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doh370Bessinepome – :
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
montijoker – :
No collection should be without Bois d’Armenie. Make this a part of your life!
orbittegrinny – :
Resinous – woody – smoldering
Color impression: mohagony brown
A soft, literally soft, smoldering resinous with purest and most realistic features of benzoin that smells welcoming, warm, inviting and comfy as hell. It also pictures interior of a home several generations grew up in. Evokes past memories, the best of them.
★★★★
bicko.2011 – :
Deep serious smoky camphorous bliss – thought this would be just another 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 even though longevity is not everything I would desire in an ideal universe. Still truly unisex and utterly gorgeous – want want want.
Lapsus – :
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 acidic 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?
Caramel – :
this is very pretty. a benzoin-incense scent with hints of woods. so warm, inviting and comforting. i have a lot of other scents in a similar vein, so of course i love this. however, this just starts right off the bat with the soft, subtle comfort and warmth. some of the other scents go through stronger and/or harsher stages, but this one starts off soft and stays that way. i want to douse my scarf with this in winter!
kamin97 – :
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.
besarab7 – :
A warm veil that envelops you and keeps you in its soft arms for many long hours. Classy and elegant, something you wouldn’t want to wear with jeans.
dima199024 – :
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!
Мортас – :
The opening is benzoin-sweet, a little woody/smoky, and above all, powdery. After a little bit there is surprising, delightful, and sadly brief note that I assume is what Victoria of Bois de Jasmin described as, “The rubbery rose of guaiac wood.” Most of the life of the perfume to me is basically powdery vanilla, with a slightly plastic vibe around the two-hour mark. I am surprised that vanilla is not listed in the notes, frankly, and I guess I’m not the only one since, at this count, the word “vanilla” appears thirty times in the reviews below (not counting the four times it is used by the person who insists that it cannot possibly smell like vanilla because vanilla is not listed in the official notes).
Guerlain is a brand for which I have great respect and little personal affinity. I make an exception for Songe d’un Bois d’Ete, but it hardly matters since I can’t really afford it anyway. Nevertheless, I’m grateful to have tried this, since I think it has furthered my understanding of Guerlain perfumes generally and balsamic perfumes specifically.
marin_0 – :
Reminds me of Visit by Azzaro. Just realized they are made by the same parfumeur. Dry, woody and spicy aromatic. A touch sweeter than Visit and somewhat resinous.
Le_Roy – :
Meharees – year created unknown
Musc Ravageur – 2000 – Roucel
L de Lolita Lempicka – 2006 – Roucel
So Menardo took the clove out and does not have cinnamon or vanilla listed as notes. My nose gets big wafts of those notes sooo… I can’t say it’s all that original but it does smell great! I am testing from a vial and so far I have got 6 hours from it with average sillage. The spicy/smoky notes are spot on and divine but the price tag is insane. I am on my second bottle of Meharees and have a bottle of the Lolita. Do yourself a favor and test those before purchasing this.
kosmos2 – :
I bought this blindly. Tried and tried to love it, but I just can’t. It is so soft, so linear, it’s sweet but that’s about all that’s going on with it. Yes it smells like benzoin and iris…but it honestly smells like a very basic, stripped-down version of Shalimar Initial. I also own Shalimar Initial and think it’s the better, stronger, more interesting perfume.
Marapu4 – :
I love it so much! It is a toned down, elegant type of a sweet fragrance. The type that could be worn even in summer time. And I actually feel a chocolaty note in it but I guess it’s just my imagination running wild…
wzv522Unlogrere – :
very original
it recalls a burning piece of benzoin
the best part of the fragrance is the idea of hot smoke
great work, one of the three best pieces of l’art et la matiere
ReolorCok – :
Long before I got the chance to smell this one, I had fallen in love with the whole idea of it :
I love the evocative name (say it out loud, it’s gorgeous);
I love the inspiration behind the fragrance (I’ve been burning papier d’Armenie in my house for years);
I love the entire notes pyramid;
I love the elegant bottle;
I love Annick Menardo.
I just received a sample of Bois d’Armenie, and it kinda breaks my heart to discover that it’s not for me.
