I might as well admit it, I originally disliked Chanel Coco. I will be up front about that because now I won’t be separated from it. Coco is a good case for retesting a fragrance: more compliments have come my way with Coco than with any other fragrance. Although created almost 30 years ago in 1984, Coco is far from being dated. It is an outgoing, definite statement scent, not a wallflower. It is a fragrance from the time when women adopted a signature perfume as bold style accessories. Consider Coco an adornment, a piece of jewelry, the finishing touch.
Classic Chanel scents reveal themselves through mists of aldehydes that always to my nose make a Chanel perfume smell high concept. They are tailored even when they are meant to be sexy, as is the case with Coco. The top notes are bright and brassy with ripe, fruity aldehydes, mandarin peel, and macerated raisins. These notes ignite as if flambéed.
A whiff of sweet liqueur fumes might remind some of a flambéed dessert involving raisins and oranges. These burn off quickly and disappear into a sensational floral heart composed of carnation, jasmine, and dried rose petal. And those spices! The clove and cinnamon sizzle…politely. Beneath, amber begins to radiate and glow. It is sweetly and not overly spicy, with a thin hint of leather.
Coco was launched at the time when Yves Saint Laurent Opium, Estée Lauder Cinnabar, KL were the popular trend in the so-called Oriental fragrances. These opulent perfumes breathe a rush of hot spice over roses, carnations, vanilla, tonka bean, and amber. They are intense perfumes that rode the disco era into the Big Eighties.
Coco was the last of these scents, coming seven years after Opium and not, like Cinnabar (1978) or KL (1982), traveling Opium’s South China Sea trade route. Although taking cues from the citrus opening and central carnation accord of Opium and its sister scents, Coco confronted the trend with a wetter, fruitier approach and something—in EDT—burnished and metallic. Instantly, Coco made KL and Cinnabar seem like pressured conformists, while Coco finished off the trend with an elegance encrusted with Big Eighties gilt.
I have tried Coco in all its permutations, including a superlative dry-oil spray that is now long discontinued. Somehow, over the years, the distance between it and me disintegrated and it is now my winter staple, especially around Christmas when colder weather causes its ambery notes to melt and warm on the skin. Its lasting power is legendary—a spritz lasts a day and beyond.
I’ve read comments about Coco that would have it being a beautiful relic of a vanished age, a fragrant documentary of the Big Eighties. One dab of the parfum—it glows—will dispel that notion. The drydown is impossibly rich and alluring, with hints of leather and labdanum smoothed around the corners. Coco, unlike the other Orientals of its era, is a wordless scent. You simply stop and stare at its beauty.
95 Comments
Ari: Suzanna, you make Coco sound wonderful. Unfortunately, I’m still stuck in the “don’t like it” phase! It’s really too floral for me, and not spicy enough. I have high hopes for the upcoming Coco Noir! July 31, 2012 at 8:40am
Suzanna: Ari, I am looking forward to Coco Noir as well! I suspect I may have to purchase a bottle. July 31, 2012 at 11:21am
Parfumista: I have also received lots of compliments wearing Coco. Haven’t worn it in the latest years but definitly will this autumn for it’s own and to compare with the new Coco Noir which launch I’m really looking forward to. I own the EDP version in late 1990s formulation. Do you know if Coco has going through any radical reforumlations or is the current versions close to the originals? When I tested the EDP in a perfumeshop I experienced it as weaker than my own older version. July 31, 2012 at 8:45am
Suzanna: Parfumista, perfumes are always undergoing reformulation. Anything vintage is going to smell different, if not because of reformulation than because of concentration of the notes. Your own older version may have gotten richer over time. July 31, 2012 at 11:23am
eminere: Oh Shalom Harlow you gorgeous creature. July 31, 2012 at 9:08am
Suzanna: Eminere, indeed! What a fabulous ad this was. July 31, 2012 at 11:21am
rosarita: Suzanna, thanks for your lovely review. I fell in love w/Coco when it first was released. I was a restaurant manager at that time & we were short staffed, so I waited on a table of business men who tipped me $100; almost unheard of. I took my windfall to Foley’s the next day and bought a bottle of Coco edt; at a party that same evening I met my husband, so Coco is very special to me and I have worn it all these years. I’m really looking forward to sampling Coco Noir! July 31, 2012 at 9:12am
