I wonder if my appreciation for Chanel's Allure Homme Édition Blanche was unduly influenced by the fact I smelled it after four days of intensive testing of Allure Homme (ho-hum) and Allure Homme Sport (a nostril-searing, abrasive fragrance)? If so, I’m sorry — I can’t rewind and erase those days (and smells); compared with Allure Homme and Allure Homme Sport, Allure Homme Édition Blanche is delicious, natural smelling and ‘peaceful.’
Allure Homme Édition Blanche (created by Jacques Polge) contains lemon, bergamot, cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, white musk, vetiver, ginger, amber, vanilla, white and pink pepper. What I noticed immediately upon spraying on Allure Homme Édition Blanche was its quality — its ingredients smell more expensive than those used in the other two Allure fragrances I tested. Allure Homme Édition Blanche is a creamy fragrance but still has some sparkle thanks to its citrus, ginger, and vetiver notes.
Allure Homme Édition Blanche begins with lemon that smells like lemon — not a lemon or citrus note that reminds me of a cleaning bucket or dust rag. During the first phase of Édition Blanche, the lemon is joined by a perky ginger note that leads the way to vetiver and woody-sweet accords (as the fragrance dries down, sandalwood, ‘talcy’ musk and soft vanilla take over). Sure, this is a tried-and-true recipe that is in no way unusual, but, what a relief it is from the strident fresh citrus scents I’ve smelled recently.
If Allure Homme Édition Blanche came in a 30 ml size I might buy a bottle; a pleasant, “well-mannered”, light (but lasting) scent is always good to have on hand, especially in summer weather. I have a suggestion for Chanel: discontinue the dated Allure Homme Sport (so “1995”) and replace it with the new Allure Homme Édition Blanche.
Chanel Allure Homme Édition Blanche is a limited edition fragrance and is available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette Concentrée sprays.
Note: image via Images de Parfums.
And thus a lemming is born… Thanks for a mouthwatering (creamy) review — now I need to hunt EB down!
Dusan: should be easy shouldn't it? HA! Perhaps I should have said in my review that I have nothing like Edition Blanche in my 'collection' so it would be a good addition for ME, but maybe not for others…. K
I totally agree. I didn't care for Allure Homme and I definitely did not like the sport version but I quite like the Blanche Edition. I bought it for my husband for Easter and I can't wait for him to wear it!
I expected some white flowers in the Edition Blanche. You men don't get many flowers.. What about a mean white tuberose to keep you sharp…;)
Marianne: my partner wears Carnal Flower…I need NO MORE tuberose in my life!!!!!!
Jinnie: yes, a good spring scent…hope your husband likes it.
I've been on a men's fragrance kick all winter, and your review is making me think I need a warm weather men's scent as well. God knows I need to spend more money on perfume, right? Do you think I should leave this one to you guys, or if you'd recommend something else, or …. I was also thinking Jacques Fath, and/or one of the Frank Los Angeles… what do you think?
Exist.: I think Edition Blanche would be great for summer for a woman..and I like the J. Fath scent Green Water too. I've heard raves about the upcoming Adventure scent from Davidoff and will try to review it soon…can't tell from the description if it's too “dark” for summer or not. And Monsieur Balmain…a rosy-lemony thing that's nice…. TOO MANY!
Ooh, I love the Balmains I've tried so far, so I am sure I would love Monsieur as well. You're right, far too many… I have not tried any Davidoffs either. Sounds like another round of decants from the Perfumed Court is in order. I just got a decant of New York from Parfums de Nicoli, which I want to try tomorrow. It seems a little heavy for summer, but it's still pretty cold here right now.
Kevin, then I feel for you for two days ago I tried Carnal Flower for the very first time… as a result I had a very unpleasant allergy attack…eyes, nose, sinusses and lungs hurted. No more Carnal Flower or any other tuberose in the near future.
Loved the Chanel etc., Blanche, as a woman, and was in total love with it at first sniff.
Marianne: you poor thing…I DO like tuberose “on the air” (a few stalks in a vase or even Carnal Flower on someone else)…I don't like to WEAR tuberose myself though…a soap is about all I can take…I really like the Fresh Tuberose soap.
Anne: it gives a good first impression, doesn't it?
Admittedly, I haven't worn Allure Homme Sport all that much in the two years I've had it and maybe I won't replace it. However, the worst things I could say about it would not include, “nostril-searing” or “abrasive”. I could see those terms being applied to some vintage mens' fragrance or fragrance with a vintage feel like Quorum, Drakkar, Tuscany or Centaure but something as soft as Allure Homme Sport? I found that comment early on in the article so disorienting that it made it difficult to pay attention to the rest of the collumn the first time around. On the other hand, if I had read Romeo Gigli's Britto being described as nostril-searing and abrasive, I would have been highly amused.