After a few minutes on the skin, there’s a sweetness there which I did not expect from the notes, and would have done without. But more surprisingly (to me), there’s an uncomfortable dryness to the whole thing, like dust burning underneath an electric radiator.
I wish I’d tried this before developing ridiculously high expectations, maybe I would have liked it more.
7/10
misho63 – :
This is my most favorite balsamic perfume. I love the smell of benzoin and it’s the most prominent note in this fragrance. I get also woody notes and a bit of incense.
demon898 – :
I received Bois d’Armenie in an incense sampler set from STC, and I very much doubt that I would have tried it otherwise. It is not a typical scent for me, but I have enjoyed wearing it more and more each time. At first, I was disappointed with the sample since I usually associate incense with frankincense and myrrh. I was not familiar with benzoin at all. Bois d’Armenie is sweet and spicy–my daughter said it smelled like cookies–with a tiny faint whiff of a cedar closet. In subsequent trials, including bedtime test, I began to enjoy the warm comforting quality of this scent, which has expanded my fragrance horizons.
Sparcle7 – :
Bois d`Armenie has a misterious aura of incense, benjoin and spices and it`s my favorite of the line. You would expect it to be an intense incensed fragrance, but it projects like an aura of a scent that seems to come from your skin, not like a fragrance you are wearing. The Benjoin has a soft smoky aroma of subtle vanillic nuances, and it`s beautifully joined by pepper aromas and a dry powder aroma, a kind of signature in this Guerlain`s line. Gradually you start to detect dry woods, and sometimes i catch a note that seems to me like a discreet leathery one. It ends out in that dry, woody, slightly musky aroma. If i would pick just one from this line, it`d be it. It`s a scent that still amazes after three years wearing it ocasionally
Anastasiya – :
To everyone of you who claim to detect vanilla in this…please research further into the scent of vanilla…..there is not one spit of vanilla in this……the notes directly from Guerlain website (guerlain.com/int/en-int/exclusive-collections/lart-et-la-matiere/bois-darmenie-eau-de-parfum-bottle.html) are:
Top notes: frankincense, iris, pink pepper.
Heart notes: gaiac wood, benzoin, coriander.
Base notes: copahu balm, patchouli, white musks.
…..NO VANILLA!!!!
The scent itself is DEVINE! A sensual close-to-skin scent that lasts and lasts. Save this one for “close encounters”, office, class, maybe even hospital or clinical work. It is not intrusive and is defenitely a compliment magnet! Score another one for Guerlain!
kaveckiynikolay – :
I won’t be joining the crowd that adores “Bois D’Armenie” and let me tell you why.
Even though this is a pretty woody/sweet scent suitable for both sexes and could be worn in many occasions, I simply do not get the combo of guaiac wood and incense. Guaiac wood itself has a tendency to smell like a new furniture on me, not necessary a bad thing, but when it’s doubled with incense like in “Bois D’Armenie” all I get is a freshly polished wooden chairs, it turns into a syntethic mess, so it was slightly hard to enjoy this creation if for the first 4 hours I got syntethic furniture polisher. I did enjoy the drydown though, beautiful woody/musky vanilla.
micadeyna – :
WOODSY VANILLA
I was recently with my cousin who has been wearing Shalimar for decades.
Although I was not with her when I sampled this – I immediately thought of her signature scent.
I checked the notes, and, lo and behold, they do have some similarities (as well as both from the house of Guerlain).
Shalimar, and maybe I say this because my cousin is female – does seem to lean towards the feminine. But this fragrance can certainly be worn by men.
It’s a very nice warm and inviting scent.
Igor30 – :
Another King has arised in my entire collection. Stands aside is the lovely Queen Dobule Vanille 🙂
william13 – :
I have nothing to add to the comments here which explain the smoky/creamy benzoin/vanilla and incense notes save that I have yet to smell anything quite like this. I can’t decide if it’s a metaphysically religious scent (the incense) or a gourmand. It seems quite original to me and very nice.
It passes my Mmmm test: I flutter my shirt front and go Mmmm when I smell the released scent.
Guerlain does it again!
