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!

Why I love librarians from now on.... BDA is a perfume so peculiar I have never encountered before. No monster sillage, in a positive way very subdued, it is understatement to the core ! It is a woody-aromatic scent, named after "Armenian wood" which is paper drenched in benzoine, to be used as incense for rooms. BDA is a paper perfume. The first impression is wet paper with malt. Interesting ! Paper has a very specific scent which I absolutely love. BDA is a library. A large room full of ancient, valuable books with all their knowledge and stories collected for decades or even centuries. The comfort and the tranquility of such a library was perfectly captured in this fantastic scent. And as is usual in libraries things go very calmly. BDA starts off calmly, develops calmly, puts you at ease calmly. Very meditative and comforting. I began to feel "at home" when wearing it. Georgous ! A hint of camomile hits my nostrils but just a whiff of it. I love the smell of camomile but avoid drinking it whenever I can :-) Only a very mild sweet vanilla-like note, just enough to avoid dryness or even bitterness. BDA does not provoke, it soothes ! Why do I love librarians ? Because I reckon they should smell like BDA if they are surrounded by old paper the whole day long :-) At least in my fantasy which was nicely arroused by this drop-dead beautiful Guerlain scent !

Deep serious smoky camphorous bliss - thought this would be just another standard oud-ish affair, but it is somehow graver and more mysterious than that. It's not an absolute smoke-bomb with edgy borderline art-house niche pretensions (despite the premium price) - it's a Guerlain after all, so it is gentle and conventional enough to be not too out there. But it's definitely much more distinctive and heavyweight than most of the rest in their line. Soft, sweet, warm - I even thought there was some very grown-up spicy vanilla in there, but it may a trick of the benzoin - and completely sophisticated and seductive . Longevity is not everything I would desire in an ideal universe. Still truly unisex and utterly gorgeous - want want want. ETA: a kind Facebook friend did a split of a bottle of this with me. On further wearing it's even more lovely- and like other Guerlains in this line it's more complex and nuanced than you'll notice on a single wearing - you need time to truly appreciate its different facets. Performance can seem weak in some moments but this ebbs and surges - you can magically seem to lose it, then find it again a few minutes later. I may be a bit anosmic to some of it, so am rationing myself and not overspraying or wearing it too often - it's too precious to take lightly. So wonderful.

I was delighted to finally sample Guerlain Bois d'Armenie, a member of the L'Art et la Matiere collection, around the time I found out it had been discontinued. As advertised, it's a lovely, powdery, resinous, woody, and ever so slightly sweet fragrance, a mix of iris, mixed resins (frankincense, benzoin, copahu balm), guaiac, patchouli, and a couple of other small pieces. It starts off very powdery, the iris being front-and-center for the first 30-60 minutes but still the most prominent piece for hours thereafter, despite the growing influence (over time) of the resins. It's opulent and bold, a cold-weather-leaning perfume that feels inherently slightly feminine but surely unisex enough for all. As it's now discontinued, it's hard to put a value on it but even the still-standard $260 for 75ml pricing from this line seems consistent with the palpable quality and care put into the fragrance. The solitary caveat to my nose is that it remains powdery (mostly via the iris, assume) for a bit longer than I'd like--essentially throughout the long life of the fragrance, it's powdery, and I suppose I was hoping for that aspect to fade somewhat, but it's surely what makes it a bit feminine and alluring. I still love but might be content with a decant. 8 out of 10

This is the fragrance that started my fragrance journey, which i now deem over. Bumping into this made me forget all about gendered perfume, times and places, fads and hypes. I just fell in love with it. After running around the store for 3 hours (big dpt that sells multiple niche brands), getting to know by Killian, Memo, Armani Prive, and all sorts of palletes i have never had access to, i left with a picture on my phone: Bois D’Armenie. Something about it stuck, the paper texture, the sultry, the non-sugary sweetness of the balms. Now, coming full circle, i recognize a couple of things: i dont allign my values with LVMH, the performance is below shameful (2hrs as a skinscent), its not THAT remarkable now. But i still went and got it. For the sake of respect for the people that revolutionized perfumery in the west. For the sake of being grateful for what i have and for everything i have the privilege to discover. For my own sake. Heck, even for the sake of having an olfact and being alive in 2024. I have now collected enough fragrance to be sure that at least one bottle will outlive me, and this, alongside Myths by Amouage, is my last keep. Thank you, Fragrantica. Thank you Guerlain. 🤍

