New! Chanel Coco Noir Eau De Parfum

Are all the new fragrance launches starting to smell very, very similar to you? Well, with the launch of Coco Noir, the third fragrance in the Coco franchise, Chanel have created something that stands apart from the crowd. Just look at that gleaming black glass bottle – elegant and mysterious, it’s the perfect indicator to what lies within.

I’ve been wearing Coco Noir for weeks and even so, I’m struggling to put it into words. It’s beautiful and complex, changing on the skin throughout the day. It’s an Oriental, yes, but there’s no heaviness to it – along with the woody base and musky notes you might expect, there’s the sparkling freshness of grapefruit, the spiciness of pink peppercorns and the sweetness of vanilla and tonka bean. Warmth is added by notes of  patchouli and sandalwood.

Beautifully blended, this is a scent that is anything but bland. It's sophisticated, it's complex, and it's different to anything else that I own.

Mademoiselle Chanel in Venice, 1936
Photo: V.H Grandpierre; courtesy of Vogue Paris

Created by Jacques Polges – Chanel’s house perfumer since 1978 – Coco Noir was inspired by Gabrielle’s love of the Venetian night, and the Byzantine art that she found there. I love this description of the scent:

“Coco Noir is the magnificent evocation of that woman in that city and all those women today who choose intensity over the bland norm: the detours of seduction over perfunctory exhibitionism, and true luxury over vulgarity”.

Almost as much as I love this quote from Chanel herself:

“Before me, no-one would have dared dress in black.”

 

And like its namesake, this is one class act. Coco Noir launches at Chanel counters on 17th August, priced at €92 for 50mls of Eau de Parfum, or €132 for 100ml. Bored of bland? Go have a spritz - you won't look back.