Chanel Rouge Coco: Sneak Preview
Rouge Coco promises to be one of Chanel’s biggest launches this year. According to Peter Philips’, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, “Rouge Coco fascinates me, because I’ve never seen a texture this comfortable and easy to apply. It’s the ready-to-wear lipstick. Just one sweep over the lips colours them and covers them in a melt-away balm … I like the idea that women from the gloss generation, who are afraid of lipstick, can return to this essentially feminine beauty step with Rouge Coco.”
I’m a big fan of Chanel’s lip products. It took me awhile before I came around, but once I did, woo, boy! Those Rouge Allure Laques just made me fall head over heels in lurve. I remember first reading about Rouge Coco in WWD back in January, and I was all over it. I was like, “When? Where? I WANT!”
Rouge Coco comes in a metal case, but it’s still housed in sleek, black packaging with signature Chanel details. Funny enough, according the press materials, engineers opened and closed hundreds of tubes of lipstick to settle on just the right “click.” Each lipstick is lightly scented with a vanilla rose scent (also supposed to have a “fruity raspberry accord,” but I didn’t catch it–my nose is far from sophisticated!).
When asked, “How do we apply Rouge Coco?” Peter Philips says, “[It] stands out by the freedom that it offers women. It allows you to adjust the intensity of the colour, even though the very first coat offers dense lip pigmentation.”
I wanted to give you the back story behind Rouge Coco, because I know that I enjoy reading about the inspiration behind a new product or collection. It just makes it come alive to me! There is just something special about really seeing and envisioning all of the work that went into a product, whether you buy into the back story or not.
But now, let’s move away from the press release and onto the real deal — do they deliver? what are they like? Based on the back story, Rouge Coco is designed to be a hydrating, satin lip color that can deliver smooth, pigmented color. After testing five shades, I can confirm that back story for you.
- Perle (02) is a soft pinky-brown with subtle champagne sheen. It gives good coverage without being heavy.
- Mademoiselle (05) is a medium pink with a brown edge. It’s pink without being bubblegum-pink or pale or frosty. This was one of the richer colors of the five I tried as well. I didn’t feel like this shade had any noticeable shimmer; it had a slight sheen, but it wasn’t frosty or glossy.
- La Pausa (08) is an orange-based coral with coppery orange shimmer. It applied smoothly and provided good color coverage, though it had a frostier finish than the other four I tested out. I’m not sure why this is put in the “Beige” family, since I wouldn’t say it’s anywhere near beige.
- Legende (11) is a raspberry pink with a pearl shimmer. It applies evenly to lips and is rich in color. It had less of a satin finish as it did frost. There was a noticeable sheen once applied. What I did like about this particular shade is it could be blotted down for a lighter, more of a pink-stained lip for less intense color.
- Cambon (31) is a rich, raspberry-tinged red. This one is wickedly pigmented; it’s a vibrant, glowing red. The color didn’t bleed on me, but I would use a lip liner (in practice) just to give it a more defined edge. Cambon had a light sheen, almost a glossy look to it, though still definitely a lipstick look.
Rouge Coco is a surprisingly pigmented, subtle, and smooth formula. Way better than Hydrabase (which it is replacing). I wouldn’t even describe these as creamy lipsticks (like Rouge Allures can be), but they apply smoothly, richly, and feel incredibly lightweight.
I tested the wear with two colors, once with Mademoiselle and the second time with Cambon–I got a solid four hours of wear with Mademoiselle before it looked faded (but it persisted decently for another hour); with Cambon, I experienced only minimally fading after five hours of wear with no bleeding (but note, lip color doesn’t tend to bleed on me).
These don’t surpass my Rouge Allure Laques (but they’re almost a completely different animal, let’s be honest) as an all-time favorite Chanel lip product, but they hold their own in the Chanel lip color range. The wear is excellent, because the color hugs lips without sucking the moisture from them. I think this is why it’s the bridge between lipstick and gloss–because it feels lightweight, soft, and smooth. But it’s not a lip balm. It doesn’t feel slick or move all over your lips.
Overall, Rouge Coco is a good step-up from Aqualumieres and not overshadowed by Rouge Allures. It’s like the middle ground–pigmented enough for medium-to-full coverage but light enough for sheer. I like the new formula quite a bit but not quite in love with it yet… perhaps my heart is just waiting to be swept away by that perfect shade.
The Rouge Coco line includes four color families with a total of twenty shades (at least, that’s what the press book listed), each retailing for $30. I believe there may be up to an additional ten shades that rotate internationally. The lipstick will launch February 25th, both online and on-counter. You’ll definitely find me at Nordstrom first thing on the 25th to check out the other shades!