V108: sorry to disorient! I stick by my assessment of AH Sport…on MY skin (I can't even imagine using the word “soft” to describe it; the note I find the most harsh smells like 'powdered' artificially scented rubbing alcohol). We'll blame it all on skin chemistry/noses/DNA…etc K
Oh, certainly. I've greatly enjoyed your columns and look forward to the next one. Cheers.
Gosh! I rarely sample men's fragrances, but your review has me wanting to seek this one out ASAP! I did sample the other two versions of Allure and actually didn't mind them that much (but I like a powerful lemon). I'm also a fan of the original women's Allure – it's a nice cozy cool weather scent – one of the few by Chanel that I can wear.
K. I got my sample Carnal Flower from FM's editionsdeparfums, after I had filled in their questionaire, together with a sample of Une Fleur de Cassie. So after my little disaster with CF I emailed them and received a very nice answer that Une Fleur de Cassie has different components so not to worry and they then advised to give Noir Epices a try.
And that I think, is nice, that personal touch. Frederic Malle stays on my to-try-list.
…and forgot to say that I am going to try this fragrance by Chanel… never tried their mens before…:-)
Is this a limited edition? I hope not, it sound very elegant. I doubt Chanel will discontinue some day Allure Sport; it's one of it's best male selling fragrances.
K, I tried EB today, ha, and you're right – it does smell natural and is very nicely done, a lovely lemony refreshment for the summer. Leans more to the Cologne vibe, if you ask me.
Also tested Adventure and D&G The One, both OK as far as the dull, fresh fad goes. Both are spicy, although a bit plasticky (at least on my skin) which I guess is due to not-so-expensive (I'm avoiding the word 'cheap') ingredients. While A is more bright and aromatic, (I think) I prefer The One for its smokey, spicy tobacco (honey-tinged) and also probably because it reminds me a little of Silver Shadow. Will have to try them again, of course.
Dusan: thanks for the update…I cringed as I saw the word “FRESH” in your descriptions of Adventure and The One! But love the word “aromatic” and certainly like the idea of smoky/spicy tobacco…with honey no less. K
Cheez: that particular lemon note and I are sworn enemies. HA! I would call it a metallic lemon…but lots of people love it. Curious to see if you prefer the lemon in AHEB though.
Henrique: Edition Blanche is a limited edition…I hope it sells like crazy and Chanel reconsiders. I had to assume Allure Homme Sport was a best seller…wonder if it does better in Europe or the US?
I hope this arrives here in Brazil at least. Allure Homme Sport has a lot of fans here in Latin America; it was chosen as the best male fragrance of 2004 by Playboy magazine here in Brazil.
Just popping in to say I think I'm in love with The One (gosh, that sounds stoopid). Traces of it lingered on my sweater which now smells beautiful. Definitely honeyed, dark-ish and sweet, yum!
Chanel si the most prestigious brand ever! For sure!! And their perfumes as well!
But, i don't really understand why the need to make the “Allure” family grow this way. This new one could have had another name and universe. And for the fragrance, nobody noticed that it is directly inspired by “Moschino Friends” created 3 years ago by Olivier Polge, the son of the nose of Chanel.?
Good creators, good recipes 😉
Dusan, I usually love what you like but The One is a too sweet scent for me. The very first time I tried it The One smelled like so many others…but then although I don't like Dior Midnicht Poison…I do love the way it smells on my clothes the next day.. You could spray The One on your curtains and see how wonderful the rooms smells… Oh well…Midnight Poison could do nice on a bedcover then. ;
Marianne, I wonder if we're thinking about the same The One :). I was talking about the men's one, which *is* sweet but not nearly as sweet as the women's. Have you tried it? I'd love to hear your impressions.
You know, of the last year's crop of rose-patch scents, MP is by far my favorite, and as Robin said, it does have a masculine feel to it. Maybe that's why I like it?
And I shouldn't disclose the amount of fragrances I use as room spray cos you never know if Robin's listening 😉
LOL — what am I, the perfume police?
Nah, was just kidding, LOL, but wonder what you'd have to say about my using Eau des Merveilles or FdM as room sprays…
Well of course I'd say stop wasting them and send them to me 😉
Oh..of course…sh(oo)t me… I was thinking of the womens version indeed Dusan.. No problem, will go and try the mens version.. ha, another one to try this coming week.
Midnight Poison would not so much be my room spray but rather a bedroom spray..
