Bois du Portugal

Today on my Creed journey I'm looking at another "lost" fragrance that most people don't talk about; Bois du Portugal. If I remember correctly, I saw someone mention this one in a "Top 10 Creeds" video and it caught my attention because I had never heard of it before. Now this fragrance was released in the 80's so I'm fully expecting it to have a classic vibe to it. And based on the name, I'm expecting some sort of woodiness from it. Let's get into it and find out; Scent: The opening is aromatic, woody, and spicy. The primary notes I get are lavender, sandalwood, bergamot, and cedar. The strongest of the notes are the lavender and sandalwood. The lavender pops me square in the nose with a solid left hook from the first spray. It's a very strong and masculine lavender, filled with spiciness and nuances of licorice and strangely cinnamon. Right beside the lavender is a heaping dose of sandalwood that brings its signature powdery woodiness. This is followed by the bergamot and cedar. The bergamot adds a bit of citric brightness to the opening with its usual lemony accord tinged with spice and aromatics. Lastly, the cedar doubles down on the woodiness brought by the sandalwood, but in a dry and piney way. The dry down is still aromatic, woody, and spicy. The primary notes I get are lavender, sandalwood, cedar, and vetiver. The strongest of the notes are still the lavender and sandalwood. Both notes carry the same accords from the opening, just a bit quieter. This is followed by the cedar and vetiver. The cedar is still the same from the opening, no change there either. Lastly, the vetiver adds even more wood with a bit of smokiness in the background. Not a lot, just enough to detect that it's coming from the vetiver. Performance: Initial projection within the first hour is strong at around 5-6 feet. Sillage matches that with an easily noticeable scent trail. After a few hours the performance was largely the same. At the 8 hour mark the projection was about 3-4 feet and the scent trail was not quite as strong but still noticeable. The fragrance became a skin scent around the 10-11 hour mark. When to wear: Bois du Portugal is one of those fragrances that can be worn anytime and smell good. It has freshness and aromatics to work well in the warmer weather, as well as woods and and spice to work well in cooler weather. For those same reasons, it will work in the daytime or evening. Even when it comes to occasion, this fragrance can pretty much do it all. Dress it up for formal wear, or dress it down for casual wear; either way it will feel appropriate. This would also make a great office fragrance. Blind buy: If you like the vibe of those classic men's fragrances with sharp woody and aromatic edges (think Drakkar Noir), then this is a safe blind buy for you. Final verdict: As soon as I smelled Bois du Portugal, I knew I was in for something special. It undeniably has that classic 80's men's fragrance vibe, and I'm all here for it. To me, it smells like a higher-quality, more expensive version of Drakkar Noir. And with Drakkar Noir being a fragrance I love, it makes sense why Bois du Portugal speaks to me so much. Performance for this fragrance is no slouch either. Strong projection and scent trails for the first few hours, still decent around 7-8 hours, and lasting for about 10-11 hours altogether. Versatility is through the roof as well. Any time you throw on Bois du Portugal, regardless of the occasion or weather, it will smell incredible. When it comes to mass-appeal, this fragrance has it. It exudes high-class masculinity, and everyone will think you smell incredible. To wrap this up, I think Bois du Portugal is an outstanding fragrance that inarguably deserves more hype and recognition that it gets. On the other hand, I'm kind of glad it flies under the radar because that means I can gate keep it a bit. This is definitely going to be one I pick up when I have the chance. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10

I have a review written down below for the modern version. However *this one will be for the Vintage* I was able to snag. The bottle is from the late 90’s in the 75ml. Boy does the vintage BdP pack a punch compared to the new reformulations! They are different, but similar DNA, but they take different journeys throughout. The explosion of bergamot isn’t present in my bottle, instead it’s replaced with an opening like that of a syrupy rich bergamot, which then slowly morphs in to the depths of the smooth petrified sandalwood and dark vetiver. Throughout the adventure every layer is much more concentrated. You very much get the loads of Amber at every stage. It’s much more sensual than the reformulations. It’s as though every ingredient is soaking in a sappy amber giving it greater depth and weight. The new formulation is much dryer, crisper, sharper and lighter - which I adore in its own right. The vintage is every ingredient multiplied by 5 and oozes with a deeper essence and gravity. The recent formulation is easier to wear and takes itself less seriously, even though this is a serious and bold fragrance compared to the market as a whole. Think of it as.. the new version is a man in his career and who is starting to prove himself. Whereas the vintage, is a man who is very accomplished and a mentor. It has that type of weight. New formulation can be worn spring, fall, winter and is just always there for you; maybe summer too, but haven’t tried it there yet. Vintage would be more appropriate for a cold fall evening, and winter night at a fancy restaurant or classy night out. BdP vintage dry down is a deep amber sandalwood, whereas the reformulation is a dry sandalwood mixed with a light cream. Bois Du Portugal is a complete stud of a man’s fragrance. It’s the king of classy masculine fougere scents! Not even a doubt. There’s nothing better blended on the market. Smelling the vintage is akin to laying on a sheep skin rug in front of a stone fire place after a great night out feeling like a child again, wrapped in some benevolent warmth in a study filled with books and a beautiful desk. I think this scent is impossible to dislike, whether you want to call it old school, old man, mature, or whatever else. The point is.. it’s the king and when wearing it, you take on the sense of feeling in charge of the show!

