Bois Des Iles Parfum

I’m not entirely sure why I chose to wear Bois des Iles extrait today, not that anyone needs any particular reason to wear Bois des Iles. It’s not a perfume I reach for or even think of often, but it is probably the best sandalwood perfume I have ever smelled. The personality of it is quite specific, and lends itself to some of my own particular moods and moments. It’s a beautiful day outside, I’ve got nothing to do - so normally I would find something to do - but I’m feeling restful, quiet, and preferring to stay in, read, and nap away the day. Bois des Iles seems to suit those moments well with its meditative and peaceful, exotic, stately and luxurious character vis-a-vis sandalwood. That is why this accord is the star of Bois des Iles, the plinth upon which everything else sits that could not exist without it. From the fruity floral aldehydic top that sparkles like pixie dust. From the red rose, indolic jasmine, and bronze ylang-ylang heart that is rich, gently tropical, and luxurious, kept in check by a powdery and silvery orris. To that heartbreakingly gorgeous sandalwood - creamy, aromatic and woody, floral in its own right, cinnamon flecked, pale green edges from a vetiver adornment, and gently earthy vanillic. There is an energy to Bois des Iles that acts like a very low vibration, like a forest that has supernaturally come alive without making a movement or a sound. Though the perfume itself moves quite a bit: in several minutes it is rosy, jasmine, ylang-ylang and orris floral; the next several minutes are a sweetened cinnamon dusted sandalwood; in other minutes more convincingly the prototype of the sandalwood gourmand with more pronounced vanillcs, that we have ad nauseum today; and in other minutes the florals go a bit more fruity. And yet, with all of this shapeshifting and movement, never once does it veer from the holy sandalwood. It always smells like the same perfume, dependable and reliable, like Bois des Iles and nothing else, even when it pushes a particular facet to the foreground. It is an absolutely gorgeous perfume, which makes it all the more curious why Chanel can never make up their minds as to what they want to do with it. Sometimes discontinuing it, sometimes bringing it back, trying to drive sales of EdT or EdP concentrations and sometimes not bothering at all, to today where it survives (for the moment) as an EdP in the Les Exclusifs range with the extrait existing only at a small number of boutiques, behind counters and locked doors, that must be asked for in person. Bois des Iles extrait is not easy to find, which is a crying shame, so if you have a chance to experience it do not let that chance pass you by.

Moving this from the EDT page now that the parfum has its own page... The notes above are completely different from the vintage, where I get (in order of prominence) honey, animalic notes, resins, sandalwood, spice, vetiver. My vintage mini of Bois des Iles parfum exhibits a spicy sandalwood drydown emanating from the neck of the bottle that is a little misleading. It's this part that smells exactly like Egoiste, but if you are expecting a somewhat feminized, unisex, or generally more wearable version of Egoiste you may be in for a surprise. Though sharing some DNA, these two perfumes are quite different. This kept me from wearing BDI for a while (I already have a bottle of Egoiste), along with something intensely animalic that made me even blush a little. When I finally dabbed some on, I put a little on the back of each hand along with a honey scent on one arm to kind of layer and soften the effect. Turns out it complemented BDI exceedingly well, but it didn't need it. BDI started out with a blast of honey itself, the sandalwood, a bit of spice, and then more resin when I reached the drydown. It was animalic, yes, but not as in-your-face as I was expecting. Nevertheless, there is some sort of real musk or civet that appears in a nicely balanced form. I could not stop sniffing! Though the theme seems to focus on wood, the woodiness was really not overwhelming, nor the pillar of the fragrance at all. It was a honey-sweetened, balmy, musky wood, not nearly as sandalwood-forward as I had feared (sandalwood sometimes bites my nose a little). The scent calls to mind a walk through the woods as reddening leaves bake in the last bit of pre-winter sun. Warmth surrounds you, the kind of coziness that contrasts with the impending winter. BDI is an iconic oriental - balanced, timeless, exotic yet comforting. Performance was great; tiny dabs gave off quite a bit of sillage and lasted much of the day.

I have waited LITERALLY YEARS for Fragrantica to add the parfum to the database. I had requested it several times. I purchased my bottle some 7-8 years ago, and it is pure divinity, one of the greatest treasures of my entire collection. I agree with another reviewer that it's like No.5 with the sandalwood dialed way up. And the slightest bit of peach added. I don't see it in the notes here, but I smell it. The parfum is a bit more voluptuous than the Les Exclusifs EDT (I have not tried the current EDP yet and can not compare). It's a tad sweeter, thicker in a syrupy way, less aldehydic. But so incredibly complex. There are spices in the mix, but they are very distant, adding a truly teasing, exotic feel to the fragrance. I only dab a bit behind each ear and on my wrists, and it lasts all day with sillage that is very soft and sensual and seems just right for a proper lady. I wish I bought two backup bottles, as I don't know if they reformulated it in the past few years. Edit: @violinplayah I am confused by both the "gingerbread" note as well as the "almond" note. I smell not the faintest bit of either note. I do smell spices, but not ginger. My parfum is very woody--not gourmand on any level.

Chanel Bois des Iles Parfum (1926) - sandalwood surrealism - #ernestbeaux created the fragrance during a period of #surrealism believing that their works expressed elements of surprise, juxtapositions, and importance of the dream-like worlds and the notion of the subconscious dominated. While, on that journey, he got inspired from #tchaikovsky ‘s queen of spades. The opera is based on a groundbreaking story by Alexander Pushkin. In it, he wrote that "two obsessions can no more exist in the same mind than two bodies can exist in the same space." Such strong influences to make perfume! Beaux combines these juxtapositions of love and hazard by creating brightness & joy through sparkling Aldehydes, Ylang, White florals and then comes a woody and spicy backbone representing the mysterious forest. The surrealism component is how well he is able to represent Sandalwood, but this fragrance does not contain it. Aghast dear reader? Yes, it does not. For the components of the accords all come together to represent a magical sandalwood that isn’t there. A technical & artistic feat from the legendary master perfumer. Masterpiece.

@Carissaochoa's review below is spot on. "like a piece of rich spice cake with extra smooth sweet cream cheese frosting". To my nose though I experience it as closer to butter icing. Bois des Iles parfum is very buttery, but specifically if you find a particular batch from around the 1990s to early 2000s. I researched it because I was struck by the difference between EDP, this parfum and one I tried elsewhere. I expect them to be slightly different, but it's really marked with Bois des Iles. The EDP is less creamy, less 'old school'. The parfum is richly floral and buttery, with the woody/cinammon drydown quite sweet and close to skin. I absolutely love both. I'd say the parfum leans more feminine with its sweeter creamier florals. It's true to say the parfum is not a 'hard hitter', but then a few drops fell on my wooden dressing table. I thought " Well that's a few £s evaporated into the atmosphere!" But I've been enjoying the aroma wafting from it for days! Divine comfort scent. A classic. Love!