Side by side test of....

....some Coco variations. I wanted to compare Coco Mad EDT with Coco Mad EDP and Coco Mad Intense EDP. As I had a fourth spot free, I also spritzed Coco Noir EDP even if that one probably should be compared with the original Coco's, especially the ETP.


Picture: Coco Mademoiselle EDT
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Mademoiselle EDT: Sort of pink fluffy, girly Coco Mad variation. It's like fluffy cotton on the plant growing on the cottonfield with the smell of dry soil a sunny summerday. This outdoor accord is also combined with a touch of what I imagine as fresh picked strawberries on a straw.


Picture: Coco Mademoiselle EDP
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Mademoiselle EDP: This is the ladylike Coco Mad variation. Flowers over a tangy, slight fruity accord, some green cold steems like the stems of bulbflowers. This chic and chilly bouquet is anchored in the patchoulibased Noveau Chypre accord, where the patchouli is just a part of the mix, it doesn't stand out as a dominant note. It's still daytime and sun with the EDP but colder outside, like spring or early fall.


Picture: Coco Mademoiselle Intense EDP
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Mademoiselle Intense EDP: In the dark Intense version an elegant velvet patchouli wrapped in some restrained amber is the protagonist. The flowers are not recognizable as an own accord, they are blended with the dark notes, creating a glimmering edge which comes up to the surface now and then. An comfortable and elegant perfume for evening or cold days in fall or Winter. Not as ladylike as the EDP, this is more the boho chic style. Reminds me in style of Prada Amber.

Picture: Coco Noir EDP
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Noir EDP: When compared directly to the Coco Mad there is obvious that Coco Noir has it's background in another branch of the Coco family tree. Elegant, light spicy with a distinct retro smell, the opening reminds me of a classic parfume which I could not place right now. I come to think of a resting in a backyard  garden in the shadows of the medival walls of an Mediterranean  ancient town a hot summerday. Noir is for the effortless, stylish globetrotter.

Gucci - Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Femme

Picture: Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Femme
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Femme is the female interpretation of the 2017 success for him, the rubbery leather Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Homme. Both fragrances are created by the very experienced perfumer Alberto Morillas. 

Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Femme (GGApF) starts with a juicy, very natural black berry and to my nose also black currant accord. Later on  a purple rose accompanied by the green woody note of cypress, some glimpses from the leather in Gucci Guilty Absolute pour Homme  (GGApH) and the dark patchoulinote shows up. Light rose pepper sparkles in the blend like glimpsing stars on the dark night sky in the middle of a cold winter. The pepper never goes peppery, it's just fizzy. The fruity notes are tangy and delicate, and not especially sweet. GGApF has some similarities with GGApH, the same woody notes, especially from the cypress and a smooth interpretation of the leather. GGApF has not the rough and though burnt rubbery notes of GGApH, instead it has those beautiful dark fruity, juicy notes blended with the rose which creates a plush feminine impression over the contrasting masculine woody notes.

GGApF could be worn both for day and night. It's a bit formal, it's not a casual, laid back fragrance, it's perfect for the office and for after work. It's a fragrance that builds confidence, in the same way as for example Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp and even more; Montana Parfum de Peau. Just as the fragrances mentioned, the longevity is great, silage not as big but medium.

GGApF is an excellent example of the new chypre style, less sweet than the usual ones and with its own juicy, dark blackberry character. Even if GGApF is an example of the new chypre style, wearing it somehow makes me think of, even if not smelling similar, the above mentioned grand chypre of the 80s Montana. GGApF:s character also reminds me of Sisley Soir de Lune which is also a great contemporary chypre but created in the classic style. 

To me GGApF is one of the best releases for years in the womans section. I'm convinced this will be a classic just as GGApH.

Rating: 5

Notes: Blackberry, bergamot, pink pepper, rose, cypress, woody notes, amber, patchouli

Love Chanel - A side by side test of two Chanels

In my mind, I have thought of the Jaques Polge (former house pefumer of Chanel) creations Allure Sensuelle Edp (launched in 2005) and Coco Mademoiselle Edp (launched in 2001) as quite similar, always thinking of the other when wearing the other one. As I have to get clarity in this mystery, I've at last compared them side by side. Below my thoughts:

The similarity between the two is that they are on the same level of radiation, on the same stage on the fragrance notescale, both are somewhere between bright than dark even if containing heavy notes and accords. And of course, the elegant Chanel interpretation of patchouli is the core ingredient in both fragrances.

