No.12 Bousval

Ive been looking for a fragrance that would work well in all seasons, one that is unisex, and one that smells skin-like and effortless. I was recommended this fragrance two days ago by a Sephora employee and I sprayed it on my wrist to see how it wore for the day. During my time trying it out, I couldn't help but continue to reach for my wrist to smell it. It's effortlessly beautiful, slightly mysterious, naturally alluring, and has the slight masculine edge that I was looking for. I just bought the fragrance today at Sephora and told the employee how much I loved it when I was trying it on. The opening of this scent is sharp and a little harder to work with but it blends into a softer crispiness with slight fresh powder and an overall expensive and spa-like scent. I feel classy when I wear it. I'm used to wearing scents that are a little bold and controversial (I'm talking Angel by Mugler), this scent might not be everyone's favorite but there is something familiar and comforting about it, too.

The opening of No. 12 Bousval strikes me as herbaceous with a mild yet persistent citrus accord. I expected the cardamom to register as spicy from the get-go, but instead it settles nicely to blend with the herbal emanation to beautiful effect. The oakmoss and heliotrope seem to balance well here, which is remarkable because each can be overwhelming at times in other fragrances, to my nose. The woody resin presence emerged for me in about two hours, and I expected the top notes to fly away, but instead, the herb/citrus/wood/resin all seemed faintly present throughout its duration. For me this is unisex, but it may skew too masculine for devotees of a fruity floral. A subtle but persistent presence for me for 16+ hours. It's a gorgeous fragrance that I will wear on days when I crave something beautiful without bombast.

J'ADORE THIS HOUSE!!!!!!! I first discovered this house in 2020. I purchased No. 4 as my travel scent for my 40th birthday trip to Africa. A few years later I bought No.12 perfume oil for my trip to Australia earlier this year and I love it so much. It is a citrus / amber perfection of a blend. I mixed this with TF Solei Blanc and they really complement each other very well. It takes me from vacation mode to eternal holiday in a resort, a beach, a country club, or cobble stone street in a historical neighborhood in some riviera. I live my travel fantasy when I combine these two tonics. I am reading some of the reviews below regarding the dry down and longevity, but this oil mixed with my body chemistry keeps my flame burning. I will repurchase this again, and again, and again...... FOLLOW ME ON IG @MoctezumaC

This is so not what I typically go for but somehow I ended up with a sample in my Sephora order, and wow. I went through the sample in 2 days and now have a full bottle of the perfume oil. Everyone needs a "zen" scent in their collection - the palate cleanser for the days that you just want to smell clean and natural. It's like a refined essential oil, aromatic enough to smell earthy but still soapy. It smells to me like a high-end spa. The performance is great and tends to get stronger throughout the day (with body heat as it's an oil). It reminds me of Jo Malone's Grapefruit a bit with the clean citrus vibes that I get from it. It also works really well alone, but layers amazingly with Le Labo's Rose 31 or Diptyque Eau Capitale. Beautiful.

The first time I sprayed this, I also watched A Star is Born 1976 for the first time the same night. Now every time I smell it, all I can think about is a sexy, rugged, shirtless Kris Kristofferson. Not a bad memory to have... Regardless of this preconception, I believe that this is a very unisex, slightly more masc scent. Strong citrus in the opening that mellows down to calming eucalyptus and musk, some of the citrus sticks around. I agree that it smells like shampoo/conditioner you would find in an upscale hotel or spa. It doesn't project much but when it comes to this scent that's perfect for me, it's like my little hidden secret :)

I love this scent. It's so well balanced, fresh, clean, and I love the oakmoss and citrus combination. On the drydown, when the oakmoss came out, it reminded me of Mitsouko for a while, only the 100x milder version. Being a huge Mitsouko fan who can rarely find an excuse to wear such a strong preference, this is the perfect office-safe solution. Longevity isn't that long, 2-4 hours at most, but that's fine, and that's exactly what I want from it. Amazing price point for the complexity of fragrance.

I love this perfume so much, especially as a perfume oil rollerball. It's a lovely everyday fragrance with an intimate sillage and decent longevity that remains understated, but works well layered with other scents. I like to layer it with more synthetic/deeper scents like Lipstick Fever by Juliette has a Gun, as I find the juxtaposition of the fresh and natural notes of Bousval with a more "nighttime" scent adds a complexity I quite like. My every day scent for the last two years.