Suzanna: rosarita, what a wonderful story! Thanks so much for sharing it and letting us know what makes Coco so special for you. July 31, 2012 at 11:23am
Tracy: Love the story about the big tip and meeting your husband! About Noir, tried it, loved it, but it feels so riche and dressy that I felt underdressed trying it on! (I was in gym clothes) July 31, 2012 at 2:01pm
Suzanna: I just know this is going to shoot to the top of my wishlist. The only hesitation is that it won’t be sold where I live! July 31, 2012 at 10:59pm
solanace: what a nice story! July 31, 2012 at 7:18pm
Victoria: What a beautiful story, Rosarita! I can just imagine how many nice memories Coco brings back to you. August 1, 2012 at 5:04am
Maureen: I love Coco…my late husband bought it for me in the 80’s, and I would always wear it for him. I am so looking forward to the new release, Coco Noir. July 31, 2012 at 9:33am
Suzanna: Maureen, I’m glad so many of us are looking forward to Coco Noir. It’s so hard to get excited about a new launch these days, but this one is special! July 31, 2012 at 11:24am
solanace: My exact feelings, Suzanna. Hope they don’t spoil that gorgeous bottle with some stupid coco mademoiselle flanker. July 31, 2012 at 7:19pm
Suzanna: solanace, I have my fingers crossed that the new flanker will be excellent. Chanel seems to do great flankers of their classic scents. July 31, 2012 at 7:37pm
Anne Sheffield: Coco was my grand mother scent with Jardins de Baguatelles. And those parfumes hold a spécial and emotional place in my hart. I have never really been able to wear them but love now and them to have a go and travel in the lovely memories of my beautiful grand mother. I will never forget, being 7 or 8 years old and opening her beauty cabinet and reading the words “coco” on the elegant bottle. And the immediate disappointment after I sprayed myself with it and realised it didn’t smell at all of coco (was totally expecting coconut!). But once my grand mother had calmed down (over me spraying heavily her dear scent) and the heady perfume had dry down, I felt this alluring and comforting warmth from it. Guess that s when I started to love perfumes. Anne July 31, 2012 at 10:07am
Suzanna: Anne, yours is another lovely story! I can see where a child might mistake for coconut–and it’s pretty far from that, isn’t it!
I love the idea of a grandmother who wore Coco. How modern! July 31, 2012 at 11:25am
fleurdelys: I definitely agree that you have to re-test fragrances you’ve previously dismissed. There have been several instances where I’ve tried a fragrance again after a long time and fallen in love! Femme is one of those, and so is White Linen. I didn’t like Coco at first try, but your description makes it sound so delicious I’ll have to re-visit it. July 31, 2012 at 10:17am
Suzanna: fleurdelys, I had the same reaction to Femme. But when I started wearing it, I got lots of compliments. In fact, on my birthday a few years ago I went to buy a new bottle of perfume (a special annual trek) and I was wearing Femme. The SA said, Why would you want to buy something new when you are wearing that wonderful scent?
I went home and bought Femme lotion instead!
Hope you enjoy Coco! July 31, 2012 at 11:27am
Absolute Scentualist: Agreed on the re-testing a fragrance point. I somehow got two samples of Coco, one the edt and one the edp. I dabbed the edt and wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It was *okay*, but didn’t grab me and I promptly put it aside for other things. And then a couple months later on a crisp autumn day while I was hanging curtains, I sprayed on some of the edp and was enchanted. It blended so beautifully with the cool crisp morning air and was like wrapping myself in a warm, spicy perfumed blanket. I fell in love and swapped for a bottle from the late ’90s and am sooo glad I did. It took a while for me to figure it out and find the magic there, but once I did, I could never be without it. A friend of ours even asked for a decant because she smelled it on me and loved it so much so I had to share. Count me in among those anxiously awaiting the release of Coco Noir. Oh, and Coco in extrait is just gorgeous! July 31, 2012 at 10:58am
Suzanna: I was going to buy extrait since I have run out, but then I read the news about Coco Noir. Hmmmm.