Picture: Chanel Allure Sensuelle Edp
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Allure Sensuelle starts with radiant notes of spices and resins with an ambery, patchouli character. The texture is balsamic and almost like sweet rubber, I can imagine of a pink chewinggum. There are also glimpses of something resembeling menthol or nailpolish in Allure Sensuelle. The spicy notes are strict, well mannared and have an almost cold quality.  The ambery, spicy patchouli are accompanied with discrete flowers and dried fruits, everything very balanced and well behaved. When coming to Chanel oriental fragrances, the chilly, balanced and behaved  floral oriental  Allure Sensuelle contrasts to the warm, spicy and bombastic spicy oriental Coco (launched 1984). Compared to Coco Mademoiselle, Allure Sensuelle is sweeter and  more polished. It also feels more complicated, with some strange twists which gives the fragrance an overall more interesting drydown than Coco Mad.

Picture: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

Coco Mademoiselle starts with a contrasting orange/citrus and patchouli accord with elegant touches of bergamot. The heart of Coco Mad is classic florals interpreted in a clean, scaled down, contemporary way, there is no traces of a romantic floral bouquet or rural flower meadows. Coco Mad is a fragrance for urban life, a fragance which mingles well with asphalt and exhaust. The flowery heart is accompained by a musky patchouli, instead of the ambery patchouli in Allure Sensuelle, wrapped in light balsamic notes. The base of Coco Mad is the gold standard for the contemporary so called chypre, where patchouli blends became a different alternative to the banned oakmoss. Not in smelling the same, but to create a similar feeling. Compared to Allure Sensuelle, I find Coco Mad as lauder and more straight forward in its development, there are not the weired twists as in Allure Sensuelle. The patchouli is also more outstanding as single note in the basenotes of Coco Mad, in Allure Sensuelle the patch is more integrated with the amber and spices in the basenotes.

To summon up; two great classics where definitly Allure Sensuelle deserves more attention as an alternative to Coco Mad and Coco Mad doesn't need any attention as its one of the bestsellers, if not the bestseller of the 2000s.

Love Chanel

Picture: Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
Photo from the blog The Encanted Manor

Chanel is a house with an aesthetics to love (just as Hermès). The chic aesthetics  also affects, or maybe more correct, inspires the fragrances from the house. The fragrances are well made and even if not in love with every subline, my craving for Chanel fragrances is enough to qualify Chanel as one of my favorite perfumehouses. I think many of the Chanels in the regular line is as good as Les Exclusifs, the difference is more in price and distribution, not the quality of the production.

I very much appreciate the aldehydic classics like No 5 in its difierent versions, as also the mossy citrus of Cristalle and the greenery of No 19 in the different interpretations of those classics. Also the modern classics as the incredible spicy oriental Coco and the not as much talked about gem Allure Sensuelle are favorites as also the mega hit, the contemporary fruity-floral chypre Coco Mademoiselle and its balsamic, spicy follower Coco Noir.

When it comes to Les Exclusifs there are also plenty to love. The green and clean woody vetiver Sycomore, the putty, slight dirty aldehyde No 22, the strange amberette No 18, the elegant flowers of Beige and best of them all the smooth, light flower touched, gunpowder leather of Cuir de Russie.

I'm now curious to try the new Gabrielle and find out if the new Chanel pillar fragrance will qualify among my favourites.

Fragrance(s) of the week (11) - Mainstream week

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Sometimes I'm just fed up wearing and analyzing all these pretentious nichefragrances. This week I felt I had to relax during the weekdays by wearing straightforward mainstream fragrances. And of course, I couldn't stop analyze....:-)

Monday: My new favorite for spring Elie Saab Le Parfum L'Eau Couture reminds me of lily of the valley, some greenery over vanilla. Springlike crispy but in the same time warm.

