In today’s session of How ‘Ya Smellin?, we take a look at Bleu de Chanel. We’re sure you’ve heard of this scent by the French fashion house and even have one of its three iterations on your perfume station. For a host of men, the aughts scent has become a favorite and maybe even The One or that signature scent that announces their presence even before they enter the room. But, in case your rock—the one you live beneath—is as big as a Lexus RX, here’s a refresher on the luxury scent.
Bleu de Chanel: The Brand
Chanel, of course, is one of the chicest of luxury brands. While others may hold the title as the most expensive (supported by the unsinkable one-percenters even in the pandemic) or the most popular (supported by everyone from the CEO’s wife to his secretary) or the coolest (supported by scenesters and ’grammers), the French label, founded by Coco Chanel in 1910, holds the most cachet among those in the know.
Spot a wifey with a 2.55 or a Classic tucked under her very, very thin arms, which are naturally covered in the house’s signature tweed, and you know immediately not to mess with her and also ask her for secret leisure recommendations in any of the glitzy cities around the world.
Chanel’s domination reaches beyond fashion, with its successful foray into all things perfume. Its Chanel No. 5, that immortal rose concoction from 1921 (Chanel is a very old fragrance house, too), is cited as a favorite today, so when it released Bleu de Chanel for men, people took notice.
Bleu de Chanel: The Scent
Bleu de Chanel for men arrived on the scene in 2010… or those innocent days when people can wear perfume and then step into the world without fear. For further context, this was the time of Breaking Bad, Community, and Game of Thrones, as well as the moment of the bomber jacket, pocket square, and the Yeezy. Yeah, an interesting and joyous time.
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In the pantheon of Chanel fragrances, the line is among the handful of scents for men—the others include, among others, Pour Monsieur, Allure Homme, and Egoiste. Authored by the house’s longtime nose Jacques Polge, Bleu de Chanel is described as an elegant, masculine scent. To be more exact, it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Its mix of grapefruit and lemon, ginger and jasmine, and vetiver and white musk makes for a smooth experience. The opening doesn’t smack you in the olfactory gut and the dry down mellows to a blue skin scent. It is great for every day and any day and can even be deployed for special events where you don’t want to steal the show. The summary: Bleu de Chanel is likable, dependable, and develops really well—and that makes it special.
Chanel released two more iterations of Bleu, with Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum arriving in 2014 and the Bleu de Chanel Parfum debuting in 2018. Riding the wave of portable scents and also as a means to sustain the scent throughout the day, an all-over spray format has also been released this year. (But really, just get the main line).
Bleu de Chanel: The Bottle
While the juice is most important, the flask is also a talking point, especially for discerning perfume wearers. In this arena, Bleu de Chanel does not disappoint.
Its square slab is solid, simple, elegant, while the deep blue tint (of course) adds mystery. Note the inky quality of blue here—it is as if you’re handling black ice or fished out a smooth tablet from the bottom of the ocean. In short, it will stand proudly on your desk for you to ogle.
Bleu de Chanel: The Cost
Straight from the source, the Chanel website lists a 3.4 fluid once (around 100 ml) bottle of Bleu de Chanel for men from $100 to $140, with the ceiling price belonging to the purest form, the parfum. That’s a pretty good deal, especially since you are not only getting a quality scent, but also buying into the prestige of Chanel at a fraction of its luxury goods.
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