Bois d'Argent

Somber, moody, mysterious, gothic even....a fantastical scent fit for a lake nymph, or a dark creature of the forests...one that longs for warmness but it is forced to remain cold and unforgiving, just to survive. Unisex to the core. I find it eatherial, elegant, darkly romantic, even eerie at tracts. First time I smelled it my mind was filled with the image of Ophelia drowning in a bed of flowers, dry erbs and cold water; a sort of synesthesia that haunted me all day with images of the famous painting by John Everett Millais, but also made me think of the unearthly beauty of Elizabeth Siddal (of whome I had learned about during my history of make up studies); her pale snowy skin and auburn hair...which I imagine smelled like honey in the autumn sun. They managed to recreate that atmosphere in a scent (or that of a Joy Division song, or of a E.A. Poe poem, if we will). It was love at first sight for me. Now, on to the scent itself: the opening is strong, strong cypress...evokes conflicting emotions in me, probably because it is the tree that adorns the abandoned cemeteries of italian's villages. Here it is fresh and profound, a little conifer, gives a free and airy sensation but at the same time it's grounding and broody, quite melancholic. It's so beautiful. The juniper berries accompanies it perfectly, with a light earthy touch, aromatic, woody, and measured. Just a tad masculine. The heart is all honey though...you can feel it already in the opening, trying to steal the spot of cypress, it wants to give its warmness and sweetness, its cuddly nature...but it is shackled, never truly exposed to its full sugary potential. So, it stays somber too, only in the dry down it becomes more sweet thanks to the vanilla. This is not a particulary raw honey but it is quite dry and "herbal". However, what truly holds the soul of the scent is the iris and myrrh combo, which is the base of the nostalgic aura the perfume has. This iris is classic and elegant, aromatic and powdery, made shadowy by some incense, and very cold and damp...not only in temperature, but also in the emotions and imagery it evokes. A little detached. Myrrh is bitter, yet vibrant and sensual like only the balsams can be. Some of it remains in the dry down also, thogheter with some more warm resin. They impart a royal, aristocratic character to the fragrance. The patchouli is well blended in all this mix, it adds that extra touch, never resulting outdated or out of place (as I was fearing), and it goes really well with the woods, their combo reads almost as smoked and dry tobacco-y...from time to time a boozy/alchoolic sensation can be felt too, but perhaps it is just an illusion given by the juniper berries. One aspect I didn't especially pick up is the leathery accord, if some of it is here it's more suede then true leather. The dry down is sensual and warm, and inviting in its complexity; this creates a beautiful and moving duality with the coldness of the opening and mid. The aromatic, balsamic, powdery and woody accords it's what stands out on my skin, then I would say earthy, honey and incense, but, at least on me, this is never truly sweet as some other peopole find it to be. It's as if it wants to, but it can't! And this aspect makes me love it even more!!! It's like a battle is taking place! Moreover, there is more to it then just the declared notes and derivated accords, as often it's the case...for instance there is a sort of withered and essicated flowers touches, some dry moss, incense, and a damp/humid accord. This is a perfume for wich I would gladly pay again a premium price...complex and multifaceted. It sings to my soul. I find both lasting power and projection good, especially if oversprayed. It pairs well with the first spring's days of sun, but it projects deliciously during the rainy autumnal's days. I had heard a rumor about a discontinuation so I furiously searched on the Dior website, month after month, and I can confirm it is just a rumor for now since it is still sold. Also, considering the price this has, I am happy to report that it is now sold in a 40ml version too, for 130,00 €, in line with niche standards. Many version of this were put on the market, the one I am reviewing was bought in 2021, so I shall leave my review here, on the last edition.

I just found my ten-year-old bottle was not empty; I sprayed it, and it's still the most beautiful perfume I've had the pleasure to smell. It was my first Iris perfume. The way I discovered that the scent of iris is just bliss to me is that it makes every perfume with it smells at least good to my nose. If silver, as a color, has a smell, it is Bois d'argent for me, a pearly, silvery color with a little bit of warmth but still cold. The opening is a bit harsh (but the bottle is a little bit older than ten years old, so...), then comes the myrrh, the wood, and the iris, but everything is so well incorporated that you can't really point to one thing in particular. It is so beautiful and well done. To me, if it was a person, it would be those rich women that wear all white in winter and look so good in it, and you know you can't because your trousers will be covered in dirt within ten minutes. Performance is really good; on clothes, it does not fade, and the sillage is quite powerful; it remains my most complimented perfume. My mother-in-law bought it a few years ago, which is the reason I stopped wearing it. I don't know how people perceive themselves, but living in Paris, when I wore it, a lot of people would say that their boss bathed in Bois d'Argent and that it smelled everywhere they went. Now, the comparison with Bois d'Iris from Van Cleef—the first sniff is in favor of Bois d'Iris, I won't lie. It's a bit more salty and earthy in a way, but it's a matter of taste. Bois d'iris is really less round than Bois d'argent, and it's also more linear. And, sadly, Bois d'Iris has really poor performance, so you don't get the incredible scent that lingers on your skin and clothes and makes all of your belongings smell faintly of Bois d'Argent, which is a real shame. But they are quite similar but do not give the same vibe, which is interesting. This is a signature scent : enveloping, recognizable (maybe a little bit too much), and so pleasant. People that say that it smells like their grandma: good for you, your grandma smells divine, and yes, it could easily be a rich old person scent, that's part of its charm. I'm going to try the new one soon, as my bottle is from 2015 and I would like to know if everyone is right about the changes. Edit : I did smell the new one and the people were not lying. The amber si so strong that it spoils the balance of the original, what a glow down, but I bet they have to sell the 435€ version that does smell good.

