If you know anything about scents, you’d have heard of CHANEL’s classic N°5, one of those elegant, classy fragrances that has stood the test of time. If you fancy yourself more of a rebel though, the type who’d pick something less predictable and more unexpected, then this one’s for you — the COCO MADEMOISELLE.
Made for a bold, free woman, it’s modern and elegant, though with an unexpected twist that’s revealed the moment the scent graces your nose. You’ll find a duality of fresh citrus fruits along with a sensual wave of patchouli, atop a transparent heart of jasmine and rose accords, which results in a new-era woody fragrance that became a breakout star the moment it hit the shelves.
And speaking of breakout stars, you might recognise Whitney Peak, a young Canadian actress of Ugandan origin, who has now earned the prestigious title of being the face of the COCO MADEMOISELLE fragrance.
She began her career with a small role in the Aaron Sorkin film Molly’s Game, before a bigger two-series role as Judith Blackwood on Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. In 2021, the 20-year-old then landed one of the lead roles in HBO’s reboot of the Gossip Girl series, quite the career-defining one so far while portraying the feisty Zoya Lott, while she’s also a lead character in Hocus Pocus 2, which was just released on Disney+ last year.
With such a stunning resume before us, it’s only right that we sit down with Whitney for a proper interview, one where, in true Gossip Girl-style, she divulges about stealing her mom’s COCO MADEMOISELLE scent, and being a secret rebel. From her first encounters with the signature scent, to her ultimate fragrance ritual, here are a couple more of her confessions:
Her first bottle of the COCO MADEMOISELLe — and how she ended up “stealing” it from her mom.
Whitney: “The first time I actually got the fragrance when I was shopping for a gift for my mom. She loves CHANEL, so I thought I’d get her a perfume. I had just gotten my first job, I’ve done a TV show, so I was like, you know, I can afford to do a little some crazy! I went to the store and picked up a bottle, and I was gonna get her something else, but I got her this one because I figured I could just steal it from her and we could both wear it.
That was my first experience with it, and then I would like, before school, just sneak into her room and then run out — but she definitely caught me! She was getting very protective over her scent.”
her first impressions of the scent.
W: “I’m not a big fan of of overwhelming smells or scents that are too strong, and so when I tried this one, it was fresh and easy, but still memorable. It felt like a reflection of myself in a fragrance and it was something that I wasn’t gonna get sick of. So I figured, boom, this is the one.”
whether that initial feeling changed over time.
W: “I’ve just grown to love it even more because now it’s it’s such a big part of my world, in my career and my job — it’s just an even bigger part of me.”
more stills from the coco mademoiselle campaign —
her favourite expression.
W: “I’ve been using it consistently for about two years now, though I did use it in high school when I would steal it from my mom. My favourite expression is the regular one, though I do like the intense as well. There is a hair mist, though I just put every version of it in my hair. I just have bottles of them in the guest bathroom, by the door, just kind of everywhere, so whichever bottle I pick up, I say, okay, this is what it’s gonna be.”
her fragrance ritual.
W: “I wake up and get my morning started with a shower, do a face, and then when I’m dressed, I spray it. It’s like, you know, the classic here and here, behind the neck and in my hair, just a little spray, and then I walk through it. And then I kind of just keep reapplying throughout the day. If I go to the bathroom and I need to touch up or whatever, I’ll just spray it again.
They have these really cute travel bottles that look like little lipsticks and I’m obsessed with them. They’re so cute! I give them to all my friends. They’re just portable and small, and it’s subtle, and it’s a perfume, so it’s even classier.”
if she’s a secret rebel.
W: “I don’t think I intentionally try to be rebellious, but I feel like I can be. I definitely am a little bit stubborn, for sure. I like to get my word in there and I don’t like being told what to do. So I can be a little bit rebellious, but never with ill intent.
When I’m working, it’s different. You’ve gotta check your ego at the door, just in terms of more personal things that have to do with me and not really anybody else. I don’t like listening to a lot of opinions. I just kind of do my own thing, but obviously at work I’m not there to make it about myself. I just kind of do my job.”
on fame and being a celebrity.
W: “I feel like I have a very good support group and I have a lot of people to keep me grounded. I still try to kind of just forget that part of my life — fame is such an overwhelming idea, and I think once you get lost, it’s hard to come back from. I don’t really consider myself any of that? This is just my job that I do, and then I get home and then it’s all just behind me.”
the things that are most important to her right now.
W: “My family is very important. My friends are very important. I think my space, my personal time, and just taking care of myself and making sure that I’m putting myself first; these are definitely priorities right now, yeah.”
what she’s looking forward to.
W: “I’m just so excited for the future. I feel like this is just my becoming, this is only the beginning. I’ve only been working for four or five years, and I’ve been very lucky and and so grateful to do what I’ve done so far. I can only hope for the best in the future as well. I think I just wanna be challenged in every facet of my life right now.”
[click on the images below to expand, and for more info.]
Watch the campaign film here.
CHANEL COCO MADEMOISELLE, available at CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty boutiques and counters, and online on their E-Shop.
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