Lovely scent, great quality juice. Bois du Portugal is a fantastic blend of bergamot, lavender, cedar, ambergris and sandalwood. It has a mature and serious vibe, it's not something for people under 35. Formal and a bit conservative, the smell is rich and balanced, maybe a bit linear with a soft barbershop feel. It reminds me the characters of the old noir movies of 50's or 60's, someone like bogart or grant or cooper. It may not appeal to the people, especially in the opening. But bdp it's something for confident men, you dont need to be liked by the other people, with this fragrance u dont need anything else. The performance is ok, i love the drydown so i would prefer a better performance, but there's not something to complain about it. Only for cold seasons with a formal outfit. Regarding the alternatives, lalique pour homme and Nicolai new York intense are quite similar. Lph is very similar in the smell, it has a good quality but u can feel the difference in terms of quality and richness. New York intense is also similar and has a great quality. Nyi is a bit more appealing, less ultra-masculine but the vibe is almost the same. Both lph and nyi perform better on my skin than the creed one but bdp has a bit more charisma. It's only my opinion. Creed bois du Portugal è un profumo di altri tempi, serio, affascinante e senza fronzoli. Ha un odore leggermente barbershop e ha l'atmosfera dei film noir degli anni 50-60. Un po' nostalgico e conservativo, è adatto decisamente ad un pubblico maturo e non è detto riceva molti complimenti. Ma bdp non vuole piacere, è per gente sicura che sa quello che vuole. Performance nella norma. Alternative simili sono lalique pour homme e nicolai new York intense ma ovviamente con alcune differenze. Scent-9 Longevity - 7,5 Sillage-7,5 Uniqueness-8 Versatility -7 Presentation-8 Compliment factor-7 Backup bottle? Maybe My vote-8,5-9 In one word- confident Alternative - lalique pour homme, Nicolai new York intense, chanel pour monsieur, Chanel pour monsieur concentree, carthusia uomo

Bois du Portugal Creed Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin & Basil Heart Notes: Lavender & Spices Base Notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver & Cedarwood Bois Du Portugal captures the woody forest of the Iberian Peninsula and the fragrant scent that runs throughout the Portuguese highlands. This Crisps and Rich 1987 creation is considered a masterpiece amongst the fougère fragrances. It is elegant, mature and modern for the Confident men of today's world. In french it is pronounced "Bua Du Portugal" Du Bois means Woods. It opens with a dry shiny bergamot and lemon which is dominant for the 10-15 minutes or so. The dry spices and lavender in the heart doesn't shout out to tell you I'm the lavender unlike some lavender heavy scents but it blends and mixes in so well with it's green, fresh spicy, licorice facets together with the cedarwood and still continues with a hint of Bergamot. This green and woody scent will remain with you a while and reminds us what clean and musculine is all about. As the scent develops, we go into the rather well known Creed territory of sandalwood, ambergris, and vetiver where it also exists in a few other Creed creations, particularly the smooth creamy sandalwood used it Creed creations. Bois du Portugal may be the next masterpiece to step up to for those who are grown and wants to move on from the younger profiled Adventus. Your noses have matured, grown older and wants to experience a different mood that it brings and gives, a classy elegant, woodsy refined style anyone wants to go for. It suits everyday wear, functions and events for the modern man. Au revoir

He finally pulled the trigger. Not because he decided he was finally old enough (he is) but because he had finally earned the right to wear it. He has reached that time in his career, his life, where he has arrived, he’s worked so damned hard over the years, sacrificed, and he’s made it safely. He’ ll retire in a couple of years, a little early, and the rest of his life will be his, and his alone. You may find him in Milan, Cannes, Monaco, Vienna, or tucked away in the Virgin Islands or on his own deck overlooking a mountain lake. He can afford his favorite Cognac now, but cigars only destroy his magnificent scent so, no. This is the most divine scent known to mankind, and it’s his now. He will never go unshaven in t-shirts anymore. He is in slacks, leather loafers (sometimes no socks), a pin-striped shirt and, when the weather calls for it, his favorite sleeveless cardigan now. His true love of many years ever by his side and adoring him, they share their love of nature and good books and the occasional evening at the symphony. It’s all theirs now, she knows it and is constantly reassured by his strong arms and heavenly scent. Their beloved charities allow them to give a little back so that others, one day, may also arrive. This is Bois du Portugal. Nothing but the best of blends for those who have earned it and graciously accept it. He notes one last fact: a touch of grey at the temples helps but is not absolutely necessary.