Chanel – Coco perfume reviews

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Reviews of Coco by Chanel

There are 125 reviews of Coco by Chanel.

Lyric82
Show all reviews by Lyric82

I love this so much. It has way too many notes for me to be able to pinpoint a good number of them, but when I’m wearing it, I get hints of rose, cinnamon, honey, amber, and iris. Sometimes I get them all at once, and sometimes one will peak out at me saying, “Here I am!”. Coco is rich and complex. Sweet in the way flowers are sweet but definitely not the sweetness of modern perfumes. It has a bold spicy feel without being hot. To me, this perfume embodies the feel of autumn. The changing of the leaves, the crisp air, and the smoky scents of burning fireplaces in the distance. I feel like this can be worn any time of the year, but shines best as the leaves are turning and summery clothing is traded for sweaters and boots. I feel like wearing this, you know exactly what you like. And you are not held hostage by one set of beauty standards.

Like so many chanel perfumes, for me, this is a beauty. I love everything about it.

Mona Visa
Show all reviews by Mona Visa

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, when I was approximately 1/3 of my current age and weight, I was a model. In Tokyo. I was just a tiny bit too short for Paris… It was the 80’s, I was a teenager, and it is truly crazy how much I used to make in a day back then. Life isn’t fair, make hay, seize the day and all that.

My agency was located across a shopping district and the quickest way for me to get there was by walking through a major department store and out the other side. Anyway, in the center of the lobby– right before I could walk out, right there in front of the big glass doors– stood four Chanel perfumes on a pedestal under spotlights: No. 5. No. 19. No. 22.

And Coco.

HOW could I resist? I was eighteen. Y’all know what I did next.

No. 5 on my right wrist, No. 22 on the left, No. 19 on one side of my neck and Coco on the other and I was Perfume Godzilla, crushing the city with my high heels in my fragrant glory! I was powerful, beautiful, menacing, unstoppable.

My happiness lasted about ten minutes. Once I reached the office my agent Had A Talk with me. Do you know they don’t really wear perfume in Japan? Lol, well, I know that NOW. It makes no sense, because they have perfume prominently displayed in the stores– at least they did in the 80’s– and people bought it, too! They just did not wear it. “It was not worn.”

I was very careful after that. But determined. My agent wasn’t the boss of me. And so every time I went through the store, I sneakily sprayed some on, just a little… and just one.

And that one was Coco.

Chanel 19 is the best, obviously, we know that, it’s in the Bible somewhere. But 19 is almost too good to wear too often. Coco is more playful and wearable. It’s a more refined upscale feminine spice fragrance; like Opium refined for the ladies of high society. It’s cool and clove clove clove clove.

It’s pretty. I personally prefer the EDP over the Parfum.

L’homme vert
Show all reviews by L’homme vert

This is absolutely gorgeous, especially in parfum concentration owning several spray bottles of the extrait and a couple of the edp also in vapo-sprayers. Over the last 20+ odd years I have detected slight differences in formula and longevity of these two concentrations, sadly becoming thinner requiring regular top up applications, I do prefer vintage bottles with the extrait juice the color of deep canary yellow bordering on a feint tinge of orange a sign of the many white florals used in it’s construct, everything about this parfum is so perfectly balanced, what’s not to like with the combination of mandarin orange, frangipani, rose & jasmine all emboldened with the most exquisite blend of spices, the older formula contains the most creamiest gorgeous sandalwood including vetyver of superb quality available then, my second best vintage from Chanel would have to be Bois des Iles followed by the extraordinary No’s.5 & 19, but that’s another story 🙂
In my opinion one of the greatest civet based honeyed oriental perfumes of the twentieth century… A true MASTERPIECE!!!

Brian Buchanan
Show all reviews by Brian Buchanan

Some resinous materials have acid overtones,* and these off notes can be felt when resins or balsams are used in large quantities.
Their effects can be prominent in what Arctander calls ambra* perfumes, so when this happens, it’s common for perfumers to hide or disguise the offending notes.