Incidentally, I wear both EdT and EdP and like both equally well, for different reasons, but I didn’t used to like EdT at all. July 31, 2012 at 11:28am
Absolute Scentualist: I got to try a dab of the extrait from a Chanel Fragrance Wardrobe once (it wasn’t mine sadly) and it was just beautiful. Here’s holding out hope Coco Noir comes close. 🙂 July 31, 2012 at 7:08pm
Suzanna: Absolute Scentualist, I honestly think I will save my pennies for the extrait, and get Noir later if it is good. Extrait is so special. July 31, 2012 at 7:39pm
OperaFan: Oh Suzanna – Coco!
Coco was my first Chanel, purchased duty-free on a trans-continental flight. I wanted a classic bottle and back then, the 50ml edp splash (@$60) seemed a better deal than the .25oz perfume (@$80). Well, the bottle sat on the dresser, barely used for over 15 years (I chose it over No.5 because a friend I admired had a bottle sitting on her dresser). Occassionally I’d open the bottle for a sniff and a dab – always too strong, too spicy, too tenacious, too – everything.
I think that maturity and confidence over the years have contributed to my growing fondness for this incredible beauty. So much that I recently bought a bottle of extrait to compliment the edp, and now considering the addition of matching body products.
Coco is no relic – I think it’s a true classic, but you do need the confidence to carry it off. July 31, 2012 at 11:21am
Suzanna: OperaFan, the body products are sublime. Ask V.; I’m a great enabler and I will vouch for them with a great enthusiasm. The body cream is so luxurious–a perfume unto itself. The soap is discontinued, so grab it (ULTA has it) while you can. Shower gel is lovely…lotion…
You will swoon! July 31, 2012 at 11:30am
OperaFan: LoL – Enabler – You certainly do live up to your claim! August 1, 2012 at 9:45am
Suzanna: I feel it is my duty to inform fellow perfume lovers of the discontinuation of the Coco soap! Otherwise, I would not be doing my job! August 1, 2012 at 4:20pm
Rina: Coco was my signature scent all through college and what I wore when I found my DH. I still have some of that wonderful dry oil! As a matter of fact, ALL my Coco is vintage, since I had moved on before the reformulations. I’ve started thinking about it again (I see the bottles every morning!) and will be trying the Noir. Maybe it’s time to revisit when the Fall comes…All this COCO talk recently, I see it as a SIGN!! 🙂 Suzanna, how do you think it is now vs. then? Better? Worse? Different? July 31, 2012 at 11:32am
Suzanna: Rina, I roll with the punches, perfume-wise. Coco is just as wonderful to me today as it was years ago–my tastes have def. evolved into less baroque and dense interpretations, so if something isn’t quick so thick and complex it’s fine with me so long as the overall signature hasn’t changed. Coco has not!
I’m glad you know the dry oil! I wish they would make it again. July 31, 2012 at 11:36am
Victoria: I agree, Suzanna. I compared it the other day, since I have an older bottle of Coco here and a perfumery selling Chanel isn’t too far away. You can definitely smell a difference comparing them side by side. The sandalwood accord smells less creamy, the musk is different, etc., but overall it’s still Coco. I would imagine that those who wore it in the past and are only now rediscovering it again might be taken aback by the differences, but I wouldn’t call it ruined or defaced (those words I save for some of Dior’s reformulations of their classics). July 31, 2012 at 11:45am
Rina: Thank you both! That gives me hope if I become hooked again 😉 July 31, 2012 at 11:54am
Victoria: I would love for Chanel to bring back its wonderful dry oil. It was the main form in which I wore Coco, and I regret it being discontinued. July 31, 2012 at 12:07pm
Diana: That dry oil!! I have half a bottle left that I save for very special occasions and when I need that luxurious comfort. I love it so much! September 5, 2022 at 10:52am
Nancy A.: I happened to mention in an earlier response that Coco always agreed with me and to those who offered up many compliments. It’s warmth and depth still draws me back to it from time to time. What I miss is the discontinued oil in place of the EDP. I, too look forward to Coco Noir. July 31, 2012 at 11:39am
Suzanna: Nancy A., how I’d love that oil again! I have dry oil versions of No. 5 and Coco Mademoiselle and it is maddening that Coco is not longer available.
