Bois des Iles

(Yes, this is a novel. I apologize in advance but I could not condense it.) When I first tried Bois des Iles, I could not figure out what the fuss was all about and I was bewildered by some of the reviews that I had read. It smelled pleasant but I wasn't getting ANYTHING like some of the stuff I was reading such as it is "out of Africa" and "purrs like a large sleek jungle cat"....."as if some golden, black-spotted cheetah were sunning himself on the sandalwood branches of a great plain" and "there is something deep, rich, almost smoking in the combination of the sandalwood and resin". Huh? I was left kinda baffled. How was what I just sprayed on supposed to be anything like THAT? That makes even Amouage sound shy. So, I just put it in "the box" and figured I was anosmic to most of it or something and it would be one of the greats that I would never be able to appreciate like everyone else. My friend (who has more perfumes than most department stores) said Bois des Iles was her very favorite in the whole world so I knew I had to be missing something because this sister KNOWS her perfume. So, I went digging in the box and found my sample and tried it again. Again, I get "pleasant" but where is the jungle cat sunning himself on sandalwood branches and the deep smoking resin? I assume something is horribly wrong with my nose and I am missing this African "Ambre Sultanesque" King of the Jungle. So, I chalk it up to my bad nose and put it away and give up. I later asked my friend how I could be missing this big potent African smoldering giant and she was like what are you talking about? It isn't like that at all...she said it was light and airy and a wisp of a cloud of aldehydic sandalwood wonderfulness. I was like "it is???!!! You mean there is no big roaring lion??" SO, I go digging in the dang box again and pull it out. This time, my brain is expecting something completely different....so, I spray it on and I go about my business and let it settle and do its thang. And as it turns out....its "thang" is about the most incredible "thang" I ever smelled. Wow. This isn't a big roaring cheetah!! This is a lamb!! Bois des Iles is the most polite, tasteful, airy.... wisp of a cloud of aldehydic sandalwood wonderfulness that I have ever smelled. It immediately became all I could think about until I got a full bottle. I literally felt like I might not live if I didn't have access to all of it that I wanted. Total obsession. Why am I rambling so long about stuff other than what Bois des Iles smells like? Well, because I think sometimes it is important to experience a fragrance without reading any elaborate and dramatic reviews that can mold your mind in a certain direction. Just experience it with a clean slate, without knowing what to expect. Because when your brain is geared toward a big roaring fire blowing African cheetah and you get a polite little delicate but ever so lovely lamb....your mind can get a little squirrelly and you can't really even understand what you are even smelling and you are left disappointed. So, forget the lions and the lambs. Don't think about anything. Just spray on Bois des Iles and ignore it. No spot sniffing and no cheating. Don't wear your nose out early on the initial blast because you will miss the finale. Just let it work its magic for a while. Just ignore it and go about your day. Then let yourself catch the wafts as they drift by. And if you do not smell one of the most devastatingly beautiful fragrances that has ever been created.... Start all over on another day until you do. Because you will.

