Popular, seldom does a word carry such a disparate double edge to it. On one hand many view popular as something to be desired. The thought goes if everyone likes it that means it is pretty good. The flip side to this is popular is used pejoratively as something the uneducated masses like and therefore it should be dismissed because of its supposed lack of sophistication. When it comes to perfume most perfumistas will give many niche houses or indie perfumers much more leeway mainly because they lack this broad acceptance outside of those “in the know”. There is one mainstream perfume house which very carefully, and successfully, treads the line of popularity and that is Chanel.

The newest release by Chanel, Coco Noir is meant to be a popular perfume and I mean that with both sides of the popularity blade in play. Like Bleu de Chanel in 2010, Coco Noir is created for the woman who has a few bottles of fragrance on her dressing table. It is likely she wouldn’t recognize half the names of perfumes perfumistas wax rhapsodic over. I expect Coco Noir will be the number one selling fragrance this upcoming holiday season and for those not immersed in perfume it will be something they very likely will buy again, it will be popular.

What perfumer Jacques Polge has created is an Oriental perfume, based on Coco Chanel’s time in Venice, meant for beginners. If you are a fan of Coco Mademoiselle or Coco, for the creativity in those fragrances, you will not likely find that level of inspiration in Coco Noir. What you will find is M. Polge at his crowd pleasing best using six of the most well-liked notes in perfumery. Citrus to floral to patchouli and wood Coco Noir is a parade of greatest hits, well blended but nothing new or different. To someone browsing the department store counter or shoppers walking by the cloud emanating from the fine fragrance department they will be drawn in because Coco Noir is very well made mainly because I don’t think M. Polge can make a bad perfume. Coco Noir is better than 95% of what you will find on those department store counters and will deserve its popularity.

Coco Noir opens with no hint of noir around as grapefruit and bergamot take the lead. The citrus chord is soon replaced by the floral heart of Coco Noir made up of rose and jasmine. Here is where twilight finally begins to fall as the jasmine, in particular, imparts a bit of intensity needed for a fragrance with noir in its name. The rose is the powdery version of rose and it leavens the jasmine without completely neutering it. It is this accord that lingered longest on my skin during my test wears of Coco Noir. Eventually a pungent patchouli and creamy sandalwood add the oriental flare M. Polge wanted to achieve. In the latter stages, with the jasmine, rose, patchouli and sandalwood all pulling together, was when Coco Noir finally delivered on the promise of its name.  

Coco Noir has average longevity and average sillage

As I wore Coco Noir there was a part of me that wanted to have this be part of Chandler Burr’s Untitled series. I wondered to myself if it came in an unmarked bottle and I didn’t know it was from Chanel, what would my reaction have been then? I hope it would be the same as it is right now; Coco Noir is a good perfume from a house that can make great perfume. While I can’t fault Chanel for playing it safe I really want M. Polge to unleash his artistic side instead and make an Exclusif that reminds us of the heights he can achieve. Coco Noir is good, safe, popular perfume for the people…not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Disclosure: This review was based on a press sample provided by Chanel USA.

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor