After testing Next’s eau nude, I named it the best designer perfume alternative for its unmistakable similarity to Coco mademoiselle (£80, Chanel.com). While I’d expected the £10 scent to capture a few recognisable notes from the Chanel perfume, I hadn’t anticipated such excellent mimicry of the fragrance’s overall sophisticated character.
In my review of the original Coco mademoiselle eau de parfum, I found it offered a lighter, more delicate take on a floral fragrance than the brand’s more divisive no. 5 scent. It balances bright orange, fresh rose and earthy vetiver in a way that gave it both daytime and evening wearability. Eau nude takes a slightly sweeter approach, blending raspberry, mandarin, jasmine, rose, patchouli and vanilla, but after wearing both fragrances, I found they shared the same bright citrus opening and soft rose heart.
My initial scepticism (and, honestly, snobbery) was unfounded. While the opening develops a little differently, eau nude settles into something that comes surprisingly close to Chanel’s fragrance, and I found its sillage would fool passers-by, myself included. Considering the roughly £70 price difference between the 30ml Next fragrance and Chanel’s 35ml bottle, I can’t recommend this high-street alternative highly enough for anyone who enjoys Coco mademoiselle’s citrus-floral style but doesn’t want to spend luxury-fragrance money.
Note: Next is slowly phasing out this style of eau nude packaging, with a new pink bottle also available on-site – but the products remain the same
What to know
- Notes: Raspberry, mandarin, jasmine, rose, patchouli, vanilla
- Sizes available: 30ml, 100ml, 200ml, 10ml
Why we love it
- Captures Chanel Coco mademoiselle’s signature scent
- Lasts surprisingly well for a £10 eau de parfum
- Available in body mist and lotion varieties, too
Take note
- Subtle difference between two scents, with sweeter dry-down versus mademoiselle’s earthy vetiver trail
Prices may vary