The New Version of Bleu de Chanel Is Leathery, Woody, and Intense

After bringing together Timothée Chalamet and Martin Scorsese in a promotion for the fragrance Bleu de Chanel last year, Chanel has updated the scent. The all-new version of its iconic men’s fragrance, L’Exclusif, brings together Olivier Polge, Chanel’s in-house perfumer, and Chalamet as his muse.

“With the creation of this new interpretation, I wanted to go even further in the woody notes, to bring even more intensity,” says Polge, whose father is the creator of the original 2010 Bleu de Chanel fragrance. “By broadening the spectrum of the woody olfactory family, we naturally end up with leathery notes, which I wanted to be particularly ambery and resinous.”

L’Exclusif continues the DNA of Bleu while exploring new realms of men’s fragrances, and comes at a moment when men are no longer hesitating to venture into more assertive signature scents.

“It seems that men today are choosing perfumes in a more daring way, genuinely looking for fragrances that stand out for their sillage and staying power—a trend that runs counter to the men’s fragrances of a few years ago, which emphasized freshness,” Polge says.

What strikes Chalamet about this new Bleu is its woody character.

“It’s really the cedar that I smell the most,” the A Complete Unknown actor says. “While this fragrance is certainly denser, it avoids falling into the ‘overpowering, over-invasive perfume’ box, and retains a certain freshness that is entirely characteristic of Bleu.”

“We had to find the right tone to express our vision of a masculine extract: reusing the codes we apply to feminine extracts, i.e. preciousness and intensity, while bringing masculinity and depth,” Polge says.

The result is a stronger extract, as woody as ever, but enriched with a more assertive leathery amber identity without betraying the spirit of 2010’s Bleu.

The fragrance’s new depth goes beyond its updated notes. Its redesigned bottle is now also chiseled in the style of an inkwell. In terms of price, it’s also moving upmarket: expect to pay $205 for 2 fl. oz or $275 for 3.4 fl oz.

L’Exclusif will be available as a preview on August 19 on the Chanel website and in selected Chanel boutiques.

This story originally appeared in GQ France.

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