Friday, July 15, 2011

Chanel Coco Noir : new fragrance (rumour)

In the context of keeping you up with the latest, we often present fragrance projects by renowned companies before their launch is official. We classify these under "rumour" on Perfume Shrine and accept that the finer points may be swayed this way or that way later on. Today we have news on an upcoming Chanel fragrance! [We have updated with the official confirmation & pics below, scroll down please].


The thinking behind it all
Coco Noir is the official name, which stands for the new flanker to the original Coco fragrance from the 1980s. Coco Mademoiselle proved so popular that another effort in a similar vein might prove a treasure trove. After all since Chanel No.19 found a flanker, renewing the brand, in No.19 Poudré, why not Coco once more? After all, Coco Mademoiselle celebrates a decade on the market and a new addition to the line seems to prove it's considered a modern classic: if sales and promotion/advertising are any indication, it certainly is.

A "Noir"?
The Noir moniker suggests a composition that would depend on mystery, danger, adventure...There are hundreds of "noir" (or "black") fragrances on the market, from classics such as Narcise Noir and Drakkar Noir for men, to modern cults such as Bulgari Black, Japon Noir by Tom Ford, Black Orchid (again by Ford), Back to Black by Kilian, Orris Noir by Ormonde Jayne and Encre Noire by Lalique; or less challenging, tamer offerings such as Bulgari Jasmin Noir, Crystal Noir by Versace, La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain. There's something for everyone, since noir holds powerful fascination in fragrances for consumers, as we have already discussed in detail.

My money for the next Chanel therefore is on sophisticated notes that are making a come-back in general, such as leather, tarry-phenolic elements, incense, and darker "woods" (not forsaking popular patchouli) with skin-scent musks etc. The concept of calling something "black" is aesthetically a by-word for grown-up and I can't possibly see how girly, frou-frou things (fruity florals, sweet vanillas) could evoke it sufficiently. Unless they've forgotten what they represent at Chanel, which I hope they have not.

EDIT TO ADD: Official confirmation coming from Chanel directly one year later than my original prediction(!): Coco Noir is a new perfume launching on August 14th 2012 in the US and then internationally in September 2012; an oriental poised between the classic spicy oriental Coco and the modern luminous patchouli-laced oriental Coco Mademoiselle. 
[See? I told you I was not bull-shiting you!]

The concept
“Why does all I do become byzantine?” — Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

The concept of Coco Noir by Chanel is inspired by the past, traveling, the Baroque,Venice at night and the time Coco spent in the mysterious city....the idea of Venetian velvet is a recurring motif. 
The perfume is composed by in-house perfumer Jacques Polge.
"For Coco Noir, I thought of Coco and of Coco Mademoiselle too, because it’s also part of the history. I wanted to continue exploring an entire esthetic range of CHANEL perfumery, a range that distinguishes itself from the Florals, one that is illustrated by Bois-des-Iles and Cuir de Russie. I took it up with Coco. It’s what I like to call the CHANEL Coromandel culture, what you see and feel in her apartment. The night vision of the ‘Orient that starts and ends in Venice’ imposed itself upon me and that is where I wanted to go.”        
~Jacques Polge

Here is the bottle above and the fragrance notes for Coco Noir by Chanel:

Top: grapefruit, bergamot and orange
Heart: jasmine, rose, red geranium, Indonesian patchouli
Base: Brazilian tonka bean, Bourbon vanilla, sandalwood, frankincense and white musk.

Edit to add mini review:

Chanel's Coco Noir is like U2's song When All I Want is You, specifically the lyric "all the promises we break". It is no doubt a fragrance to suit contemporary sensibilities, what those may be, but its woody backdrop with lots of austere, somewhat masculine notes (which is not a bad thing in itself) is betrayed by the obiquitous fruity top which brings a jarring sour, garbage-y nuance. 



Venice by night....the inspiration behind Chanel Coco Noir


29 comments:

  1. This is exciting news! Hope it's really *noir*.

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  2. ooh I too hope it's really 'noir'!

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  3. Maureen15:30

    Love Coco. I don't know how much more sexy it could get. Looking forward to trying this.

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  4. Anonymous16:07

    Coco is my lifelong signature scent; I've worn it since the year it came out. I've cheated on Coco quite a bit, of course, but I've never left her (nor she me). It intrigues me that Chanel is paying attention to this somewhat forgotten oldie. I hope Coco Noir is fabulous.

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  5. annemariec00:05

    Maybe Coco is not such a forgotten oldie. I suspect it may be a quiet but steady seller for Chanel. Its 'buy again' rating on MUA is very high. I often see comments, like that of LuxeBytes, that suggest that Coco lovers have loyally worn it for years. I doubt many of them bothered with Coco Mademoiselle. Hopefully loyalty will be rewarded in Coco Noir.

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  6. Anonymous01:40

    Sounds AWESOME! I can't wait to hear more about it, and to have a sniff :)

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  7. Wonderful article! I loved Coco edp for a long time. It's an '80's cult classic, and has stood the test of time. I never got into 2001's Coco M., but I'm looking forward to Coco Noir. I am a fan of orientals, so hopefully it will be as good as it sounds.