Tuesday: Miss Dior Edp current version (former Miss Dior Cherie). Don't understand all the compliments about this contemporary chypre, floral, musky and light fruity. I think it's a good representative of the genre and a perfume with it's own characteristics, which are still recognizable after reforumlations, even if the strawberryflowers and the popcornnote seems to be replaced compared to the original 2005 Miss Dior Cherie release. Not many niche fragrances has a personality like this modern classic.

Wednesday: My liking for Boucheron Place Vendôme is growing. An elegant contemporary floral with contrasting notes reminiscent of airy tobaccoleaves in the basenotes. Would be perfect for spring in companion with an ivory colored, elegant, light, wollen suit, worn with a smooth silk top.

Thursday: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp is in the same contemporary chypre floral category (with the typical patchouli in the basenotes) as Miss Dior Edp but darker, more formal and grown up. Just as pleasant as Miss Dior to wear during a working day, but provides a more serious impression.

Friday: Nina Ricci  Nina L'Elixir is a candied version of the original Nina, sweeter with less of the uplifitng citrusy sparkle of its forerunner. Strangly, in the dry down, Nina L'Elixir suddenly starts to smell like a much sweeter, crystallized Frapin Speakeasy. Nothing wrong with this perfume but this was the let down during the week, Nina L'Elixir doesn't play in the same leauge as the other tested, or for that matter, the original Nina in in which I perceive the same comfort level as in the fragrances tested Monday-Thursday.

Now I have to plan my next "theme-week", a week in Guerlain could be something....

Perfumeshopping for Christmas 2013

Picture: Julbocken (The Yule Goat) 1912
Drawing by John Bauer (1882-1918)

Soon Christmas is here and below are some ideas when it comes to perfumeshopping not just for the holidays but also looking in the long term.

• First of all I'll recommend the beautiful perfumes I have sniffed and reviewed this year. Remember: All are good regardless rating. The rating reflects my personal impression when testing the fragrance,  my 3 rated could be your 5.
• For the moment, from the perfumes reviewed 2013, I'm specially craving: Puredistance Black eternal beauty, Robert Piguet Alameda contemporary but in the same time retro, oriental styled chypre, a sophisticated fragrance, the dark and dirty beauty of Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M.Micallef and the fascinating, age-, gender- and timeless Orlando from Jardins d'Écrivains.
• Another perfume grabbing my attention at the moment is Andy Tauers fantastic rosecentered PHI Une Rose de Kandahar which is built around a rare afghan roseoil of very high quality. As the roseoil is avaible just for limited time periods, Rose de Kandahar will also be avaible in limited quantities and periods. Therefore true roselovers should test this beautiful rose now.
• Samples of Patricia de Nicolaïs Amber Oud and Rose Oud just arrived. Have just sniffing outside the vials but my impression is I'll not be dissapointed, on the  contrary, they smell delicious. Reviews will follow.
• In the current niche-hype: Don't forget all the good perfumes within "mainstream" such great classics (despite more or less reformulated) as Chanel Coco, YSL Opium, Guerlain Shalimar, Estee Lauder Youth Dew and Thierry Mugler Angel are perfect for warming up in dark and cold winterevenings (and days).
• Rumors on Basenotes says Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere will be repacked in the squared Coco Mademoiselle bottle and that some minor adjustments will be done in the formula. As tweaking with formulas when changing bottledesign is very common, it could be time to stock up with the current version for frequent users of Eau Premiere.
• When it comes to repacking: Parfums Annick Goutal has changed the bottle design (don't know about the formulas) during the year and discontinued some gems: Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille which is the best Goutal ever IMO, the perfect springfragrances Eau de Camille, Eau de Ciel and the cosy Le Mimosa. For Goutal fans it's time to stock up as the old (and cheaper) bottles soon are gone.
• A package of samples is an intriguing Christmas gift to most. Luckily Fragrance & Art and Riktig Parfym could support in such matters.

