Louis Vuitton Imagination vs Chanel Bleu de Chanel

Both fragrances open with citrus and both are considered elegant everyday choices. They part ways in the middle: Imagination goes towards tea, ginger and cinnamon, Bleu de Chanel towards wood, patchouli and smoke.

Property	Imagination	Bleu De Chanel
House	Louis Vuitton	Chanel
Concentration	EDP	EDP
Top notes	Citron, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian orange	grapefruit, lemon, mint, bergamot, pink pepper, aldehydes, coriander
Heart notes	Tunisian neroli, Nigerian ginger, Ceylon cinnamon	ginger, jasmine, nutmeg, melon
Base notes	Chinese black tea, Ambroxan, Guaiac wood, Olibanum	incense, amber, cedar, sandalwood, amberwood, patchouli, labdanum
Longevity (community rating)	7–9 hours	7–10 hours
Sillage (community rating)	Moderate	Moderate
Full bottle	€300 / 100 ml	€150 / 100 ml
Price per millilitre	€3	€1.50
Decant 5 ml	€31.49	€13
Decant 10 ml	€51.99	€24

Imagination has citron, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian orange up top, Tunisian neroli, Nigerian ginger and Ceylon cinnamon in the heart, and Chinese black tea, ambroxan and guaiac wood underneath. It comes across bright and dry, with a tea note you rarely meet in men's fragrances. Bleu de Chanel is more classic: grapefruit, lemon and mint up top, ginger and jasmine in the heart, incense, cedar and sandalwood underneath, which gives it a smoky foundation. They're not close in price: Imagination costs €300 for 100 ml, so €3.00 per millilitre. Bleu de Chanel costs €150 for 100 ml, so €1.50 per millilitre — exactly half. With decants the difference is the same — 5 ml is €31.49 against €13.

Is Imagination worth twice the price?

In composition it's more unusual, but in usefulness it isn't twice as good. Bleu de Chanel costs €1.50 per millilitre, Imagination €3.00. If the tea note matters to you, the difference is justified; otherwise it isn't.

Which is better for the office?

Both, but Imagination is more discreet. Bleu de Chanel is so widespread that someone will probably recognise it — which can be an advantage or a drawback.

Are both unisex?

In our database Imagination is listed as unisex and Bleu de Chanel as masculine. With tea and citrus, Imagination is in fact more neutral.

Which is better for summer?

Imagination. It's dry and has no sweet base, so it doesn't get heavy in the heat. Bleu de Chanel, with labdanum and sandalwood, tilts towards warm.

Which is more recognisable?

Bleu de Chanel, and by a lot. It's one of the best-selling men's fragrances of the last decade. Imagination is less common.