This is where I should probably say that this smells like...and while it might have some similarities, that isn't what I associate with Bois D'Armenie. This isn't complex, but it has a very mellow incense, spice, and woody composition that in the final dry-down seems like a combination of tonka bean and tobacco with a little suede mixed for good measure. It's comforting, it's lush, and feels quite posh on my nose from first spray through dry-down many hours later. And perhaps that is the interplay between the benzoin and other elements, or the softness of the iris -- if I attributed that to any one element, I'd simply be guessing. This is a difficult scent not to like. The vanillic outcome that some derive seems more to me a creamier tonka bean. Vanilla would seem sharper, where this is subtle and understated. In either case, the elements for me were harmonious, none trying too hard to outshine another. On my skin, the transition was so subtle that top to base notes just flowed effortlessly. This is what a perfume should be, not a sharp contrast from stage to stage. Gorgeous, silky, smoldering like an ember. Wearing it is a calming yet confident experience. Brilliant.

Unbelievably gorgeous cold vanilla scent! Opulent & divine! I am still a newbie on writing down perfume reviews but at my initial spray its a bright &fresh stunning ice cream vanilla~all-natural high quality vanilla, this must be the gorgeous trademark Guerlain vanilla that perfume connoisseurs mean when i read reviews~ naturally sweet and a bit fruity, abit dense & a touch powdery cold natural vanilla.Very expertly blended and so well-refined scent.A masterpiece indeed. I cant detect the incense at all. Initially I thought it would lean masculine but i would say its definitely a unisex leaning very feminine~so beautiful becoming more powdery and elevated from iris&pink pepper & benzoin. (Similar beautiful opening to Vanille planifolia extract 21 but to me and my body chemistry vanille planifolia became masculine middle to dry down.) I would say its an all-year round scent, day and night.Casual, office friendly, signature-worthy though expensive at that! A gorgeous and excellent choice for wedding scent as well. I guess the price point is well-matching this beautiful masterful art of a scent very aptly part of the L'art line.A For lifer indeed and 100/10

This is one of the most beautiful warm scents I've ever had under my nose. By beauty, I mean its charm. I have a few fragrances in my collection that I would call beautiful - Grand Soir, Blonde Amber, Outlands, Il Padrino, Crispy Porn... but I consider all of these to be vulgarly beautiful. They scream for attention. If I were to compare them to people - since I am a man and tend to choose the opposite gender - they would be women who are outwardly beautiful - pretty faces, slim, tall figures, styled hair, bold makeup, enhanced breasts and lips, and so on - aaaaaaall eyes on me. 👠💋👸💍💅💃👝💄👑 Bois d'Armenie, in my eyes, is beautiful in a different way - subtly. It doesn't shout for attention, but it's impossible to resist. In that analogy, it's like a stunning woman who is perfect in appearance but doesn't emphasize it because she's unaware of her own beauty. She is naturally beautiful, and her beauty emanates from within. 💝💝💝 I think that says everything. Once again, I’ll repeat - one of the most beautiful fragrances I’ve ever had the chance to smell. I have two full bottles.

bois d'armenie has impressed me due to the weirdest evolution on my skin. the most wonderful thing about bois d'armenie is beautifully balanced smokiness with powdery accords and a hint of vanilla. i am very much into incense/smokey perfumes (chergui, volutes, cdg incense series) and this gotta be one of the best balanced ones. it starts with a subtle blast of powdery woods, and then it becomes smokey vanilla. after a while, woodsy notes protrude once again, but then after an hour, a weird chemical trail similar to what jicky does to my skin (i know, and i am really sad this happens but it is very strong chemical smell) appears. bois d'armenie has amazing incensey drydown and that is probably the reason why i would buy it, but unfortunately, i don't think that overall it stands out enough so that i would invest in it. it does not deliver the punch and the personality that you'd expect from incense perfumes, but then again, not all incense perfumes should be overwhelming, right?

There’s a little bit of incense initially, a hint of iris, and a surprisingly sweet vanilla-woody note, and that’s about it. If it’s supposed to smell like benzoin then fine, I get it. I have a love-hate relationship with benzoin because I love the smell but the real material is an unpredictable bitch to work with, so I don’t necessarily want to be reminded of that resinous diva during my leisure time. Having said that, Bois d’Armenie actually goes well beyond benzoin to produce a cuddly-soft vanilla-iris scent that is almost suede-like. It keeps a low profile but is definitely present and doing its job, sort of like my favorite lightweight gray fleece hoodie that I wear when working. The fleece-y hoodie is the ultimate comfort garment on a cool morning, and the fragrance is the ultimate comfort scent. It’s one of those things that I like and would use often simply because it’s easy on the nose and makes no demands.

