Which Is The Best Chanel Perfume? Our Top Picks

Chanel’s fragrances fall into a few families, and once you know which one you’re drawn to, the choice gets much easier. There’s the Coco line, rich and resinous; the Chance line, fruity and light; N°5 on its own; and Bleu de Chanel for men. Coco Mademoiselle is our first pick because it sits in the middle of all of them.

Fragrance	What it smells like	Pick it if
Coco Mademoiselle EDP	Orange, rose and jasmine over patchouli and vetiver	You want one Chanel that does a bit of everything
Coco EDP	Mandarin, jasmine and orange blossom over benzoin and tonka	You like warm, resinous florals
N°5 EDP	Aldehydes, May rose, jasmine, vanilla	You want the classic, soap and sparkle included
Coco Noir EDP	Bergamot, rose, patchouli, tonka	You want the darkest Chanel
Chance Eau Tendre EDT	Grapefruit, quince, jasmine, white musk	You want soft fruit and musk
Chance Eau Fraîche EDT	Citron, jasmine, teak wood	You want the freshest Chanel
Bleu de Chanel EDP	Cedar, sandalwood, amber, musk	You’re buying for a man, or want woods

Our Top Pick: Coco Mademoiselle

Coco Mademoiselle arrived in 2001 as a younger, brighter Coco. Chanel describes the EDP through orange, jasmine and rose over patchouli and vetiver, and that pairing is the reason it has lasted: the orange and flowers are sunny, and the patchouli and vetiver give them a dark, earthy floor to stand on.

It’s the Chanel we’d suggest to almost anyone, because it covers both moods. Coco Mademoiselle Intense and the Eau de Toilette are separate versions; the EDT is fruitier, with grapefruit and lychee.

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Editor’s Choice: Coco Eau de Parfum

Coco, from 1984, is the original that Mademoiselle lightened. Chanel’s description runs from Sicilian mandarin through jasmine, ylang-ylang and orange blossom to patchouli, benzoin and tonka. Benzoin is a vanilla-scented resin, and with tonka it makes Coco warm and enveloping in a way the other Chanels here aren’t.

A reviewer on Chanel’s own site says they wear it in “fall/winter when it’s cooler,” which suits it. Coco and Coco Mademoiselle are different perfumes, not a stronger and lighter version of one scent.

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Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum

Ernest Beaux created N°5 in 1921, and it’s still the most famous perfume Chanel makes. The Eau de Parfum is Jacques Polge’s 1986 version: aldehydes and citrus over May rose and jasmine, with bourbon vanilla underneath.

Aldehydes are the whole story. They smell fizzy, waxy and clean, a bit like a just-snuffed candle or fresh laundry, and in 1921 few perfumes had used them this boldly. If you’ve thought of N°5 as an old-lady perfume, smell it again with that in mind: it’s soap and sparkle as much as powder.

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Coco Noir Eau de Parfum

Coco Noir, from 2012, takes the Coco idea further into the dark. Bergamot opens onto May rose and geranium leaf, then tonka and patchouli. With only bergamot for brightness and tonka and patchouli underneath, this is the Chanel for evenings and for people who find the others too polite.

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Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Toilette

The Chance line is Chanel at its lightest, and Eau Tendre is the softest of them. Chanel centers it on a grapefruit-quince accord, jasmine and white musk. Quince is the unusual part: it’s fragrant and pear-like, a little floral, and it keeps the grapefruit from turning sharp.

It’s the one for spring and for anyone who finds Coco too heavy.

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Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette

Eau Fraîche is the Chance with an edge: citron, jasmine and teak wood. Citron is a sharper, greener citrus than grapefruit, and teak gives it a dry, woody finish, so where Eau Tendre is soft, this is crisp. It’s the freshest Chanel on the list, and the one for summer heat.

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Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum

Chanel’s best-known men’s fragrance, and the one to buy if the Chanel is a gift for him. The EDP is built on cedar, sandalwood, amber and musk: clean, warm and calm. Our compliments list has more on it. The EDT, Parfum and L’Exclusif are separate versions.

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Our concentration guide explains why the EDT and EDP versions of the same name smell different. If N°5’s aldehydes surprise you, best-selling and classic perfumes has more of the perfumes that shaped the twentieth century.