Bois d'Armenie

Sublimity. I can't properly express how I feel about this fragrance, but from the first moment I sprayed it, I've been utterly smitten. It has quickly become one of my all time favorite fragrances. In my eyes, it's pretty much perfect. It's difficult to describe how this smells. You can look at the note breakdown, but it's not really going to help you. This is a master class of blending. Yes, the dominant note is benzoin, and I'm sure there is some iris, guiac wood, and incense in there somewhere. But when I wear Bois d'Armenie, I can't dissect it the way that I can with other fragrances. This isn't about that. It's about giving you an experience, creating an atmosphere, a mood, a feeling. This doesn't fit at all into the tiresome trend of fragrances being about exactly what's on the tin. This isn't some "Santal 33" or "Vanilla Oud" or "Orange and Musk"; in that regard, Bois d'Armenie even sets itself apart from the rest of the L'Art et la Matiere series. Thank god they didn't call it "Benzoin Encens" or something silly like that. The name itself sparks the imagination: Bois d'Armenie, Armenian Wood (it sounds a lot better in French of course). In ye olden days, you had names like "Opium", "Samsara", "Egoiste", "Shalimar", "Fahrenheit", names that were meant to evoke an idea, rather than simply describe the ingredients in the bottle. Can we go back to that, please? Do we really need more ugly fragrance names like "Wood and Spice" or "Oud & Santal"? Anyway, let me get off my soapbox. I'm here to wax lyrical about my beloved BdA. This is a gilded fragrance that conjures up a crepuscular, autumnal atmosphere. It reminds me of brocaded silk, a beautiful city built of stone, the rasping of dead leaves on cobbles, the cold breath of the wind, that particular way in which the autumn light falls at a slant that illuminates everything more richly, as if it had been passed through amber. There is great beauty here, but it is faded beauty, lost beauty. It's like an old, early color picture of a party. The opening is like being there, feeling totally present, smelling the beautiful people in expensive clothes, seeing the candlelight refracted through the crystal champagne flutes, feeling the serotinal chill slowly being warded off by a roaring fire. There is something liqueur-like in the opening, almost akin to the boozy vanilla note in Spiriteuse Double Vanille or Tonka Imperiale. But as the fragrances dries, the richness and slight booziness of the opening fades. The characteristic Guerlain dustiness begins to take over, powdery incense and resins and patchouli and woods, a wisp of smoke from a burning leaf of papier d'Armenie which is slowly but surely burning away to ashes. The color has been drained to sepia, the fire has died, the wine's all been drunk, the candles blown out by the wind. All that remains is the room which has absorbed the reverie, retains the perfumes of the ladies, the smoke of the fire and the extinguished cigars, the spilt brandy, the baking sweets. And through the window the city lights blink out one by one. This is a masterpiece, one of the best in a house full of greats. The quality, blending, and performance are all superb (though this is not a beast). It is expensive, but totally worth it. Memoirs of a Trespasser doesn't even come close. But this is a very personal fragrance for me. It might not be for everyone. Try before you buy, for sure. Then join the cult, like I did. 10/10

Guerlain, how could you?! :*( Whelp, I've held off on reviewing this masterpiece for far too long, it seems. I've never really felt comfortable reviewing it because I love it too much, but apparently my signature fragrance has been discontinued. And I'm heartbroken. I never would have thought Guerlain would get rid of this one. I have sampled so many Guerlains over the past couple of decades, owning and loving quite a few as it's my favorite house. Bois d'Armenie is one of the most artistically interesting-yet-wearable, pleasurable scents of all time, in my opinion. You name it, and Bois d'Armenie is the answer. It fits ALL the moods and styles, like a well-made, cozy-yet-classic sweater that transcends time and trends, able to be both sophisticated and bohemian all at once. This is the definition of a fragrance that you wear and doesn't wear you. I'm not interested in creating a loud, massive scent bubble around me, and Bois d'Armenie delivers exactly what I want most days. Sensitive to most fragrances, especially astringent fake woods and musks, artificial flowers, and cloying sweetness? Somehow Bois d'Armenie works despite the notes and the subtle sweetness from the benzoin. Even those who might be scared off by the listed incense, pepper, Guaiac, and patchouli notes might be surprised by how much they enjoy it, it's just that well-blended and soft. Matter of fact, I've never really thought of it as a patchouli fragrance at all, although I know it's there. And I have the original Menardo formulation in the tall rectangular bottle, too, which is earthier, richer, and stronger than the now discontinued reformulation, both of which I love. What seems like it could be too warm, dusty, and heavy during the hotter months somehow manages to not be heavy at all. It's magic! Bois d'Armenie is incense without being overwhelming or too smokey like the lighting of actual incense or its namesake, Papiers d'Armenie, can be. There's nothing jarring, suffocating, or disturbing. It's my academic fragrance, setting the mood for a solid research session in a lamplit room full of oversized tables and stacks of books, catching whiffs of Bois d'Armenie making me smile yet not being too distracting from my work, simultaneously relaxing me and energizing the thinking part of my brain with its smartypants magic dust. Gah, what am I going to do when my back up bottle is gone?! I realize I'm getting a little emotional here... Side note: Diptyque's Benjoin Boheme and Prada Candy are certainly benzoin fragrances, but they fall flat in comparison to Bois d'Armenie. I don't consider them dupes at all or even mediocre replacements. No magic in those two at all. Also, I agree with others that Patchouli Paris is a very poor substitute for Bois d'Armenie in the Matiere line up. Total disappointment. : (

