Eau de Cartier Essence de Bois

I bought this blind for four reasons: I love oud, I respect Cartier quality, the reviews on here, and I got a killer deal on eBay. All in all, I am not disappointed in the least as this is a great fragrance. As others mentioned, Bois is a very easy to wear oud, Its light, slightly flowery with hints of lavender and citrus. One doesn't associate oud with freshness, but Cartier pulls it off, and its done really really well here. As a side by side comparison with Tom Ford Oud Wood, they start off remarkably close. Then they go in different directions. Oud Wood is heavier, woodier and has that distinctive medicinal muskiness to it. Its darker and way more potent. Bois turns fresher and lighter. My only problem with Bois is the silage is weak, in 2-3 hours and it's gone. I use it as an all over body spray out of the shower and top it off with one spray of Oud Wood, which is pricey and this makes my bottle last longer. For anyone who likes oud, Bois is worth adding to your collection. I just suggesting getting it at a deal because you will go through it quickly. $100 for a 3.3 oz spray is steep for how long it lasts, but overall, thumbs up.

A woman finds a handful of perfumes in her lifetime that blends perfectly with her skin, her personality, and her appearance. This fragrance is one of those for me. I have loved the oud note since I can remember (my first fragrance purchase was Paloma Picasso - which I haven't revisited in a long time). I adore the woodiness of this, and to me, it is also a bit smoky, or at the very least, blends well with smoke. I fell in love with it the minute I put it on, and my fella felt the same way. That said, I am disappointed with the longevity. It's perfect and beautiful for about 4 hrs, then *poof*, it's as though I never put it on. Not such a big deal, as I could spray this on again at work (I got the cutest miniature bottle when I purchased) and not offend or overpower anyone in the office. The latter statement came as a shock to me, as I own Basier de Dragon - a little goes a long way and for a long time. All in all, I absolutely love it. I think I'll buy a lotion to improve longevity.

Oh no! Scentrist. I am sorry it did not turn out so well for you (>_<)! I have a different experience and mine is quite delightful. In my opinion, this is a fresh take on oud wood. It smells like Eau de Cartier and then replace the patchouli and cedar with oud wood. Essence de Bois is a little dry and the oud here still gives me the impression of cedar. It's definitely much more woody but everything else is still the same like the rest of this Essence series which means it's still light, citrusy cool, and musky clean. One sad part, it lasts just under 4 hours on me. The Essence de Bois may be unisex but I'd say it gears toward men because of its dry woody base. People may find it a bit on the boring side, but I love it. I enjoy a swift of this throughout a day. It's my kind of oud that I'd wear all year round without feeling too heavy.

10 times better than Oud Wood some fragrantica members have compared Essence de Bois with Oud Wood by Tom Ford. I understand the comparison. It's a woody oud fragrance with a lot of elegance. But Essence de Bois is a lot more than Oud Wood could ever be. The violet and the hint of lavender give Essence de Bois an elegance, which cannot be matched that easily. They make EdB rafined and stylish in a manner, which is hard to describe... especially,, when you consider, that it doens't cost a lot. This fragrance is for people who prefer reading the book to watching the movie adaptation and would never wear sneakers to an elegant shirt. I blind bought this fragrance (based on the online comments) a few years back and have never looked back. 10/10 (that much style for so little money is incredible).

I bought this as a blind buy for something light for the summer along with Eau de Vetiver and Concentree. Something about Oud on me feels so sensuous, it works with my body chemistry well and projects like crazy on me. It could last longer of course, but when I want I can bring out this bottle to layer with other oud or woody based fragrances I own. Or I can wear it solo and reapply every 3 hours or so. I only get the yuzu note for about a half hour, then for the next few hours it is straight oud & patchouli. Perfect simplicity. It's lovely and affordable, so spritz, spritz, and spritz some more. *NOTE* My husband's skin drinks this fragrance up in 30 minutes. This just proves how different everyone's body reacts to fragrance, and why I try all that I can.