Let's talk about EDP first, the first version I tried. Neroli, Aldehyde, Bergamot.... I like it a lot, but I don't think it's very recognizable at this stage. Bergamot seems to be suppressed by something, appearing mild and restrained, and the dry wood base makes the color darker. A little sour (I guess it's ylang ylang that covers the bergamot) is not bad. Later, bergamot was not willing to be stepped on by ylang ylang. Emergence soon. The powdery feeling in the middle has dropped sharply, and it smells hazy. Ylang ylang and jasmine can be regarded as one kind. A crescendo, lightly sour (Samsara-like) mixed with vanilla to produce what they call a "gingerbread", wonderfully delicious aroma. The flavor at the time reminded me of almonds. Orris root and tonka bean are Chanel's signature elements and essential ingredients for oriental fragrances, respectively. Pale orris root goes well with ylang-ylang. Combining EDC's N°22 and N°5, they are in the same line, and can sort out the gene sequence of Chanel's female fragrance (is it Ernest Beaux's work?). Semi-Oriental at the end of vetiver, myrrh and benzoin, Bois des iles slowly emerges a greasy moisturizing feeling to the middle and bottom notes. I believe Bois des iles does not contain real mysore sandalwood. The most likely use is sandalol, as the raw material of mysore sandalwood is restricted by regulations. It should have components (molecules) of the camphor family. EDT is very different from EDP, not just in shades. (EDT is very light and has to be sprayed several times.) The top notes of Bois des iles...especially the EDT version, always connect me to the N°5 EDT. EDT has the sweetness of peach, and the peach aroma of Bois des iles is close to sweet peach, and the texture is hard and brittle. One day I smelled my Samsara collection again to compare the special floral/woody acidity that ylang ylang produces when it meets sandalwood. Because Bois des iles also has this scent that fascinates me. Aldehyde is superimposed on sandalwood, and EDP has too much ylang-ylang, too powder. Although the presence is improved, it is higher than EDT, but the relative details are more insufficient than EDT. In contrast, EDP is dull and sluggish, and it is difficult to show the lightness of EDT. Neroli oil has a brightening effect, and the entire fragrance and rhythm of Bois des iles is lightened. The sandalwood didn't last long, a small technical regret, but that didn't stop me from falling in love with Bois Des iles. It is a pity that the Vintage in 1926 was missed. EDP is neither an island nor a forest. If you can, really get to smell EDT. EDP is the makeup version of EDT, and the makeup is still a bit thick. (looking at the powder in one place) From a consumer's point of view, EDT is balanced and light, EDP is warm and sweet, focusing on ylang ylang-based floral fragrance, and the powdery feeling is prominent. EDT is spectrally neutral, while EDP is more suitable for women. Ernest Beaux is obsessed with ylang-ylang (jasmine), which can be seen from the structure of N°22 and N°5. The usual experience with the (EDP) Bois des iles is partly based on the overlapping of images from the 31 Rue combom with the N°22. EDT Bois des iles is the N°5 of half sandalwood.

(This review based upon the EdT. Bottle date is c. 1990 or a bit earlier) To my nose Bois des Iles smells like Chanel (at least at the time this bottle/fomulation was produced) tried to rework No. 5 for the male market. Keeping in mind my bottle is quite old and the top notes have definitely died off to some degree, the top notes of this early or pre 1990s EdT of Bois des Iles are muted by comparison to the exploding star characteristics of No. 5's top notes. In fact, on skin, I can barely smell the aldehydes and the fruit, but on the blotter they are much more apparent: again, not much in the way of aldehydes compared to No. 5, but definitely some lemon, peach, and a hefty dose of ylang-ylang. In the background on the blotter, heart notes of neroli, muguet, rose, and jasmine hold their places below the fruits and muted aldehydes like they are ready to catapult to the forefront at any moment. On skin they are already at the forefront, getting there pretty much immediately, though on skin the rose and jasmine are the stars, while the neroli and muguet are generally very quiet. Pause. I need to stop and think for a minute; it's very easy to get lost in this perfume - trying to work out what I'm smelling at any given moment; it is time I remind myself to relax and breathe, to soak it in and enjoy it. So, that's what I will do, and tell you, dear reader, how it's making me feel. To my defense, it is easy to get carried away with Bois des Iles and lose sight of what is most important when wearing a perfume: the time and space needed to just enjoy it. This thing is an incredible shape shifter; it moves so fast and so deftly that you force your brain to keep up with it, and with that force you forget that you need to shut up and stop thinking and just enjoy it for a moment. And, thoroughly enjoyable it is. If it was Chanel's goal to rework No. 5 so that men could be more comfortable wearing it, one, I find that goal to be trivial but that's a luxury of living in today's world, but two, yes, they succeeded. Bois des Iles manages to maintain the floral radiance and luminosity that makes No.5, but not letting it run so far like it does in No. 5. Bois des Iles is much more understated and subtle; it is full of a quiet yet massive energy rather than No. 5's loud and massive energy. It is gloriously smooth, decadent, sophisticated, rich, and complex while maintaining a luminous and breathable character that never bogs you down and always strives to lift you up. You only need to wait for the final dry down to fully understand what I mean: if, like me, you spent an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to keep up with Bois des Iles at the start, the dry down is the calm that we've been waiting for as Bois des Iles brings us the creamiest, smoothest sandalwood and musk combination that will make your knees melt and your heart nearly stop. It's the type of accord you wish you could smell throughout your entire home because it feels like home. There is something so comforting and warm about the end of Bois des Iles that you almost kind of forget how frenetic you felt at the start. What a masterpiece of a perfume.

