Blue fragrances: beauty & the deep blue sea

Hermes, Narciso Rodriguez and Givenchy distill the magic, moodiness and mysticism of blue in their new blue fragrances.

The association of blue with boys starts early.

Baby blue.

Blue jeans.

Little boy blue.

The boys in blue.

Beyond those old-school associations, the appeal of blue in today’s world of fragrance goes well beyond nursery rhymes and gender stereotypes. The newest blue fragrances on the market capture the colour’s drama, even mysticism.

It’s more like:

A bolt from the blue.

The deep blue sea.

Into the blue.

The wild blue yonder.

There’s both an intensity and tranquility to these blue-hued scents which fall more in line with the psychology of colour and the association of blue with calm, serenity, security and order.

No wonder we’re drawn to the latest from Hermes, Narciso Rodriguez and Givenchy. These big brands have just launched a trio of new blue fragrances that are boldly blue and handsome in their good looks, but also in the fact that their new offerings all seem to distill a dose of this blue-inspired magic.

But make no mistake. These are not oceanic, light and breezy men’s fragrances. These are bold blues with character and dimension.

Forget the old-school notion of a generically spicy men’s fragrance found in a typical bathroom-blue bottle. The newest blue scents from Givenchy, Hermes and Narciso Rodriguez are multi-faceted and modern.

If you’re looking for blue, as in water and earth and minerals…

That is the impression we get with the new Narciso Rodriguez Bleu Noir fragrance.

Wow, this is a great scent. “Disarming” says the publicity material, and we tend to agree. It was, I must add, quickly snapped up from my desk by my husband after one quick spritz.

To assign a hue of blue here, we’d say this is a deep, dark romantic indigo-blue of a scent. Sexy and sleek, but with a layer of boho richness thanks to its mix of musk, cedar and ebony woods.

Or if you’re imagining blue fragrances as more northern summer lake…

Look to the new Givenchy Gentleman spritz. Imagine a silky-smooth lake at midnight with a powdery veil of stars in the sky and a lush woodlot of cedar or moss on the shore. That’s what we smell here with this new Eau de Parfum. It’s really really good: We’re loving its luxe iris note which lends the powdery essence, as well as the gourmand character coming from a meld of patchouli, decadent resin and vanilla.

Or is your idea of blue one that is sparkling, bracing and fresh?

If so, then the new Hermès Eau de Citron Noir is for you with its crisp citrus character inspired by the brand’s original L’Eau d’Orange Verte of 1979. Perfumer Christine Nagel swirls together the notes of the hesperidium citrus fruit along with lemon, and what they call “the mysterious black lime”. That little lime is apparently boiled in salted water and then dried in the sun to take on a deep brown-black hue and a lime-meets-smoke aroma. And we get all of that in this new blue fragrance.

So whether you’re seeking a scent that is moody, rich and refined, or bracing and dynamic, this lineup of fragrances fits the bill. Consider the offering a redefining of blue. Blue as in anything but basic. Blue as in no way boyish. Blue as in big, bold and beautiful.

Givenchy Gentleman Eau de Parfum, $119 (100 mL), www.givenchybeauty.com

Hermes Citron Noir Eau de Cologne, $154 (100 mL), www.hermes.ca

Narciso Rodriguez for Him Bleu Noir Eau de Parfum, $108 (100 mL), www.narcisorodriguez.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: NATASHA V; CREATIVE DIRECTION: CARE CREATIVE