Coco doesn’t try to hide its acid overtone but instead – like Youth-Dew – it aims to disguise it. In this case with a spicy accord, which also has peppery and burnt sugar tonalities. These are backed up by the gritty indole of orange flower, and the woody, earthy, spicy and camphoraceous elements of patchouli.**

Because ambra constructions tend to be base heavy, they are long and linear. And this is the case with Coco.
The acid overtone stretches way down into the body, making Coco feel a bit purse-lipped after a while, although there is a powdery sandal and balsam note in the drydown – which softens it up a little.

There’s some sweetness, but it’s kept well back (for an amber) and overall, Coco feels dry and acid-sour as much as sweet.
This is could be a brave and admirable ploy, or it could have been making a virtue of necessity.
All the same, I find it rather stark, and starkness isn’t something I look for in ambers.

(Vintage sample, nearly empty)

* Steffen Arctander – Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin
** thegoodscentscompany.com

A

andesloop
Show all reviews by andesloop

ooh! intense, warm, rich, intimate. For me it’s a cooler weather choice or a special occasion.

Varanis Ridari
Show all reviews by Varanis Ridari

The 1980’s was full of big perfumes, and newly-appointed house perfumer at the time Jacques Polge needed to make a big perfume to compete with the likes of Yves Saint Laurent Opium (1977) or Giorgio Beverly Hills (1981). Already having achieved a new paragon of masculinity with Antaeus (1981), Polge needed to repeat a similar success in the feminine segment, an objective that eventually lead to the creation of Coco Chanel (1984). Obviously titled after the late Gabrielle Chanel’s nickname, Coco was meant to channel the strength of will and businesswoman aesthetic of the house founder, and indeed contains the essence of her often-terse and condescending manner as well. Coco is not a friendly perfume, not happy, but full of the kind of bold animalic vigor that shoulderpad blouses and teased hair of the decade often signalled to hapless men who stood in the way of the take-charge middle class 80’s woman. Polge blended both opulent florals and heady spices in a note-packed kitchen sink style similar to perfumes of the early 20th century, which was a rare move for a perfumer who would later become famous his conservative restraint and plush blending, making Coco as much a young “show-off piece” as Antaeus was.

There are simply too many notes to sift through them all, but the opening of Coco demonstrates a similar aldehyde rush as the legendary No. 5 (1921), but with angelica, pimento, frangipani, and mandarin giving a sweet zing that is very feminine and fruity in the start. The very indolic heart of jasmine, rose, tuberose, cascarilla (coffee seeds) and neroli is delicious, with some iris and ylang-ylang to sharpen things up. Midway through this veers gender neutral and curious men who love animalic perfumes will start finding reward in Coco at about this point. Heavy animalic honeyed sourness of civet and styrax merge with incense elements of opoponax, olibanum, sandalwood, musk, and patchouli, while labdanum, oakmoss, and vetiver bring in a chypre-like golden focus near the end. I can’t always discern which notes are doing what as stated above, but knowing the characters of each and how they mingle, the “big picture” Jacques Polge paints isn’t hard to see. This is a fruity floral oriental animalic chimera which comes in disarmingly saccharin sweet at first before turning the lights down and bringing out the leather straps. Feminine to masculine, light to dark, friendly to Faustian, that was Gabrielle Coco Chanel in life, and that is also how her posthumous namesake perfume is as well.

This was likely an office perfume in the 80’s, since everyone wore everything everywhere, but with the increased social consciousness of perfume use in the 21st century, Coco is best worn in evenings for romantic gatherings or just personal enjoyment. This oriental kaleidoscope works surprisingly well in all weather thanks to the brightness of the top and warmth of the heart, plus a lack of cloying notes like vanilla or tons of amber to cook on skin. Eau de Parfum is richer and more-suited to ladies, while the Eau de Toilette is sharper and a tad more raunchy, making it the better bet for men. Any version is suitable as a unisex oriental, but knowing CISHET predilections, I make my suggestions thus. Polge would settle into watery or fruity florals for women and ultra-blended semi-orientals or woody ambers and fougères for men through the rest of his career, but like with Antaeus, he really let the horses out of the stables with Coco, and it’s wonderful; ravishing even. Time has taken its toll on some of the animalic heft in more recent batches of Coco, but all versions are still the strident “don’t mess with my success” 80’s estrogen bomb as intended, so go easy on the trigger when testing or wearing. Thumbs up!

comfypants
Show all reviews by comfypants

I wore this in the 90’s when it was rich, deep, and peppery. I sniffed it yesterday for the first time in 20 years and nearly gagged. All I got was Dr. Pepper soda pop and Johnson’s Baby Powder.

