No.04 Bois de Balincourt

I used up my bottle + fragrance oil version of this six months ago. Love to layer them together for an extra boost of longevity. This will be a repurchase for me this week with Sephora VIB sale. This smells almost identical to Santal 33, minus the heavy leather note. The leathery aspect of 33 is what deterred me from purchasing, its just too masculine on my skin. However, Bois de Balicourt blends sandalwood + cedar so naturally with the beautiful, creamy nutmeg/cinnamon/amber dry down. It's absolutely beautiful in fall and winter, which are the only seasons I wear this. I actually prefer the scent of the perfume oil of No 4 because its more creamy in the drydown. The perfume spray is a little more sharp, but paired/ layered together is a great composition + gives extra projection and longer wear time. I highly recommend purchasing both (spray and oil versions of this scent) and layering. If you're a male, I'd recommend Santal 33 over this, because the leather in S33 comes through masculine and very sexy . I don't get the pickle smell or pencil shavings everyone keeps mentioning. If they do, then I'm a sexy pickle come this fall and winter!

Imagine a walk through a sundappled forest, where the air is thick with the scent of aged wood and the whisper of distant memories. No.04 Bois de Balincourt by Maison Louis Marie is a fragrance that transports you to that sacred place an olfactory voyage that feels like slipping into a wellworn leather-bound journal of moments long past. It’s a scent that wraps itself around you like a favorite sweater, familiar and comforting, yet imbued with a quiet elegance that no dupe can ever hope to replicate. This is more than perfum it is a trip down memory lane, a reverie of sun-warmed cedar and earthy spice that stirs the soul and awakens the senses. Each note is a carefully guarded secret, a whisper of the past that lingers in the present, impossible to counterfeit or reproduce. Bois de Balincourt is a rare gem an authentic journey into nostalgia, forever etched in the heart, and forever beyond the reach of imitation. It seems other fragrance houses attempt to replicate for example sand and fog. Which smells cheap. No.4. Only please

I initially went into buying this as a Santal 33 "dupe" but I discovered its beauty on its own merit. As someone who has always wanted to get into Le Labo fragrances, I could never get into Santal 33 no matter how much I've tried. I have been cursed with the misfortune of smelling the notes of dill pickles which I hate as a food and smell. So after searching for similar woody-like fragrances, this one came up on my feed and I had to try it. After smelling it at Sephora and testing it on my skin, it gave me the memory of when I went hiking in Portland, Maine with the tall cedar trees by the lake. The wood notes in this scent are not over powering and give an almost airy quality to it unlike other wood centric fragrances. This fragrance just screams "chic" to me, even if the word may be played out when describing anything artful. No. 04 has the Le Labo design language while being more than just a simple dupe of Santal 33, but great on its own merit with fantastic woody accords.

This has been my favourite fragrance of the past few months. It’s fresh and warm simultaneously. On the colder days this fall I have been layering it with my Ganesha’s Garden sandalwood solid perfume to enhance the sandal and warmth. I have a preference for lighter fragrance, so I enjoy the mild sillage of this one. I spray heavier than I normally would—about 5 or 6 sprays. I always assume the longevity is not great as I cannot smell it by the end of the day. Yet, more often than not, I can smell it on my clothing the following day. If you prefer more natural smelling perfumes with spice/green/woods definitely give this one a try. I am very much looking forward to trying this in the spring. Unisex, and does not lean in either direction in my opinion. I have not tried Santal 33 so cannot say if it is similar. Work safe, but different than the sweet and aquatic options. Update: In spring this has a lovely cucumber-ish vibe. It is a love—signature worthy

This is a beautiful fragrance . It opens so heavily with the cedar and sandalwood that I couldn’t believe that it would transform into something so clean, soft, and elegant! As it dries down the cedar disappears but the creaminess of the sandalwood stays around and blends so well with the nutmeg, cinnamon and amberwood . It is slightly spicy and well refined . Eventually it becomes clean, powdery and slightly sweet . The opening is on the masculine side but this one is definitely a unisex fragrance . In my opinion this is better than santal 33 because it is softer and not as loud making it more wearable. I live in NY and so many people wear Santal 33 including my niece so it’s good to find a fragrance that is as good but different. I showed my niece this one and she loves it . Santal 33 does perform better and I like it but this is more for me .