Reviews of Cologne Blanche (2004)
by Christian Dior

I love how the review below by thecheekyscamp mentions that Cologne Blanche brings to mind dandies and ruffles. I'll go one step further and say that if Bret from Flight of the Conchords had to wear a fragrance along with his ruffled dandy outfit in the "Sugarlumps" music clip from season 2, this would be it. Not to mention this smells like "sugarlumps" of almonds, balanced out by herbal and piney rosemary, neroli, talcum powder and a hint of vanilla.

Although Cologne Blanche isn't a breath-taker, it's the fragrance I wear when I don't feel like wearing any fragrance. It's uber smooth, low key and comforting, all the while still smelling modern and sexy without feeling old, stuffy or powdery in a classical sense. I also can't help agreeing with thecheekyscamp that CB also reminds me of my childhood - it's enjoyably reminiscent of being 5 years old again, coming fresh out of the bath. CB really is the anti-thesis to Eau Noire: while Eau Noire is dark, woody and brooding, CB is light, fresh and innocent.

As for sillage, CB doesn't project very far or loudly, but longevity is very good, lasting on clothes until the next day. Exactly what I like from a "cologne" (as opposed to an EdT or EdP).

Just another fragrant masterpiece by Francis Kurkdjian.

9.25/10

Christian Dior Cologne Blanche

I have really enjoyed the first two scents of the trio commissioned by Dior Homme creative director Hedi Slimane in 2004. The other two Annick Menardo's Bois D'Argent and Francis Kurkdjian's Eau Noire were both wonderful and I was curious to see if Cologne Blanche would continue the winning streak. Cologne Blanche was created by M. Kurkdjian, as well, but this is entireley different in style than Eau Noire. Where Eau Noire plumbed the depth of immortelle befitting a scent called "black water". Cologne Blanche works the other side and is very much the yin to Eau Noire's yang. Cologne Blanche plays with the lighter accords and feels like a summer breeze coming through sheer curtains into a room with a rotating fan in the ceiling. It starts with a refreshing citrus pairing of bergamot and orange to give depth to the bergamot. The heart is an herbal breath of freshness blown in through a sprig of rosemary but also made spicy with a hint of pepper. The base is one of the more subtly sweet uses of vanilla I've worn to date. This vanilla sneaks in to the room on tip toe and never overwhelms but slowly and serenely announces its presence and over a long period and eventually becomes the dominant accord. There is a moment of divine balance between the herbal green of the heart and the sweet of the vanilla that is Cologne Blanche at its best. Cologne Blanche is a close wearing scent that has a good deal of longevity and I find it to be a great warm weather scent because it comes off fresh on me without resorting to the ususal notes and accords that make up that genre of cologne. Cologne Blanche makes it a perfect three-for-three for the Dior Homme trio on my scent scorecard.

I'm going to blame my body chemistry off the bat, because no one else is complaining of a souring of the powdery vanilla base this one has. The favourable notes in the base are obscured by something difficult to describe, but whatever it is calls to mind the bar my parents owned in my formative years. Mild vinegar? I'll give this a neutral grade because while I wouldn't wear it again, I don't find it objectionable.

Boring, slightly feminine, powdery and with disappointing longevity.

[Original submission date: 29 December 2007]

Very powdery, clean, and classic without being too common. Definitely, Dior. I love it!

Cologne Blanche is an immensely delicious frag. The orange blossom is fleeting which is no bad thing as it is a trifle sharp to my nose and not what this stuff is all about. At it's heart it smells like almonds coated in sugar and powder. The Rosemary stops things becoming too cloying or sweet and there is next to no alcohol smell. CB stays very close to the skin, this is not a fragrance to wow people with as they probably won't know you're wearing fragrance at all (or assume you are addicted to talcum powder) It is much more intimate. It puts me in mind of 2 things, firstly I envisage an Elizabethan dandy, complete with ruffs and lace handkerchief. Secondly it reminds me of being 8 years old, wrinkly from the bath and covered head to toe in talcum powder. Somewhere between these two things is heaven.

Smells like powdery vanilla and almonds.

Of the trinity of Dior/Slimane specials, this is the least interesting. Not that it is uninteresting, because it a lovely mild slightly sweet fragrance that is totally unisex, and although I like the rosemary, I am a little down on almond these days as a touch cloying. Overall it is light, pleasant and expensive. Cologne Blanche will not appeal to anyone looking for distinction in their fragrances, but might be a nice alternative to someone who is in touch with the vibe of something like Anvers or the preferable and worthy Anvers 2.