Very aromatic overall. Green and a bit bitter. A good one to have on in high heat. Refreshing and herbal. Definitely clean vibe. Wears very close to the skin. Almost smells like a high end spa or country club in the dry down. Very pleasant especially in the dry down. The opening is a bit sharp but it softens on the skin and becomes more rounded. I like to wear it to workout.. just for me to smell.. smells much nicer as it warms up on the skin.

I was looking for a signature scent that was unisex and “cool” smelling. Was using Myth by Ellis Brooklyn before, if that gives you any idea what “good” is in my mind. This is my new go to! Woodsy, citrusy, hints of florals. If you’ve smelled Grass by Demeter, it’s ever so vaguely similar. Also, the perfume oil has good wear fyi i know the reviews say it’s weak but that has just not been my experience. :)

Writing about the perfume oil - I love this, it's refreshing and comforting, other reviews talking about it being like a calming spa are spot on. I've worn it to sleep as well and love getting whiffs of it from my pillow. I found it very soothing for when I had bad period cramps, because of the eucalyptus and ginger lily combo!

I love the rollerball oil perfume on a super-hot summer day layered over a bracing citrus-- usually Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Sicilia or Guerlain Acqua Allegoria Bergamote Calabria. There is something about the warm woody spiciness over the brisk, slightly bitter citrus that cuts perfectly through the NYC heat and humidity.

I love this scent. I don't really know how to describe it- it's like how I would want the complimentary shampoo and conditioner at a fancy hotel to smell. Fresh, a little green, herbal maybe? It's lovely.

an expensive spa, this is the sauna and the scent in the waiting room as well. relaxing and comforting, yet energetic

Smells like a spa and very relaxing.

she's like the mother of no.09

I pulled out my travel size of the EDP today to reacquaint myself. I'd completely forgotten why I like this. It's truly elegant, but definitely unisex, and masculine-leaning in my opinion. I can appreciate why someone would like the brisk, almost herbal quality of Bousval in warmer months, to cut through the thick air, but I find it to be potent, so I save it for cold weather. In the fall and through the holidays I love sweet, spicy and cozy fragrances, but once I start packing away the holiday decorations, cleaning/organizing, and swearing off alcohol and sugar for at least 30 days, I want a different scent profile from my fragrance. I guess that's why I decided to bring this one out of its unintended retirement. There is a bitterness to it upon first spray. It's a no nonsense kind of freshness, like a bar of hand milled French soap. The dry down is definitely better for me (more musky and comforting), but I find that if I spray it on my clothes it doesn't make that transformation, so I would recommend spraying on skin. I would not say that this is an everyday fragrance for me, but it is undeniably classy, so I will always want to reach for it from time to time.

Woody, fresh, and bar-soap-esque. Elegantly naturalistic. The smooth warmth of the woody accord creates a very natural feeling base to support the crisp, soapy, aromatic heart notes. There's something a bit 'summer camp' about this fragrance to me. Like cabin logs, sun-warm skin, summer fields, grass stains, and messily braided hair that still smells like shampoo when you finally take the braids out days later. This isn't the kind of fragrance I generally gravitate to, but I can't help but appreciate the brand's commitment to idyllic, picturesque naturalism.

This scent is great, but comes out very differently on my skin than as described by the other commenters. I get a lot of cardamom and petitgrain layered on top of a strong myrrh and cedar base. The musk and amber definitely add a good amount of warmth and creaminess to the scent as well. However I'm not smelling any citrus at all and the florals are really nonexistent. This is totally fine by me because I really enjoy these kinds of scents, but it does smell totally different on me than it does on paper.

Sharp fresh spicy opening, remains aromatic throughout. Vetiver is the most prominent, along with the bergamot and amber. This is super sexy and the most masculine leaning fragrance from this house in my opinion. Mossy greens, spicy aromatics, and ambery woods is the best way to describe this fragrance. The eucalyptus and citrus create a spa-like quality that's perfect for after a shower. I've only tried the sample paper so I'm not sure if I love this on me or would prefer it on others.

To me, this is an expensive spa and very invigorating. At first it's atmospheric, with some woodiness and orange, but after 1-2 hours, those notes disappear and the eucalyptus becomes the star with some light florals in the background. I LOVE eucalyptus, so I wish the entire perfume just smelled like the middle, but I'm happy with what I got. It's definitely intimate and unisex, and I got it for $75 CAD during a sale, but I wouldn't buy it at full price.