People do seem to be drawn to Coco. July 31, 2012 at 11:55am
Patt: I still have my vintage Coco EDT and a wee bit of the parfum. Add my name to those who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Noir! July 31, 2012 at 11:58am
Suzanna: Patt, don’t you think this is the most excitement generated over a new launch recently? I do. I bet we all will have a great discussion about it when it launches! July 31, 2012 at 12:24pm
Yulya: Suzanna, thank you for a lovely review! There was also a long way for me, but now I am in love with this fragrance and it is one of my absolute favourites. I am a Chanel person, but I have been using mostly No. 5, No. 19 and No. 31 (lately). I revisited Coco about two years ago and now it is my signature evening fragrance. I also use it when I need to cheer up. It works, I immediately start feeling elegant, strong and light hearted.
Yulya July 31, 2012 at 12:00pm
Suzanna: Yulya, what a wonderful way to describe how Coco makes you feel…and I agree! July 31, 2012 at 12:24pm
Roberta: Lovely review, Suzanna. I LOVE Coco. In my case it was love at first sniff. I still remember the day… It was a cold, gloomy, rainy day and I decided to go perfume shopping.The first scent I smell is Coco. I got an instant sense of comfort and empowerment, all at the same time. I tried some on my skin and left the store (I never buy perfume on the same day I try it). I went on with my day and I can not remember how many people complimented my perfume (and it was a simple splash on my wrists).
I got home at the end of the day and guess what, I could still smell Coco’s spicy creaminess. Of course I had to buy it.
Coco is my favorite fragrance for rainy, cold days, but also for days when I feel gloomy. So comforting! July 31, 2012 at 1:37pm
Rina: I remember my “first time” as well and it’s over 30 years! A Chanel rep was in Bullocks Wilshire (!) with a beautiful silver and glass samovar-like vessel and was filling tiny glass bottles. She gave me one and the rest was history! I so miss BW and I. Magnin 🙁 July 31, 2012 at 1:54pm
Suzanna: Rina, those were lovely department stores. So luxurious and elegant to shop in–shopping was a pleasure, not a rush.
How wonderful it must have been to encounter Coco in such a setting–and imagine giving away little glass bottles of a scent like this now, in that type of setting. The only place this is likely to occur is Nordstrom (at least in FL), but it simply isn’t the same! July 31, 2012 at 2:07pm
Suzanna: Roberta, that reminds me that I first found Coco on a foggy day, years back! It smelled so bright to me and I loved the fruit and amber notes.
Glad you have been enjoying Coco for so long. It’s a keeper! July 31, 2012 at 2:04pm
yomi: Lovely review as always, suzanna. Coco is a lovely scent.
However I think of great eighties orientals , opium is my best. Coco is lovely ,and yes spicy – you know that mix of coriander and cinnamon – festive spiciness as it is called is common to all. But I think opium made the best use of them with chocolate smelling opopanax!
Anyway fingers crossed for coco noir! July 31, 2012 at 2:21pm
Suzanna: Yomi, you know what I adore? The Opium flankers. I have two of those and I wear them quite frequently; they are closer to original Opium than today’s Opium. Different feeling than Coco, much drier, def. unisex. July 31, 2012 at 5:57pm
minette: yey! one of my long-time favorites! especially in the edt, which is more sparkly and bright than the edp. but it’s love all the way around – from edt to edp to parfum. coco is sexy, sophisticated, and elegant. and i must have an emotional connection to it, because if i ever smell it on another person, it makes me jealous (because i want to smell that great!).
and yes, coco is quite the compliment-getter! i really must remember to wear this more. ha.
definitely deserving of all five stars!
hope the new coco noir lives up to the original! July 31, 2012 at 2:26pm
Suzanna: Minette, that is exactly how I feel about the EdT. I wear it often. Sometimes I vacillate between EdT and EdP but more often than not will select EdT, esp. in warmer months.
I am more curious than ever about the Noir. July 31, 2012 at 5:56pm
Undina: It’s a wonderful review for one of my favorite winter perfumes. It was nice to read it now though: I’ve been testing Coco extensively in the last week while working on my story about it and a comparing it to the new Coco Noir. I plan to publish my first impressions about it tomorrow. July 31, 2012 at 2:49pm
Suzanna: Undina, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait! July 31, 2012 at 5:53pm
Daisy: I revisited Coco recently too after reading about the upcoming Coco Noir. I liked it much more than I had remembered. Maybe it’s because I am older now and can appreciate it more?
In any case, it was nice to read this review. Makes me excited for the release! July 31, 2012 at 2:53pm
Suzanna: Daisy, I am glad you have newfound appreciation for Coco. It’s always a thrill to rediscover a scent that has been more or less right under our noses (and in my case, often in my library of scents!). July 31, 2012 at 5:54pm
Daisy: Very true 🙂 And a good argument against over-zealous culling of scents 🙂 August 1, 2012 at 2:12pm
Suzanna: Indeed it is! Sometimes, the thing culled will reappear with smell recall—every time I have let go a bottle of Tam Dao I will smell it months later and decide I want it again.
However, if I only wear something once a year, then off it goes. August 1, 2012 at 4:19pm
Austenfan: I struggle with the Chanels. I find them very polished, very smooth.
The ones I own and like are No.19, Cristalle and Pour Monsieur. I feel awful for saying this but I don’t really like No.5. Cuir de Russie and Bois des Iles I kind of like, but haven’t yet tempted me enough to want to own them. Your wonderful review has made me want to try Coco.
Someone I work with occasionally wears this, and it does smell really good on her. July 31, 2012 at 4:16pm
Rina: I’ve never felt attacted to No.5 either. It just doesn’t appeal to me… July 31, 2012 at 5:09pm
Suzanna: Rina, I wasn’t able to find much attraction for No. 22 for the longest time, and then one day it clicked. I understand your feeling about No. 5. In fact, I cringed when a former boyfriend gave me a bottle of it some years ago! July 31, 2012 at 5:53pm
Suzanna: Austenfan, I struggle with No. 19! I wear vintage No. 5 and the lovely Eau Premiere as well as some others. We all have different houses towards which we gravitate, I am sure. I have trouble with Caron, just for the record! July 31, 2012 at 5:52pm
Austenfan: My thing with the Chanels is that I can totally see why people might love them, as they are so very well made. I just find them too polished, too perfect almost.
And I love to wear Amouage Gold, but that one is so opulent and rich.
I am not very familiar with the female Carons. They are not that easily availabe here, and judging from the reviews their reformulations have made them less tempting. I adore Pour un Homme though. August 1, 2012 at 9:16am
Suzanna: Austenfan, I love Pour un Homme as well. There’s an alcohol-free version in a rollerball that is just great, too. August 1, 2012 at 9:36am
Raluca: I tried to today and absolutely love it. It’s such an elegant perfume, completely different from Coco Mademoiselle which is too much for me. In the early stages it reminded me a bit of Shalimar. July 31, 2012 at 9:08pm
Suzanna: Raluca, I’m excited to learn that you tried Coco–it is one of my very favorites–and love it. You will find many wonderful moments in its beautiful amber liquid and I hope you love it for years to come. July 31, 2012 at 10:00pm
Henrique Brito: Victoria, you’re tempting me with your Coco descriptions! Specially the parfum version. I love all the parfum concentrations from Chanel, and from what you described of Coco it seems that it’ll be another one that i’ll love August 1, 2012 at 10:06am
Henrique Brito: Sorry Suzanna, only now i realized that it was you and not Victoria who wrote the review! August 1, 2012 at 10:15am
Suzanna: Henrique, I have no problem with being mistaken for V., who is a wonderful writer.
I think you will love the extrait! Let us know what you discover. August 1, 2012 at 10:38am
Henrique Brito: You are a wonderful writer too 🙂
Have you already tried the extrait version of Allure Sensuelle? It has such a smooth patchouli with a buttery aspect! It’s delicious.
Another one that surprised me was the current formulation of 19 extrait. It has a soft skin and not so intense galbanum that makes it quite perfect for spring.
I always wanted to see how was coco pure parfum, you only made my curiosity stronger now.
Thanks 🙂 August 1, 2012 at 2:10pm
Suzanna: Thank you for the compliment, Henrique!
I have not tried extrait of Allure Sensuelle. AS always was a bit too intense on me, volume-wise, so I gave mine away (and then wanted it again, of course).
Still working on an older bottle of No. 19. Nowhere here sells it, so I will have to check out the newer formulation next time I am near a Saks.
I’m a big enabler, I know. August 1, 2012 at 4:17pm
Mimi: What wonderful descriptions of Coco. I’m going to wear it today. It’s always scared me a bit, maybe too sexy.