A Coco week

Last Sunday and the workdays Monday to Friday this week have been dedicated to the different Chanel Coco interpretations (some of them anyway, I havn't tested Coco and Coco Mademoiselle in EDT and parfume yet). During the six Coco-days I spent three with Coco Noir, two with Coco Mad and one with Coco.I have enjoyed all the Cocos to the fullest and I have to confess that I, by now at least, like Coco Noir a tiny bit better (just a very tiny little bit) than good ol' Coco. Maybe it just depends on my personal shape of the day that day, but I found Coco a bit too loud in it's orietal spiciness compared with the more subdued Coco Noir. Don't get me wrong, I still love Coco but Coco Noir is favoured these days, maybe it's just the charm of novelty.With Coco and Coco Noir struggeling in the top, Coco Mad, even if I like it much too, comes a step behind, it's somehow sharper and not so seamless blended as the both Coco:s in the top. Anyway Coco Mad is a good, wearable and comfortable fragrance which I will revisit another Coco week. Already looking forward to such a week :-)

Chanel - Coco Noir

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

I really have tried to resist to like this frag as described as a disappointment in the perfumeblogosphere. There has to be a lot of weaknesses with it, something that better trained noses than mine understand
:-) . After a rapid skintesting from the tester in the store and from sniffing a scentstrip during a day, I have to confess: I really like Coco Noir and I even think it match the beautiful bottle and the story behind it quite well. I think it's a very wellcrafted floral musk with sweet fruity patchouli notes. When reading this one can be missleaded and think it's just another pink, berry/fruity, patch, but to my nose it isn't. First of all, even íf a fruity-patch-musk, it has the elegance and aura that is Chanel and that separates Coco Noir from hundereds of other in this genre. Second Coco Noir is not pink at all. It is dark, fruity, flowery, patchy which notes are contrasting the initial blast of light citrus bergamot. Third, there is tuned down traces of Coco Mademoiselle (in swedish) a fragrance that I unlike most perfumenerds like very much. Fourth the longevity is very good.

As stated above, Coco Noir starts light with the citrus/grape-bergamott infused accord. Then a moderate sweet, dark fruity-green-flowery, patchouli accord takes over and creates a distinct contrast to the topnotes. This stage is a bit dangerous because if too heavy applied, I suspect that it could be sickly sweet. After a whlie a rosy green geranium note appears and it adds a beautiful soapy quality to the blend, a soapiness that I feel very comfortable in. The soapiness creates an interesting retro vibe to Coco Noir. In the base there is a withe musk anchoring the blend, together with a soft and powdery tonka been and some light woody, slight resiny notes.

Strangely enough, I percieve Coco Noir as quite noir, other fruity-patchy blends are sweetly pink in comparison. When I first sniffed Coco Noir my first reaction was the similarity to the original muskfrag by Les Nereides, Musc de Java. The same sort of fruityness, almost berrylike, the patch and the musk are similar to each other but Musc de Java, even if more robust and rough, is thinner in it's texture and has an original hay-note that is not included in Coco Noir. Musc de Java is also brighter and lighter and is lighter on the soapy note. Coco Noir is a full and mature variation on the Musc de Java theme.

As with last year Chanel No 19 Poudré (in swedish) that also was not well received (at first anyway) in the perfumeblogosphere, I think one have to judge the flankers completely separate from the original fragrance and look at them as they where released under brand new names. Just as with Chanel No 19 Poudré compared to Chanel No 19, Coco Noir has little or no relation to the original, the beautiful oriental spicy Coco (despite the noir vibe), I think most of us perfumepundits starts to compare it with Coco and Coco Mademoiselle and therefore don't judge Coco Noir on it's own merits.

To me Coco Noir is a wearable and comfortable fragrance, definitly fbw and I just wonder for how long I will be able to resist...

Rating: 5
Rating update March 2013: 4  
Rating update April 2018: 5

Seems as CN wear better in warm and humid weather than in cold and dry. I perceive CN as less  integrated between it's different stages and that the sweet accord stands out a bit too much in the top- and middlenotes. Reaching its basenotes, CN is just as good as last late summer. 

As times has gone by and I have worn the Coco family even more and become familiar also with the Edt versions of Coco and Coco Mad as also Coco Mad Intense, Noir is back as a 5 rated member of the family.