See the range of shades, plus photos, swatches, & lip swatches!
The Roses
- Organdi Rose (09)
- Mademoiselle (05)
- Camelia (10)
- Legende (11)
- Ruban Rose (15)
- Muse (14)
- Orchidee (17)
- Rouge Orage (23)
- Cambon (31)
The Browns
- Sycomore (32)
- Venise (26)
- Bois des Iles (33)
The Beiges
- Perle (02)
- Cashemere (04)
- Egerie (06)
- La Pausa (08)
The Reds
- Gabrielle (19)
- Vendome (25)
- Rivoli (21)
- Ballet Russe (29)
Chanel Perle (02) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Perle (02) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Perle (02) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Perle (02) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Mademoiselle (05) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Mademoiselle (05) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Mademoiselle (05) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Mademoiselle (05) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel La Pausa (08) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel La Pausa (08) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel La Pausa (08) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel La Pausa (08) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Legende (11) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Legende (11) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Legende (11) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Legende (11) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Cambon (31) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Cambon (31) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Cambon (31) Rouge Coco Lipstick
Chanel Cambon (31) Rouge Coco Lipstick
I literally gasped at the last swatch. WOW. I think that I may have to get my first Chanel lipstick soon.
I did too! Oh…my..gosh! Beautiful!
Like the Perle (02)….
They look and sound amazing! Great pics as always! Thank you!
OH MY GOSH! I LOVE THE FIRST ONE AND SECOND! I AM GOING TO BUY THESE!!! THEY ARE SOO PRETTY!
oh, and what are those adorable little pins?
They came attached to the bag that held the press kit!
Oh such pretty shades, especially Legende, Perle and Mademoiselle!
I love them all! Definelly gonna get 3, 4 or mmm 6 shades I already liked!
Legende Rouge Coco Lipstick is mine!!
WWD had a write-up on these cuties a while ago. i’m so glad you got to test them. they look very very nice. the price tag is still a bit much for me.
Pretty!!!! But then again everything looks good on your lips.
I can’t wait! I’ve been waiting for the Beige Felin (sp?) it seems forever! Let us know if you swatch it.
is there any lip colour that doesn’t look amazing on you? Every one of these looks stunning!
Yellow?
Ahh! Thank you so much! I’ve been super excited to see swatches. Plus they are already online at Neimans!!
OHH! Thanks for the heads up!!
Oooohhh! I love Mademoisselle!
These are gorgeous! Cambon is amazing! Can’t wait till this hits the counters (and ouch my wallet!)
Wow! These are ALL gorgeous! I’m a HUGE Chanel fan so I may have to stop at Macy’s this weekend and check out “Mademoiselle” and “Legende”. Sooo pretty!
Oops…just realized they won’t be out till Feb. 25. Oh well, I’ll just put a reminder on my calendar
I love Cambon!
Every post of yours makes the dollar value of my bank account drop! I want one of these so bad!
Wow! I want a few of these, they look gorgeous!
I love the look of Cambon! (and before I scrolled down to the swatches, I was drawn to the name, hehe). Are these going to be LE?
Seems quite boring to me.
Oh my!!!!!
Cambon is a must have in my opinion!
I’m sooo excited
Gorgeous! Thank you for the swatches. 9 more days…ahhh!!!
These are really beautiful shades, I can’t wait for the 25th. Btw, I was wondering, why are some reviews not graded? What is the deciding factor between grading some and not others?
If there are multiple products or too much variation between shades, I don’t always give ratings!
I have a question! Victoria Beckham is on the cover of the newest Glamour, and on the inside it says she is wearing the Rouge coco shade in Rose Comete? (or comete rose, can’t recall). I don’t see you have it listed here, can anyone help me out with that shade in particular?
Hi Naomi,
My press info only listed 20 shades, but the original WWD article stated 30 shades would be available — but if I remember correctly, some shades were for international only. Not sure yet.
How do u get the bag with the cool pins? is that included with a purchase or do you have to buy it?
The bag was part of the press kit!
OH MY GAWD!!!!!!! looks like we have another winner from Chanel – cannot wait to get my hands on La Pausa – def the shade for me!
as always – thank you so much for your insightful review and gorgeous swatches Christine!
they are all just so PRETTY!!!
OOOH loving Legende! Thanks for swatching.
EW HAVE YOU SEEN THE SWATCHES ONLINE? The products in this post look absolutely ah-mazing and I want them all.. so I go to this site:
http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/store/catalog/prodChanel.jhtml?itemId=prod53560008&parentId=cat287403&masterId=cat000019&index=0&cmCat=cat000000cat000005cat000019cat287403
And the swatches all look the same- dark brown!
