Coco Mademoiselle Collection Été, featuring Keira Knightly.
Coco Mademoiselle Collection Été, featuring Keira Knightly.
Image: Supplied/Chanel

It’s been 20 years since Chanel released Coco Mademoiselle, the house’s second-most iconic scent. While the nose behind the original hit was Jacques Polge, his son Olivier Polge has reimagined this latest remix as the French brand’s in-house perfumer-creator.

Jacques was head perfumer from 1978 to 2015 after which his son took over. Along with perfume running in the family — his parents met at a perfumery school — Olivier was born in Grasse, France’s perfume capital.

Olivier, who has also reinterpreted Chanel No 5 into a fresh and floral spray, says, “With Coco Mademoiselle L'eau, I wanted to put a summery spin on Coco Mademoiselle: a fruity, oriental trail infused with sensuality and lasting freshness.” Fans of the eau de parfum will more than recognise it still as he always makes sure to stay true to the composition of the archetype.

To create a contemporary scent, it’s interesting to read that Olivier sees himself as a composer. Music was his first passion. “When I was 20 years old, I started to learn the métier, and I discovered that music and fragrance share the same language. I realised that I had to compose and write formulas made of notes and harmonies.”

L’eau is an opus with notes of orange, rose, jasmine, white musk and bergamot. It’s fresh and fruity but equally sensual, and its playfulness and luminosity is portrayed through British actress Keira Knightley, dressed in a sheer gown accessorised with a long string of pearls. The sparkly citrus is balanced with softer florals and the provocative and lighthearted dualities are inspired by the iconic Gabrielle Bonheur (Coco) Chanel. 

It’s the perfect follow-up to the 2011 ad campaign The Film, which features Keira as a mischievous spirit. The director, Joe Wright, also worked with her on box-office successes, Pride and Prejudice and Atonement.

Coco Mademoiselle L'eau and Le Gel.
Coco Mademoiselle L'eau and Le Gel.
Image: Supplied/Chanel

As part of Collection Été, which is meant for summer months, there are two limited edition products for your body and hair, including a fragrance mist in a travel-friendly flask and an aftersun shower gel in a tube.

Le Gel leaves skin soft and lightly scented. As part of the art of perfuming, layering is key to leaving a lasting trail of scent from head to toe — kind of like a second skin. And because it’s a mist, you don’t only have to apply on pulse points such as your ankles, knees and wrists. It’s an all-over experience.

The two summer essentials with new formulas created specifically for use during summer, come in new packaging, ideal for travel, and new, intuitive and ultra-sensorial experiences.

Easy to pop into a rattan basket bag while on holiday, the mist, which is Chanel’s first-ever water-based scent, is alcohol-free and easy to reapply throughout the day to extend and accentuate the fragrance ritual. 

Coco Mademoiselle L’eau and Le Gel by Chanel is available in a 100ml bottle.

For more information, visit the Chanel website

* This article was paid for by Chanel.

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