Fragrance Review: Chanel – Coco Mademoiselle Intense
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
As readers of my blog probably already know because I’m grumpy about it, I’m not a fan of the Intense flanker fad perfumery is going through lately. In 9 times out of 10, I find “Intense”¹ to mean a fragrance has been reduced to a poorly-balanced, yelled version of its main 3-4 notes, drowned in sweet musk, and missing both its nuance and charm.
All rule has its exceptions, however. I do like Dior J’Adore Absolu, and Chanel Gabrielle Essence as much as their original pillars. And there’s (so far) one Intense fragrance I actually prefer to the original EdP: 2018’s Coco Mademoiselle Intense.
Mục lục
Review
Coco Mademoiselle Intense is about 85% similar to the original (you can read my full review on Coco Mademoiselle here 🙂 ), but it still has its own flair. First, the opening duo of orange + bergamot, while still present, feels less prominent and sparkly, and fades away sooner – making way for the heart notes.
Here, Coco Mademoiselle‘s recognizable bold, abstract, “peach-pink” rose & jasmine are still the main stars, but they’re joined by ambery-sweet dried fruit. Now, while I’m not the biggest fan of fruity notes, I do have a soft spot for dried fruit in particular, especially when their chewy, rich-but-not-too-jammy sense of sweetness contrasts oakmoss or patchouli. This is the case with modern chypre Cartier La Panthère, smoky Prada Amber, and also, Coco Mademoiselle Intense.
Last, but not least, there’s the base. Like the heart, it’s still recognizably Coco Mademoiselle, with a generous dose of the creamy, deep musk & patchouli typical of the original. But, while the Eau de Parfum’s base is vetiver-fronted, Intense mixes it with classic oriental notes. There’s an amplified sense of powderyness from the vanilla-tonka, and a resinous, leathery-smoky undertone from labdanum. The accord feels warmer, sweeter, and more traditionally feminine than in Coco Mademoiselle.
This fragrance has respectable sillage and lasting power. It comes in a beautiful bottle, similar to Coco Mademoiselle, with darker pink liquid and a transparent cap (the original’s is frosted).
Coco Mademoiselle Intense was created by Chanel’s current in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge.
Fragrance Impressions
Notes: (Top) orange, bergamot, lemon; (Heart) rose, jasmine; (Base) vanilla, white musk, tonka, patchouli, labdanum.
Colour Impression: Dusty Rosé.
Evokes: A dark sequined jacket over a rosé silk dress; warm grey velvet; long strings of pearls & mauve-coloured lipstick.
Similar to: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle; Chanel Coco Noir; Cartier La Panthére; Prada Amber.
Season & Occasion: Autumn-winter, dressy.
Conclusion
The added dried fruit and resinous-powdery base work very well in Coco Mademoiselle Intense. They add depth, a more romantic aura, and – yes – the promissed intensity to the scent, without resorting to make it flat or overly loud (at least, no more than the original).
In fact, while still too musky for my personal taste, this flanker even feels more well-rounded than its predecessor, with Coco Mademoiselle‘s brash edges smoothed into a more pleasant, lower-pitch registre.
With an interesting, layered, and harmonic twist on its pillar, Coco Mademoiselle Intense is a beautiful example of how Intense flankers should be! Great work, Chanel. I do like Coco Mademoiselle, but the Intense version, in this case, is even better.
¹ Or the latest “Intensement”, which means exactly the same thing, only awkwardly phrased. Why? Why to turn an adjective into an adverb?! Is the scent Intensely… what? *sigh…*.
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