It’s currently my signature. Well refined ingredients reflected by smells. Well rounded balanced scent. It’s a complex one, but everyone loves it. A lot of complements. Personally I love the blend with my skin. I applied on clothes from time to time and even after 7 days, still can smell and perceive the base notes. Sweet smoky on the opening. Good opening dominates by the Pink Pepper and the Irish, after a couple of minutes the pink pepper starts lowering levels and the Incense starts truly showing. Love the opening! After 2-4 hours the spicy side of the Parfum starts lowering their levels and start another phase of notes. More comfy, warm, low-sweet notes starts coming from it while the top notes starts blending with the middles ones changing position, now middle notes starts blending and composing. For the last stage around 4 to 6 hours it’s when in my opinion the Parfam stabilized and settle down, my favorite part of the whole stages. This stage is like been resting in an expensive sophisticated soft but comfy and warm brown leather expensive couch with a nice blanket taking cocoa. A complex one but truly a big master piece from Guerlain L'ART & LA MATIÈRE amazing creation from Annick Menards / Thierry Wasser. Beautiful bottle, simple but elegant by Pochet du Courva. INGREDIENTS used listed by Guerlain: • ALCOHOL • PARFUM (FRAGRANCE) • AQUA (WATER) • BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE • COUMARIN • BENZYL BENZOATE • HYDROXYCITRONELLAL • LIMONENE • CITRONELLOL • GERANIOL • ISOEUGENOL • LINALOOL • BENZYL CINNAMATE • BENZYL ALCOHOL • EUGENOL • CI 14700 (RED 4) • CI 19140 (YELLOW 5) • CI 42090 (BLUE 1)

@Vikkinca I ordered samples of Guerlain look-alikes just to test against my samples received a while ago from Guerlain boutique in Bucharest. I have some experience with copies/clones (of designer houses) so I am less interested about that universe, but some people reworking Guerlain ‘exclusives’ appeared awkward to say the least...So Dark as Wood vs. Bois d’Armenie: up close, Dark as Wood is a pungent, greenish liquid, the more I smell it the more it creates discomfort to the extent that I feel like I am sitting in an intensive care unit. But this was the aftermath; after having sprayed from each, the repulsive head-notes disappeared after a few minutes and I got close to the benzoin-slightly incensed ‘woods’ of the original - although as if I had spilled onto my arm also some alcoholic beverage opened a long time ago. Was it an overdose intended for patchouli kicking in sooner? Doesn’t really matter, after 15 minutes I am still there, no hospital luckily. The copy lacks the depth and power of the original (I guess the balm and musks do make a difference), so for me it’s a rather generic and a bit dated amber-vanilla which becomes skin-scent in an hour or so. To be fair, Bois d’Armenie is little more than skin scent and conjures also a sharper image/stronger sensation in the long drydown. But ultimately Dark as Wood has been useful as it did capture Bois d’Armenie so that I am fed up with both...(strangely enough, Pepper so Spicy vs. Epices Volées was a smoother experience though even my 11-year old daughter could tell them apart).

I had a bit of an epiphany with this one, and I feel a bit stupid that it hadn't occurred to me earlier. Just by the name I was expecting dry wood, with a possible heavy dose of incense reminiscent of Orthodox liturgy. When that wasn't what met my nose I dismissed it, and snobbishly stuffed the sample I'd been given to the side. A few months later I revisited it, and felt like such an idiot for being so cavalier in my adjournment. ...and the light bulb finally came on: when it comes to the more artistic side of the House, Guerlain will always be Guerlain. It doesn't matter which perfumer's talents they call upon, or what raw material they aim to feature, there will always be a sensibility which makes their fragrances distinctly their own. It was foolish of me to expect this to smell like sooty opoponax scraped off of a crumbling fresco with a sandalwood crozier! Bois d'Armenie carries the feel of a souvenir brought back from the Caucasus, twirled lovingly in the fingers of the traveller until it takes on the essence of its owner. The oil from the fingers absorbing into the wood, and in turn the heat of the body coaxing the wood's resins forth. This is effortlessly rich, warm, and deeply comforting. I get decent longevity out of this, but on my partner it tirelessly blooms for a solid 12 hours. If your skin (or the skin of someone around you) is compatible enough with this to allow it that kind of longevity, dear Lord but you're in for a treat!