Smells like Bleu de Chanel: Bleu Hour body butter

Bleu de Chanel smells of citrus (grapefruit and lemon), incense, ginger, cedar and sandalwood. Bleu Hour is our take on that profile, with citrus, incense and woods, in a pheromone-infused body butter at $34 a jar.

When did Bleu de Chanel launch?

Chanel launched it in 2010, with Jacques Polge as the perfumer. An Eau de Parfum followed in 2014 and a Parfum in 2018. It is one of the most widely recognised men's fragrances.

How does Bleu Hour compare with the original?

The original does two things. The citrus and ginger give it a fresh opening, and the incense, cedar and sandalwood give it a dry, woody finish. Bleu Hour keeps the citrus and the incense and gathers the cedar and sandalwood into one note, woods. Both belong to the wood family, so folding them together keeps the finish dry and simple.

Ginger is not in our three, so expect less spice than the original lists. What is left is a fresh opening, incense, then wood. It is a different formula in a shea butter and cocoa butter base, inspired by the original.

What is Bleu Hour for?

Weekdays and weekends both. Citrus and woods are easy company, and a butter sits close to the skin, so a heavy hand costs you less than it would with a spray. That makes it a forgiving first fragrance, and it is the scent we would suggest first to a man who wants one fragrance for most situations: the office, a casual lunch, a family occasion. It is among the quieter scents in our range, since the louder two are Rogue 540 and Oud Timber.

For cold, late evenings, pair it with Oud Timber. Bleu Hour for the daytime and Oud Timber for the night gives you a fresh scent and a deep one.

How do you wear it?

For work, one application on the chest and upper arms after a shower is enough, because the scent is meant to be found up close and not announced. On most skin it runs 12+ hours, and damp skin holds it longest.

If you own the bottle, run a simple test: wear Bleu Hour on one arm and the spray on the other, and compare after a few hours. If you can tell them apart and do not like the difference, the free scent swap within 14 days is there for that. You can also put the butter on first and spray after, though we have no controlled test showing the spray lasts longer this way.

What does it cost next to a bottle?

A bottle of Bleu de Chanel costs about $165. Bleu Hour is $34 a jar, about $131 less, or 2 for $59 and 3 for $78.99. A free scent swap within 14 days covers you if it is not what you expected.

Bale is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Chanel.

Quick answers

• Is Bleu Hour identical to Bleu de Chanel? No. It follows the profile in a different formula and base, and it leaves ginger out of its notes.
• Is it a good first scent? We think so, because citrus and woods are hard to get wrong.
• Is it only for people who like Bleu de Chanel? No. If you like clean citrus and woods in general, it fits.
• Can I wear it somewhere formal? In our opinion, yes. Citrus and woods are quiet enough to sit alongside a suit.
• Will it work at the office? Yes, in our view. A butter stays close to the skin, and this is one of the quieter four of our six.

See Bleu Hour body butter, or take the scent quiz if you are choosing between all six.