Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu

Chanel describes an ambery eau de parfum in three movements: a lychee and grapefruit accord, a floral heart of rose and jasmine, and woody-ambery base notes. The house itself publishes this breakdown into tiers, reproduced here as is.

Top

The lychee-grapefruit accord opens the fragrance. The house credits it with a zesty freshness that seduces and surprises; Olivier Polge points to the rosy sweetness of lychee, which pairs with the woody-ambery base. For Chanel, the Crush expresses itself from this opening.

Heart

Rose and jasmine form a floral heart that the house says is meant to heighten the fragrance’s magnetism. The duo comes from Coco Mademoiselle, whose 2001 eau de parfum already rests on an accord of jasmine and rose.

Base

Patchouli, a Coco Mademoiselle signature according to the house, is dressed in intensely vanilla-rich ambery notes and vetiver. Chanel places there the fragrance’s absolute character and a vibration at once masculine and feminine; Olivier Polge speaks of a patchouli elevated by the ambery notes.

What stays out

Bergamot, lemon and sandalwood appear among the declared ingredients, but not among the notes published by the house. The orange that brightens the 2001 eau de parfum is absent from the composition of Crush Absolu.

What the label declares

The list published for the eau de parfum counts thirty-five ingredients. After alcohol, fragrance and water come a synthetic molecule, tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, vanillin and coumarin. It also declares a stabilizer, tris(tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) citrate, and a UV filter, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane.

It names six natural materials: bergamot, patchouli, lemon and sandalwood oils, and jasmine and rose oils or extracts. Three colorants tint the juice: CI 14700, CI 19140 and CI 60730.