Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu by Chanel

Fresh, floral, ambery. I find it very sensual and elegant, yet also very versatile: I can see myself wearing it to the office, for shopping, at breakfast, brunch, dinner, or even a more formal party. Wearing it makes me feel feminine and elegant, but with a hint of an independent, fearless woman. I understand why some people are reminded of Libre, although they have nothing whatsoever in common—the scent is different, but it evokes the same feeling of a free woman, that unisex touch which, to me, is simultaneously very feminine because it is sensual. It’s a bit like a leopard: it could be a male leopard, but it has feminine energy, if you know what I mean. I think many people dislike it because it isn’t like the original, but if it were, they would still dislike it. It is something exquisite in itself, beyond comparison. A dark, refined lychee note, not at all girlish. It’s the first Chanel I’ve bought without overthinking it. I love it; I’ll use it until it is finished and probably buy another bottle.

I couldn’t wait—I bought it on the very day it launched, despite the cost and the absence of a tester in my city. As soon as I got in the car, I opened it and sprayed it left, right and centre. As a great lover of Coco Mademoiselle in all its versions, I must say that this one doesn’t feel redundant to have in a collection. Let me tell you a bit about what it’s like: for a vague moment after spraying it, I thought of Club de Nuit Woman (it must be the lychee and grapefruit), and for a moment I was scared, hahahaha. I said: But Chanel! Why did you copy the Arab who copied you?? No, no, no! Not at all! It was just an olfactory thought that passed through my head for a few minutes during the opening. Here you’ll find that the main difference between this and the original EDP is the sweet powderiness provided by the lychee note. I see it being compared with Prada Paradoxe, and I don’t understand why, when the absence of orange blossom in this Crush Absolu is so obvious. I think they may be confused by the type of sweet, effervescent powderiness, but they are nothing alike. Nor does it resemble Delina, or anything of that style. This is a composition based on rose and powdery vanilla, fairly unisex and far removed from the ultra-feminine profile of PM’s creation, because as it dries down, that vetiver-filled DNA emerges, which tends to give Chanel fragrances a unisex touch, made even more pronounced here by the oakmoss note, which could allow a gentleman to wear it without any hesitation whatsoever. Longevity is rather good: for six hours you’ll smell it strongly, and afterwards it becomes like a second skin until you shower. I see potential in it; I’m sure that after a few days of maceration, it will change noticeably. P.S. Don’t let the name Coco Mademoiselle blind you; the black and gold label is the clue. In the heart of this perfume, very discreetly and without making a sound, lies Coco EDP.

It’s a modern, sweeter version of the original. On the opening it’s more fruity and citrusy, with a hefty grapefruit note and the tartness of lychee. In the drydown, it becomes more floral and patchouli-forward, above all very sweet, almost gourmand, but without losing the elegance of the house. I think this is a version that will really appeal to anyone not entirely convinced by the classic essence of the line. It surprised me very pleasantly.

What a thrill this launch is! I had no idea, and I was so pleased when I saw it. Coco Mademoiselle EDP was my signature perfume for many years, but I moved to the Intense version when I noticed some reformulation that had taken away the power of its early days. I hope this new version is like the original from 2001.

Fresh, floral, amber, I find it very sensual and elegant; yet very versatile, I can see myself wearing it to the office, to go shopping, to breakfast, brunch, dinner, or even a more formal party. Wearing it makes me feel feminine, elegant, but with a touch of an independent and fearless woman. I understand why some people are reminded of Libre, though it’s nothing like it; the scent is different, but it evokes the same feeling of a free woman, that unisex touch that in my opinion is also very feminine because it is sensual. Kind of like a leopard; it could be a male leopard, but it has feminine energy, I don’t know if I’m making myself clear. I think many people dislike it because it’s not like the original, but if that were the case, they wouldn’t like that one either. It is something exquisite in itself, beyond comparison. A dark and refined lychee note, nothing girlish about it. It’s the first Chanel I buy without overthinking it, I love it, I’ll use it until it’s finished and probably buy another bottle.