Chanel has launched Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu, the first new scent in the Coco Mademoiselle line in six years. The campaign is fronted by Grammy-nominated artist Gracie Abrams, and the fragrance is now available for £160 at Harrods.com.
A New Chapter in Chanel's Fragrance History
In 1921, Coco Chanel transformed the perfume world with Chanel No. 5, created with perfumer Ernest Beaux. It was the first perfume to use lab-made ingredients rather than natural flower oils, resulting in a complex fragrance that smelled like a real woman. Coco was also the first to put her own name on a perfume bottle, setting a blueprint for future fragrances.
The Coco Mademoiselle line was launched in 2001 by Jacques Polge, the house's legendary perfumer. The new Crush Absolu is crafted in-house with perfumer Olivier Polge, evoking an amber intensity balanced by vibrant grapefruit and lychee.
Testing the Fragrance
The review involved spritzing the Chanel Crush Absolu daily for a fortnight, assessing the bottle's luxury feel, fragrance notes, staying power, and value for money. The scent is beautifully balanced, with a citrus aroma reminiscent of the original Coco Mademoiselle, and a soft lychee, rose, and grapefruit finish. It isn't overly sweet, and has enough presence to garner compliments without feeling overpowering.
Thanks to rich amber and vanilla base notes, the perfume has a distinctive warmth that lends itself well to winter spritzing. Its year-round balance is perhaps its biggest strength. Longevity is impressive; five hours after spritzing, the sweet amber-patchouli profile is still detectable on the skin.
Is It Worth It?
The Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu smells expensive and fresh without feeling too mature, arguably geared toward younger perfume fans who want something sophisticated. The London Standard's beauty director Rose Beer said, "A glossy, gorgeous and magnetic take on the OG with amber, vetiver, vanilla and patchouli." With Gracie as the campaign star, the new perfume is sure to become a Christmas gifting favourite.