E

EmilySnow
Show all reviews by EmilySnow

Chanel ‘Coco’ is the powerful business women. There are only a couple of people in the world on her level. She is the definition of command and control. In a field full of obnoxious, arrogant, ego centric people dominated by men and women alike, she is the only one who is of her kind. Gentle yet firm. Dressed in an obsidian Parisian chiffon clad flowy A-line dress imported from France, her long bare neck is embellished with a single Cartier diamond pendent, tiny dangly crystal encrusted drop earrings are adorning her ear lobes, shimmering under the glittering chandelier whenever she moves, she is dangerous but also elegant and has grace like no other. Her hair is luscious and smells intoxicating. However, get on her wrong side and you will see just how much power she truly has. She is a force to be reckoned with. She is not an employee but more of an employer. Executive of a Fortunes 500 Company, she does not play around. Having one assistant won’t cut it when helping Coco run her enlarged empire, that’s why her 3 assistants, Coco Noir, Allure EDP and Chance EDP are always present and ready. Ready to take on the world and accomplish whatever that needs to be accomplished. Even attending parties. Coco knows when to work and when to party and she won’t deny her assistants the opportunity to strengthen business ties and have fun while doing so.

This is what I envision everytime I smell coco edp

E

edgeofscenty
Show all reviews by edgeofscenty

It’s all in the attitude. This may have been marketed for women but when it dries down, the notes bring a spiciness to it that makes it truly gender neutral if not eminently suitable as a masculine scent. A couple of spritzes to the chest does me nicely.

Redneck Perfumisto
Show all reviews by Redneck Perfumisto

Mesmerized by this
Growling tiger of flowers
Spices and resins

Storming the boardroom
In her crazy leopard prints
Still winning the day

“Vote her down!” cried Red
Shaking sporty silver staff
But ’twas not to be

For though she was not
The Opium of Chanel
She soothed the masses

With spices mild, yet
Of an animal nature
Style inherited

By black-clad daughter
The crazy one Red fell for
So misunderstood

“To Noir’s old lady!”
Beer emoticon so raised
“Long may she persist!”

HouseOfPhlegethon
Show all reviews by HouseOfPhlegethon

This is in regards to vintage Coco, eau de toilette. Coco is one of those rare ones, for me. Every now and then I try a perfume I don’t care for at first. Then it grows on me, a little. Then I like it more and more, as I wear it.

I don’t smell any stand-out notes of mimosa, vanilla, Tonka, or orange blossom here. Everything else, seems just fine. This reveals itself to me in layers. It is “old school” and I like that. I may procure another sample, for further wearing’s. This, like Mitsouko, are slow to win me over…

Bavard

Show all reviews by Bavard

Vintage edt: Dreamy perfume to my nose, especially the opening and early on while it’s still strong. I love perfume from the 1980s, and this is one of my favorite feminine fragrances overall, a delicious sweet floral.

The vintage parfum version is also a treat: a modern-smelling, fruity floral that smells like fresh, clean laundry.

S

SuzanneS
Show all reviews by SuzanneS

Vintage COCO (84) EDP.
COCO is the goldilocks “just right” of Orientals. Old luxury is a slightly understated, quality experience. That embodies COCO.

In its historical genre there’s Opium (77), Cinnabar (78), Diva(83), Teatro Alla Scalla (85), Incognito (92).

Review for Vintage COCO EDP

COCO is the most balanced in the genre. There isn’t a main ingredient you can point to and say “thats what dominates in COCO.” That is its true strength. She is all her own done in Chanel style. You can see echoes of Diva and Opium within her DNA, yet balanced and refined for the Chanel house.

Her spices are never overdone, her fruits are luscious, the rose is a beautiful feminine addition. Its as beautiful as an Oriental can get. She will be loved because there isnt a part of her that stands out too much, or not liked for not having a distinct identity and perspective. Perfect example of a well crafted, strong, classy, non offensive benchmark in perfumery. The only reservation I have is when hunting the vintage, in my experience the strength fades overtime.

P

Paintedlily
Show all reviews by Paintedlily

This is gorgeous and I understand why it is such a classic. There is such incredible scent development and smooth transitions.

