Coco by Chanel is an Oriental Spicy fragrance for women (but these days perfectly good for men also). Coco Eau de Parfum was launched in 1984 and was the first Eau de Parfum strength fragrance ever created specifically to be perfect at twenty percent dilution. The nose behind this fragrance is Jacques Polge.
This formula is based on actual knowledge of the original including a number of suggested substitutions for the few materials that are now restricted from general use (such as Lyral). The download also contains a number of substitute formulas for bases and absolutes that are used in order to make a more cost effective modern version.
No formula or information exists on the internet right now that can take you this close to the original version of Coco.
If you wish to purchase the full formula to this opulent and historic fragrance, you may do so here:
Fantastic.. I am certainly going to buy your formula very soon because I like this fragrance very much.
Are there any peculiar ingredients that aren’t for sale at PW, PA,CP etc? (I probably have most of the ingredients)…
Coco is one of my all-time favourites. The only difficulty you may have is one base which I have a formula for here on the site (though you can still buy it from Firmenich). The rest is fairly standard except a couple of naturals but they are also available from Vigon if my memory serves me (cistus related). You can email me if there are issues and we can flesh out some replacers if necessary.
Thank you, we will see if that’s necessary or not. At least the acetyl isoeugenol that Konstantin has mentioned…but I see that PW has it so that settles it.
If it’s Jasmin 231 you’re referring to than that’s ok.. I have made it a while ago: great base!
Yeah – Firmenich still makes Jasmin 231 – it is a big part of First from Van Cleef and Arpels. Unfortunately the Firmenich version now is a pale form of what it once was – my formula on the site is better 🙂
Hi Jamie – it appears that one needs to pay extra $10 for shipping – something wrong with the set up of this item?
Oops this is now fixed!
Super – worked and I am now mixing. Would you replace the acetyl isoeugenol with either iso Eugenio or methyl diantilis, or with plain Eugenio? And would you recommend changing citronellyl acetate for either Geranyl acetate or phenyl ethyl acetate or some mixture of those with neryl acetate?
You could replace the acetyl isoeugenol with isoeugenol BUT acetyl isoeugenol is in the original and is preferred as it has a particularly fine synergy with resinous materials.
You could use other rose acetate – but I’d make that choice once you smell the jasmine base as that is quite penetrating (particularly if you buy the current iteration of that jasmine being sold by Firmenich – the original was more sultry).
Thanks! I used your Jasmin 231 formula (slightly adapted). Let’s see – for now I leave these two aside and let it sit for 48 hours before passing any judgement or making changes.
Definitely a good plan!
Hi Jamie – a short update on what happened – I did indeed add in the end a mix of several of the acetates to get to where it is and the mix I got created a very sparkly feel to it which I like a lot – a lot more than the stickiness which I feel from the original – I have a bottle here which is pretty old (not sure from when exactly but it is definitely older than 10 years – and in that, I feel a certain cloying stickiness which I never liked particularly). So overall… Read more »
Excellent – I’m glad it gave a good result. These formulas are really good for starting points – to be diverted away from into whole new territories. Who knows what magic you may end up creating?!
Hi Jamie, is this an IFRA compliant?
No – it contains lyral. I mention a substitute option for that but this is based on the original version which is before IFRA existed.
Hi Jamie, only a few ingredients that I have to buy. All of them at PW (perfumers world) because they still have free shipping ($100 or more) a good time to fill up my stock!
Any suggestions for myrrh resin? I have myrrh e.o. (I don’t like the smell).
The captive is something that Christine might get for me in time but for now I’ll stick to the ordinary alternative.
I think I got my myrrh from Christine in the past – she should have access to the Robertet product.
Hermitage oils has Ethiopian Myrrh Resin, so I think I’ll go after that one.
Grind it and I am ready to go.
I am really excited to mix this formula soon.
What’s your advice for the macerating time?
The longer the better on this one.
Tested this on a teststrip during the macerating proces and it smells classic, sophisticated, expensive, it develops very well and it’s not lineair. Love it!
Great addition.
Hello Jamie, just purchased this, but didnt get the formula and no email either. After payment on paypal I clicked back to merchant, and there was nothing.
If you still can’t find the download link can you email me on [email protected] and I’ll send it to you manually 🙂
Hello, thanks for the email. Mixed it and luckily have all ingredients. Although, I dont know what to do for the jasmin 231. You have 2 different formulas for it. One on this site, which i mixed already, and one on basenotes which is more complex and contains natural ambergris and civet. So which one is the better version? You used some jonquil base in the second formula but can narcissus base replace that?
Use the formula on this site 🙂 If your civet is very refined, go with the whole dose, if it Robertet (quite sharp and unpleasant) go with half at least – or less.
Ok thanks, and no indole at all?
As is 🙂 The ylang helps contribute a natural indolic note. I’ll be selling this as a made up base at some point in the future (a variation different from both the basenotes and this site version).