I’m on a Chanel kick, you know, ever since I got a bottle of No 5 Eau Premiere in a swap a couple of months ago. I’ll tell you all about it soon. Ah, what utter snobbery – I only want to wear Chanel now! Give me more, more!!!
This one though… this one is hard to pin down. I tried long to put into words what Coco Edp smells like, and then it hit me: like rich Russian woman going to church. You know, with her Louis Vuitton handbag (or Michael Kors, maybe), gold earrings, silk scarf around her head, wearing furs in winter… She’s been to a hair salon, she’s sprayed herself with No 5 earlier in the day, and now all that mixes with the smell of candle wax, flowers and incense. Don’t get me wrong, Coco does not smell like the church itself – that’s Opium, you know. Coco is this gorgeous expensive woman standing next to you. She’s lot softer, more feminine than Opium, but still distantly related. I’m not too liberal with fantasy here as the Chanel webpage says this perfume was inspired by the Baroque style and Byzantine jewellery…
Some people say Coco hasn’t aged well, and 80s is written all over her. I would dare to disagree – she’s a classic. Just like her older sister No 5, she’s not for everyone, but nothing here screams 80s to me. She could be niche for all I know.
Let me just get down to the notes:
Top notes: Sicilian Mandarin, coriander, peach, rose
Middle notes: cloves, jasmine, ylang ylang, orange blossom
Base notes: Pachouli, tonka, benzoin, sandalwood, vanilla
There are much more notes than that, like civet and labdanum, and who knows what else, but I think we are all getting the picture. Each nose picks up different facets of this, I dare say, masterpiece, and for me it definitely opens with a strong blast of clove, coriander and peach; some reviewers have likened this to apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, and it does have that sour touch, but so well in tune with the florals, vanilla and powder that it never feels actually sour, or overly dry. To me Coco doesn’t strike as particularly powdery either; what stands out to me is a very clean spice note that kind of stings your nose throughout the whole development of the perfume. It must be the clove.
As hours pass, Coco softens into a most feminine, delicious sandalwood, tonka and vanilla perfume without losing the clove bite. She’s mature, sexy and strong. Gosh, I’m so obsessed with this perfume right now! I actually went to the Plaza Catalunya Sephora on 3 separate occasions to try it before I decided to ask for a sample. The very generous sales rep gave me 2, and sprayed me at least 5 times with the juice, so I left the place literally reeking of Coco, happy as Larry, and looking for a red lipstick to match the mood. Any Chanel requires a red lip, in my opinion (with the exception of the more casual Chance line). It will be a perfect winter companion to your cashmere roll-neck and nice fluffy scarf that’ll hold the smell of Coco for days and days…
So who should wear Coco eau de parfum? And on what occasion? Definitely somebody who isn’t afraid to stand out. Coco gives you a mature, mysterious aura that is both sensual and business-like. You can spray moderately and still go to that board meeting, or you can wear it to the theatre, dinner, cocktail party. What the heck, I’ll be wearing it to work because because it makes me feel like a million bucks. Coco should be worn by a powerful woman who knows what she wants in the office, at the dinner table, and in her relationship. Don’t pair it with jeans and t-shirt, though. Remember that rich Russian woman? She wouldn’t do that!
For something that retails at around 80 euros per 50 ml, Coco has excellent longevity and projection – yes, even the reformulated one lasted me a good 8-10 hours. Do I recommend it? Yes, for sure. Just test before you buy 😉
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