s worked out well for you!
OMG when I see this add I am down and out (do you say so?!) to got and re-buy it. I sold it after a really bad split, also the Coco Mlle I used to wear at that time.
I loved Coco for it reminds me of rich cashmere and smokey whiskey casks.
Now for the later I bought Coco Mlle as an extrait and gave my mom No. 5 as an extrait also (thanks to duty free!) Since that I think one should splurge the money on Chanel extraits, but I also observed the lasting power of the EdP are better and they are more tangy, what I usually like better.
I just love this small bottles of extrait, they give me the feeling of pure luxury. Small and sensual jewels.
I would love the edginess of Chanel No 5 EP as an extrait. Sigh.
I bet the bottles of extrait really are like jewels–when I see their cut, like a baguette diamond (I think, not being a diamond expert), they certainly are gem like.
Who knows? Maybe Chanel will release an Eau Premiere extrait someday.
Oh sorry, I did not mean split, I mean break-up. Oops my english is sometimes a bit weird. A bad break-up that still haunts me sometimes.
Oh! Well, that changes things. A bad break up can sour a lot of things: perfume, music, places. Maybe it’s time to get some more Coco and infuse it with good memories!
I love Coco, it’s one of my favorites to wear when it’s cold. Chanel is one house I have a beloved history with. My grandmum wore Chanel No 22, Chanel No 5 was my first gift from a boy. I still remember opening the gift box to the tune of Christmas songs, smelling the pine tree mingled with Chanel No 5 and my mother’s cinnamon buns baking. Wearing it during the holidays always gives me comfort and takes me back 25 (or so…) years.
I’ve tried different concentrations, but with Chanel, I prefer the edt formulations in most of their scents. For some reason, the Coco extrait gets too sweet which surprises me as it is supposed to have Civet in the base?
It’s good you like the EdT best, since it’s the most reasonably priced!
I’m sure the modern parfums don’t have any real civet, but you’d think any kind of civet-like smell would skank the sweetness right out of it.
Angela I have to say: THANK YOU!!! Had it not been for your review of this I would not have even picked up a bottle of Coco to test yesterday at the mall. Chanel and I do not have an easy relationship. I do have a bottle of the No. 5 Eau Premiere, but on prior testing none of the others worked for me. I love orientals and your review compelled me to re-try Coco. It was love at first sniff and a 60ml refillable bottle now adorns my dresser!! It didn’t hurt that the store was having a promotion where all fragrance purchases of $75 or more received $15 off. This fragrance wraps itself around me like a luxurious cashmere scarf. Perfect for the cool weather. Thanks again Angela!!
You’re welcome! It sounds like you got a good deal, too. Now you will always associate this holiday season with Coco–not a bad thing at all!
I’d like to add my thanks too. I also re-tried Coco on the basis of Angela’s lovely review and the many, many fascinating comments which suggested that this is a truly great fragrance. I’ve tried it a few times in the department stores but I must have been too hot and hurried (as one often is in shopping malls!) because it did not appeal.
This time I got a partly used mini of the EDP on ebay. Beautiful, just beautiful. I will go for a full bottle once I have recovered from Xmas, probably the EDP, but if I love a perfume enough I do buy it in multiple forms
I love Coco’s intimacy – it feels as if it is there entirely for me. It’s like meeting a cat that cuddles you at first acquaintance, as if you were the friend they have always been searching for.
Thanks to Angela and AnnS and all those folk who shared their knowledge their knowledge of Coco.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you found a fragrance to love, especially in winter. I adore your comparison of Coco to a friendly cat, too.
I also love the cat reference. I’m really pleased to have discovered this review, overlooked it at the time. Incidentally, my little Siamese cat adored Coco (along with No 5, Allure and Coco M.). She died a few weeks ago. I’m really sorry I didn’t use these scents more often for her to enjoy.
