Perfume Review: Christian Dior Cologne Blanche

Cologne Blanche is a part of the collection of three colognes produced for Christian Dior by Hedi Slimane, the designer responsible for Dior’s men’s division. As Fashionline points out, Slimane’s creations are paradoxical, they make “youthfulness look mature, while infusing classic elegance with youth; highlighting the grace notes of masculinity, while bringing out a subtle theme that is quasi feminine.” The same description applies to the scents in the cologne collection, they are contemporary takes on the classical cologne tradition; intended for men, these are most certainly unisex scents, with Cologne Blanche perhaps leaning in a feminine direction. Cologne Blanche, with notes of Provencal rosemary, Portuguese sweet orange, Calabrian bergamot, Tunisian orange blossom, and vanilla pods from the Bourbon Islands, is perhaps my favorite of the line. It does indeed evoke the color white, but this is not cold, aquatic white. The whiteness here is delicately peppery, slightly spicy, almost incense-like in parts. The list of notes that I was able to find on the web does not include angelica, but this is the accord that I actually smell most prominently on my skin. After the understatedly hesperidic start, with bergamot being much more prominent than orange, the fragrance acquires that incredible green, deep, and –when paired with vanilla- slightly “buttery” quality that I associate with angelica. In a way, Cologne Blanche reminds me of Angelique Encens; however, compared to the Creed’s creation, Cologne Blanche is much less intense and incensy, much more transparent and light. Whereas Angelique Encens is richly green, Cologne Blanche is definitely white, with subtle green and sweetly-herbal (rosemary) accents. Cologne Blanche is an exquisite, elegant and masterfully understated fragrance; it is serene, relaxing and comforting. Despite its subtlety and the fact that it stays rather close to the skin, it is quite long lasting. Cologne Blanche is available at Saks, $155.00 for 8.4oz.