Bleu de Chanel Chanel 2010 Eau de Toilette

Among all the spicy, sporty men's fragrances of the recent past, "Bleu de Chanel" is by far the most refined - and it is precisely this refinement that is its cardinal flaw. Yes, the hardly isolatable lemony, woody and spicy aspects of the fragrance combine to form a harmonious whole. However, the bridge between high-minded concept and profane object fails - the most elegant sneaker in the world does not match the tailcoat or the jogging suit.

While the related "Cool Water" radiates uncouth joie de vivre, "Bleu" freezes in sophisticated banality. This time, chiselled refinement leads to an aesthetic impasse and the fragrance becomes a monument to the hubris of a leading perfume house that believes it can replace intellectual originality with technical perfection.