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  8. VERY excited it if actually turns out to reflect the name.

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  9. Sigh sigh sigh.

    We don't need another Coco flanker... and we certainly don't need another 'noir'.

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  10. Peggy18:16

    Let's wait and see!!!!!!

    Do we know when this is going to arrive?

    Have a lovely summer Helena!!Hope you are great!

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  11. Anonymous22:21

    Chanel's never explored the noir thing ever like Caron did with Narcisse Noir and the very rare Tabac Noir. Serge Lutens revived the noir theme in 1981 with Nombre Noir and has had since then a few noir fragrances like Serge Noire. We all know that unimaginative perfumers like Tom Ford, Armani Prive, By Kilian felt compelled to do their own noir scents but at least this is the kind of fraudulent crap you expect from these guys. To see Guerlain and Chanel stopping so low by releasing noir flankers is truly a reflection of how inept their artistic direction has been for a while.


    Emma

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  12. I think it sounds really exciting :) If done well, a noir version of coco would be fabulous. I think we should be optimistic on this one. Somehow I can't imagine Chanel disappointing us too much!

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  13. perfumes10:01

    I am in love with just about every Chanel fragrance. In fact, this is one of my signature scent. I love its classy, classic and alluring smell.

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  14. Perfumes,

    pathetic attempt at spamming. You didn't even include a link to your shop!
    This perfume written about on this post hasn't even been released yet, btw. ;-)

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  15. Anonymous08:15

    I've tryed it, trust me you're love it!

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  16. Anon,

    very encouraging, if so.
    Please give more details! How does it smell? When will it be available? etc.

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  17. Anonymous05:54

    Available in august. I was handed one at my office.

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  18. Anon,

    now you know you have to provide some form of description of it on this page for our readers, don't you? :-D

    Thanks for commenting!

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  19. Anonymous20:27

    Think the orient! That is all. I'm a different Anon.

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  20. Anon #2,

    ah....makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.

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  21. it's not 'noir' at all, i've just sniffed it at the chanel boutique counter in mayfair. actually, they should've called it 'pink'! i think it will be a big hit commercially speaking, it's very safe and mainstream. a very aldehydic opening, with lots of grapefruit, jasmine, a faint rose, patchouli, musk, also, i don't know why but even though it's not listed, i smell peach, and quite a bit too. it reminds me a bit of coco mademoiselle but not as thick and powdery.

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  22. i've just sniffed it at the chanel boutique counter in mayfair, (so secretive they have a 'dedicated' sales assistant with the key to it and the bottle is nameless). i think it will be a big hit commercially speaking, it's very safe and mainstream. a very aldehydic opening, with lots of grapefruit, jasmine, a faint rose, patchouli, musk, also, i don't know why but even though it's not listed, i smell peach, and quite a bit too. it reminds me a bit of coco mademoiselle but not as thick and powdery. i don't know why they've called it 'noir', have no idea, they should've called it 'pink'!

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  23. Danny,


    oh, now I'm disappointed... :-( I appreciate all the notes you mention in their own right, but if it's going to be "a big hit commercially", is "safe and mainstream" and "should be called pink", I'm not sure it will have my buds salivating.... Noir indeed!

    Let's see though. Perhaps it might have a redeeming quality or two. *crossing fingers*

    Thank you very much for replying to the thread however with this invaluable info!! Much appreciated :-)

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  24. PerfumeShrine,

    it is as far away from the concept of 'noir' as possible!! in fact, it is a coco mademoiselle flanker, i honestly don't know why we've raised our hopes up so much!

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  25. Ouch!!

    Because we needed to, my friend, I guess. We have been wishing for a *proper* Chanel fragrance for quite a while now (it's been how many seasons, 6?). It's not going to be, from the looks of it.

    :-(( *crestfallen*

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  26. well, i'd rather stick with my les exclusifs thank you very much (cuir de russie edp and edt, sycomore, coromandel, eau de cologne), than go for a misadvertised, poorly executed (my personal opinion, which one should know that when it comes to a highly personal matter like fragrance, than it's highly subjective), hashed out fragrance from a house which obviously is desperately to cash in on the whole 'noir' trend which is so en vogue right now (tom ford, armani, lacroix, byredo, guerlain, histoires de parfum, etc, etc), i am quite surprised that they haven't jumped on the oud bandwagon yet.
    just don't call it 'noir' (call it 'pink fuzzy peach', i wouldn't have had an issue with that at all, i just wouldnt' have bothered to smell it, that's all).
    i know we all have grown accustomed to great things coming from chanel so the disappointment is particularly deeper.
    JUST DON'T CALL IT NOIR.

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  29. Anonymous00:46

    I am someone who loves orientals! Opium, Christian Diors' hypnotic poison, also the midnight and pure! I wear the original Coco , could not stand mademoiselle!yuck! But LOVE the new Noir! Sweet and spicy, the citrus, jasmine, sandalwood all mix up to smell"dark" and mysterious never smelled the "peach" .... Also like the #19 poudre as well. just my opinion,hope you try it before you knock it ;)

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