What's new

Bleu de Chanel - An Epiphany!

I sampled Bleu de Chanel last year, wore it again a couple of times last week, and finally had an epiphany. This is not a fresh, aquatic scent!!

I'm sure everyone else already had that figured out, but this one had me puzzled, as I apparently expected it to be something it isn't. It occurred to me as I kept smelling it during the dry down that Bleu de Chanel has more in common with Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water than with any aquatic scent. I looked at the scent notes, and realized, while the opening is fairly sweet from the citrus and perhaps the peppermint and grapefruit, the sweetness also has a little bite, probably from the pink peppercorn and the same peppermint and grapefruit. But I think what I notice mostly after the opening is the cedar which is also blended with the peppercorn, nutmeg and vetiver. This blend keeps Bleu from being pure woodsy, but does give it that coniferous vibe. Incense normally really stands out in a scent to me, but I don't notice it at all in Bleu.

The reviews on Bleu are interesting, in that they are all over the board. Lots of folks smell different things in Bleu. I may be the only one that thinks it has something in common with Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water.

Notes: Pink peppercorn, Citrus, Peppermint, Nutmeg, Vetiver, Grapefruit, Cedar, Labdanum, Jasmine, Incense, Patchouli, Ginger, Sandalwood

proxy.php
 
It's a funny fragrance for me.
It is one of the most "stable" fragrances I have. That is to say, I can wear it anwhere, anytime for any reason.
Having said that, it also sometimes can be a bit boring.

If you need a rock solid, never fails to get the job done type of scent. This is the one.
 
I will retry this just for you Randy, but it was an instantly forgettable mainstream uninspiring synthetic composition based on my unmemorable hasty in-store test.
 
On my skin it smells like powdery orange. It's nice, but I don't see myself buying a full bottle. My wife thinks it smells feminine, but I don't really see it that way.
 
When I sampled it on my skin, the grapefruit note really stood out..... to the point that it was a bite off-putting to me. I get fruity/woody from it. If I'm going to do fruity/woody.... I'll do Aventus. I still can't bring myself to do the Aventus price tag though :lol:.

Ben
 
I'll look forward to your impressions, Tim. I don't disagree with Marc, that Bleu could be considered boring. I didn't mean to suggest that it's a great scent. Only that Bleu wasn't what I thought it was supposed to be the first couple of times that I tried it. I'm just now at a point where I think I can give it a fair chance and maybe understand what it is supposed to smell like, instead of dismissing it because it doesn't smell like a "Chanel-quality aquatic" like I expected, because it isn't supposed to be an aquatic. If I think of it as a "lite" version of Green Irish Tweed and/or Cool Water, then what it does smell like makes more sense to me. From that perspective, it's not a frag that blows me away (nor do either of those, by the way), but it seems at least a decent, somewhat pedestrian frag that will work well in an office environment. I don't expect to get compliments on it, although others say they do.

It's interesting that you noted it as synthetic. My notes from the first time I tried it said it seemed similar to a lot of other mainstream frags, but not synthetic like most.

Some frags intrigue me because they are complex and only a few might enjoy them. This one intrigues me because it seems like the "everyman" frag, one that most probably won't love, but probably no on will hate, either. In the end, it may just be "meh" for me.
 
On my skin it smells like powdery orange. It's nice, but I don't see myself buying a full bottle. My wife thinks it smells feminine, but I don't really see it that way.

Wow, that's interesting, I don't get orange at all. But one review I read talked about how so many folks smell different notes in Bleu.

When I sampled it on my skin, the grapefruit note really stood out..... to the point that it was a bite off-putting to me. I get fruity/woody from it. If I'm going to do fruity/woody.... I'll do Aventus. I still can't bring myself to do the Aventus price tag though :lol:.

Ben

I wanted to like Aventus more (or not, for my wallet's sake), but it's one of the few that I can't smell at all after about 15 minutes.
 
I was looking into replacing my Mont Blanche Edition Allure. This just is not up to par to that. Personally, I'm not a fan
 
My wife thinks it smells feminine, but I don't really see it that way.

