Bleu Intense by L'Bel

Bleu Intense by L’bel is an extremely versatile perfume; it works very well for practically all daytime occasions, except in situations requiring formality and presence, because its marine and citrus notes, particularly the star anise and ginger, give it a clearly informal touch. I have been wearing this perfume for more than a month and I have to say that I find it more of a perfect perfume for layering than a standalone fragrance (the time I applied CdN Intense Man over it, it was genuinely brilliant). However, when I wore it on its own, I mainly used it for the gym, as it is not an invasive perfume and it copes quite well with warm, dry climates, like the one where I live. In terms of longevity, it lasts between 3 and 4 hours on the skin until it disappears completely. One curious thing to note is that the day after application, there is no trace of the smell unless you have a shower with lukewarm water; through the action of the warm water, the mossy, earthy accord of the perfume seems to activate and leaves your shower smelling really good. As for projection, unless you apply more than 8 sprays, it just creates a personal bubble that follows you almost anywhere. This perfume is a 7/10, since it really fulfils the purpose of smelling good, going unnoticed and not being invasive or causing headaches in enclosed spaces.

A fragrance with that chypre/fougère vibe that highlights the classic sage/herbal/mossy. Less sharp and perhaps a little sweeter than its brother Bleu Night, let alone Bleu Glacial. It meets the 3 Bs; don’t expect much longevity if you don’t bathe in it a bit.

Bleu Intense is a very fresh and absolutely versatile fragrance, suitable for virtually any context. Excellent longevity for such a fresh perfume: perhaps because of its intensity, it causes olfactory fatigue shortly after application, but when I look for it on my skin, I find it. I’ve received compliments after 8 hours. Ideal for daytime wear in summer, when it guarantees a clean-smelling man, but it will never be out of place. As an olfactory reference, I associate it with Gillette Cool Wave deodorant: fresh, herbal, aquatic aroma. In its dry-down it has a slight sweet touch (given by tonka bean) that is complemented by the woody sensation given by oakmoss. I like that it’s a fresh fragrance without being citrusy, and that it projects more seriousness and maturity than the famous Nautica Voyage. Its only downside is that, being such a basic scent (like shower gel or men’s deodorant), it will hardly be the best option at special events. But it’s a wonderful perfume for daily use with casual or even semi-formal clothes. For its price, I think it’s an essential basic in any collection. I’m on my third bottle, and I’ll buy it again when it runs out.

Another review written with nostalgia, but without losing objectivity: Bleu Intense, the late fougère. I’ve had mine since 2010, that is, a batch from before L’Bel reformulated the perfume around 2014 and IFRA began its crusade against certain types of ingredients in this and other perfumes. Bleu Intense is an aromatic and mossy perfume, closely related to classic fougères and classic chypres, although I don’t perceive it as a copy of anything specific. The perfume opens with a powdery cardamom, closely followed by clary sage, which is what gives the perfume the herbal part that reminds us so much of classic barbershop smells. Before long, the clary sage gives way to that piercing sea-and-ginger smell, making room for the absolute protagonist of this perfume: the moss, a classic moss, accompanied by a note somewhat forgotten today, curative wood, which makes that moss even earthier and dirtier. Without the notes, I have a very clear image of this perfume: I imagine a man from the 70s driving a Malibu along the seafront of a coastal city. It’s a sea smell, on one hand, while the car interior is a combination of aromatic leather and a grimy musk, which can transport you to those herbal, bodily, masculine smells of classic men’s colognes, clean and virile. Although I maintain that the perfume doesn’t resemble anything specific, obviously we can’t ignore its cousins from which it is clearly inspired, from Creed’s Green Irish Tweed to Davidoff’s Cool Water, those old-school herbal perfumes from which Bleu Intense clearly draws its inspiration. I don’t know the new version of this classic, so I can’t compare the strength of the old one with the new versions. For me, it’s a perfume with moderate longevity, a stable 6 hours, with strong projection for the first hour, then it fades to a personal bubble for the rest of the perfume’s life. It’s versatile like most chypres, and because of the type of aroma, it’s aimed at a clearly masculine audience, at least 35 years old. Even so, it’s not a difficult perfume to wear at all; it simply belongs to the old school and would clearly be misunderstood in these times by new generations. For me, it’s a 2/4 and I’ll explain why: it’s a good perfume, plain and simple, but I detect 2 important flaws in it. The first is the structure: it’s a fougère-chypre, but the herbal part is so fleeting and passes so quickly that you barely have time to analyse it; the moss is much more persistent. On the other hand, Bleu Intense arrives at a time when there are better options in the classics market, making it stand out only for its good price (approximately $13). Considering the price, it doesn’t seem like a bad option either; I can recommend it as a gift for a father or uncle who would appreciate it, or for personal use if these types of aromas move you. Its vintage quality is a nice reminder of where masculine perfumery comes from.

It’s a classic from L’BEL’s catalogue… It’s been in the catalogue for over 20 years and they never take it out because it’s their best seller in every country where Belcorp is present, the Peruvian cosmetics and perfumery company that encompasses L’BEL as its most expensive brand, Esika as its mid-priced brand but with excellent quality, and finally its youth line for teenagers, Cy°Zone. This Blue Intense perfume is inspired by, or practically clones, a 1993 Chanel fragrance; it smells 90% like Egoiste Platinum by Chanel. It stands out for its scent inspired by the crashing of icy deep-sea waves onto the rocks at the shore. It has a molecule called Calone, which evokes notes of sea breeze and waves crashing on stones, but from a cold ocean like that of countries such as Canada. It also has juniper berries very present and a base of sage and woods. A gem of its era and nowadays, if you want to pay little for a masculine, clean, fresh scent that evokes a man who cares about his gentlemanly image, this perfume has all of that from $13 onwards. It is a scent from classic barbershop perfumery; it also has a certain resemblance to Green Irish Tweed by Creed. I’ve been using it for about 20 years, and today I have very expensive designer and niche perfumes, but every so often I buy it to wear after a shower before bed, because it smells of fine soap or fresh deodorant such as Speed Stick Cool Night or Axe Aqua Citrus. 9/10. Excellent scent and price.

I have the 10 ml one and it smells lovely; it’s a pure chypre with fougère.