I loved the Bois des Îles EDT that I sampled years ago. It shared a lot in common with No. 5. It had the aldehydes, but it smelled a lot more woody. I was never able to put it out of my mind entirely, so I went out on a limb one day and purchased a bottle of the Parfum. Instead of opening it, I let it sit for almost a year. With all due respect to myself, what was I thinking? How could I let this magnificent siren smolder in its box, all alone, all that time? When describing Bois des Îles (parfum), where does one begin? The Parfum also resembles No.5, with aldehydes that smell like a dry, fizzy champagne. They last hours on my skin. Bois des Îles is a master at "now you see it, now you don't." One moment I smell lilac, the next I don't. Another moment I smell coconut, the next I don't, and so on and so forth with notes of vetiver, benzoin, vanilla, orange and some ethereal white flower. But one thing that is evident without fail is the generous amount of creamy sandalwood that is the focus of this timeless beauty. Bois des Îles (parfum) must be the best sandalwood fragrance in existence. It is effortlessly silky and somehow exotic, capturing the true nature of the precious wood. The sandalwood is beautifully supported by a lactonic peach, which brings a syrup-like sweetness to the Parfum. While I love both concentrations, the sweet, rounded scent of the Parfum makes it seem more voluptuous, and even a bit sexy, whereas the word "sexy" never crossed my mind with the EDT. The other thing about Bois des Îles Parfum that I can not get enough of is the animalic musk. It smells very much like the one used in No. 5. It caught me off guard, as I didn't really think of Bois des Îles as a musky perfume, but it is on my skin. It's very musky! The musk melts into my skin like butter. I know that Bois des Îles is an old perfume, and I have never smelled a vintage, but the current interpretations seem perfectly modern at this point in time. Vintage-style modern perfumes are all the rage these days (e.g. Maai, Salome, This Grand Affair, etc.), and Bois des Îles seems as though it belongs in that category. In my book, Bois des Îles is a masterpiece, especially the Parfum, which I am so glad I purchased blindly. It is every bit as stunning and memorable as No. 5.

When I found out there were 12 more Chanel fragrances to be found at the boutique, I rushed myself to the Chanel boutique here in town to get me one. The saleslady sprayed a few cards for me: No18, Eau de Cologne, 28 la Pausa and Bois des Iles. I didn't like any of the first three, but Bois des Iles caught my attention right away. Went home, sniffing all the cards and was convinced Bois des Iles was the one. Got back to the store the next day after reading some of the reviews on this site and was really eager to try Coromandel as well. Asked for a spray on each hand so I could pick either Bois des Iles or Coromandel. Went for a walk around the Vondelpark here in Amsterdam which is close to the boutique and knew right away that Coromandel was the one. I haven't smelled anything like it since I first tried Antaeus or Egoiste: I knew I found my new signature scent in Coromandel. I did like Bois des Iles as well so I returned to the store again two weeks later. This time I wanted to try Sycomore as well and to cut a long story short: I went home with a bottle of Sycomore. I'll give Bois des Iles another shot this autumn, as it makes the perfect autumn fragrance. The problem that I had with Bois des Iles is the opening, which smelled very "soap-like" on my skin. After 15 minutes or so Bois des Iles gets darker and warmer and from that moment on, I really love the fragrance. It's as comforting as Coromandel is after the opening. Edit: a few tries later and I love the opening now... It reminds me of some flowery perfume my mother used. Warps me back in time. Lovely! After that it's heavenly. Can't wait to get the full bottle this autumn... 10/10 Edit [sept.2011]: Bought a big bottle a few weeks ago and it's my second most used and loved frag now after Coromandel. From opening to the last whiff this is such an awesome fragrance. It changes all day and it's different on each wearing. The aldehydes from the opening make me high. And the rest of the notes take me further into heaven... This is a true work of art!