My wife says that about almost every Chanel. Antaeus is the only one that really stands out as masculine to her - not sure if she's ever smelled Pour Monsieur - but everything else smells feminine to her, even Coromandel, Sycomore, and Egoiste.
 
I love it. It has become my most worn over the last few months.

I think it is a surprising scent on a number of levels:

1. It's called "Bleu" and starts with that incredible creamy grapefruit, yet it is not an aquatic. It is woody and aromatic. Many hours into the dry down (8-10) I occassionally pick up a watery note, but it is hidden.

2. The pink peppercorn gives a bite and sophistication, yet it comes across as almost rosy. This lends an older and sophisticated masculinity to what is otherwise a youthful cologne.

3. There is also a feminine undercurrent. Something "perfume." I think this is the Chanel aldehydes.

4. I totally get the reviewers who are disappointed in this. It might seem a little boring despite what I've just described. Yet it is one of the best made and well balanced colognes of the last several years. A blue suit may be boring, but a blue suit made of the finest materials and perfectly tailored is beautiful.
 
I love it. It has become my most worn over the last few months.

I think it is a surprising scent on a number of levels:

1. It's called "Bleu" and starts with that incredible creamy grapefruit, yet it is not an aquatic. It is woody and aromatic. Many hours into the dry down (8-10) I occassionally pick up a watery note, but it is hidden.

2. The pink peppercorn gives a bite and sophistication, yet it comes across as almost rosy. This lends an older and sophisticated masculinity to what is otherwise a youthful cologne.

3. There is also a feminine undercurrent. Something "perfume." I think this is the Chanel aldehydes.

4. I totally get the reviewers who are disappointed in this. It might seem a little boring despite what I've just described. Yet it is one of the best made and well balanced colognes of the last several years. A blue suit may be boring, but a blue suit made of the finest materials and perfectly tailored is beautiful.

Great comments!
 
I have a sample of this that I hadn't worn yet, and I decided to try it today. I got a compliment from a neighbor within the first 10 minutes (which means she was only smelling the top notes, but still an interesting result.)

It seems to work fairly well on my skin. I don't detect any weird notes, like I did with Cartier Declaration. Still, I'll need to wear this a few more times to decide if I like it. We'll see how long it lasts and how it smells after the top notes die down.

Nick
 
I really like this. A couple of years ago I was on the lookout for a good ginger fragrance and made the mistake of picking up Burberry's Sport for men. It was a good scent, but longevity and projection were non existent. I then stumbled upon Bleu de Chanel and absolutely loved it. I think its balanced enough with peppercorn and woody notes to give off a nice subtle ginger, which I like.:001_smile
 
For those who like Bleu, what kind of longevity do you get? I've been using my sample but it only seems to last 3 or 4 hours, tops. Other fragrances, like TdH, seem to last much longer on me. I like Bleu, but I'm not sure if lasts long enough to be worth buying.

Nick
 
For those who like Bleu, what kind of longevity do you get? I've been using my sample but it only seems to last 3 or 4 hours, tops. Other fragrances, like TdH, seem to last much longer on me. I like Bleu, but I'm not sure if lasts long enough to be worth buying.

Nick

That is such a puzzling aspect to fragrances for me. So many that are rated with high longevity do not last on my particular skin. I will say, however, that BdC lasts and lasts on me. Still a skin scent when I wake, and decent sillage for at least 8 hours.
 
That is such a puzzling aspect to fragrances for me. So many that are rated with high longevity do not last on my particular skin. I will say, however, that BdC lasts and lasts on me. Still a skin scent when I wake, and decent sillage for at least 8 hours.
Some frags react with peoples skin differently. What your skin may soak up like a sponge, might last for 12 hours on me. No scientific reasoning behind it.
 
I grabbed a sample of Bleu de Chanel based on this thread, and I have to say that it's not bad at all. The grapefruit gives it a nice freshness and prevents the other notes from making it too heavy.
 
Top Bottom