Rouge Coco: Chanel's iconic lipstick is reborn

If we agree that eyes are the mirror of the soul, why not also admit that lips are the mouthpiece of the heart? — Coco Chanel

MANILA, Philippines - Coco Chanel was so fascinated by lipstick that she created a creamy stick of lip color in 1954 that she inserted in a rectangular tube, the exact replica of the No. 5 spray bottle.

She designed this iconic lipstick to accompany women throughout their lives. Chanel even reserved the famous leather compartment for it inside each 2.55 quilted handbag.

This historic lipstick has continuously adapted to new technological innovations. While remaining faithful to Mademoiselle Chanel’s high standards, it perfected itself and echoed its era. Like the No. 5 bottle, it was regularly, discreetly and almost invisibly revamped, ensuring the lasting future of the legend.

This must-have has been completely redesigned by Peter Philips, global creative director of Chanel makeup.

Today, it is called Rouge Coco.

“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 colors them and covers them in a melt-away balm. This is why I wanted the color palette to be as accessible as the creamy texture. Of course, we have kept the iconic shades — such as Sari Dore, created with the very first launch in 1954, and Rouge Noir, launched in 1996 — but I also wanted to experiment with very subtle variations, half-tones of pink, red and brown,” says Philips.

“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. A woman who touches up her mouth with lipstick — what a beautiful sight to see! It changes your attitude. It’s like nail varnish. Your posture seems straighter. You hold yourself differently. Lipstick is accompanied by delicate poise.”

The Anatomy of Chic

Chanel used all of its creativity and know-how to transport the iconic packaging of this lipstick into the “Coco Era.”

The technical teams had to respect its unique heritage, while adding subtle contemporary changes: a true challenge. Just as the No. 5 bottle has been continuously revamped, Coco Chanel’s historic lipstick needed to change as well. The result evokes the strange impression of holding a familiar object, a heritage focused on the future.

Rouge Coco wears a new attire: metal. This material also has the unique ability to cool very rapidly and thus offer a sensation of freshness each time your hand plunges into your handbag to find your lipstick. More than just a red lipstick, it is also a stylish accessory.

It has that “acoustic click” perfected by engineers who worked on the closure system of Rouge Coco. There were innumerable trials, the opening and closing hundreds of tubes to obtain an ideal balance between a soft press on the cap and the sound of the click. This precise detail gives this black case a significant extra touch of luxury.

In addition to its slightly remodeled shape, the case was adorned with a secret signature. A glance inside the cap reveals an engraved interlaced double C. On the stick itself, we find the imprint of Chanel, like a private secret visible only to the women who apply it each day.

The slightly reinterpreted fragrance of Rouge Coco was made possible with the expertise of the in-house olfactory laboratory, which developed a bouquet of fresh roses enhanced with a fruity raspberry accord over a powdery, iridescent base with a subtle hint of vanilla.

More than just a style accessory, Rouge Coco thinks of the comfort of women. The melt-away texture is extremely soft when applied and delivers a satiny finish.

The formula guarantees optimum lip hydration thanks to the Hydratender complex created by Chanel with the unique combination of a Meadowfoam oil derivative, natural esters and phyto-ceramides.

The Meadowfoam oil derivative, extracted from a grass grown in North America, forms a screen on the lip surface to optimize the retention of moisture and maintain hydration of the lips for eight hours straight.

Natural Esters, components of the NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor), act like micro-sponges on the lip surface to retain moisture and instantly hydrate the lips.

In the Philippines, Chanel is exclusively available at Rustan’s.