Bois des Iles parfum: she is the queen of sandalwood perfumes. She is utterly incomparable. Breathtakingly beautiful. Sandalwood has always been one of my most loved perfume notes. As a girl, I wore Crabtree & Evelyn's Sandalwood cologne. It made me dream of faraway, exotic locales: hanging gardens, sacred temples, stolen kisses from a mysterious prince. Since then, I have been obsessed with this soft, creamy, enveloping note -- hunting down every perfume I can find with a dominant sandalwood aroma. Chanel's 1926 rendition is nothing short of perfect. This is a traditional sandalwood perfume: one that amplifies and highlights sandalwood's nuances. Rather than simply using sandalwood as a backdrop for other notes, Bois des Iles presents sandalwood as a single, rich note. Of course, this is a clever trompe l'oeil effect -- Bois des Iles has numerous notes: each one part of a complex accord that creates a masterful overall sandalwood experience. Bois des Iles starts off with a bright burst of citrus and aldehydes, but quickly settles into an enveloping, sweet-ambery sandalwood fragrance. Heady ylang-ylang, along with syrupy tonka, benzoin, and vanilla bring out sandalwood's natural sweetness. Musk, orris, and oppoponax emphasize sandalwood's powdery, ethereal softness. In parfum form, the dry-down is slow and sensual. It remains relatively linear (with the exception of the aldehyde top note, which dissipates quickly). The longer Bois des Iles is on the skin, the softer and creamier it becomes. Sillage and longevity are phenomenal. Bois des Iles is a special perfume -- it feels sacred, mystical. Despite this sacred quality, it is a very versatile and easy-to-wear fragrance: good for day or night, special occasions or everyday activities (if you're like me -- you will want to wear it all the time!). If you adore sandalwood, this is a must-own!!

One reason that the idea of “perfume experts” writing guides makes certain people so uneasy is that nobody likes the idea of having their tastes dictated to them. People don’t like to feel ordinary or transparent, and when they at a certain level of appreciating art or culture, they have a need to feel that their particular tastes are more elevated or discerning than average. Perfume makes this so much simpler for me. If I like something because a perfume authority pronounced it good, who the hell cares? It gave me a totally licit and freely available pleasure. I always need more of these. My main interest is finding more substances that will do this for me, not experiencing introspection over whether this is the right path to developing taste. I never got Chanel No. 5, maybe because it was almost a cliché or trope of a fragrance, totally determined by culture. I had no innate inclinations to anything aldehydic. From an early age I had associations with the scent which were not particularly pleasurable. But of course, I want to like it, because I want to enjoy things that are good. Bois des Îles ended up being the bridge for me to begin to appreciate No. 5. It’s a complex fragrance that has elements I am already conditioned to love such as woods and warmth – sandalwood with a soft, chalky drydown. It is recognizably “Chanel”, a signature which is has to do with aldehydes and complexity. Because it’s likeable it makes me associate with the good aspects of Chanel (crisp black and white things) and not the tacky aspect (strings and strings of fake gold bling.) In spite of Chanel being the producer of many overpriced pieces of dubious value; the perfumes are mostly great, and the Les Exclusifs are a shockingly good value. I wish I had purchased the vat-sized unit because this perfume is meant to be worn copiously and frequently.

Beautiful, genius, vanillic floral-woody that would be a constant go to if it wasn't, in some ways, such a curious shapeshifter. This has so many facets to it--the oxymoronically clean-indolic aldehydic floral combo of ylang, rose, and jasmine--similar to No 5 but "tuned" differently...a lemony, citronella-esque and linalool-rich rosewood aspect...and of course the sumptuous, woody-vanilla-almondy-tonka base. Sometimes, when I put it on, especially the extrait, some of the more difficult parts of the journey dominate the sillage for a while--a sort of sour-citronella affair. However, if you put it on at the right place/right time (I prefer outdoors, autumn chill, maybe a hint of woodsmoke and dried grass in the air), the final drydown predominates--a sweet, slightly spiced, somewhat almondy-tonka, elegantly floral sandalwood. The older, Ernest Beaux scent, which is absolutely a totally different fragrance--much like the original CdR and Gardenia--is more soapy-powdery-floral-dry on top with a beautiful real, oily sandalwood in its drydown in vintage Eau de Cologne. The amped up vintage extrait does truly have a sumptuous feel of a woody gingerbread, but is definitely not as "easy and delicious" as the modern reorchestration. The newer Polge version reinvented in the 80s (along with Egoiste/Bois Noir) smells more "apple pie" than gingerbread. It feels like it has just a hint of fruity/berry/apple damascones that create that sensation. I love this scent so much. It's not always an easy wear, but its strange facets are still beautiful ones, and when it "clicks," it is truly magic.

