What does Bleu by Chanel smell like?

Bleu de Chanel
What does Bleu by Chanel smell like?
Fragrance by Chanel
TypeMen's fragrance
Top notes

  • Lemon
  • mint
  • pink pepper
  • grapefruit
  • citrus

Heart notes

  • Ginger
  • Iso E Super
  • nutmeg
  • jasmine

Base notes

  • Labdanum
  • sandalwood
  • patchouli
  • vetiver
  • incense
  • cedar
  • white musk

ReleasedSeptember 13, 2010
Tagline"Be unexpected"
WebsiteBleu de Chanel

Bleu de Chanel (literally translated as "Chanel's Blue" or "Blue Chanel") is a men's fragrance created by Jacques Polge for Chanel in 2010.[1] It was the first men's fragrance released by the brand since Allure Homme Sport in 2004, and the first men's masterbrand introduced since Égoïste in 1990.[2] The original fragrance is an eau de toilette;[3] the 2014 eau de parfum version was also formulated by Jacques Polge,[4] and the 2018 parfum version was formulated by his son Olivier Polge.[5] French actor Gaspard Ulliel was the first ambassador for Bleu de Chanel and remained as the face of the fragrance for twelve years, until his death in January 2022.

Conception and scent[edit]

Bleu de Chanel is described as a woody aromatic fragrance, which is identified by the combination of "aromatic herbs" and an "opulent center and base."[6] The fragrance contains top notes of lemon, mint, pink pepper, and grapefruit; middle notes of ginger, Iso E Super, nutmeg, and jasmine; and base notes of labdanum, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, incense, cedar, and white musk.[3]

Release and advertising[edit]

The marketing campaign for Bleu de Chanel was discussed as an example of branded entertainment in the fashion industry.[7]

French actor Gaspard Ulliel was announced as the first face of Bleu de Chanel on February 16, 2010,[8][9] becoming Chanel's first male ambassador.[10] A television commercial filmed in New York City premiered online on August 25, 2010 and was later released on TV in September 2010.[11] It was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Ulliel and Ingrid Sophie Schram. In the commercial, Ulliel played a young filmmaker in the middle of a press conference who sees his ex-girlfriend (Schram) among the journalists and reminisces about the past and the beginning of their relationship, until he says: "I'm not going to be the person I'm expected to be anymore", gets up and leaves the room. It also featured The Rolling Stones' song "She Said Yeah".[12]

Chanel's American chief operating officer John Galantic noted that the selection of "the quintessential American film director" Scorsese was intended to create "a product and brand communication uniquely tailored to the American market," where the brand's men's fragrance business was not fully developed.[2] The fragrance hit the stores on September 13, 2010.[13]

On February 5, 2015, a new commercial starring Ulliel was released.[14] Directed by James Gray, it was filmed in Los Angeles and featured Jimi Hendrix's cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower".[15][16]

British filmmaker Steve McQueen directed a new commercial for Bleu de Chanel released on June 1, 2018. Shot in Bangkok,[17] it also included underwater scenes filmed in London.[18][19] It featured Ulliel crossing the city looking for a woman (played by German model Nur Hellmann)[20] he saw in a building in front of his while David Bowie's "Starman" plays in the background.[18]

Ulliel was the face of Bleu de Chanel for 12 years, up until his death on January 19, 2022.[21] When he died, Chanel's official Instagram and Facebook pages shared a tribute to him.[22] Chanel also paid tribute to Ulliel during their Spring/Summer 2022 Haute Couture show at Paris Fashion Week on 25 January 2022. A model dressed as a bride finished the show by carrying a bouquet of camellias—Coco Chanel's favorite flower—tinted midnight blue as a nod to Ulliel and the Bleu de Chanel perfume.[23]

On 2 June 2022, Chanel released the first commercial for Bleu de Chanel without Gaspard Ulliel. In the new commercial titled "Instinctive and Electric", a drummer (played by musician Vincent Girault aka De La Romance)[24] plays along with "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix while lights throughout the city start to flicker to the beat and a mysterious woman shows him the city.[25]

Sales[edit]

Bleu de Chanel was a top Christmas seller for American luxury department store Bloomingdale's in 2010, and also the chain's biggest men's fragrance premiere ever.[26] It was the second best-selling men fragrance between January and October 2011,[27] and between January and August 2012 according to The NPD Group.[28] In 2016, it was the third best-selling men fragrance.[29] In June 2021, British retailer The Fragrance Shop revealed that Bleu de Chanel was the second most popular fragrance in Britain.[30]

Awards[edit]