Coco opens with bright mandarin, something akin to orange blossom and is supported by opulent rose and jasmine. After about 20-30 minutes the sparkling citruses dissipate, the florals deepen and a very smoothed spice develops. There is also a mild sweetness in the background. Not sugar sweet, more of a vanilla bean which is rounded out by a touch of powder. Roughly 8 hours later it is still very present. It has softened and the creamy sweetness of the vanilla bean and powder is more prominent. The strength of this perfume is in it’s balance. Everything that is loud or soft feels like it is meant to be that way, like a well composed piece of music.

Sillage is moderate to heavy at maybe around 4-5 feet and lasting power is incredible at 10+ hours (outdoors in dry/cold weather on dry skin).

I don’t go through bottles of perfumes….but this I could see buying multiples. It’s a classic for good reason.

Bonnette
Show all reviews by Bonnette

What an interesting scent! It’s as sophisticated and elegant as one would expect from Chanel, sparkling with aldehydes and with enough self-assurance to support its eccentricity. It lingers in the mind and reminds me of…something, I don’t know what: an evening long ago, a garden breeze at night with crystalware tinkling in the distance, a torchlit veranda…something. It’s edgy and romantic at the same time.

Coco is available in EDP, EDT and parfum concentrations. The EDP lasts for 24 hours on my skin, without losing any of its structural integrity throughout its development and drydown. When Coco finally fades away, it does so without reverting to the rubbery synthetic smell that I’ve noticed in the last stages of most reformulations: it is very much like a fine vintage fragrance, rich from beginning to end, with perfectly blended floral, fruit and spicy notes (similar to Opium, but more stately).

One reviewer said that Coco smells like old-fashioned cough syrup, and I understand that perception; for me, though, there’s enough going on here to lift it out of the medicinal family of notes, and set it apart. Coco is an unusual beauty which needs to be appreciated with an open mind, on its own terms. I find it simply stunning.

S

snsd19
Show all reviews by snsd19

Coco literally came into my dreams last night, which is fitting because to me it’s always been an ethereal fragrance. The opening is loud, sweet, and a little spicy. As it heats up on your skin, the subtle florals come out, until it falls into it’s slightly spicy-vanilla drydown. There is a certain note in Coco, along with Antaeus and 31 Rue Cambon that always smells off to me. I attribute this to the labdanum, which I’m not crazy for. It feels a bit dry and dusty to me. It’s worth noting that while the opening smells nothing alike, Antaeus and Coco definitely share a similar dry down. I prefer the bath products for this reason, as they have more of the heart and opening, and less of the dry down. In liquid form, I’ve owned the parfum, and tested the EDP and EDT. For me, the parfum and EDP are the best, and I find the EDT a little anemic for me, but if the others are too strong you may enjoy it.

Shahbaz_2009
Show all reviews by Shahbaz_2009

Unique as you are. Coco is one of the most influential creations in the whole of perfume’s history, it is really beyond words… Everything about it spells drama, opulence, striking features and indulgence of the senses. This legendary perfume definitely makes you feel like you are worth more than a million dollars. Memorable, rich, special, ladylike, exquisite, sensual, glamorous, spicy, classic and very french.

It is rich and sophisticated with hints of orient spices. Coco starts with notes of pomegranate blossom, peach and orange blossom that is fresh yet strong, adding a garland of tempering elements with a soapy vibe (orange blossom and rose) and some spices (clove and clover). The unforgettable and warm base notes full of animalistic civet, tonka bean, amber and vanilla which projects it is seductive message “i am all woman, come sit by me”.

I would truly recommend it for anyone who wants to turn heads in any room. Coco is for the outgoing and excellent personality of the perfect lady. Definitely for autumn and winter and a special evening. Looking great and smelling great is always is in style. wearing Coco will make you smell great. In fact Coco and a wonderful outfit, will make any lady look and smell wonderful.

AphroditeLux
Show all reviews by AphroditeLux

I first bought this for myself when I was a teenager and I love this. It has been my signature fragrance for years. The newest reformulation has me glad that I have two bottles of EDP I bought back in the nineties. I bought the Parfum this last year and love it. I would highly advise anyone buying this to go for the Parfum instead of the EDP or EDT. You won’t be disappointed.

