Allure Homme Edition Blanche Eau de Parfum (2014)
by Chanel

Lemon. Sort of lemon cheesecake as opposed to sour lemon. This could be unisex toward masculine. (Not feminine). It's a scent to wear if you want to get close. Not cloying. Not headachy. It's different in a positive way. The last thing men need is another marine, blue variation of the same old, same old. This is unique. Also, I could not find it on the dot net sites so I went directly to Chanel. It came in a Chanel box, 2 free samples and tissue paper. Even the Fed ex box was Chanel. It brought back the magic feeling of going to an upscale department store and treating yourself rather than schlepping to a discount house and walking out with a plastic bag. The whole experience is to feel good.

This started as a like and became a love.

Kicks off with a lovely, fizzy opening that my nose initially interpreted for bright mandarin. After reviewing the note pyramid, I could probably separate sharp bergamot from fragrant lemon if I want to... but I don’t especially want to. It’s just nice to enjoy. There’s a really nice sparkle in there - I’m not sure if there are aldehydes or if I simply expect some because it’s Chanel.

Soon the effervescent citrus melts into a beautiful creamy meringue accord with the heart and base. Progression on this doesn’t have any surprises, the citrus gently fades like melting lemon butter but lingers in traces. I can’t tell if there’s real sandalwood in this - partly because I’m a novice, and partly because the blend links everything so smoothly.

If someone with a more educated nose told me this was just javanol and vanillin holding hands with Uncle Vetiver and Aunt ISO E Super I’d be perfectly happy with that answer. This is just joy in a bottle.

The accord dips a toe into gourmand territory without ever becoming gooey, cloying or unctuous. Ultimately that’s the facet of this fragrance that I really enjoy, just how light and playful it is while also being creamy and comforting.

Was performance sacrificed for this translucent quality? Yep. This doesn’t project any appreciable distance beyond a handshake in the first couple of hours then nothing beyond a hug. Who cares? I get a decent six hours wear.

From what I can tell, Chanel took the “Allure” part of the name rather seriously on this one - it seems like it’s meant to be a delicious skin scent to excite your partner when they’re leaning in for an embrace or a quiet word - enlivening, comforting and seductive in equal measure. Thumbs up.

Finally in my collection. Decade back when I tried it (EDT Concentree), I just liked it and that was that. Had a sample or two, a job I hated (first job), fresh out of college, the country was badly struck by the financial crysis year earlier, a lot of friends to hang out with, girls and dating too - it was a terrible time crossed with the best times in my life sort to speak. In a way this frag reminds me of that time as it was among the first that I've tried and had a sample of, 2009. being the year I started this hobby and discovered Basenotes.

The EDT concentree was lighter but very creamy. The EDP is a heavy citrus right off the bat, that creaminess is much smoother but toned down in the first wave, citruses being very dominant. Creaminess in EDP becomes more and more dominant as the time passes.

Well known and familiar elegance of Chanel house is present. All of their fragrances are well put together and "ironed" to the last fiber.

Creamy lemon that evokes of a nice villa by the sea and a good, positive life in general.

Originality 5/10
Scent 9/10
Longevity 7/10
Projection 5/10
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65%

I log my wearings of this under Edition Blanche edt concentree. To me, it's the same fragrance. Any difference there may be has been too subtle for me to notice after half a dozen wearings, alternating days wearing each, and wearing them side by side.

It's a fun fragrance, with a real moment of magic in the early opening, which is the best moment of each wearing, but the development and base are also interesting, if on the synthetic and modern side.

The edt concentree and the edp perform the same one, which is not very well. It/they becomes/become a light, subtle skin scent within two or three hours.

It's a modern lemon and woods fragrance with some spicy/foody/peppery accord, and which also smells just slightly of the Allure Homme line.

Update: Doing some testing on paper over the last day, the discontinued edt concentree definitely lasted much longer than the edp. And the base of the edt concentree is nice, so for scenting paper at least, it has a big advantage for longevity.

The openings during this paper comparison were very similar. The edp smelled slightly (less than 5%) fresher and more vibrant.

With this one, and with Les Exclusifs, the change to edp seems to decrease the longevity, but there's a slightly more natural smell. I don't necessarily agree with the decision. I liked the fixative (or fixatives) that Chanel has left behind.

Very similar to the EdT, the citrus just seems to be a bit sharper, has more bite. Otherwise, I get similar smell and performance.

Very good projection for the first 3-4 hours. After that it settles down but you still catch whiffs of it throughout the day, all day long.