While walking through an enchanted, rich resin filled rain forest, imagining fairies dancing in their little circles, you catch the aroma of gingerbread and slightly spiced peach pie baking. You are drawn in by the aroma and make your way through the many colorful flowers and fresh roots, until you come upon a little wooden cottage that fits comfortably within a large tree. This quickly becomes your own personal hideaway that you will no doubt remember to visit many times. Bois Des Iles still keeps that perfect sandalwood aroma that has for the most part left the scene along with Indian sandalwood. From the very beginning the sandalwood presents itself to perfection along with just the right amount of aldehydes, enough to enhance and balance it, but not too much as to shock the senses. This fragrance, created more than eighty years ago still fascinates with the ability to work backwards. When smelling the sandalwood at first spray, one might get the idea that it’s a linear fragrance...not so. What would ordinarily be considered top notes do not make the scene until later in the dance. It’s said that it has a definite gingerbread note and I would agree, however, I have never been fond of the smell of gingerbread cooking until I smelled BDI. It’s the same note, but yet it’s not quite so gourmand sweet. This beauty lasts all day and into the night. It’s strong but not so over whelming as to be offensive. Fall would be the perfect time to wear it, but I wear it anytime, best in the evening.

Bois Des Iles is a jewelled flame, a blue-green diamond, a distant star. Before BDI, I cycled between Coco, Samsara and Shalimar – daring to indulge in only the tiniest drop before work, given their strong, opulent personalities, more suited to a day at the gallery, swanning around weekend markets in fabulous sunglasses or a brilliant evening full of fascinating people. But then I discovered BDI. A cool but achingly beautiful perfume. Her appeal only apparent once you are already close but then she draws you in, wanting more without really knowing why. Some find a gingerbread accord. Others, the captivating hint of a cola. Either way, she is stunning, but not sexual. A perfect scent for a professional woman. Perfumes are like works of art and I generally wouldn’t compromise describing such an ethereal experience with practical details like money but I feel it’s important to add that BDI is, in my view, just like a diamond – a great deal of money for something so brilliant but so small, so fleeting. Her silage is low and disappears quickly for the money invested in that classic Chanel bottle, that I have taken to scenting my clothes in addition to my wrists. This does work, to a point, but I sometimes wonder: is that what you want from something so fine? All that aside, BDI is a 1926 fragrance that glistens and flickers today like a beautiful little flame. An hour and a half in, and I am getting that cola – but only with my nose up close to my wrist. A fine, delicate scent indeed.

Bois des Iles is sandalwood elevated. The crux of the composition is a mix of Chanel's signature hesperdic aldehydes and the depth of a strikingly natural smelling milky sandalwood note. This structure is further enhanced and fleshed out by the lush florality of ylang ylang and rose, the powdered-resinous warmth of opoponax and benzoin, and the plush softness of high quality iris. This perfume reads like a skillful riff off of sandalwood essential oil, as if every note contained within the precious liquid was purposefully examined, cataloged and then magnified or minimized to perfection in the making of Bois des Iles. The only thing a little a bit out of place is the anise tinged opening, but that fades within minutes of application. Luckily Bois des Iles avoids the problems I have with most sandalwood themed perfumes: they are either too figgy, too coconutty or just too harshly woody (relying on an interplay of other woody notes to simulate sandalwood). There is no fig, no coconut, no harsh/blunt woodiness here. Instead sandalwood is felt in all its plush powdery-milky-ambery glory with a hint of that lovely spiced raisin note that true Mysore so often has. My Holy Grail sandalwood perfume. The EDT is beautiful but the parfum is otherworldly. This is a sensual delight that wears rather close to the skin creating a soft halo of scent that only those within your personal space will detect.