I hate to even think about No. 19. I still wear it and it’s still beautiful, but it’s a shadow of what it was in the 70s; I wore it all the time then, such a gorgeous fragrance. AG Heure Exquise reminds me of the old 19 and I love it. August 2, 2012 at 12:37pm
Natasha: I agree! I recently bought a new bottle of no 19 eat. It has lost its bite! I miss the leather it used to have. The new no 19 has mellowed, a shadow of its former self. August 2, 2012 at 2:06pm
Suzanna: Mimi, I have AG Heure Exquise and it is much nicer to my nose than the newer No. 19 that I have and do not much like.
For a green Chanel, I much prefer Bel Respiro. I love that one and have gone through a bottle! August 2, 2012 at 1:06pm
Natasha: Haha it seems my journey with coco is the opposite of yours! I loved Coco so much at first, which is at the start of my perfume journey. But I no longer love it, and my poor Coco bottle has been shunned ever since! As my tastes developed, I find that I can’t stand citrus! Oh Coco, I used to love you so.
Your beautiful review has tempted me to try Coco again. But still, I cant bring myself to like it. Oh well. Haha I guess I’m stuck with Mitsouko. And I believe this relationship will last a lifetime. August 2, 2012 at 2:02pm
Suzanna: Natasha, Mitsouko is not a bad scent to be stuck with! It’s a favorite of mine and I always have a bottle within easy reach.
I can relate to the way you feel about Coco with my feelings about certain scents I used to love, like Femme, that no longer smell right on me. August 2, 2012 at 2:10pm
Natasha: Yay another Mitsouko lover! And I don’t mind being stuck with Mitsouko at all. But in my country, it is hard to obtain, since its only available in just one Guerlain counter. And the worst thing is, the SA told me they won’t be stocking Mitsouko since nobody really buys it. Hopefully the SA was just talking poppycock! It pains my heart that nobody loves this beauty.
Its a pity you can’t wear Femme any longer. I read that its a beauty. I have never smelled Femme before, but I certainly would want to try it. August 2, 2012 at 2:29pm
Suzanna: Oh, I am sure to be back in Femme when the weather cools down. It had to do with cumin note in aggressive humidity, something that also ruined Kingdom for me.
You must have your Mitsouko! I hope they do not discontinue carrying it there. August 2, 2012 at 7:49pm
Kristy Smith: I am still in love with COCO but have forever worn the EDT. There is something sparkly almost carbonated about it that I love. And in comparison I felt the EDP was a bit more like flat soda. Still very sweet….. but after years of possibly being the only wearing the EDP I think I’m asking for the EDP for Christmas. Good choice? December 4, 2022 at 10:40pm
Carla: I didn’t like Coco at first, either. But it really is beautiful. Now I’d love to try the parfum. I read once that Nigella Lawson wears it, and I think it really suits her. (If I had her money I’d have a closetful of perfumes.) August 3, 2012 at 2:33pm
Suzanna: Carla, I agree that Coco parfum suits Nigella Lawson perfectly!
I think most of us would like to have a closetful of perfumes. You are in good company! August 3, 2012 at 3:03pm
Tracey Martin: Coco Chanel has been my signature perfume for the last 20 years-sounds dull, but someone comments on my perfume EVERY SINGLE DAY! I’ve even had strangers approach me to ask what I’m wearing-many of them men. Not bad for 43! August 20, 2012 at 3:21pm
Suzanna: Tracey, I get compliments every time I wear Coco as well! And Coco is never boring! I think I need to get some of the parfum. August 20, 2012 at 6:30pm
Mel: I love Coco for winter times – this beautiful oriental is a beautiful scent.
The dry down is especially beautiful – it makes me feel cosy. This lush fragrance always make me feel either very elegant (i want to dress up in a black suit with a string of pearls and a tweed coat) or it sometimes makes me feel like curling up in a fluffy blanket and read a hard-to-put-down book! When I smell Coco, I think “cashmere!!” September 10, 2012 at 10:24am
Suzanna: I think a lot of people feel the same way, Mel! September 10, 2012 at 11:50am
Merete: Suzanna, Thank you for your great review of Coco, which I’ve just reread. To me, Coco was instant love. It was my signature scent from it launched in the Eighties and for the app. next 15 years up through the Nineties. The scent of my youth! I wore a few other scents too, but I wore Coco (mostly parfum) for more or less every day, all year around, for all occasions. I guess, we weren’t so scared of the big scents back then. Suddenly, I moved on (from Coco and from the signature scent concept as well), and I haven’t used it for about 10 years. Now, based on your review, I have just resniffed it and I can’t wait to purchase a new bottle of the extrait (and the shower gel and…unfortunately not the wonderful soap..), and I’m so happy that reformulations haven’t ruined it. So yes, you certainly ARE quite an enabler :-). November 20, 2012 at 8:54am
Suzanna: Wonderful! So glad you are revisiting Coco.