I owned the original Bois d'Argent and currently own this one, and really, any differences are minor enough that you'll get over them after the first wearing or two. In fact, unless you own both and spray them side by side while wearing them, it really shouldn't matter at all--they're very similar and there's no sense in getting hung up on perceived minor differences between this one and the first edition. You'll be able to enjoy the current version just as much. And here's the good news: The version that's available now actually has better projection and longevity. I would say the main difference between the OG and version 2.0 is that the second one comes out of the gate a bit stronger, with more intensity and further reach. The older Bd'A was tricky that way; it could seem a bit on the weak side sometimes, especially in the opening, only to become stronger later on. If there is any significant difference between the two, I guess it would be that this one is more linear in terms of its strength and projection. It's fairly strong from start to finish. If I use about 3 sprays, maybe 4, I'm definitely good for the day, and there may even be times during that day when I feel it's a bit too strong. So depending on how you like your fragrances, you could even go 2 sprays with this and do okay, it's just a matter of preference. As for the smell, it's still the same good old powdered-honey blended with a woody iris and pleasantly cloudy-resinous finish. It remains unisex leaning masculine and is a wonderful choice for all seasons excluding summer. If you already enjoy Dior Homme or fragrances of that ilk (powdery, iris-based, 'non-typical' masculines), then chances are you'll like this as well. As it adds honey to the mix, perhaps Bois d'Argent has a little bit more of a casual, playful feel than Dior Homme, but that's not to say that it wouldn't work in more formal situations either. Overall, this is a very enjoyable, unique addition to the Dior Privee line up and one that is well-worth sampling. I can't get enough of it, personally. Final rating, 9/10.

This reminds me so much of my father. He used to wear Jovan Musk and as a child, I remember curling up in the sink on the bathroom vanity to watch him shave. When he was done shaving, he would pat Jovan Musk on his chubby cheeks and suck his teeth pretending it stung. This always made me giggle. He would put a dab of cologne behind my ears before scooting me off so he could finish getting ready. To me, this smells like a super-luxe version of Jovan Musk. Creamy musk and powdery iris mixed with fresh wood shavings, pine sap, root beer, and indistinguishable fuzzy notes in the background. This is so well blended that it is extremely difficult to pinpoint particular notes, instead this fragrance has a distinct feel. I truly believe this was designed to tell a story or to impart a memory or feeling. While it makes reviews tricky, a sign of a well-calibrated fragrance is one whose notes are difficult to point out. We usually can't tell what notes we hear in the cord of a song unless one is off. The story this perfume has for me is a walk through the forest on a crisp fall day. You wade through a fresh layer of crisp golden leaves and dried out pine needles. Underneath the dry brush, the earth's rich soil smells cold, wet, slightly musky, and vegetal. Bois D'Argent roughly translates to silver woods, but all I see and feel when I wear this is a butterscotch golden warmth that envelopes me. This perfume hovers above the skin and is simultaneously wet and dry, cool and warm, and sticky yet powdery. This creates a dense cloud around you, like pig-pen from Peanuts.

The prominent notes I get are Iris and Wood. To just say wood is quite general but the woodsy notes in here are unique and imho extremely well done in that they smell natural, dry and quite woody. Almost goes to a sandalwood but not quite. I see the reviews below and I can see where they are coming from, I recently had a small decant I got from a reputable seller on ebay and I swear I smelt fish when I put my nose to the little plastic sprayer. However, now that I own a 450 ml bottle of this juice, I never have experienced that fishy smell. Also worth mentioning is that there seems to be no batch variation in this one, I have a fresh batch and very happy with it. This is one of the all-time most unique and well-done fragrances imo. It smells like something you just couldn't do with cheap ingredients. I think this is in my top 10 if not top 5 because I really enjoy it. I swear I have noticed people following me at the grocery store and the other day I had this couple take a deep breathe of air when they approached me, they seemed to like it white a bit. I have been thinking of a way to rate fragrances and I just do not want to do it, you may love what I hate. All I want to report is when I get from it... so let me try this. For me this fragrance is: Extremely Unique It projects well on my skin Longevity is excellent for me and the scent is something you need to learn to rock I enjoy this one a lot and I am happy to have it in my collection for a longtime.