Now I’m revisiting Coco. Somehow I stopped wearing it some time ago because Opium seems superior. On the other hand, Coco is more wearable while Opium requires an event.
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat! I lost two cats the year before last, and I still miss them (although I did add the charming tuxedo cat Mae West to the fold.) Now everytime you wear Coco you can think of your darling cat.
Thanks for that kind comment! It must have been hard to lose two cats in a year. I love the name Mae West!
We’ll get a little Gandalf next week to keep Pandora company. The dead one was called Luthien – Tolkien fan. Coco is a lovely way to remember her.
In the future I’ll keep in mind you’re a cat lover when reading your reviews.
Finally sniffed this today, after reading much praise. What a gorgeous fragrance it is. Sweeter, fruitier, and slightly spicier than my current Chanel fave, Coco Mademoiselle, which seems almost stuffy and soapy in comparison. It’s also the more overtly feminine of the two, in my opinion; Mademoiselle has that musky-patchouli-whatever going on that makes me thing of a old-school men’s oriental. And thank you for mentioning the orange note, which made a lightbulb go off in my head – of course! That’s the sweet fruity thing I couldn’t put my finger on!
Coco makes me thing of stewed plums and mulled wine with orange peel, but your mahogany table imagery is perfect, too. Just a lovely fragrance, and I cannot fathom its ’80s-powerhouse reputation – it’s too warm, inviting and friendly to be lumped in with the likes of Giorgio and Poison. And unlike Mademoiselle, which even I admit grows a bit tiresome after a while, Coco just smells better and better the longer it sits on skin. My birthday is tomorrow (25…oy), and I think I may put whatever gift money comes my way toward a bottle.
Happy birthday! Coco would be a very fine birthday present, if you ask me. 25 is the age where confidence begins to catch up to chic, which leads to real style. Coco would be a terrific complement to that.
I love Chanel. it is for me the epitome of chic, class and French style. Coco is the perfume that defines the spirit of the House of Chanel. This is the fragrance I imagine Coco Chanel would have wanted to wear, but alas, Jacques Polge was not quite there yet when she was looking for a signature scent , so she had to chose No. 5.
Coco is a tribute to Mademoiselle Chanel and I pay this tribute to her every time I wear it. It was my first Chanel scent and I bought it with my own money (hard currency, mind you, just in 1990 after the fall of the communist regime in my country). It has because of that a deeper significance than just a fragrance: it is attaining the unattainable, as owning foreign currencies before 1990 was forbidden and most luxury items were almost impossible to obtain, even if you had money. My first bottle was a EDT and I was in Heaven! I was 22 years old and this perfume just vibrated on my skin. I can’t imagine what people passing me by in the street must have felt when smelling this perfume.
I left this scent aside for a while because I got lost in a world of scents that was there for me to discover and I did discover yet another scent from Chanel that will stay on my top list of preferences forever: Allure. So now I own Allure, Coco and Eau Premiere, all in EDP form, all of which I wear for different occasions, depening on my state of mind (and soul). Whenever I wear Coco I have to wear red lipstick, too.
I hope this fragrance will never be discontinued because it would be such a shame. Mademoiselle, wherever you are, you can rest easy because your heritage lives on.
Wonderful! It’s so nice when a perfume means more than simply its fragrance–as beautiful as that fragrance may be. You make me want to run to my sample of Coco now!
I just bought a 60ml bottle tester of CoCo perfume for the misses. After reading some of the comments here I very excited to find out how much she will like it. It does smell very warm and heavenly. Will report as soon as I get sufficient evidence.
I hope she loves it!
Yes, she likes it alot and I like it on her too especially when we are in bed.
After reading these comments I immediately went out and bought a bottle of the EDP. I don’t know why I never tried it before…LOVE IT!
I even had a vial of the pure perfume in my collection. A very warm and skin scent on me.
That’s terrific! Having the parfum is a real boon, too. Enjoy!