(I have brought it on a hiking vacation–stashed in my tote bag. Always appropriate regardless of its elegant presentation.) November 20, 2012 at 9:25am
Merete: Absolutely, I brought it on a trip in the Andes Mountains – always appropriate.. November 20, 2012 at 9:40am
Angelika: Hi,
after reading your review I decided to give Coco another try although I always thought nearly all of the Chanels (with the exception of Nr. 19) were just not me…
Big surprise (because I, too, originally disliked Coco): I looove it!! And bought it on the spot. So elegant, warm and comforting. Just the thing for a cold, but sunny winter day in Bavaria with lots of snow. December 12, 2012 at 5:08am
Suzanna: Angelika, I love the chilly aspect of Coco, which, despite being an amber scent, has a distinct coolness to it–almost a metallic quality!
Sounds perfect for Bavaria :–) December 12, 2012 at 7:30am
Alicia: I have finally tried Coco Noir. It’s fine, but will not replace my Coco for winter evenings, a place sometimes usurped by Coromandel. During the day I wear Chanel #5. In autumn Chanel #19 took # 5 place, but no longer At home, though, when I am alone, I wear most often my true love: Coco. April 8, 2013 at 12:38am
Suzanna: I adore Coco, but wore too much of it the other day in combination with the body cream.
Agree about Coco Noir. It’s okay, but is not replacement for nor is a noir version of original Coco. April 8, 2013 at 11:05am
Sunny: It may sound weird but whenever I smell this on a fair skinned lady I am in love with it. I am a Mediterranean woman and on my skin this turns quite heavy and oriental. Nevertheless an iconic fragrance. May 17, 2013 at 6:49pm
Maureen: I am wearing Coco Noir right this minute. I am wearing jeans and blue toes and This perfume is making me feel like I want to be ravaged. I love it. May 28, 2013 at 6:57pm
Nati: I love so much what you wrote that I want to buy it now! November 2, 2014 at 6:40pm
Olivia: Wonderful
Fascinating
Intriguing
Multifaceted
Perfect
Revolutionary
Yes, wordless November 13, 2014 at 7:18pm
ION: This is even better than “Opium”! What more can you say. Perhaps the best perfume ever made. May 1, 2019 at 2:17am
Cecilia: I love Coco, both vintage, so exquisitely rich, but a real bomb, and modern, refined and much more wearable. I recently got around buying a new edp bottle. I spritzed Coco on both wrists and went out to have dinner with some friends. Halfway through the dinner I started smelling an odd metallic note reminescent of blood, very similar to Nahema (which is, sadly, horrible on me). It wasn’t unpleasant, but I’m wondering, what could it be? May 16, 2019 at 3:19am
BARBARA CRILLY: COCO, IS MY VERY FAVORITE FRAGRANCE. I LIKE TO WEAR IT WHEN THE WEATHER TURN’S COLD. BECAUSE THE SMELL MAKES ME FEEL REAL WARM AND SECURE. I HOPE MY HUSBAND SURPRISE’S ME WITH A LARGE BOTTLE FOR CHRISTMAS. I ORDERED A BOTTLE OF IT ON THE WISH WEB SITE, ALONG WITH TWO BOTTLE’S OF O DE LANCOME FOR WHEN SUMMER COMES. ALONG WITH A BOTTLE OF POEME. THEN I GET A MESSAGE THAT I’M BEING REINBURST THE MONEY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FILL MY ORDER. MADE ME QUITE SAD, BUT MY HUSBAND SAID I’M GLAD THEY COULD’NT BECAUSE IT GIVES ME SOMETHING TO GIVE TO YOU FOR CHRISTMAS. LOL! COCO, IS THE BEST YOU REALLY NEED TO TRY IT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. GOODLUCK November 26, 2019 at 3:03am