Notes: Grapefruit, bergamot, rose, narcissus, geranium leaf, jasmine, tonka bean, sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, white musk, frankincense

Mer om doftval

Foto: Herr Parfumista (c)

Ursprungligen publicerat på min tidigare blogg "Parfumistans blogg" på Damerns Världs hemsida i november 2008.

Med tanke på mina inlägg om hur man ska gå till väga för att välja doft så finns det ytterligare en parameter som kan vara bra att ta hänsyn till: En parfyms uthållighet på marknaden, att låta tiden ha sin gång. De dofter som finns kvar några år efter introduktionen är i regel sådana som håller i längden och vissa av dem blir också klassiker. Dessutom har de hunnit falla i pris. Ofta är det bäst att satsa på den första doften och inte på någon av alla flankers som numera brukar följa en bra doft. Men det finns å andra sidan bra flankers som står på egna ben och som är helt nya dofter som Diors flanker-Poisoner, Coco Mademoiselle, Allure Sensuelle etc.

Juldofter - Orientaler

Först några smakprov ur doftfamiljen som man mest associerar med julen, orientalerna:

Coco (Chanel): Denna klassiska, barocka Jacques Polge oriental från 1984 står sig. Den ger associationer till guldbroderad, djupröd sammet, päls och rysk vinternatt.

Alahine (Teo Cabanel): Att denna klassiska, otroligt välgjorda doft kom så sent som 2007 är svårt att tro. Varm, med blyertspennenot på mig iallafall har inte sett någon annan nämna denna cedertränot, ylang-ylang och ambra. En lite blommigare Shalimar.

Shalimar (Guerlain): Jag älskar Shalimar i alla dess olika former, den skarpare mer bergamott dominerade Edt och den mjukare, rundare och dovare parfymen. Garanterat minst en Shali-dag i jul.

Nuit Noire (Mona di Orio): Denna lortiga, animaliska, dunkelt blommigt, farliga oriental kanske inte är hekt comme il fâut för julen. Men och andra sidan, det är så det luktar i stall.

Så till den kryddiga avdelningen:

Opium (YSL): Först något riktigt, stort och klassiskt kryddigt: Opium. Passar perfekt när det är mörkt och kallt. En verklig klassiker och förebild för många dofter i den genre. Och glöm inte: Ju äldre formula desto bättre.

Oriental Lounge (The Different Company): Celine Ellenas (just det JCE:s dotter) moderna, mjuka, djupa originellt kryddiga (curryblad) ambrerande oriental. Som att krypa in i en cashmeresjal. En av de absolut bästa jag sniffat in under 2010, sen som jag är, doften är från 2009.

No 1 (Aus Liebe zum Duft): Den förträffiliga butiken/nätbutiken ALzD:s jubileumsdoft när man fyllde tio år voriges Jahr. Transparant-kryddig men hållbar, torr med mycket peppar, ingefära och kardemumma på läder, trä och skalad modern ambra. Egentligen i första hand en herrdoft, men vem bryr sig.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp – Recension

Ursprungligen publicerat på min dåvarande blogg Parfumistans Blogg på Damernas Världs hemsida i mars 2010. 
Coco Mademoiselle Edp har varit en tuff utmaning för mig, något som jag gillar med parfymer och som oftast är ett tecken på god kvalitet. Jag har provat den några enstaka gånger genom åren och det har nästan alltid misslyckats. Coco Mlle är mycket känslig för kringfaktorer, den ska till exempel inte provas på huden i affären utan direkt efter avslutad dusch. Olika aspekter av doften framhävs beroende på årstid, mer värme på sommaren och den coola, rena patchoullin/vetivern på vintern. Coco Mlle kräver en låg dosering, absolut max sex tryck, fyra är nog idealt. Den är på gränsen till huvudvärksframkallande för mig under ganska stor del av dagen. Jag uppskattar den som mest så där arton timmar efter applicering, då lugnar doften ner sig i den rena patchoulli/vetiverbasen.