I’ve only just discovered the lotion. I love the simplicity of the bottle. The scent is not too heavy if I only put it on my arms and maybe a leg, and for the rest of the day I’m totally in love with myself. Although the scent was created in the eighties, Coco makes me think of something slightly older women, those with a sophistication acquired from travel, and maybe a few lovers, would have worn very lightly as an everyday scent.
Lotion is such a great way to wear fragrance–it’s all over, and it’s subtle. I like your characterization of Coco!
I just acquired a bottle of Coco Chanel and yes. Definitely the inside of worn leather boots. I don’t get the hype of this one, even if it is old hype. Is worn leather boots a good smell? I’m straining to find something good about this scent. It did smell much sweeter when I first sprayed it but now I smell like, well, old shoes. Does this perfume get funky as it ages…? Because I have no idea how old this bottle I have actually is.
Oh, I think it’s a good smell! Coco isn’t particularly funky to me, though, and even older Coco I’ve smelled has been more spicy than funky.
Hi Angela.
You know, I have always loved the way Coco smell. I just can’t express with words what it makes me feel.
It reminds me of the wonderful 80’s but it never smells dated or mature for me. Just, gorgeous and heavenly intoxicating.
And your review made me have very daring thoughts.
It was too unfair that only women could wear it until one day I went crazy and tested it on me.
It was love at first sniff!
The EDP climbed to my head with a burst of tangerine-orange mixed with cloves that reminded me of my granny’s Christmas fruit cake. Great thing for me.
Then it evolved into rose, but not the regular old fashioned rose, a gorgeous and different rose with cinnamon and ylang-ylang.
I was just in paradise!
Then I had to stop smelling my arm since people were looking weird at me ( don’t want to imagine my face! ).
Thirty minutes later, I wanted to smell all that glorious perfume again and there was the moment I felt under the spell of Coco.
Amber, vanilla, sandalwood, resins, dried prunes, rum.
It was the most unique and perfectly blended perfume I had ever tried!
I had to have it for me regardless of the gender label.
You know, life happens only once and there is no reason to keep from wearing the most perfect fragrance ever.
Well, my partners at the office loved the way it smelled on me and I just loved it even more.
I wear it only during the evenings specially from December to February, our coldest months.
Coco doesn’t smell old or ladysh on me. It just reminds me of my beloved granny’s fruit cake soaked in gorgeous rum.
Coco makes me feel happy, really happy and it will stay among my perfumes forever.
Maybe it is not for everyone, but when it matches with your skins chemistry is a match made in heaven.
It sounds like you truly have found the perfect fragrance for you! That’s wonderful. I agree–there’s no reason to get caught up in “gendering” for fragrances. Lord knows I wear plenty of fragrances advertised for me. If you love the EdP, you’ll have to try the parfum sometime!
Wow Angela, that sounds great. But you know what?
Im big fan of Dior Homme (the whole line that I will comment later on on the right review), and I have leyered my beloved Coco with the new Dior Homme Parfum.
It takes Coco to another level, it smells more woodsy, darker and smokey with a hint of chocolate.
I hardly ever do it, because I enjoy pure Coco, but sometimes I like to make experiments and get good results.
I will get Coco Parfum next June when I will travel for my birthday. Its waaayyy better at the duty free since my country Costa Rica, is very expensive to buy perfumes.
And do you know something funny? I just found out that my dad steals Chanel N5 from my mom and that was why he always smelled so good.
Now I got Eau Premiere for me and N5 and they are so good on me. Such dad, such son.
But Coco is still my number one.
Gotta comment on those two (and others) in a while. I love this site!!
I’m so glad you like Now Smell This!
I never thought about layering Dior Homme and Coco, but now I’m intrigued.
I agree, it is a big scent, hence the reason that a little dab will do ya. It’s definitely sexy, though.
Whenever I wear it, I want to dress like the model in the picture – find a little black dress, and swipe a couple of layers of red lipstick and knock ’em dead.
And you will!