les exclusifs EDT lasts for many hours on me (and my winter aran). it drifts up and around me every now and again, as the hours pass. like a ghostly scent that keeps reappearing from nowhere. 31 rue cambon does the same. this is the perfect scent to wear on a chilly, blustery, wet November weekend. the neroli and ylang lifted by those Chanel aldehydes calms the senses and uplifts the spirits, before the most gorgeous comfort scent of all time starts to develop. in town today, i kept walking into this lovely smell and was looking around me to see where it was coming from. and that old nutshell "but it was me!". was it a pipe filled with honey tobacco? i wondered, looking for an old man sucking on a pipe somewhere. resinous sweet soft powdery wood. timeless. soft, warm, comforting, uplifting, creamy, beautiful. it rubbed off onto my winter aran this morning when i sprayed and my cosy jumper smells divine, so perhaps an additional spray on clothing might make this one last longer for those of you who find it disappears on them. but i personally find this has good sillage and once a skin scent 2 hours later, it just keeps on giving for at least 4-6 more hours. i have been so delighted by les exclusifs i have tried. Misia is next. Bois Des Iles i think is my favourite so far. perhaps my favourite of all time?

Bois des Iles is a timeless masterpiece. True elegance and refined sophistication await he who wears this perfume. A few years ago, I went to the Maldives and upon my arrival on the wooden dock, the astonishing scene of this isolated green and luxuriant island overwhelmed me. Breezes of soft wind carrying exotic scents soothed the air. On the beach, there was an uprooted coconut tree and the woody and bitter scent it exhaled, combined with those of the frangipani flowers blooming under the trees and of the fruits served nearby was absolutely mesmerizing. An unforgettable experience. Bois des Iles brings me back there! It isn't exactly the same fragrance but the resemblance is striking. I'm speaking of the perfume concentration. The EDT is exceptional as well but the perfume takes it to another level. The opening is aldehydic and quite fresh with hints of bergamot, ylang-ylang and elusive neroli. It softens quickly into a warm and sweet but not sickening bouquet of peach, jasmine, rose, iris and woods. The base notes of amber, tonka beans, vetiver and benzoin then appear. The sandalwood is present the whole time and the experience of feeling the perfume change over time is amazing. The perfume in itself is an allegory of exoticism and offers a vision, a dream of splendid and faraway islands.

I can only agree with most others on this page: I also think this is great. Classic and elegant from start to finish, but a real shapeshifter too - the kind of thing I can imagine wearing often without getting tired of it, even though it's not really "my" type of scent: it's just so well-made. Chanel is really good at this kind of timeless sophistication! As for the scent itself: it starts out as a softer, easier to wear version of Chanel N° 5, which is very nice. The heart of the fragrance is my favourite part, though: as someone else has mentioned, it kind of smells like coca cola, but in the best possible way. It's like some genius was able to isolate what smells nice about cola without taking along any of the oversweet synthetic stickiness of it. I don't know what it says about me, but I'm really into it! After a couple of hours more warm woody and spicy notes come into focus, but that lovely cola accord stays noticeable until the very end. Which means all day, by the way: I don't know if my sample came from an older and more potent formulation, but for me longevity has been excellent, contrary to what lots of reviewers here have experienced. So, big sigh: another one for my wish list...

Swooningly gorgeous, like no other perfume (except the flankers in eau de parfum etc) I can't remember if I've reviewed this before in the entire nineteen years I've been visiting Fragrantica (wow, time flies when you're sniffing perfume!) but Bois des Iles is worth reviewing twice. Probably my all-time favourite is Chanel No. 19, but this is a close second. It's maybe the warmest Chanel, more even than Coromandel. This to me is like sandalwood-scented velvet in the afternoon sun. You just want to stretch out and enjoy it. First it's aldehydes and a certain posh old school Chanel - floral, creamy, but haughty with chalky/powdery iris. Then as it dries down it feels almost cinnamon-like - as though someone lightly sprinkled cinnamon powder on a banana milk-shake, the banana is probably ylang as I tend to read that as banana-like. There's nothing overly gourmand though, or heavy, it just sits there shimmering like gold-dust in the sun with the slight metalic haze of aldehydes to prevent it becoming sweet or pudding-like.. It's complex, yet the message is clear - it's all about pleasure and relaxation. It's very French, classy, comforting and utterly unique, all at the same time. All-time Love!