Coco Mlle Edp är en powerdoft som gjord för förhandlingar och situationer där det krävs skärpa från bäraren. Dock är det en doft som kräver att bäraren är taggad och på hugget redan när den appliceras. Är självförtroendet inte redan på en ganska hög nivå finns risken att Coco Mlle tar över och snarare sänker bärarens självförtroende. Den drar inte, som exempelvis Montans Parfum de peau och Estée Lauders Knowing, upp bärarens självförtroende utan kräver som sagt att det redan finns där. Då stärker Coco Mlle Edp upp det ytterligare. På så sätt är den en mycket utmanande doft.

Nu när jag kommit på god fot med Coco Mlle är jag ganska säker på att det blir en flaska när provet är slut. Den är ett exempel på hur fina och välgjorda dofter man faktiskt kan hitta i en normal parfymaffär, bara man tittar bortom tio i topp-listorna. 

Betyg 4+

Kommentar november: Lite mer av Coco Mlle- provet kan komma väl till pass när jag ska hålla föredrag nästa fredag. Betyg 4.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp – Beskrivning

Ursprungligen publicerat på min dåvarande blogg Parfumisans Blogg på Damernas Världs hemsida i mars 2010. 

Coco Mademoiselle Edp skapades av Chanels mångåriga husnäsa Jaques Polge 2001. Coco Mlle är ett tidigt exempel på den så kallade nya chypren, dvs en omdaning av chyprefamiljen på grund av den självreglering gällande ekmossa som doftindustrin infört för att ligga i fas med EU-regleringar. Coco Mlle är en blommig chypre som vilar på en disktinkt vetiver och patchullibas. Året efter kom Coco Mlle i Edt-form och i den versionen har man lagt till fruktighet och den klassas också som en fruktig chypre.

Coco Mlle Edp är en strikt doft perfekt till den mörka dräkten och den krispigt vita skjortan. För mig är den mer en tuff madame än en ung mademoiselle. Den har, namnet till trots, inte mycket gemensamt med föregångaren den barockt orientala Coco. Förutom då att den är mycket väl komponerad, noterna och ackorden flyter i varandra i en perfekt harmoni. Man känner också igen Chanel-basen i båda dofterna även om de tillhör olika doftfamiljer.

Coco Mlle Edp inleds med bergamot och apelsin. I mellanregistret finns ros och jasmin och i basen vetiver och patchoulli. 

Recension i nästa inlägg

Falska droppar

Att skilja falska parfymflaskor från äkta kan vara svårt, men en titt på Tradera bland de Chanel-flaskor som bjuds ut är en nyttig övning. Där kan man (utan att ens förstora upp bilden) regelbundet se förfalskningar. Chanel tillhör nämligen ett av de mest förfalskade märkena. Någonstans i cyberrymden läste jag om några saker man ska titta efter när det gäller att hitta förfalskningar. I exemplet utgick man från just typfallet Chanel:

Kartongen:
- Skillnader i kartongens propotioner (höjd, djup, bredd)
- Att texten inte sitter helt på rätt ställe och att fonterna inte är helt desamma
- Skillnader i papprets kvalitet och färgnyanser
Flaskan:
- Locket är ofta av en billigare utformning/material än på originalflaskor
- Spraymekanismen likaså
- Det är också vanligt att flaskans hals ger ett billigare intryck tex med en assymetriskt omlindad pappersremsa.
- Etiketten kan ha skillnader i färg, fonter och vara placerad annorlunda än på originalet.

Såg nyligen en bild på en falsk Coco Mademoiselle där etiketten var i en annan ton samt att den var placerad mer åt den nedre delen av flaskan istället för motsvarande placering uppåt på flaskan. Fonterna var också något annorlunda samt att det inte syntes något stansat varumärke och nummer i den fotograferade flaskans botten. Runt flaskans hals satt också en liten assymtertiskt och löst ditsatt pappremsa. I just den här annonsen skrev säljaren att den inte var säker på om flaskan var äkta eller inte men borde ha skrivit att det var en kopia eftersom det var så uppenbart. Fast jag har och andra sidan sett annonser där säljaren inte uttrycker någon tveksamhet överhuvudtaget. Så det gäller att vara vaksam även om det mesta som säljs sannolikt är äkta.