Chanel’s New Bleu L’Exclusif Cologne Proves Bolder Is Better

When Bleu de Chanel first hit counters in 2010, it caused a stir. Now, 15 years later, the fresh and woody scent is an undisputed icon that launched a thousand imitations. But you have to remember that back then, ideas around men’s fragrance were not as complex as they are now. In most cases, you had to choose between a fresh cologne or a woody one—and ne’er the two did meet. Bleu changed all that. According to Olivier Polge, Chanel's in-house perfumer, the innovative combination of “inviting freshness but with the warmth of woods” was the secret to Bleu’s success and ushered in Chanel’s Bleu Period.

While Bleu has remained largely untouched (save for Eau de Parum and Parfum versions), the world of men’s fragrance has changed drastically in the last decade or so. The advent of #FragranceTok and a new generation of ultra-knowledgeable fragranceheads have pushed demand for bolder, more complex scents. The era of the dumbed-down men’s cologne is over. Now it’s time for a bigger Bleu, specifically Bleu L’Exclusif ($275), which launches today.

In many ways, creating a new version of an existing fragrance is harder than starting from scratch. A perfumer has to keep the existing DNA of the scent that everyone already knows but evolve it into something new; that takes a deft hand. According to Polge, you can’t just increase the concentrations of existing notes or throw in new ones willy nilly. In the case of Bleu L’Exclusif, he tinkered with the existing wood notes, tweaking the ratios until they blossomed into a deeper, bolder bouquet. Then he added labdanum, a slightly sweet, tangy, balsamic–y resin which created a leather quality without adding an actual leather accord.

The final fragrance still has the burst of freshness you expect from Bleu de Chanel, but it quickly gives way to a sultrier, warmer, and more elegant vibe that only deepens the longer it stays on your skin. The longevity is incredible and by the time the sun goes down, it’s hard to imagine that it’s the same citrus-laced scent you sprayed on in the morning. It’s dark and smooth, mysterious and luxurious, with a hint of that leather. It truly is a new, grown up Bleu.

We sat down for an exclusive talk with Polge to pick his brain about how he created Bleu L’Exclusif, what makes it so special and how it’s not just a fragrance, but a whole vibe.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif

Esquire: What makes the original Bleu de Chanel so successful?

Olivier Polge: The success of Bleu was quite a surprise to us because Chanel has a strong history and identity with women's perfumes, but we never had a successful men's fragrance. The success of Bleu ... I would explain it probably by the combination of strong and inviting freshness, but with the warmth of the woods.

Before Bleu, you either had a woody cologne or a fresh cologne, so the blend of the two was very groundbreaking at the time.

Exactly. You would discover the fragrance and say, "Oh, that's an easy scent." And then you would see during the day how it evolved and think, "Where is this identity coming from?" I like that about Bleu.

How did you hope to keep that element of Bleu but push it forward with Bleu L’Exclusif?

With Bleu L'Exclusif, what I found interesting is that there is a taste for much stronger and much more identifiable men's scents. If you remember years ago, people were saying a men's scent has to be fresh, clean. Today, the scent is one of the signature elements that you add to the way you make up your personality in the morning. It's not something that catches you unconsciously. It is a conscious and strong choice you make. And I think that in terms of identity, it calls for darker, stronger, more textured scents. And with Bleu, the interesting part is coming from the richness of the woods.

I think categorically, people think of Bleu as a fresh scent, but then there are a lot of woods. It is a very woody scent.

It's a woody scent and there is a sensuality to it that is very, very interesting. I think that even from the beginning, from the first eau de toilette, we have been building the complexity, the texture little by little with more woody notes, introducing the creamy aspect of the sandalwood in the parfum. And here, in L’Exclusif, there is something that goes even beyond with a leathery note as well. There is a labdanum that really pushes the signature of the woods even further.

Chanel in-house perfumer Olivier Polge.

The leather feels like a big change. Did you add any other notes to L’Exclusif?

Yes, it is a big change. Speaking about leather is always complicated because there actually is no leather note, per se, but you reach that shade by using certain notes. I added labdanum extract that brings a shade of darkness, but also increased the intensity of woods. And the woodiness has been pushed to a level that, in combination with labdanum, develops this leathery aspect.

When you're creating a fragrance like this that has a higher concentration of, for instance, the woods, does it change how you develop it? I can imagine you can't just take the recipe and add more.

No, no, it's more complicated. What I found interesting, and I think it tells something about the taste that men have developed for scents, is that somehow I made a lot of parallels in terms of intensity, complexity, and richness to women's perfumes. So we are bringing the highest level of intensity and complexity to men's scents as well.

Do you mean that before, men's scents were a little bit more simple, and now they're becoming more complex just like women's?

It's dangerous to say that, but I would say yes.

I know that's slightly reductive.

Many years ago, people thought it was elegant for a man to have a discreet scent. Today, the elegance of men's scent comes from a certain element of power.

The Bleu de Chanel Family

You mentioned words like power or confidence. Is that what you envisioned in terms of feeling when you created this?

Yes. I think that there is a sensuality to it as well. There is a texture. I think it's very important to speak about texture. I like to make the parallel between a scent and the clothes that you would wear. The thickness of fabric and the texture, I think it is meaningful. There's a richness to this scent.

Out of the whole Bleu family, at least for me, it feels the most sophisticated.

Yeah, sophisticated. I am looking for the correct word to speak about this perfume. It's not always easy. There is a sophistication to it, yes.

Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif

It evolves beautifully. Wearing it, I felt that it followed my day a bit. It was fresh when I sprayed it in the morning and then by nighttime, it was very deep and sensual like you were saying. How do you envision people wearing it?

I'm often asked whether this is an everyday fragrance or a special occasion fragrance. It's always difficult to answer because every one of us is different. There are certain people who might be influenced by the season and would wear such a perfume with such a texture fragrance more during the winter, for instance. I like to think that there is no correct or wrong way to wear perfume. We are all different. I cannot tell you how to wear it, but I can tell you that Bleu L’Exclusif is very, very deep, very strong, and very textured.

Do you feel that this is indicative of this new trend or new evolution of men's fragrance?

Totally. I think that men are looking for a statement in the scent they choose. And I think Bleu L'Exclusif is a statement you will remember.