Precious Woods

it's taken me 2 years to finish the 30ml bottle of Precious Woods. here are my thoughts/experiences. on the positive side: this is everything i wanted and love in a woody perfume. the notes dance beautifully with eachother and i truly cannot fault this fragrance at all. high quality oils, a rich dense sillage, absolutely gorgeous. it makes me feel calm and if i could, i would bathe in this daily. i've never found anything else that comes close to being the wooded perfection this fragrance is. unfortunately, there is a massive problem, and it's the packaging. the bottle this came in leaked like crazy despite keeping it upright and in it's cylindrical box at all times. whatever metal plating is used to cover the atomiser started peeling off the more i used this. i think, due to the nature of the high quality oils in Precious Woods, said oils actually encourage degredation of the atomiser. legit, i found flakes of the metal plating on my skin when i spritzed this on my wrists, and sometimes it would also come out on my neck, as if the metal plating rode the perfume from the bottle to my skin. the plastic top also started to get bunged up with remnants of the fragrance, eventually making it impossible to close. this is the last perfume i want to have any criticisms about, i love it so much, but the amount of this that was wasted due to the packaging disappoints me greatly - this stuff ain't exactly inexpensive; at €130 for 30mls i expect better packaging, i expect to be able to wear this without the product oozing itself out of the bottle. this leaked so much that the actual box it came in became damp and saturated with this beautifully fragranced perfume oil. i want so much to repurchase, yall have no idea how much i adore Precious Woods. saying that, until the bottle/atomiser issues are addressed, i cannot bring myself to pay another €130 for 30mls when i'll only end up actually wearing 15-20mls while the rest of it leaks. i have actual photographic evidence of the problem, including a picture of metal plating on my wrist after application as well as the bunged up top and the soaked bottom of the box it comes in. the bottle has leaked so much it's sticky when you hold it in your hand. it saddens me to write negative things about what was my second signture scent (my first being Tam Dao.) this is a truly remarkable fragrance that i wanted to wear for the rest of my life. shame the price point only applies to the quality of the fragrance itself, because the atomiser and packaging issues really let it down. until those issues are addressed i cannot justify a repurchase, despite my deep love for Precious Woods.

The packaging is very nice with the bottle contained within a long cylinder like box. Also the bottle has three crystals within down to the creators new age pure ingredients holistic approach. On first application of the scent to my chest and side of neck the first thing that grabs you is the quality of the ingredients. It's like scent in high definition as the fragrance is concentrated, vibrant and intense. The scent of cedarwood is what I first smelled which was quickly followed by stunning pine notes. And I mean breathtaking in their beauty like you are smelling the aroma in a forest on the air. With this I'm smelling a golden like sandalwood with hints of Patchouli and again awesome quality. I think the Sandalwood is a mix of different woods as I seem to be picking up different woody aromas. At some point this stunning Myrrh and vetiver note becomes more prominent mixing in with the pine. This gives the scent a earthy resinous feel and you could imagine smelling the forest floor after the rain which has pine cones and leaves covering everywhere you look. Also mixed in with this is a green like spice. I have to say it is a gorgeous woodsy fragrance as the natural ingredients do make you feel like you are experiencing scent in high definition. I cannot compare this with straight forward Sandalwood fragrances as this scent is like a "walk through a lush forest bottled". Meaning you get the whole smell of the forest experience and not just Sandalwood though the quality is really good. Now the scent as whole is soft and tightly weaved in a intricate way and the projection is about below average to average. It does stay close to you though it does have a definite presence and people will pick up on it when they get near you. It lasts between four to five hours with traces of the basenotes still on my clothes. The first three hours is it's glory ride where it's strong and then it hits the basenotes for the next hour or so. Also after the first three hours it becomes more subdued though I have had my girlfriend say she can smell it six hours or so after application. But I'm putting that down to the scent lingering on my clothes. Though the projection and longevity are not great they are not poor either. You pay your money to experience the glorious quality of the ingredients on your skin. Anyway I have enjoyed wearing it and can only imagine how wonderful the other scents from this company smell like.