——-
Update: I wore this a second time and found it somewhat cloying. I guess I totally changed my opinion about it.
My wife claims that it smells like an old lady’s house.
azartysn – :
Chocolate-covered andouille sausage was my initial impression. It’s pretty strange at first, smelling chocolately, smoky, and oily all at once, but then it settles into a smoky-sweet skin scent.
Doznanie – :
Bois d’Armerie begins with a soft, comforting blend of benzoin, vanilla creaminess and a very slight allusion to smoke. The heart continues on these notes with the vanilla becoming creamier. Now add a growing presence of patchouli and a healthy dollop of warm wood which proceed to bloom as the contact with skin continues. Musk and iris start a slightly sweet powder which blends with the patchouli – at first pleasantly and later in the dry down it becomes slightly dirty.
Up until this point, I would consider BdA a wholly unisex fragrance – slightly sweet and appealing to anyone. In fact, I find it extremely appealing and lovingly blended. But then something happens that tips it a minute amount into the male realm – a sort of aftershave scent that starts very, very slowly well into the base (2 + hours). This trait I find less than endearing.
My No’s: no patchouli chocolate, no coriander. Just my nose – no judgments here.
Malopuk – :
what a great perfume , love it , i wish if it was 1 liter 🙂
skorostinskiy – :
It’s amazing the texture chocolatey and also caramel that this perfume has.
A benjoin surrounding all other notes, at one point the incense comes up in another, the floral light powdery tone, other the pepper in another some woods, which makes it unique and unmatched quality, where every time you use it, love more and more.
A unique work, and undoubtedly the most intriguing line.
Rating: 9/10
tolya1952 – :
This scent reminds me of chocolate, not sure where that is coming from since it is not listed in the notes. A good classy, chocolate fragrance.
recyfurdy – :
I’ve just been having an interview with Madame Sylvaine Delacourte (Guerlain’s Creative Director), and she has recommended me this fragrance. Madame Delacourte came to Madrid and I have been given the chance to meet her. She is a wonderful, charming and elegant lady. We have been talking about perfume, art and whatnot, and it’s been a real pleasure. And I have to agree with her choice of a perfume: Bois d’Armenie is just an incredible fragrance! Subtle, über-elegant yet magically suggestive, it brings back to my mind so many beautiful memories. It has been a great great discovery for me. Thank you so much, Sylvaine!
PN1408 – :
this is an unisex fragrance like any other of the collection L’Art et La Matière… it’s really wonderfully rich & warm, woody benzoin & some spices; I think maybe it could be even better on a man, but still on a woman’s skin it feels just great anyway! So soft, deep, reminds almost of cashemire wood, or cashmeran. It’s a bit sweet, but it’s all well balanced by the woody notes,& the sharpnes of incense… a masterpiece really.
Aerohoplenerickk – :
FYI–This is not a “men’s” fragrance. Guerlain does not specify gender for this one.
andreyweis – :
finally got my sample, it is a wonderful fragrance i really enjoy this one, the opening is beautiful..i feel like an aristocrat..i agree about the slight amen comparison..so much more artistic than that…it certainly aims higher. i think annick menardo’s fragrances are truly a labor of love..the price of this is staggering though..not sure it would be a wise decision , more of a passionate one of purchasing for me, not sure others would agree it was worth it..when testing it i asked others what do you think…they all loved it…but when i told them this is what it would cost, it was Bill are you crazy?…but just maybe i am, whoa…
ищпвфт – :
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.
qweqLP – :
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.
hani277 – :
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 !
skandinav-99 – :
I am yet another female jumping on the band-wagon for Bois d’Armenie.
Screw the ‘for men only’, I will happily douse myself in this and call myself a lady. It’s such a compelling and beautiful fragrance, something that should be shared between the genders.
This is everything I pretty much love in perfume; woods, incense, dustiness, spice and heaviness. Although vanilla is not listed as a note, it is most certainly there, particularly in the drydown.
I may just describe this fragrance as creamy vanillic incense with faint, white woods. The pink pepper and the patchouli often like to provide an extra tang to this fragrance, however the sharpness of these notes comes and goes.
