Smells like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: Paris Blush body butter

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle opens with orange, runs through rose and jasmine, and rests on patchouli. Paris Blush is our take on that profile, with orange, rose and soft patchouli, in a pheromone-infused body butter at $25 a jar.

Which Coco Mademoiselle is it?

Chanel launched Coco Mademoiselle in 2001 as an Eau de Parfum, and Jacques Polge created it. The range has since grown to include an Eau de Toilette, the Eau de Parfum Intense by Olivier Polge, a Parfum, and Coco Mademoiselle L'Eau Privée, which Chanel presents as a night fragrance built on jasmine and rose.

These are different formulas, so a note list belongs to the Coco Mademoiselle family and not to one bottle. Paris Blush follows the profile of the family, and we would not claim it matches the Eau de Parfum over the Intense or the Eau Privée, or the other way round.

What happens when orange, rose and patchouli go into a butter?

Orange is the bright opening, rose is the soft middle, and patchouli keeps both from thinning out. Paris Blush keeps the patchouli soft, so it reads as a clean, rosy glow and not an earthy one.

The formula is our own, in a shea and cocoa butter base, so it is inspired by Coco Mademoiselle and not identical to any version of it. In a butter the orange stays close to the skin and does not carry across a room, which we think suits it for the workday.

Where does Paris Blush fit in your week?

At work and every day: the office, errands, brunch, a flight. It is a middle-of-the-range scent in our view, not one of the two louder ones, and it suits a woman who wants to smell polished without announcing it.

For the evening, Crimson Amber is the better choice, and Paris Blush for the day with Crimson Amber after dark is a simple pair.

How do you wear it?

Apply one scoop to damp skin after a shower: neck, collarbone, chest and wrists. Most skin holds it for 12+ hours, longest when damp.

If you own a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle, the butter-first order works there too. We have no controlled test showing the spray lasts longer, so try it and decide.

What does it cost next to a bottle?

A bottle of Coco Mademoiselle costs about $325. A jar of Paris Blush is $25, about $300 less. You can also buy 2 for $43.38 or 3 for $58.08, and every order ships wrapped in a piece of a real coffee sack, with a card that says where it came from. If the scent is not right for you, there is a free scent swap within 14 days.

Obsessed is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chanel.

Quick answers

• Is Paris Blush identical to Coco Mademoiselle? No. It follows the profile in our own formula and base.
• Is Paris Blush good for work? We think so. A butter stays close to the skin, and Paris Blush is not one of our two louder scents.
• Which is brighter, Paris Blush or Velvet Lavender? Paris Blush has orange and rose and is the brighter one. Velvet Lavender is softer and calmer.
• Does it work in winter? We would choose Crimson Amber or Dark Tuberose for a cold evening, but Paris Blush is fine under a coat in the daytime.

See Paris Blush body butter, or take the scent quiz if you are choosing between all six.