Bleu Marine Pour Lui

Sacre Bleu!!! I can't believe the number of reviews calling this a "failed aquatic," or words to that effect. Mais non, mes amis, you have misunderstood! "Bleu marine" is the French term for the color known in English as "Navy Blue." Moreover, this fragrance was released in the mid-eighties, well before the popularity and glut of aquatic fragrances. Navy Blue is considered a neutral color that goes with everything --- classy, understated, and suitable for all occasions, and I think this is more what Bleu Marine's creators had in mind. The scent itself seems to straddle the line between chypre and fougere, with a crisp citrus opening balanced by herbal and green notes. As it dries down, warm woody notes appear, mainly sandalwood, with patchouli, amber, and a hint of oakmoss, though not as much as we usually expect from a chypre. It does bear a resemblance to Halston Z-14, but Bleu Marine is lighter, with more emphasis on the citrus and green components than the warm woods of Z-14. Its intensity drops off rather quickly, leaving a subtle base that lasts surprisingly well. On my skin it doesn't get overly sweet or powdery, but retains a subtle warmth. It's light enough for business wear, yet complex enough for formal occasions --- much like the color it was named for --- and at least one woman has called it "subtly sexy." It's a winner in my book!

I found the most recent (as of 2022) version of this for $12.99. I did not have much expectation that it would be close to the original version, which I loved, but I still bought this new Parlux issued version to quench my curiosity. I thought, "even if it's not good, I can at least tell people to not make the same mistake I made". So, here I am to tell you that the new version is not even in the same continent, let alone in the same neighborhood, as the old version. It indeed is an average aquatic as others have pointed out, which the old version was definitely not. The old version was a great oriental fougere, with the kind of richness and depth you would expect from a mid-1980s release. Try to track down an old bottle, if you want to experience its glory... or buy the new version, but don't imagine what you are getting is what this great fragrance used to be.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 082 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased July 2019 Just a decant of the true original which is what my review talks about. Another hell yeah. This was one of the first "fresh" scents after the previous decades conifers i.e. Pino and Agua Brava. Definitely reinvented what can be done to make "blue" scents, and this gets close to a modern blue vibed scent. Cool Water for sure kicked that off and made it "aquatic". Now what you can do here is layer Halston Z-14 and Guy Laroche Horizon to get this. If you don't have Z-14 just use Lacoste or Bowling Green or Sung Homme along with Duc de Vervins. Manly as fuck. 083 review on Bambu Adolfo Dominguez posted in 2019.

An 80's experience. Unlike most 21st century scents, this fragrances from the eighties are not ashamed to start with a strong blast. This is not a cute little, light summer flanker. No, Bleu Marine has personality and shows it in a grand way. The oakmoss, leather and patchouli are vey noticeable but in the background you can smell a whole lot of things brewing, like the labdanum, clary sage and cedar. Then it slowly gets sweeter but not sticky. Calm and mature. We are bombarded with new fragrances almost daily, so it's good to take a moment to realize how good some timeless fragrances are, even the ones made almost 30 years ago.

I have bought the old version, a tester, and I'm in heaven. After having read the reviews I knew I only wanted the old version and I was able to purchase it for 27,50 Euro's 75ml. A steal. Very masculine, mossy, aqua at the same time, I can detect the carnation and a hint of citrus. Good projection, longlivity is great. This is the oldfashion kind of adictive perfume I live for. If you love the older scents 80-90ies, this is a great scent.