Chanel relaunched their classic Rouge Coco Lipsticks in a new formula with new and re-promoted colors ($36 each for 3.5 g / 0.12 oz, made in France). I ordered several online last month and have been playing with the shades for a few weeks. I’ve been a fan of all the Chanel Lipstick formulas (back to the days of the Aqualumieres and Hydrabase) and each time Chanel discontinues one my heart breaks a little. The good news is that the Rouge Cocos that launched this year are indeed improved from the previous formula. The new ones are more hydrating with a smoother texture that glides on the lips. The main difference to me between the old and new is that the revamped version has a more luminous look that doesn’t tug when you swipe them on the lips. According to Chanel the Rouge Cocos “are made with jojoba and mimosa butters, sunflower wax and silicone for lasting hydration and luminous results.”

The new Rouge Cocos are medium in coverage but the pigment is buildable. Each color has varying degrees of shimmer, most have some shimmer mixed in which gives them that luminous glow, but most of them do not have a frosty finish. What remains the same is the sleek packaging design and rose scent. Some of the colors like Mademoiselle, Legende and Teheran are re-promoted colors. Based on my old vs new Mademoiselle, the colors appear to be almost 100% identical, the new version isn’t quite as dark and has a more luminous finish giving it a modern updated look.

For the color range, there is a lot to choose from. If you like neutrals there are several beautiful options. There are five main color categories with names that inspired Coco Chanel:

Lovers – passion reflected by dramatic reds

Family – a tribute in understated nude shades

Best Friends – celebrated by romantic pinks

Muses – an homage in bright corals

Artists – honored by deep plum shades

Shown above: Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle, Catherine, Cécile, Vera, Suzanne

here) Glossimer in Sweet Beige (swatched

I ordered eight colors, all neutrals of course. The closeup below shows the luminous shimmer mixed into each of the colors. The finish on the lips is soft and glowy without being frosty at all.

Ingredients listed on the box (clickable for larger viewing):

On to the colors I picked out with swatches and descriptions:

Note the glow in the swatches below is simply the luminous glow these give off when photographed with a flash, they aren’t frosty or overly glossy, but the finish does make them look a bit shimmery:

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Louise is a flesh beige nude with silver and gold flecks of shimmer. This one is closest on me to a true nude color. It has a luminous finish that covers the lip entirely.

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Adrienne is a medium neutral beige with a very slight hint of peach that gives it warmth. If I had to pick one favorite, this would be it.

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Julia is another medium nude caramel color (it’s darker than Louise). It has some brown tones in it so if you’re one who can’t wear super pale nudes, this is a good alternative because it has color in it and won’t wash you out.

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Catherine is a sheer soft peach. With a few swipes it almost looks like a baby pink. More swipes will bring out the peach in it. It’s one of the sheerer ones I tried so based on this, I think Catherine will look very different on different skin/lip tones. It reminds me of one of the older Hydrabase Lipsticks in Lola (long discontinued).

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Vera is a soft pale baby pink. This has sheer to medium coverage that needs several swipes to build up color. If you have pigmented lips like me, I recommend wearing a lipliner with this one to prevent the outer rim of the lip from showing thru making it look like you have a dark lipliner with a light lipstick.

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Cécile is a medium neutral-cool rose pink. This is one of the more shimmery ones I tried. I think the frost can be softened by a lipliner (like Chanel Nude or Natural or MAC Boldly Bare) or by adding a bit of sheer gloss on top.

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Mademoiselle is a warm rose. The new one seems slightly lighter in color compared to the original version, but to me they are almost identical once on the face.

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Suzanne is a medium plum with sheer to medium coverage. This one looks almost glossy on the lip because of the sheerness. It is buildable but the luminous sheen on the lips gives it a slightly sheer look.

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Because all of the Rouge Coco colors have a luminous hydrating finish they won’t last all day or for super-extended periods of time like the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cremes but they do last longer on the lips compared to sheer lipsticks like Chanel Rouge Coco Shines or YSL Volupte Shines. I would say lasting power is average for a lipstick. You can get several hours of wear without it fading or budging as long as you don’t touch the lips with a cup of tea, coffee, water or snacks. Out of all the Chanel Lipstick formulas my favorites are still the Rouge Coco Shines and Rouge Allures, but the new Rouge Coco is pretty fabulous too. I have a super sensitive nose but have always been able to wear the rose-scented Chanel lipsticks. Some have commented they cannot wear anything fragranced so if you are one with an extra sensitive nose, I’d say stick with the Rouge Allure or opt for one of the new Burberry Kisses Lipsticks.

I’ve been a Chanel fan for as long as I can remember using beauty products. The new Rouge Cocos do not disappoint. I think the diverse color range is one of the strengths of this release. There is a good selection of colors for neutrals, lights, mediums, deeps, brights. If you’re a neutral lip lover like me you will be happy to see there are neutral, cool and warm-toned options.

My top three picks: Adrienne, Louise and Suzanne

Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Chanel Rouge Cocos retail for $36 each. In the US there are 29 shades all currently available for purchase at Chanel counters and boutiques. Also online at Nordstrom Bloomingdales and Chanel.com

Have you checked out the new Rouge Cocos? Which colors did you pick out?