Year Ceremony Award Result
2011 Fragrance Foundation Awards Best New Male Fragrance Won[31]
2015 Canadian Fragrance Awards Best Full-Market Launch – Men's Won[32]
2019 Fragrance Foundation Awards Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Luxury Won[33]
Media Campaign of the Year – Men's Won[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "'Bleu de Chanel' channels strength and elegance in new Parfum-strength fragrance". Fashion Network. May 29, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Naughton, Julie (July 16, 2010). "Chanel To Launch New Men's Masterbrand". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Bleu de Chanel cologne – a fragrance for men 2010". Fragrantica. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum Chanel cologne – a fragrance for men 2014". Fragrantica. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bleu de Chanel Parfum Chanel cologne – a fragrance for men 2018". Fragrantica. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Woody Aromatic – Perfume Group". Fragrantica. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Rose, Jonny (September 26, 2013). "Let me entertain you: The rise of branded entertainment". The Guardian. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "Martin Scorsese to direct Chanel fragrance ad". British Vogue. February 16, 2010.
  9. ^ Lanktree, Laura (August 17, 2010). "Q&A: Gaspard Ulliel for Chanel Bleu". Flare.
  10. ^ "Gaspard Ulliel: Chanel's first 'male muse'". Gulf News. October 6, 2010.
  11. ^ Grinnell, SunHee (August 23, 2010). "Scorsese Dons Chanel". Vanity Fair.
  12. ^ Naughton, Julie (February 16, 2010). "Scorsese Directs Chanel TV Campaign". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  13. ^ Balestriero, Rita (September 6, 2010). "Bleu de Chanel". Vogue Italia.
  14. ^ "Gaspard Ulliel in a vertigo in the new Bleu De Chanel film". Vogue India. February 5, 2015.
  15. ^ "CHANEL Le Bleu by James Gray". Vimeo. August 4, 2016.
  16. ^ "James Gray directs the latest Chanel Bleu campaign". Fashion Network. February 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "Bangkok — and Bowie's 'Starman' — star in new Chanel commercial (VIDEO)". Coconuts Bangkok. June 4, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Bleu de Chanel". Numéro Thailand. June 5, 2018.
  19. ^ Minthe, Caterina (May 28, 2018). "Dive Deep with the Latest Chapter of Bleu de Chanel". Vogue Man Arabia.
  20. ^ "Nur Hellmann - Model Profile". models.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  21. ^ Zhang, Tianwei (January 19, 2022). "French Actor, Face of Chanel Perfume Gaspard Ulliel Has Died". Women's Wear Daily.
  22. ^ "It is with deep sadness that we learned of Gaspard Ulliel's passing..." Instagram. January 19, 2022.
  23. ^ Périer, Marie (25 January 2022). "Le bouquet de la mariée Chanel haute couture rendait hommage à Gaspard Ulliel". Vogue France (in French).
  24. ^ "Bleu de Chanel 2022 – Instinctif et Électrique". Packshotmag (in French). 8 June 2022.
  25. ^ "BLEU DE CHANEL. Instinctive and Electric - CHANEL Fragrance". YouTube. 2 June 2022.
  26. ^ Saint Louis, Catherine (January 5, 2010). "Smells Like 2010". The New York Times.
  27. ^ "The essence of masculinity". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 15, 2011.
  28. ^ Meisel, Melissa (November 6, 2012). "The Sweet Smell of Success". Happi.com.
  29. ^ Gustafson, Krystina (July 20, 2016). "This industry launched 100 products last year, but a top seller is 94 years old". CNBC.
  30. ^ Parsons, Sarah (June 14, 2021). "The 10 most popular fragrances of 2021 in Britain so far". Cosmetic Business.
  31. ^ "Previous Winners of The Fragrance Foundation Awards UK". Fragrance Foundation Awards. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  32. ^ "Winners of the 2015 Canadian Fragrance Awards". Cosmetics Magazine. April 24, 2015.
  33. ^ a b "2019 Winners - The Fragrance Foundation Awards". Fragrance Foundation Awards. Retrieved February 16, 2022.

Does Bleu de Chanel smell good?

Update 2022: Bleu De Chanel Parfum is an iconic cologne you must consider. The smell is masculine, versatile, suited to men in their 20's and up. An irresistible combination of woody and citrus notes evoke a fresh, sexy, and surprisingly sweet vibe.

Is Bleu de Chanel fresh or sweet?

There is some sweetness from tonka bean and vanilla, in the latter stages, that got overlooked during that opening act. The final part of Bleu de Chanel EDP, is a fresh citrus and woodsy scent. Not as much amber, in my mind, but the sandalwood is nice and creamy and still paired with that clean cedar.

Which is better Sauvage or Bleu de Chanel?

If I had to choose between these two, I would ultimately pick Bleu de Chanel Parfum. It is refined, smooth, and the sandalwood note is utterly perfect. Parfum is warm, deep, and dark. You get a great blend of wood, with a zesty citrus profile.