Cologne Blanche is one of the few perfumes that have recently knocked me off my feet. Expecting a citrusy eau de cologne in the style of Eau de Guerlain, instead I was wowed by the subtle top notes of orange flower and almond. The chief middle note was a gentle milky smell which then gave way to an exquisitely light vanilla note that literally seemed to melt into my skin. Dior’s Cologne Blanche is an ethereal fragrance and would be very nice to give someone who is “scared” of perfumes or who much prefers lighter floral scents. I think that Dior’s Cologne Blanche and Chanel’s Eau de Cologne are the absolute tops in the cologne genre.

From what I’ve been able cull together from various perfume websites, here are the notes: orange flower, almond, rosemary, vanilla, musk, bergamot, peach stones, “sweet nuts”.

a wonderful fragrance for everyday! smells like you are freshly showered and powdered!
fresh and sensual at the same time, without being too present!

I have tried Cologne Blanche more than ten times from a decant and I confirm that this is going to be my next acquisition. This is my favourite one from the trio. Cologne Blanche is not a spectacular dazzling scent to seduce the audience. I would think this has a subdue comforting quality (perhaps from the almond) which made me feel very comfortable and happy. It has a creamy musky note which made me drool and sleepy. I would definately wear this to bed and sprinkle on my pillow.

A sweet, light floral/powdery scent. More could have been done with the rosemary to give a brisk edge. Too sweet for my liking, and not distinctive enough to be noteworthy.

Nice scent--powdery fresh, but more on the warmer side. Doesn't smell really unique, but it's not bad either. For some reason I think it compliments Eau Noire...

The opening is scintillatingly conflicting—a brilliant blending of citrus, herbs, and almond. The initial citrus is balanced by the rosemary, and the almond rises up from the base. It is an incredible and highly unusual accord, because this fantastic combination is underscored by a transparent powder: an ethereal wisp within an aesthetic clash. The result is both spiritual and arousing. The middle retains some citrus characteristics but becomes quite floral. The powder is retained but it doesn’t hold the same presence, because it no longer underlies an intriguing conflict: It underlies florals…that filmy, transparent essence has become baby powder: elegance has morphed into nursery odors. The middle and base notes (a subtle, sweet, almond accord) ARE attractive and long lasting, but they are neither inspired nor premium.
At the first sniff of Cologne Blanche, I looked forward to something spectacular, and the opening WAS spectacular. Then the fragrance followed the norm for many of the recent designer scents—a downward spiral into a stifled yawn. This is a very good designer fragrance; the trouble is…Dior is claiming it is more than a designer fragrance.

A powdery light citrus-floral scent. Orange blossom and almond, and there's some sharper, herbally note as well. Like the other Dior colognes in this series, this one too is sweet and powdery. And like the others, it borders on being a foody scent while not quite being totally "edible." There is something about this fence-sitting quality that I don't like. That is, it is foody while at the same time including elements that are not edible, which to me borders on disgusting, like getting your dessert with a pile of talcum powder on top of it. Then there's this powderiness, something I really don't care for in a men's scent. I guess that this might be a well-made scent - it certainly gets rave reviews on this site - but it's definitely not to my liking.

A light, somewhat powdery day scent. Cologne Blanche begins with soft, sweet bergamot and orange flowers followed quickly by an almond / vanilla drydown. While not earthshattering, this is a very good daywear change-of-pace scent.

Floral at first, it develops into a powdery scent slightly reminiscent of Shalimar. Nice staying power! I will probably buy my own bottle, even though I am a girl.

Clearly the most mundane of the 3 colognes. Still definitely worth getting, at least discounted. A modern take on kölnisch wasser with a heliotrope side-dish to the usual citrus/herbs melange.

I must begin this review by stating that, overall, I'm not that impressed by citrus scents. They all tend to revolve around the same grouping of ingredients with lemon or orange or something fruity usually dominating the parade. Now, of course this may be oversimplification as citrus scents are some of the most invigorating and refreshing as a category; however, as I've smelled quite a few, I have almost tended to grow a bit stale toward them as a group and certainly have shied away from their purchase. Then, along come this citrus scent Cologne Blanche by Dior. Now, I'm not saying I'd buy it, but it had a certain mellow, long-lasting charactor that most citrus scents lose quite rapidly given their ephemeral composition. The rosemary in this item disappears about midway in the process, but the neroli mixed ingeneously with the almond (a new one to me) works to elongate not only the luxury of the neroli or orange blossom, but lends a smooth and almost buttery nature to the whole base end of the product. It had only vague references to Acqua di Parma's Colonia Assolute, which had very mixed reviews, but I think that it because to be a genuine citrus scent fragrances have to definitely share certain key and easily identifiable notes. In the end, I would recommend this fragrance to those who are seeking to build a small collection who don't mind the price tag too much and are seeking excellent representation from all fragrance family groups.