Infini
Show all reviews by Infini

I’m never sure if I like Coco: I don’t actually dislike it as I do Allure, and the downright ghastly Coromandel and Bel Respiro, but every time I smell Coco, it leaves me disappointed.

When I first tried it in the mid 80s, it instantly reminded me of Opium, though softer and not as spicy. Shortly I afterwards I bought a bottle, as at the time I was very much into Oriental scents, and immediately wished I hadn’t: I liked it, but it always felt like it should have developed into something deeper on my skin, but never did.

When I smell Coco now, I still feel there is something missing from this perfume. It no longer reminds me of Opium, but more of a somewhat fruity oriental with a slightly Guerlain-ish vanilla and tonka bean base.

Though it is far preferable to some of Polge’s more recent creations, Coco is not a perfume I would ever buy or wear again.

Way Off Scenter
Show all reviews by Way Off Scenter

Genre: Woody Oriental

Coco was Chanel’s contribution to the bevy of dense spiced amber orientals that helped define 1980s perfumery, and I find it hard to discuss without reference to its earlier counterparts, Opium and Cinnabar. All three lean heavily upon cinnamon, cloves, opoponax, and heady rose and orange blossom, but coming from Chanel, Coco is more refined and elegant, less dense and garish, than either of the others, and hence much easier to wear.

Coco’s amber is less dark and viscous than Opium’s or Cinnabar’s, its clove is less pronounced, and its opopanax is less exposed and angular. Fewer spices and a persistent sweet citrus note brighten Coco’s heart, and the floral accord is softened by a powdery mimosa that plays no apparent part in the Lauder or the St. Laurent. Together with a more prominent vanilla in the drydown, this powdery accent rounds and softens Coco’s contours, rendering it more pretty and slender than its rivals while at the same time aligning it more closely with the Chanel house style, as established by No. 5, Bois des Îles, and Cuir de Russie.

While no fragrance in this style could reasonably be called understated, Coco comes closer than most. Sillage, projection, and endurance are all ample, but next to Opium, or even Cinnabar, Coco seems downright retiring. Whereas Opium and Cinnabar, applied lightly, make perfectly fine masculine orientals in the vein of Jaïpur Homme or JHL, Coco always strikes me as more gender-specific. On the other hand, its relative sense of proportion leaves it much more viable for today’s women than its more flamboyant predecessors.

tempest moon
Show all reviews by tempest moon

Review for the EDT.

I absolutely love this one! A warm, spicy, sensual oriental. I love how this smells. In fact I actually think this is unisex. Cloves, Spices, Amber, dark resins, creamy sandalwood, I can see this totally working on a man. I also see this much in the same way that I would something by Serge Lutens (whose perfumes are very rich and heady and are inspired by Morocco).

The fragrance itself opens up to me with a blast of cloves, I also get a type of orange blossom smell, and peach or plum (dried fruit accord). I also detect Jasmine, and Jasmine is actually my favorite smell. There is also some prominent rose, but the base is where it all happens; resins, amber, vanilla and tonka, dry sandalwood… it’s all there, and it’s very very evocative!

I’ve heard that Jacues Polge wanted to evoke Venice with this perfume (just as Shalimar was inspired by India and Opium by the Middle East and Southeast Asia etc.), and I can totally see Venice in this. Italian, Baroque and also Oriental, with spices and rich, warm sensuality. Jaques Polge himself would later refine the spices (along with more wood, leather and tobacco) to create his eventual masterpiece “Egoïste” released 6 years after Coco.

I remember trying the female Opium EDP and I think this is a lot more wearable for those who couldn’t wear that. It’s Chanel, and a Chanel is never too loud, it knows just when to stop and hold you there, without being too loud or overpowering. In fact to my nose Coco is like a spicy, exotic, oriental version of No. 5; and just like No. 5, it makes a statement. It’s grown up, it’s mature, but also sensual and in-control. It’s for someone who knows a little about life and is experienced both in mind and body. Someone who isn’t afraid to be who they are, instead they celebrate it.

I don’t know if that description helps, but that’s what Coco brings across to me. Warm, sensual, passionate, loving and even a little amount of danger at the edges. It takes guts to wear this, but it’s totally worth it. Pure Emotion in a bottle.