It's slightly smokey and camphorous in the beginning and warm, slightly powdery, a bit ambery, gently spicy, sweetish skin scent that envelopes the wearer in a cozy lightweight shawl. None of the notes are very distinctive but meld together into a super comforting very subtle layer. This layer is very close to the skin and does not really project much. However people close to you will notice a nice warm cozy scent it won't smell like "perfume" to them. I love the gentleness of this perfume and how veil like it is but some people might find it too gentle or feminine or doesn't last. Tip for those using the bulb atomizer bottles. You need to puff out at least ten times or more because the first five or six times it's mostly just air and not fragrance. The bulb atomizers do not spray much perfume like the more powerful and efficient pump sprays so many more pumps are required to dispense the same amount of perfume.

The amazing thing about Papier d’Armenie is the stark contrast between its scent before burning versus as it burns. I was expecting Bois d’Armenie to resemble the latter: heavy, smokey, and purifying frankincense and myrrh, reminiscent of Orthodox Church. Instead, it is nearly a dead ringer for the musky, powdery, vanilla, almost dusty iris scent of the ‘Papiers’ while they are neatly in their booklet. Not an unpleasant surprise! I get almost no woodiness, and it has no smoky incense notes, but it is so incredibly smooth and supple and comforting that I am lusting after a full bottle even though it is wildly expensive. It had a weak projection on me—I have to spray with gusto as I would a cologne—but it is so elegant. Also, confirming It has that special powdery ‘Guerlinade’ accord that folks have mentioned. Uzum em. . .

The first time I came across this, the frankincense start put me off as I was not then into incense... almost left it there but luckily I went back to it after a few minutes and the benzoin mid and dry down got me. I quickly appreciated this perfume for all its notes and love this so much. Any perfume with a good dose of benzoin I tend to love but this is special and for sure one of my favourite perfumes in colder months. I wish I had smelt earlier versions, as apparently more concentrated. I read somewhere that Guerlain produced l’art et la Matiere in response to Serge Lutens and other niche houses. Then in my humble opinion Guerlain’s is far superior (but my nose does not get along with Serge Lutens). Bois d’Armenie is maybe the best of this line, and it has plenty of competition.

No it’s a not a Guerlain thing, it’s Annick Menardo’s magic!!! This is the only thing that stands out to my nose from Guerlain’s private collection to date. It was a very rare instant purchase I made despite its crazy price tag. And I was literally jumping for joy the whole entire journey back home because of how divine it was on my skin. Bois D’Armenie, Bois D’Argent, and Gaiac 10 are my absolute forever all-time favourites that I’m willing to trade the rest of my collection for! I swear no one else but Annick Menardo could pull off this one-of-a-kind aesthetic: translucent, understated, low-key opulent, snuggly, ethereal, you name it, I’m lost for words! What a masterpiece! 10/10

a blast from fragrance heaven. although i have been a fan of the house of guerlain for years, i did not expect this stunning perfume. flowers(iris), spice,incense. luxury, comfort, style. this scent is very dependent on the body and the nose of the wearer. a bit more complex than what the notes suggest. there is the sugary vanilla hinted, caramel, chocolate and then the counterpoint of spice and incense. worth it if you can find it. a month later, 17july2020: after a full day with several "freshenings," i find the beauty is still there. however, the enjoyment seems rather immediate to the wearer. the rather powerful initial spray quiets down quickly to a delicious private scent.

When I was a little girl, I always cried at the fable "The Little Match Girl." I always thought she died because no one cared enough to buy matches from her or to let her into their warm, dry house. (now I know it is a warning against daydreaming) Bois D'Armenie is my warm, dry house. When I wear it I feel enveloped in the deepest comfort; a soft, crackling fire that will never go out (indeed, longevity is over 12 hours) To me this is one of the most perfect oriental woodies, and I've now sniffed a lot of them in hopes to find one as good as BdA. This is just sensuous. When I first tried it I couldn't stop daydreaming about it, and this is the perfume I ever bought. Love it.