Another favourite of mine from this exclusive Guerlain range is Rose Barbare, which I loved more for its complexity rather than the scent itself. The same could be said of Bois d’Armenie. If I ever tire of this fragrance (be damned if I do!), it will be Annick Menardo’s exquisite work that will keep me interested.
Most resinous notes tend to be masculine and sometimes fierce, however the resinous drydown of Bois d’Armenie is actually sweet. The sweetness was a shock to my senses, however the more I smelt it on my skin, the more addictive and perfect it seemed.
Bois d’Armenie is elegant, like something I would wear to an upper-class formal event. The lasting power and sillage are of course a reflection of why this fragrance is priced so high. It is unfortunate that in my current financial predicament it will be a few years before I see a bottle of this. I guess it will be an incentive to try harder at University to score that high paying job which will fuel my adoration for expensive perfumes.
nikolajlisicin – :
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.
master126 – :
Having tested this fragrance, i’ve become disappointed, because it didn’t deliver and hasn’t met my expectations. The drydown on my skin reeks of pink pepper and incense and imho, it’s safe to say that it’s a toned down version of Azzaro “Visit” – maybe it’s because both frags are the creation of A. Menardo. Unfortunately, Bois d’Armenie evoked solely pepper notes on my skin.
krz_ac – :
A ligther, much more refind version of A*MEN by Thierry Mugler. Compare these two yourself, and you will se!!
tuu88 – :
I am not sure what accounts for the slight sourness in the opening of Guerlain BOIS D’ARMENIE, but it quickly dissipates, leaving an ever-so-lightly spiced woody vanilla fragrance which compares favorably to Dior DOLCE VITA and is at least unisex, if not better suited for women than for men (as advertised…).
However, at five times the price, and with mediocre staying power, BOIS D’ARMENIE, while certainly nice, will not be sitting next to my shimmering bottle of DOLCE VITA anytime soon. To be honest, I prefer the Dior composition. Just lucky, I guess!
servir – :
I am in Love!!!
This scent has a smoothness and a creamyness (yes, it is CREAMY!) so fantastic.
The sensation of wearing a vanilla essence all over my body is formidable. However, it’s not the same vanilla of Rochas Lui, for example. By the way, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t have vanilla notes in its composition.
It is a “vanilla” sensation, which is a result of the perfect mix of Iris + incense + benzoin + guaiac wood. It has to be that!
It is another love potion made by Guerlain.
And the bottle, with that classic vaporizer, makes it even more irresistible. 10 stars!!!
aleks777 – :
I tested it a few days ago and I’ve never been so in love of a fragance. Bois D’Arménie is incredibly well done , so Guerlain.
Soft , warm and confortable like an old plaid blanket.
It’s like being at home by the fire while it’s snowing and raining outside. An amazing feeling really…
But it’s too expensive.
Is there a smell-alike fragance?
P.S:sorry for the english mistakes
erkebulan_kz – :
We tested this recently. In fact, of all the perfumes we smelled, it was the only one my male friend actually allowed to be sprayed onto his wrist.
Initially i was quite ecstatic. We had been trying to find a men’s fragrance without citrus, which he strongly dislikes. And he seemed to like it, too.
But in about 1/2 hour or a bit more, it had dried down to vanilla, granted, a nice vanilla, but vanilla. I like vanilla in cooking, i like vanilla when it is well blended and well balanced, as in Shalimar. But neither he nor i likes something that smells only of vanilla.
Perhaps this would smell different on someone else, but it ended up disappointing us.
Beeklymaymnougti – :
I don’t know about ‘for men.’ I love this and I’m quite female. It is supposed to represent the benzoin-scented papers burned in the 1800s as incense and somehow it does give that impression. Light, faintly smoky vanillic incense with wood undertones and an impression of paper. It’s never harsh or bright. It’s a faint, delicious, present scent, just lovely. Bois d’Armenie is my new favorite. I just wish it wasn’t so very expensive. I can’t bear people who bathe in their scent and force it on the rest of us, but this one did make me wish I could, just for a moment, bathe in the scent, just so I could wrap myself in it completely. Gorgeous and yes, suitable for men or women.