And living between winter and spring…I could roomspray Shiseido's Relaxing and Energizing fragrances according to my biological clock plus a bit of Le Feu so now and then…but that would merely upset my DHb, he would feel so much better with an oldfashioned spritz of Pleasures…
alexolide: I'm afraid I'm pretty ignorant about the Moschino scents…and I don't know why Edition Blanche had to join the Allure “family”…a new scent deserves a new name but we all know using the word ALLURE brings in many fans of the previous offerings.
The more I wear this the more I'm in love with it! It's come to the point now that I'm actually regretting not buying the 100ml size.
Got my first compliments the other day. My friends kept sniffing me and asked me what that delicious smell was 😉
I also laughed when I saw “nostril searing” in regard to AHS. I found it pleasantly unobtrusive more than anything.
You certainly make Édition Blanche sound worth at least trying, but now I want to go back and test the previous Allures again. Nice seeing all of these reviewed within one week, by the way.
eminere: GOOD…it's always nice to find a new scent that
sweeps you off your feet.
Joe: test those old Allures if you must..but save your “virgin nostrils” for Edition Blanche the day you go in to sample them all.
K: Will not comment on the relative “purity” of my nostrils. Sometimes I think I've permanently damaged my olfactory sensors, especially when you tell me Terre d'Hermes lasts 10 hours on you and I have to struggle to “sniff myself” after 2 hours. I prefer to believe my skin “eats” the scent, and that I'm not turning into one of those people who are blissfully unaware of the radius of the sillage cloud they're trailing about them….
ON a ridiculous spree at the Chanel counter which I really wish I'd passed on, had bought my SO a bottle of Allure Homme.
It is horrible. Migraine inducing. Not as bad as Polo or Drakkar Noir but aiming right up there.
The notes are overhwelmed by a chemical punch initally, then it fades out. I tried throwing it away, but he found it. Doesn't wear it though.
The best men's fragrance I've ever found it Vetiver by Geurlain(sic). Just smells great!
CQ73: SORRY for the Allure Homme disaster…dare I ask if you sprayed it on before buying? I completely agree with Guerlain Vetiver being superb.
I received another compliment today from a colleague who demanded to know what I was wearing – ain't that just fabulous? 😉
In an effort to limit how fast my bottle runs out, I bought Marc Jacobs Splash Ivy today. Figured that 300ml of fragrance should help staunch off too much Chanel from being used up all at once. That, and AU $49 for a fragrance that I thought wasn't half bad. Bargain!
BTW, thanks so much again for that Chanel ad!
I live in Borneo Malaysia and belive it or not , Édition Blanche is here already. Just like Kevin said, it was pretty refreshing.. Like having Sprite(TM) poured all over your body ..in a good way. Got it right away since I was looking for a citrusy scent ( arent we all ), going for USD85 here.
great one more time Kevin. That is it. Allure edition blanche, non plus ultra, Crème-de la Crème..I bet it will br the perfum of 2008.
Chanel yhis time put the arrow on the target.
Again, congratulations for ryour comments.
Chanel opening it´s doors for VETIVER….
hug to you all,
milani
damn damn damn i saw it at the duty free, the only place where you can find chanel cheaper, but because i did not like the other allure so much i did not give it a try. i think i will try it, i am still loking for a gift for my beloved boyfriend. he is a calm and elegant person-fits perfect.
great review….
can I ask one thing. You said this chanel smells lemon like lemon, but what do you think if you compare with the lemon in Azzaro Chrome?
PriH: sorry, I've never smelled the Azzaro Chrome, K
I’ve just purchased this alluring perfuming on the approval of a work colleague. Luckily, I work in a department store where competitior price matching, plus employee discount reduced it from £57 to £38: still the most I’ve ever paid for a fragrance. I bought it from the Chanel counter where the assistant was superbly helpful; giving me samples of Allure and Allure Sport. If I hadn’t been working one night ,helping out in the menswear department, where they had this and other fragrances for customers to try, I dont’ think I’d have discovered it for myself at the tills I was manning. At first I thought there wasn’t much to smell, unlike my Polo. This has taken time for it’s delicate powdery floral qualities to come to the fore and I am smitten.
Obssernity: glad to hear it! This seemed to be a “sleeper” hit with a lot of “perfume people.”
Hi Kevin
Yes, I like this: smooth and understated; it’s one that will reside gracefully on my shelf while the others come and go. Its packaging alone is alluring enough. Now that I’ve tried Egoiste Platinum at the same counter…and seen the fabulous commercials of old surrounding this enigmatic fragrance, I’ll have to add that too one day!