Coco by Chanel c1984

Coco by Chanel: launched in 1984. The nose behind this fragrance is Jacques Polge.

For the launch of the perfume, a luncheon was held at the Grand Vefour restaurant in Paris, where  five sumptuous buffets and bottles and bottles of champagne delighted attendees. Sleek limousines chauffeured all guests. Later at 8pm, 800 guests were brought to the balconies of the Paris Opera House for a coveted lavish four course sit down gourmet dinner and collection showing to be held at 9:30pm. Guests were entertained by wandering jugglers, magicians, an eight piece chamber ensemble played Vivaldi, along with a tightrope walker who teetered across the grand staircase. Plenty of champagne to go around to helped to ease the boredom of the guests who waited patiently, and some impatiently for the rest of the long evening to continue.

In 1986, Chanel decided to launch the Coco fragrance in Canada, spending $5 million dollars to bring the fragrance to major Canadian department stores, one year after its introduction in the United States. Chanel invited about 30 Canadian fashion writers, as well as a writer each from Vancouver Magazine and Calgary Magazine, to a special VIP dinner in Paris. Chanel paid for each guest's to and from Paris. Chanel showered its guests with nearly $20,000 worth of swag. Limousines whisked the guests from the airport to the hotel where each guest found that a fabulous gift basket was sent to their hotel room. Stuffed into the basket were freesia, daisy and camellia pins, soap, cologne and bath gel in both Chanel's Cristalle and the new Coco fragrance. Guests were then given another limousine ride, this time to the Jules Verne restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower. 

As the Canadian guests settled themselves into the leather banquettes, they were greeted with a little black box with the name Chanel emblazoned on it; inside the lucky guests found a brooch set with faux diamonds and faux pearls. The journalists nibbled on a sumptuous dinner consisting of bass in a delicate sauce topped with chanterelle mushrooms, spring lamb wrapped in puff pastry, savory cheeses and a melon sorbet with fresh strawberries in a grapefruit-sized shell of baked crepe, followed by champagne and other wines, coffee and cigars for the gentlemen. The main event took place at the end of the fall-winter ready-to-wear fashion shows that brought the Canadian fashion press, along with 3,000 other media and buyers from around to the world, to Paris. The day started with an 11 am cocktails and canapes press conference above Chanel's Rue Cambon shop in the luxurious apartment Chanel used for business and entertainment until her death in 1971. Waiter from LeNotre, in their freshly pressed white jackets, circulated the crowd with trays loaded with champagne and scotch.

The VIP dinner, gifts and overall treatment culminated to Chanel's biggest perfume launch since it introduced Chanel No. 19 in 1974.

The Coco fragrance is a rich blend of amber, spice and woody scents. One ounce of the parfum retailed for $220.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a spicy semi-oriental fragrance for women with a strong hint of amber. Coco made use of several key ingredients to give it a unique formula including: hedione, lyral, Iso Super E, methyl ionone, eugenol, coumarin, salicylates, vanillin.

• Top notes are coriander,  mandarin orange, peach, Indian jasmine and Bulgarian rose
• Middle notes are ylang ylang, carnation, frangipani, mimosa, clove bud from the Spice Islands, orange blossom, clover and rose
• Base notes are patchouli,  labdanum, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, opoponax, civet and vanilla

Fragrance and Wellbeing: Plant Aromatics and Their Influence on the Psyche, 2013:

"Clove was also present in the "Mellis accord", which was a widely used base in spicy oriental fragrances including Youth Dew, Opium and Coco. The mellis accord, which makes up an important part of the fragrance here incorporates amyl salicylate in addition to benzyl salicylate, with the patchouli and hydroxycitronellal (which has a linden blossom-like, sweet, green, radiant odor), spices, woods and coumarin. Since then restrictions have been placed on some of these, so it will have been modified."

Bottles:

Coco was housed in the standard Chanel flacons over the years. The fragrance was first available in Parfum (Extrait) and Eau de Toilette. By 1986, the Eau de Parfum was introduced.

To open the classic Chanel crystal parfum flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Chanel in 1963:

Remove cord and paper; with index finger as cushion, tap underneath sides of stopper lightly with glass object (glass on glass being the scientific method) while turning the bottle steadily between fingers, so that the stopper will be loosened evenly.

Voile Parfume was launched in 1995, a light, water based, alcohol free,  body spray that could be worn in conjunction with Coco or alone. "Coco Voile Parfume by Chanel, a body spray with a mix of flowers, chords of amber, and woodsy notes. This water-based, alcohol-free scent is similar to the original Coco but with a slightly fresher and more lightweight feel." Unfortunately this was discontinued by 1999.

Ancillary Products:.

Starting in 1987, ancillary items were offered under the name Les Plaisirs de Coco.

Over the years several bath & body items were produced, some of these were discontinued throughout the years and others were reformulated into new and improved bath and body products. 

The older products have glass bottles and large black square caps. The older style bath soap is the oval shapes that look like eggs. 

• Luxury Foaming Shower Gel (gel moussant)
• Luxury Perfumed Powder Shaker Talc
• Luxury Body Creme (creme pour le corps)
• Luxury Perfumed Powder (poudre apres bain)
• Luxury Bath Soap with Travel Case (savon etui de luxe)
• Bath Oil (huile de bain)
• Bath Wash (douceur pour le bain)
• Moisturizing Body Lotion (emulsion pour le corps)
• Body Satin Spray (douceur satinee pour le corps) - c1995
• Deodorant Spray (eau deodorante)
• Perfumed Bath Soap (savon pour le bain)

Fate of the Fragrance:

Coco has bee reformulated a couple of time over the years to conform with IFRA restrictions on some ingredients. Currently, it is still in production.

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