Chanel Bleu de Chanel vs Tom Ford Ombre Leather

Bleu de Chanel is a safe choice; Ombré Leather isn't. The first is citrus-woody and worn by huge numbers of people, the second is dry leather that some will describe as the smell of a new handbag and others as too much.

Property	Bleu De Chanel	Tom Ford Ombre Leather
Profile	grapefruit, lemon, mint, bergamot, pink pepper, aldehydes, coriander · ginger, jasmine, nutmeg, melon · incense, amber, cedar, sandalwood, amberwood, patchouli, labdanum	Leather, cardamom, jasmine, vetiver
Gender	Masculine / unisex	Unisex
Longevity (community rating)	7–10 hours	10–14 hours
Sillage (community rating)	Moderate	Moderate, skin scent
Occasion	Office, casual, everyday	Special occasions, evening
Season	All year	Autumn, winter
Our decants	5 ml – €13, 10 ml – €24	not in our range

Bleu de Chanel is in our range: grapefruit, lemon and mint up top, ginger and jasmine in the heart, incense, cedar and sandalwood in the base. The incense gives it a slightly smoky edge, but it stays mostly fresh and smooth. Ombré Leather builds on leather with cardamom and jasmine and amber in the base — it's dry, a little animalic and much more one-directional. Bleu costs €150 for 100 ml (€1.50/ml); a 5 ml decant is €13. We don't carry Ombré Leather. If you're looking for leather from our range, Memo African Leather is closer in character, though spicier.

Do you carry Ombré Leather?

No. The closest leather pick we have is Memo Paris African Leather, which has leather among its leading accords, or BDK Vanille Leather for a softer version.

Which is more versatile?

Bleu de Chanel, no question. It works at the office, in summer and in the evening. Ombré Leather is more tied to the colder months and evenings.

Is Ombré Leather unisex?

Tom Ford markets it as unisex and in practice everyone wears it. Leather is a note with no gender attached.

Which is better for a beginner?

Bleu de Chanel. Leather is a more demanding category and not the best first choice.

Is Bleu de Chanel too common?

It's one of the best-selling men's fragrances of the last decade, so someone will probably recognise it. If that bothers you, look at Louis Vuitton Imagination, which is from the same bright family but rarer.