If like me you enjoy woody scents, you may be forgiven for asking the next question on the list: "which woods do you like?". A hard to answer question as there are so many out there - patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver (or is that a grass?) and the more well-known cedar and sandalwood. Precious Woods takes all of them together and presents them to you in one go. The first puff of this scent is woods overload. Dark and balsamic at first, you could easily judge this one as a scrubber. But good things come to those that wait, so the more patient frag-heads will appreciate what happens next. The deliciously woody and hazelnutty (is that a word?) dry down is pine, cedar and santal. Creamy yet not sweet, smooth and refined. The 'hazelnut' aspect comes out quite prominently, but it isn't immediately obvious which ingredient(s) is/are causing that effect. This well-blended scent is hard to find as the brand is not very well known and the 30ml bottle is a disappointment. Also the 'new age' feel of the brand with its associations to yoga and glass "pearls" in the bottle (you read that correctly) does not warrant full marks from me (it's a perfume - juice in a bottle - and nothing else!). But it still performes well as the blend is well-crafted. There are definitely many other superb woody scents out there from many niche brands, but this is certainly one to spritz before you buy. Overall 4/5

This is my favorite scent so far as a newbie. It is what got me into all this. It is similar to Tam dao but I prefer this. Both are basically sandalwood with cedar and some other notes blended well. There are scents I can't place in precious woods but remind me of time in India and tropical forests when you come upon an aromatic tree whose wood envelops you. I'm using this daily just for me. I find it calming, grounding and brings me back to places and things I love. This smells nothing like a perfume/cologne and is focused on the scents of woods. This is a negative for some but is exactly what I love. On my skin it lasts all day and the woods change over time with cedar stronger initially, sandalwood becoming stronger over time and the other scents in there modulating. It is not overpowering for daily use. Price per ml is high, but tam dao edp I need to use multiple times in a day and barely lasts an hour, is very weak, and I find the blend less immersive or beautiful though I love it too.

Another masterpiece from Tanja Bochnig from April Aromatics. This house has been surprising me day after day for such a great quality of its perfumes. It's wonderful trying them, you have no idea what to expect for, every perfume that I have been testing I have new experiences and wonderful olfactory surprises. Precious Woods reminds me of a wonderful and dark pine forest after the rain, there's nothing like the smell of pine trees when walking through the forest. This fragrance has this quite genuine pine and pine resin smell accompanied by vertiver notes that makes this a very unique perfume with a wonderful and fresh natural woody scent. The top and middle notes lasted for about 8 hours on my skin, and now there's not much left except vetiver and maybe a little of Sandalwood and Cedarwood mix. That being said the fragrance is a luxury, this would be perfect for a pine and vertiver lovers to wear during the day in the late fall and winter and special occasions.

I feel like I am always knocking Tam Dao when it comes to sandalwood perfumes, and it's because it's an ok woody perfume, dominated by cypress, not sandalwood, but there are much better ones out there, and Precious Woods has got to be the cream of the crop. Undeniably it features natural woods, no aromachemicals whatsoever, you are getting real sandalwood oil here, as this is a 100% natural perfume, and I get so much gorgeous sandalwood. For such an incredible woody perfume with very precious & natural ingredients, I will happily pay the asking price. I have absolutely no problems with sillage nor longevity. Both are great on me for many hours. If you are looking for the ultimate in woods, look no further.

Precious Woods is the first scent I got from April Aromatics, and to this day my absolute all-time favorite! It truly smells like a walk in a forest - meditative and calming, fresh and warm. All the different wood accords combine into a sublime, subtle scent that is very present, but never overpowering. Great for guys too (my husband uses it from time to time :) I like to wear Precious Woods both for day and evening, and it is also lovely on woolen scarves or sweaters, if you prefer just a light hint of scent. This perfume is perfect for anyone who loves Sandalwood, Cedarwood, and Pine, and is looking for a complex, sophisticated scent.

This perfume is not much of my style but I cannot ignore the great quality of the mixture and that is why I have to give it a good grade. The aroma feels totally natural, being a round aroma that envelops you for a long time and projects quite constantly. Another thing is if I like to smell like that since it is a very woody aroma with medicinal and spicy touches that are a bit out of my usual tastes. Cedar is at the center of the perfume, with hints of green and creamy vibes. Scent: 7 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 8 Versatility: 8 Originality: 8 Global: 8

my favourite perfume ever was Octave [myrrh, rose, narde] by the german brand Dr Hauschka. it has been d/c for years, but the best approximation i get is by mixing Precious Woods with Rosenlust. Precious Woods does not start off great -- too much of a cedar bang, with sandalwood rolling out alongside -- but the second [and true] phase is a stunning melding of woods + resins that i find grounding yet a bit sparkling. add Rosenlust + you've got a real treat. these two together are my favourite AA offering.

