Bleu de Chanel EDT vs EDP: Which Is Better?


Chanel is one of the most renowned names in the fashion, jewelry, and fragrance world. It’s safe to assume that all of their products are of high quality, so what then would be the difference between their eau de toilette and eau de parfum fragrances? Is one better than the other?

I took a deep dive into the interwebs to find an answer for you. So let’s compare the eau de toilette (EDT) and eau de parfum (EDP) versions of Bleu de Chanel.

Bleu de Chanel EDT vs EDP

An Introduction to Bleu de Chanel

Men’s fragrance, Bleu de Chanel, was first released as an EDT in September 2010. Four years later, the EDP was formulated by the same Nose, Jacques Polge, and released to the public in 2014. Polge was Chanel’s master perfumer until his retirement in 2015.

As a side note, Polge’s son Oliver formulated an even more concentrated parfum version of Bleu de Chanel in 2018. He first joined Chanel as a perfumer in 2013, and then became head perfumer two years later after his father retired.

Bleu de Chanel’s fragrance tagline is, “be unexpected.” This short phrase suggests that Bleu de Chanel might be a tangled blend of ingredients. Let’s get an overview of each version.

Bleu de Chanel EDT Spray

This eau de toilette begins with fresh, aromatic notes, and then dries down to spicy and woody notes.

In 2011, it won an award for “Best Male Fragrance” by the Fragrance Foundation Awards. Also referred to as the Fifi Awards, this is an international ceremony that’s been held annually since 1973 and has been dubbed the “Oscars of the fragrance industry.”

There are two additional fragrance awards worth noting. One is for Bleu de Chanel EDT “Best Full-Market Launch – Men’s” in 2015 by the Canadian Fragrance Association. And the EDT won more Fifi awards in 2019, “Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Luxury” and “Media Campaign of the Year – Men’s.”

Fragrance often overlaps with fashion, film, and television, as the media plays a significant role in keeping scents at the forefront of customers’ minds.

The original Bleu de Chanel continues to be a best-selling fragrance all these years after its initial release. Esteemed British company, The Fragrance Shop, found this EDT to be the second most popular fragrance sold in their stores, as of June 2021.

Both the EDT and EDP are available in three bottle sizes:

  • 1.7 fl oz (50 mL)
  • 3.4 fl oz (100 mL)
  • 5.0 fl oz (150 mL)

Each layer of fragrance notes is as intriguing as the next.

Head layer:

  • Lemon, pink pepper, grapefruit, mint, and citrus

Heart layer:

  • ISO E Super, ginger, nutmeg, and jasmine

Base layer:

  • Sandalwood, labdanum, patchouli, vetiver, incense, cedar, and white musk

Some of these scents are immediately noticeable. On the top layer, for instance, when you think of lemon, grapefruit, mint, and citrus, you can automatically get a sense of how that layer smells. The immediacy and freshness of citrus fragrances is unmistakable. Pink pepper adds spicy and soft floral overtones to the mix.

The middle heart layer hinges on pink pepper by transitioning into delicate jasmine floral notes along with the spicy warmth of nutmeg and ginger. ISO E Super is a velvety cedarwood-like synthetic fragrance. 

And it’s this middle note that carries over into the woody and powdery base notes of this EDT. Labdanum amplifies the other base notes by infusing this layer with a sweet leathery amber dry musk.

What begins as a fresh and invigorating scent, dries as an elegantly sensual fragrance. Although it’s an eau de toilette, Bleu de Chanel has pretty good longevity and moderate sillage. 

If you’re looking for a signature scent, this is a fragrance that can be worn year-round, day or night. One might even consider it to be a unisex fragrance because even though it’s punchy, it’s also sweet. 

For those who might spray on too much eau de parfum, this EDT might be the best solution. It’s made with a lower fragrance concentration, meaning it will fade more quickly, but you can reapply the fragrance instead of having to remove the scent due to over application.

Pros

  • Lower fragrance concentration for those who typically apply too much
  • Interesting scent combinations
  • Lasting fragrance
  • Can be used all day, year-round 

Cons

  • Scent is too light for some people
  • Might be too complex for others

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Bleu de Chanel EDP Spray

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For a stronger scent, there’s the eau de parfum version. Its tagline reads, “the scent that sets the pace.” It’s another fresh aromatic with woody notes, but with more depth in intrigue.

