Bois Bélize Intense

Testing it the third time, it is obviously full bottle worthy. I would say that on my skin this is the Perfume, with a capital P. Because of the name I was expecting something smokey woody unisex but it ends up being a fantastic rose. Beautiful how the creamy osmanthus is immediately gives a full bodied opening and then the rose is coming in full bloom along with some amazing fresh tea and clove scent. I realized that I want something like this when I am talking about floral scents. Bois Belize should be much more popular, maybe the timing was not right, when it came out. It is a sophisticated niche sensation that does not scream money, just very good taste. I love love love it. Edit: its March, I purchased a full bottle in February and can’t get enough. I am wearing it all day everyday and am really happy with it.

Patricia de Nicolai has this uncanny ability with her compositions to lend a certain translucency while at the same time constructing a fully fleshed out "body," substantial and voluminous. In Bois Belize Intense, the elements are lucid: a dew-dappled rose imbued with fresh cardamom pods, osmanthus tea, green mate leaf, all anchored in a vaguely smoky and unctuous guaiacwood. Another review commented that it is "pretty and light." However, there are far more diaphanous wisps in the world of perfumery. This watercolor lightness doesn't escape the skin rapidly into an ether; it holds tight to the immediate surroundings, with a haunting sillage (among my favorite types of sillage). It takes a skill to accomplish this atmosphere, and Nicolai displays it with aplomb.

Lovely scent and not quite what I expected. The tea note from the mate is for me front and centre throughout. In fact I spent some time around two years ago looking for a tea scent that performed well enough to warrant a purchase but eventually gave up. While all the notes play their part the tea scent is centre stage from start to finish. Performance is very good still clearly detectable on my as I type 10 hours after application. Non offensive, and office friendly a nice office work horse for Spring and Autumn.

My most worn as of late - quite quickly has become one of my absolute favourites. Very classical perfumery with clearly defined top-middle-base stages - bergamot and spices in the opening, smoky guaiac wood and tea in the mid stage, moss and patchouli in the final stage, with a prominent rose note threaded through the whole thing. really gorgeous. Similarities to Chanel Paris-Paris, Diptyque Eau Capitale and Malle Potrait of a Lady (much more the first two though).

I wore this today, on an unusually warm and foggy late-December day in New York, and this beauty just opened up! It starts with tea and spices and then develops -- on my skin at least -- into a kind of rose-tinged chypre that is somehow both stimulating and calming. I sometimes get bored with fragrances that overstay their welcome, but I'm happy to have this one stick around for the whole day. Another stunner from a masterful perfumer.