I know it's a rather simple composition, but it smells so rich! Oh and it actually has 2 kinds of sandalwood, 2 kinds of cedar, and Buddha wood (also called Australian Desert Rosewood) with no mention of myrrh and pine... Ingredients: 100% natural extracts of Sandelwood/India, Sandelwood/Neukaledonia, Cederwood/Virginia, Cederwood/Himalaya, Cistus, Vetiver Bourbon, Patchouli/Indonesia, Buddha Wood, white Sage, organic alcohol.

for me, this is the most outstanding woody perfume of all times. it reminds me of yakushima island in Japan, hosting the oldest trees in the world. it is very linear, wood. so, if you are into wood... this is totally the one. I have five fragrances that are my must-have's. this is one of them.

Precious Woods is a stunningly beautiful, naturally terpenic, camphorous, fresh and full-bodied blend of real wood extracts of the highest quality. I think sandalwood, cedar and pine truly shine in this wonderfully therapeutic perfume with lovely sillage and good longevity :)

This is lovely. From the very first moments of the opening, it has a fresh, clean cedar wood smell blended with what comes across as rose to me. As the opening dies down, the myrrh comes in from behind with a quiet incense accord. The dry down loses the rose from the opening, but it keeps the fresh cedar and begins to compliment it with a beautiful, realistic pine note. From start to finish, it's all very warm, bright, fresh, and authentic. I'm impressed. And I'm wondering if I just imagined the rose in the opening. I'll have to wear it again to be sure. To me, this leans slightly more feminine, but it's certainly not something that I feel embarrassed to be wearing. While this is not in the least bit earthy, heavy, or rugged, it would still suit certain types of men perfectly. The strength is spot on. It's not overpowering, nor do I have to bury my face in my skin to detect it in the dry down. This also feels extremely versatile with regard to seasons and situations. This would work almost anywhere at any time.

This fragrance opens with a blast of sandalwood dry and woody with the typical sandalwood pungency. It stays quite linear for a while to then slowly and harmonically morph into a concoction of pine, woods and myrrh. I think this is the essential character of this composition. Serveral fragrances come to mind, from Bois D'Encens to Jaisalmer via Encens Extreme and Fille En Aiguilles yet, somewhat, the fragrance doesn't feel derivative or boring. There is a nice proportion between the dark green confierous notes and the sparkling nounaces provided by myrrh and its aldehydic facets. Smells absolutely natural and well blended.

Opening is pungeant and very medicinal, funky in a way that smells a little like a foot. Luckily this stage doesn't last long at all; after a minute or so the scent becomes a nice soft woody essential oil type of blend with vetiver, non-sweet. I would typically associate these notes with a masculine fragrance, but this was quite unisex to me (no "old spice" accord.) Stays close to skin.

This smells like a nice, woody essential oil roll on perfume from a local health food store. Super natural and botanical, very sandalwood and cedar forward without veering into dry wood chip territory.

This is a very nice fragrance. Probably the most masculine of the April Aromatics line and somehow less complex that the others. Great stuff, though a bit heavy on the pine for my taste.

#1224 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Whoa Nelly, that's some opening! The opening is very sharp myrrh and pine, but in ten minutes it gets much less myrrh and pine and more cedar and vetiver. I don't have a lot of comparable scents to point to. Nobile 1942 "MALVS" and Masque Milano "Mandala" are the closest I can think of and I wouldn't put this ahead of those. I'd say if you like some of the old school woody aromatics like Bogart, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, you'd like this. It's fine, and though this would not be my first choice in a woody aromatic, it's tight focus makes it somewhat unique. There's an undertone here I can't identify, but the longer this develops the more I like it. No idea what I'm picking up. The cedar skin scent is still going at noon, so not bad. I was surprised the sillage wasn't better. Couple of hours and the myrrh and pine dissipated much faster than I was expecting. So I wouldn't count on this drawing any attention. Best price I could find on this was $170. Not worth it to me, but if it was a gift I'd certainly wear it. Staying under $50 I'd go with Natura "Essencial Unico", under $100 Burberry "Hero" EDP, and over $150 I'd go Kilian "Sacred Wood." Car pool, elevator and small office safe. Versatile. But nothing special here.

This begins drunk as if it had matured in oak barrels. I get giant cedar pencils, bankhor, patchouli, sandalwood, sage, vetiver burn soaked in turpentine. A worn myrrh rubbery leather jacket. Rather straight, dark, masculine, pleasant to wear but an offer already heard in different scents. How to mix Beautywood, Bois d'ascese, Anubis, Fumidus and many others. A good worn carpet.

Smells pretty close to a cedar essential oil i have. Mixed with a bit of sandalwood to make it more smooth and creamy..I like the smell, but this is far too simple as a perfume when you can just go with a good cedar and sandalwood essential oil instead.