Subtle changes were made to each fragrance layer in order to play up the original spicy, sweet, and sensual notes.

Head layer:

  • Lemon, pink pepper, grapefruit, mint, bergamot, aldehydes, and coriander

Heart layer:

  • Ginger, nutmeg, jasmine, and melon

Base layer:

  • Sandalwood, labdanum, patchouli, incense, cedar, amber, and amberwood

On the top layer, general citrus notes were removed from the EDP version and three new notes were added: bergamot, aldehydes, and coriander. Bergamot is even brisker and more pungent than the typical citrus smell. 

Aldehyde can give off a few different smells, but as it pertains to Bleu de Chanel’s EDP, I believe it’s giving off softer, sweeter citrus notes. Coriander is warm and spicy, but it also offers citrus undertones. 

Melon was added to the middle layer, giving it fresh sweetness.

Lastly, the bottom layer is less like musk and more like syrupy resin with the addition of more aromatic woods. 

This scent has also been consistently popular since its initial release. It’s another fragrance that can become a signature scent because it can be worn all day in any season. 

Pros

  • More concentrated fragrance
  • Extended longevity
  • Stronger, but not overpowering
  • Can be used all day, year-round

Cons

  • More expensive than the EDT
  • Might be too sophisticated for some people

No products found.

Bleu de Chanel: Face to Face Comparison

While there are some overlapping fragrance notes, the subtle changes made to the EDP version make for an even more unique scent experience.

Bleu de Chanel EDTBleu de Chanel EDP
PerfumerJacques PolgeJacques Polge
Concentration5-15% aromatic compounds15-20% aromatic compounds
Top NotesLemon, pink pepper, grapefruit, mint, and citrusLemon, pink pepper, grapefruit, mint, bergamot, aldehydes, and coriander
Middle NotesISO E Super, ginger, nutmeg, and jasmineGinger, nutmeg, jasmine, and melon
Base NotesSandalwood, labdanum, patchouli, vetiver, incense, cedar, and white muskSandalwood, labdanum, patchouli, incense, cedar, amber, and amber wood
Longevity2 to 3 hours4+ hours
PerformanceAll seasons; Day or nightAll seasons; Day or night
Starting PriceExpensiveHighly expensive
Overall Impressioninvigorating, citrusy, complexintricate, smooth, refined

By comparison, the EDP version has even more complex top notes.

Its top layer was made even warmer and spicier with the addition of coriander. It was slightly more pungent with the addition of bergamot; and a bit sweeter due to aldehydes.

Sweetness was also added to the middle layer with the addition of melon essence. 

And the base layer is less musky and earthy due to the removal of vetiver and white musk. Instead, those fragrances were replaced with amber and amberwood. Amber gives off a warm, sweet, resinous fragrance that can also release piney or balsamic notes. 

Lastly, amber wood is a more aromatic wood fragrance that can simultaneously smell herbal, powdery, and earthy.

It seems that the EDP version is spicier, warmer, and sweeter than the EDT version.

Conclusion

I hope this article has provided you with enough information to determine whether Bleu de Chanel EDT or EDP is better for you.

Choose Bleu de Chanel EDT if:

  • You’re looking for a lighter, fresher fragrance.
  • You don’t mind reapplying your fragrance mid-way through the day.
  • You want a luxury scent at a slightly lower price point

Choose Bleu de Chanel EDP if:

  • You’re seeking an even more complex fragrance blend
  • You want a more concentrated fragrance that will last throughout the day
  • You desire a more mature personal fragrance

For an immediate fresh and invigorating jolt, Bleu de Chanel EDT delivers. It dries down through spicy, floral, and smoky wood notes.

Consider Bleu de Chanel EDP to be the smoother, more mellow older brother to the EDT version. Its initial impression is a little less pungent, but still impactful. Its dry down is less dramatic, as it gradually transitions down through spicy and aromatic wood layers.

The EDP incorporates all the best parts of the EDT, and makes the fragrance blend more refined and longer lasting.

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Grace

Hello and welcome to Fragrance Advice! My name is Grace Young, and I’ve been drawn to fragrances since I was a little girl. There's just something about scent that brings me so much joy! 

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