CHANEL BLEU DE CHANEL L'EXCLUSIF

Chanel kindly gave me this BLEU DE CHANEL L'EXCLUSIF for free so that I could review it. The scent is spicy and lasts forever. Two sprays goes a long way! Perfect date night/winter scent! Worth every dollar!

Let me be upfront: I own a couple of the other Bleu de Chanel concentrations, so I wasn't sure if L'EXCLUSIF was just going to be an expensive redundancy. I was wrong. This is the deepest, most grown-up version of the DNA, and it fills a gap the others don't. The biggest shift is immediately noticeable: they've taken the signature bright, airy citrus and dialed it way back. It's still there in the opening, a ghost of the freshness, but it quickly gives way to a luxurious, almost chewy depth. The real star here is the dry-down. It's dominated by a thick, creamy sandalwood and a beautiful, smoky amber accord. I also pick up on a very smooth, refined leather note that adds a quiet masculinity. It feels sophisticated—like wearing a perfectly tailored suit in the evening. Where the EDT is for the gym and the EDP is for the office, this is for the event. Performance has been excellent for me. I get a solid 8 to 10 hours of longevity, and while it projects well for the first hour or two, it settles down to a classy, personal scent bubble. It doesn't shout; it commands attention up close. My only hesitation is the price point, which is certainly a splurge, but for the depth and performance it delivers, I can almost justify it. If you want a darker, warmer, and more mature version of Bleu de Chanel—one that completely nails the woody-ambery scent profile—this is the one to get. It's absolutely fantastic for fall and winter.

I've worn a few different versions of Bleu, but L'Exclusif really caught me off guard. It starts out with that same fresh Bleu vibe — a little citrus, a little aromatic — but it doesn't stay light for long. Pretty quickly it turns darker and richer, and that's where it hooked me. The woods and resins give it this depth, and then the smoky leather note comes in and makes it feel a lot more mysterious compared to the other Bleu flankers. There's also just a touch of amber sweetness that smooths it out without making it heavy. When I wear it, it comes on strong at first, then settles into something more subtle but still noticeable. I can smell it on myself hours later, easily 8–10 hours. Out of all the Bleu versions, this one feels the most grown-up. It still smells like Bleu, but with more richness and attitude — kind of like the "all dressed up" version of the origina

*This product was sent to me by Chanel in exchange for my honest review.* I've tried all of the editions of the Bleu de Chanel line, and own a bottle of the EdP, so I was excited to try this one out. This is the definitely the darkest of the line. It opens much deeper compared to the EdP, with a strong hit of leather. The leather doesn't last too long, and moves more into the scent profile you are familiar with, the closest being the Parfum. From there, it really sticks very close in smell to the Parfum, with it only being a slight bit darker and woodier compared to the Parfum. Performance is very good, lasts all day long, but projection could be better, especially for the price point. Given it's similarity to the Parfum, if you own that already I would not recommend this fragrance, but if this is your first time getting a Bleu de Chanel fragrance, I would most definitely recommend it. You cannot go wrong with any of the fragrances in the line, but I would say this is the most grown up, and would suit someone 30+ the most.

Bleu de Chanel always my favorite scent. And L'Exclusif is the best version of one of the most popular men's fragrances in the world . Bottle and packaging are very elegantly, premium look.