The link isn’t working for me, but are they just color blocks? If so, not the most accurate way to decide (unfortunately for online shoppers!)
Wow…I love the last 3 soooo much….I wish these were cheaper
Legende looks like the bright raspberry pink that I have been looking for to replace an ancient Revlon – that I am ashamed to say is starting to smell like crayon – but I can’t bear to get rid of it before I have a replacement. It’s summer in the southern hemisphere (South Africato be specific) and this summer I discovered how to brighten my minimal make-up look with a bright pink (not neon) lipstick. Love the fact that one can ‘tone down’ Legende too.
Yao, me too!
love it i want the first two
OMG I love La Pausa!
oh my, these swatches are pretty!
Definitely going to get Mademoiselle!!!
wow the colors are all so beautiful :p
OMG all of those are awesome!!! want them!!!
wwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwww!!! i’m drooling over the colors! thank you thank you thank you for the swatches! this made my day i know I want mademoiselle and a red one
ican’t wait. i’m counting the days.
The second, forth, and fifth one I want! lol
*Gets to selling her worldly possessions, house, and soul to be able to purchase all three.* lol
The second one is really thee everyday pink I’ve been looking for!
The last one is absolutely gorgeous, just perfect!
can’t wait!
Christine, I LOVE reading your blog, but it’s SO bad for my wallet… I’m lemming each and every one of these lipsticks now!
Geez, they need to have a friends and family sale. i want to buy all of them!
Those button badges are.SO.cute
Im in love just a goner on this
OMG. Those are so gorgeous, especially Mademoiselle and Cambon! I may cave on my first Chanel lipsticks yet!
mademoiselle and cambon are just a fixed picture in my head!
How do these compare to Rouge Allure in terms of hydration and pigmentation? And Cambon is gorgeous!
They’re similar in hydration, but they’re not quite as pigmented.
I am tickled to find this site. We have no Chanel counter in our town. My fav lipstick I ever used is Chanel Hydrabase “Rich Coral”. I found it over 25 yrs ago and have been looking for a similar shade since. How does this new formula compare to Hydrabase? I like the thick, creamy feel of Hydrabase and it lasts for hours on me.
Thx
Rouge Coco is probably the drier of the Chanel lipsticks, and it isn’t quite so creamy. It’s a nice formula, and it’s very lightweight — but I think Rouge Allure might be something better. Hydrabase was always very, very sheer on me!
Hey, I’ve written u before about Chanel lipsticks.
It’s funny that u say Hydrabase was sheer and dry. I had my first Hydrabase “Rich Coral” over 25 yrs ago and it was opaque and creamy and felt great for hours and hours.
Last tube I ordered a few yrs ago was like u said, sheer and felt thin. It wasn’t dry but didn’t have the same color or coverage. It used to be a light warm red on me and it changed.
Your swatch above of Cambon looks similar. Is it warm or cool and do u know of a match for Rich Coral or a light, warm red?
Thx
Rhonda
You might like Teheran!
Cambon is cooler to me.
I’m speechless! Not only are the colors beautiful in the tube, but they look so dimensional on your lips. Gorgeous! These just might pull me away from my beloved Rouge Allure
how do these hold up in terms of eating food/drinking water compared to the Rouge Allure Laques…? i’m not a big fan of chanel Rouge Allure Laques because they fade rather fast on me and a bit too runny for my liking.
for that matter i’m not a big fan of chanel lip products, although i do want to love them so badly.
They hold up pretty well, actually – better than the Laques, just because these are a little drier (though not dry or moisture-sucking at all).
Lusting after Chanel products for the first time EVER.
Oh my gosh. I love the last one. The colour is amazing! <3
Shoot, they sound better than they look, I didn’t think they would be buildable sheers. i w ill have to see in person
I cant wait!!! I am so excited!!! Going tomorrow to buy. Thanks for the great pics!
MUST HAVE Perle, Mademoiselle and La Pausa!! I love these..gorgeous colors!
Thank you for the review! They are all so pretty.
Great suggestion this pictures! I’ll go for the Cambon for my girlfriend birthday! thanks
I love 05!!!!!
I bought my very first Chanel lipstick yesterday. I was in love with every single one of them, it was really hard to chose only one. I bought Légende and I’m absolutely in love, I’ve never tried such a soft lipstick. Gorgeous!
i got legende too, and boy oh boy, it’s so beautiful! love it to bits…