It's perfume like this that inspires me in so many ways. This is true art in a bottle, open to many interpretations, each personal and representative of the wearer. I'm not a perfumer fan girl by any means, but if I were Ernest Beaux would be my idol. He created something like magic when he made BDI. If I'm not mistaken Jacque Polge modernized the original into what was the edt. I've never tried the edp but I can only hope it retains a fraction of the mystery and pure beauty that is the edt. I won't attempt to describe the scent, it's beyond me in so many ways I don't feel qualified to speak on its behalf. But beyond the sandalwood element is so much more. A true and utter piece of art that should be preserved at a museum somewhere in France. Bois Des Iles edt is my all time favorite Chanel fragrance. It is so astoundingly beautiful, it takes my breath away. I'm not being dramatic. It's mastery and precision can't be matched. Perhaps they at Chanel knew what they had and decided it is much too sophisticated for the simple peasants of the world, so they pulled it and reserved this formula for royalty and the like. I doubt it, but I wouldn't put it past Chanel.

I sprayed this on today for the first time, and at first felt disappointed. It's a much loved perfume by many people here, and in the first half hour or more I got a fairly generic Chanel accord of jasmine and aldehydes. But my god, the dry-down really is lovely. The famed 'ginger-bread' note is all there. And I experienced that classic moment of 'what smells so gorgeous in here, ah, it's me!'. This does indeed have the milky quality of real sandalwood, that suede-like touch that's soft and lingering, there's a soft spicy musk which at first feels hardly there, but magically develops and strengthens over time. There's a tiny touch of soap but that doesn't dominate (definitely not as much as Cuir de Russie for example) I think the initial sniff was was in part affected due to the fact that I had Chanel's Coromandel on my other arm, which was far too strong a dose of patchouli for me (purely subjective - I find patchouli very pervasive). So once I'd scrubbed that off (sorry Coromandel lovers!) I was able to appreciate the presence of Bois des Iles. It's a must-have. Gorgeous. Silage quite soft, longevity excellent

I still remember the first time I wore this about 8 or 9 years ago. I sprayed some on and went to Costco. This is way too elegant for Costco. It is refined and restrained and pretty much the opposite of a multipack of canned baked beans and a rotisserie chicken. That’s besides the point though. The point is I still remember the first time I wore this. I know what I was wearing and how Bois des Iles elevated it into something more pulled together. I know how I felt, and I felt amazing. I couldn’t stop smelling my wrist the whole way home. It is like a more wearable Chanel no 5 with a splash of Mitsuoko but it doesn’t read as fussy or stuffy. I feel like it is timeless. It is the first bottle I pull out of my stores when summer transitions to fall. When the days are sunny and warm but shorter and not so hot, the leaves start turning but haven’t fallen yet, the mornings have a chill to them, when the world has a yellowed-golden tone to it. That is the time when I love this the most. One of my favorite scents for one of my favorite times of the year. I can’t imagine being without this.

This is another truly amazing juice from Chanel's Les Exclusifs collection. The opening notes is a soft floral ylang-ylang blend with subtle sandalwood notes coming through. At the same time there's a well balanced aroma between other floral scent with sweet/creamy aroma from Tonka bean as well amber dancing the tango in rhythm. Orris roots and vanilla add to this rich luxurious aroma. After 30 minutes, I'm able to smell green notes including Vetiver which helps to ground this juice. It's no surprise why it's worth every penny. Both longevity and Silage do well lasting over 8hrs and you can smell this juice well past arms length. Finally, I now own this juice as well as Boy, Coromandel and Cuir De Russie. It's money well spent especially when you are able to appreciate the time and dedication that it takes to create such amazing fragrance's. I consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy the finest quality of fragrance. If you are able to save up for these fragrance's, you will not regret that you bought them. 9.5/10 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's very hard to review this, the OG Ernest Beaux, discontinued EDT of Bois des Iles without comparing it to the current EDP. Remember when they restored Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling in the 90s and accidentally removed all the details in the shadows? That's the EDP. The stunning peach note in the EDT which hits you only when you really inhale? Gone, MIA in the EDP. The vanilla/vetiver/tonka drydown in the EDT which is maybe the most heavenly sensory experience I've ever savoured? Now a synthetic soup of ISO super and tonka. The sandalwood in the EDT which smelled like a glowing bouquet of pure gold? Still there, but like a soundwave by Maria Callas which has had all the high notes modulated, clipped to the same pitch level. I say this as a massive fan of the EDP. So much that I kinda wish that I'd never finally tracked down my vintage bottle of the EDT. Now when I wear the EDP, all I can think of is what was lost in translation. When I wear the EDT, all I can think is that I need to savour every last drop.