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 .

This is the first perfume of this brand I have tried from a lovely sample kit I was given last year. I really like it. From the notes listed I was expecting something heavier and more woody but this is a very ethereal scent. It's very reminiscent of Le Labo's Santal 33 but I like this one better. Not sure why, but it feels lighter and more fun. I could see myself wearing this when I wanted to smell happy and vivacious. For some reason I get sunshine, space and light with this perfume. It is perfect for a sunny spring or summer's day when something floral or aquatic just doesn't seem right. Silage is great - you get very gorgeous whiffs of the perfume from time to time and it seems to last well. A fabulous intro to the company and I'm now very intrigued to try the rest of the perfumes.

I stumbled across this hidden gem at Sephora in Chicago over the weekend.. sprayed 1 spray on back of my hand to test longevity and went back a day later to buy. If this juice was in Le Labo Santal 33 bottle I wouldn’t know any difference if I hadn’t smelled them side by side, so it’s not unique. However, for the price I would rather have this. The main reason I bought this though is that one spray survived a night of dancing, multipl hand washings and I could still smell it on my hand after the shower the next day... beast mode ON ME. Honestly, I like this better than santal 33 because LLS33 makes me a little nauseous after awhile and this one doesn’t.. great fragrance and supreme quality niche

either my nose is lying to me or i don't know what sandalwood smells like. i reallyyy don't get the woody scent from bois de balincourt. i feel that its more green and a bit floral to me.. A round fruity scent, not citrusy. It smells like melons, thats what i was thinking abt. Reminds me of walking down a forest trail where lots of blackberry bushes and flowers are. Maybe my perception is off but i love it, other people can smell my sandalwood for all i care. update: my brother says its smells like wood damn... specifically chocolate, wood, and some herbs. i specifically asked if it smelled sweet and he said no T T

Such a compliment getting amazing fragrance of creamy sandalwood- so well composed and easy to wear - I’m wearing a full 4 spray down today - it’s a scent that just won’t disappear. Great projection but not intrusive , you will just get compliments as nobody really smells like this. I love niche perfumery : and I believe it’s better than santal 33 . Only $87 for 50ml. Yassss please . More masculine than femm, but that’s all personal, and I would rate it at 6 on that scale leaning masculine. Scent 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Projection 6 Quality 9/10 Suggested to sample / yes Smelled it before / yes

I recently bought the 10mL EDP of this fragrance and am expecting to repurchase in a larger size. In my humble opinion this is the most delicious scent I’ve ever encountered. Intoxicating wood w/ a powdery aura... If I went on a first date with someone who was wearing this, I would undoubtedly lick it off them. HOWEVER this one recieved mixed reviews from my friends. Some worship it while others say it smells of pure dill. My best friend’s only comment was that it reminded him of his father’s homemade pickles. Regardless I think it’s sex in a bottle, so I will continue to wear it!

As this has been divided from the oils, I'm copying and pasting my review from the other: Wonderful scent. I've never smelled Santal 33, so I can't compare. But this scent is phenomenal. Clean woody, and slightly spicy. I get no pickle vibe on me at all... Just a cedar sandalwood and nutmeg goodness. Close to Commodity Book...but it doesn't have the cucumber note that Book has, but has a bit more nutmeg and a "starchy" smell, a bit like someone mixed in oats. My local sephora had this... Definitely worth a try if you like woody scents. Unisex, leaning slightly masculine

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! Giving me Santal 33 vibes but much more sweeter and punchier. This scent lasted on me all day. I purchased it for my trip to South Africa and Zambia in 2020 right before the pandemic and people did not know what was hitting their nose. It has a lot of projection so did not wear it on my safari drives as it would have most likely kept the wildlife away. But during my city / beach excursions it was delightful. I will purchase this again. If you are smelling pickles you are part of the wrong community....BYE GIRL! FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @MoctezumaC

My first fragrance obsession. A cedar forest, ground nutmeg, aromatic herbaceous vetiver, rich and sexy amberwood that lingers for a long while. This is one of my first real perfumes, it carries so many sweet memories and I still wear it to this day. I fell in love with the grounded earthy profile, it invokes a warm and comforting feeling. I wore this while running around Belgium and Amsterdam, I used it to hide the weed smell from my parents haha. I will love this fragrance forever and idk what anyone else says, I will go to bat for my girl No. 04

have a sample of the oil and liked it so much that i purchased a travel spray edp. layering the oil and edp in the afternoon, i was still able to catch whiffs the next morning. the edp alone lasts most of a work day. i do get a slightly sour sharpness in the opening (more noticeable when layering with the oil) but it quickly mellows into woody warm goodness, and stays there for the rest of its wear time! i plan on purchasing a full bottle at some point - this feels like a good cozy staple to have.

Lovely, fresh, and sparkling fragrance. Even though it’s listed as woody, it’s not as heavy, smelling as other woody fragrances that I’ve tried and smelled before. Usually those, on my skin, stay really close and don’t really project. This one projects quite nicely, and has a very sparkling and fresh quality to it. Aligned lover said that it’s supposed to smell like Santal by Tom Ford, but nice and sparkling. It certainly does do that. I was told by that I smell “fruity”.

I'm from Ontario Canada, and when I first sprayed this on a sample card I immediately yelped "This smells like a Beaver Lumber!" (A since closed hardware store from my childhood) Some time went by and I used it with CK2 to simulate rain in the forest and now I am seriously considering a full sized bottle because I have become very intrigued with anything woody or reminiscent of forests, especially anything that reminds me of cottage life and log cabins.

When I initially smelled this a few months ago I got a lot of herbal spiciness from the nutmeg and vetiver. It was pleasantly spicy, like a fancy cocktail, invigorating but also creamy. I got a bit of the pickle note mentioned in the comments and found the spiciness to be a little much to me. Now in cooler weather, I get a lot more soft sandalwood that warms and rounds out the spiciness. It's a perfect daytime cool weather scent, and I can't get enough!

My first love and what made me get into fragrance! Smells like crisp, fresh air in a forest. This is the definition of a unisex, wear-anytime scent. It's got a warmth that makes it perfect for winter & fall, and a sharpness that makes it just as suitable for spring & summer. If I don't want to think and I just want to smell amazing, I grab her. If I have one critique, it's that it's lacking in longevity. I'll have to try layering with the oil.

Luckily I don’t get the pickle note (I find some people pick up pickle with woods or coconut for some reason) This is a more delicate version of santal 33. The woodiness here isn’t harsh at all, it’s very cozy. The nutmeg and cinnamon are subtle and gives it a soft spiced sweetness (I wouldn’t consider this a sweet fragrance by any means though) It doesn’t smell synthetic at all and performs well (moderate fragrance not a beast)

Spicy sandalwood, the spice blend of the nutmeg and cinnamon makes it pleasant to smell, the cinnamon is not that prominent same about the amberwood, similar to Santal 33 by Le Labo but not a 100%. Santal 33 is more sweet and an aromatic blend, Bois de Balincourt is sweet, airy, the little smell you get from walking at the botanical garden during fall. Properly for colder months and even during the chill days of spring.