Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP review: my HG Night time perfume

 Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP review, price

PRICE: Around 168SGD (approximately P6,000+)

FROM: Takashimaya department store, Ngee Ann City, Singapore

OTHER LOCATIONS: Available at Rustans

THE VERDICT:

I remember it vividly: I was in 2nd or 3rd year college, perhaps. It was a hot afternoon when I alighted at the Ayala Avenue MRT station to meet my mom in the area. My last class for the day was dismissed so I thought of hitching a ride home with my mom. She said she wouldn't be out until 6 or 7 pm so I moseyed around the malls to kill time and found myself in Rustans.

Rustans has always been one of my favorite malls in Makati because it has EVERYTHING that I liked: perfumes, cosmetics, skin care, bags, and clothes. Plus I like that it was quiet and the place smelled really nice.

I passed by Chanel's counter and while I played with the lipstick and blush testers, I caught a whiff of a beautiful, amber-rose-patchouli perfume. It smelled so beautiful and so expensive. It was like a huge bouquet of expensive roses. The scent was so captivating, I mustered enough courage to ask the saleslady what that perfume was even if I knew that I sadly could not afford it, not with my measly college allowance.

"Chanel Coco Mademoiselle" the sales lady replied. I asked if she could spray it on my wrist and clothes and she gladly did because I pretended that I was a potential customer. "I'll let the perfume sit and see if it will give me an asthma attack or something", I cheekily replied. She smiled and I merrily went on my way.

And I couldn't stop smelling myself when I got to the food court and settled for a snack. I've tried on so many fragrances in my life, but Chanel Coco Mademoiselle was something. It is such an elegant yet commanding fragrance, and it's the woman that I aspired to be. I wanted it so bad and I wanted to ask my mom for it, but growing up, I was taught to work hard for what I want in life. So I just wrote on a piece of paper that one day, I'll be able to afford myself a bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.

Now this vivid memory of my first encounter with Chanel's most beautiful fragrance in my opinion flashed in my head as I stood at the counter of Chanel at Takashimaya Department Store, Singapore. I thought to myself "Man, I only dreamt of you before. Now I'm gonna buy you." It was a serendipitous moment because that day, when I was finally able to afford a bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, was the same day that I finally acquired Chanel's crème dela crème bag, the Classic Flap.

I sound so cheesy right now, but after paying for those two dream Chanels of mine, I think I got teary- eyed. Because I've got an intense case of Impostor Syndrome and it was one of those moments that made me feel that I deserved those things because I've sacrificed a lot and have been doing my very best in everything since day 1.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is one of Chanel's most popular perfumes. It is targeted towards a much younger generation, specifically those in their 30s. In fact, I even think that this is the brand's younger version of the famous Chanel N5 because I believe a lot of women my age find Chanel N5 a bit intoxicating and since Chanel still wants to keep this market, they released a lighter, fresher version.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle was launched in 2001 and the master perfumer behind it is the famous Jacques Polge. Top notes are orange, mandarin, and orange blossom, middle notes are turkish rose, jasmine, mimosa, and ylang-ylang, and base notes are patchouli, white musk, vanilla, tonka bean, vetiver, and opoponax. 

Projection is strong: the citrus notes at the top create a splash, which immediately develops into a more floral, amber-rosy fragrance; I like this quick evolution of the notes because the heart notes of the fragrance are pushed out instantly, which creates that memorable impression and makes it undoubtedly Coco Mademoiselle. Sillage is fairly strong: not as strong as the projection, but when someone is wearing Coco Mademoiselle, I can immediately tell and it leaves a light, heartwarming, rosy- patchouli trail. One word that always comes to mind when I catch a whiff of this fragrance? Beautiful. 

Staying power is great. I only need to spray it generously once all over my body and the scent lasts the whole day.

One thing that drew me the most to this fragrance is how opulent yet wearable it is; it screams Chanel, but younger. This fragrance has so much character and it's very classy. It's also my go- to if I want to look and feel elegant in an instant.

If it's your first time to encounter Chanel fragrances, I would say that this is not a safe blind buy since I mentioned that it's opulent and has slightly heavy notes such as Patchouli.

If this perfume were a woman, she's someone who's at the pinnacle of her career. She's poised, she's smart, she's serious yet knows when to have fun. Whenever she enters the room, you can't help but notice her kind yet commanding presence. She's a woman who forges her own path with grit and grace.

This perfume is currently my HG night time fragrance. An easy grab on date nights and smart casual events. I also love pairing it with my Chanel Classic Flap because they just go so well together, plus both are really memorable items for me.

And whenever I'm wearing this fragrance, I'm always reminded of the things that I can still do and the person that I can still become; it all started on that fateful day when this perfume came my way.

CHANEL COCO MADEMOISELLE EDP RATING