Bleu De Chanel by Chanel, 2010

I really didn't want to like this scent. I tested it out several times at Sephora and the other department stores, and although I liked it, I didn't LOVE it. I kept trying it off and on for a year. Each time I sampled it, I liked it just a little bit more than the time before. The last time I sampled it, I decided right then and there to take the plunge and buy the 1.7 FL OZ EDT; I have not regretted it at all. I tend to have longevity and projection issues. I don't know if it's from my body chemistry (maybe I drink too much coffee), my dry skin, or just my nose, but this fragrance is a BEAST for me. I get a good 10 to 12 hours minimum. In addition, I have received more compliments from friends and strangers alike. Both men and women have commented on it and said how nice I smell. Having said that, I really don't think this is a ground-breaking fragrance. Yes, it is generic and safe. It's the epitome of a work scent, but that's OK with me. I like it better than Issey Miyake (which smells like bug spray...albeit a high quality bug spray) or YSL L'Homme (which is bleh and a little too sweet). The dry down is great, people like it on me, and it is complex and interesting enough to keep my attention if I don't wear it every day. This is one of the most underrated fragrances out there!

I have to say, I think this is a case of knowing too much counting against you. It is the ultimate irony of becoming knowledgeable about anything; as soon as you do, you require more and more extreme versions of that thing to satisfy your knowledge and nothing other than the extraordinary can satisfy your craving. I have to confess, I am not a perfume afficionado. But you know what, that doesn't matter. Because in the end, all fragrances are made to fulfill a purpose, and each will be received differently by every person. That is what makes them beautiful and unique. One man's perfection is another's poison. For me, Bleu fulfills a specific purpose. It is beautifully fresh and summery and now the days are warming up for spring it evokes the type of scent you experience with daffodils springing up all over the place. It is light and breezy, and I wear it for the office where I do not want to be known as "aftershave dude". From starting to wear this EDT I received three compliments within 12 hours; one from my wife, one from a store assistant, and one from a colleague. For those who have not ruined their own sense of enjoyment of scents by becoming knowledgeable (through no fault of their own), and for those who just buy those smellies that they like to smell like, I say buy this and enjoy it without fear. You will smell great and enjoy every minute of it.