Bleu de Chanel Chanel 2014 Eau de Parfum

When I evaluate fragrances, I always ask myself the question: Which of the fragrances you own would come closest to the expectations and description of the test candidate?
For some fragrances, this question cannot be answered, as they are too unique.
For Bleu de Chanel, I chose the Eau pour Homme by Armani, which was released a year earlier. They represent the same scent directions, only where Bleu de Chanel is supposed to be aquatic, the Armani goes in a green direction.

Both fragrances start with citrus notes, with those of the Armani simply being more beautiful, more enjoyable, and rounder in their composition. The citrus note of Bleu de Chanel is sharper and more piercing, and one can sense that it and the EdT are prototypes of a new generation of fragrances that embody freshness and have their own character.
The point, however, is that fresh and fresh are not necessarily the same. The freshness that confronts me with Bleu de Chanel is the freshness that I associate more with cleanliness and correctness. Everything is tidy, everything is in its place, the bathroom window is open and shines with a masterful glow, the terms and conditions under the contract have been acknowledged and checked.

And then something quite peculiar happens: After an hour, the lemon closes its briefcase, stands up, pushes the chair under the table, puts on its coat, and leaves the scene - even before one can call after it: “Stay a while, you are (not) so beautiful!”
What happens now, I would describe as monotony and boredom. The expectation is that now the sandalwood will take the stage and perform its role flawlessly.

But not today and not here!
Bleu de Chanel is listed here among men's fragrances as one of THE sandalwood fragrances. Perhaps New Caledonian sandalwood differs significantly from my experiences with this wood, but what is primarily perceived is the scent of liquid body soap, enlivened by an aromatic substance in its perception. Perhaps it was the Bleu de Chanel line that swung wide open the door to this new sequence of so-called shower gel fragrances. The series was a trendsetter.

The Armani does not exhibit this characteristic. Through its spices and herbs, it shows significantly more harmony and the strength that I also expect from a men's fragrance. Its greatest strength, however, is that the ingredients can be distinguished - perhaps not all individually, but as a whole, it remains a fragrance with a distinctly spicy character. Moreover, it transitions to the woody base better.
What Bleu de Chanel EdP lacks is expressiveness. It wants to please and be everyone's favorite. No edges, no corners. A fragrance that has had its resistance coefficient reduced and minimized - just like the cars on our roads today. It is not a DS, it is more of a C5 Aircross.

I gave it another chance the next day and initially tested it alone. The same thing happened as the day before. After 1 to 1½ hours, the lemon stood up again, closed the briefcase, and so on.

In my desperation, I wanted to know now. I wanted to layer the fragrance with a sandalwood scent that represents sandalwood for me. I could have chosen the reference from Chanel, but against Égoïste, Bleu de Chanel would have been overshadowed. Moreover, Égoïste corresponds entirely to a different scent direction. So, I chose a pure and clean representative of the sandalwood category, the Sandalwood from ToOBS - which is just a Cologne. And indeed, one can elevate the character of the fragrance and push it more in the direction of sandalwood. But after 2 to 3 hours, the character of a shower gel is once again clearly recognizable.

As I always seek a metaphor from the world of fine arts, I found myself lingering on Tucholsky's Eyes in the Big City (1930):

When you go to work
in the early morning,
when you stand at the train station
with your worries:
there the city shows
you asphalt-smooth
in the funnel of humanity
millions of faces:
Two strange eyes, a brief glance,
the brow, pupils, the eyelids -
What was that? perhaps your happiness...
gone, blown away, never again.