Description
The smell of autumn, forest, odor of great and dark woods… Bois des Iles, or the Island Forests, was created in 1926 by Ernest Beaux, the Russian emigrant and the prime perfumer of the Chanel house. It is said that Beaux created Bois des Iles while he was rapt by Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, the opera inspired by the Puskin’s novel about the love and hazard, and that it was his favorite creation.
Traditional masculine woody composition is offered to ladies, but could be tried by men as well. Dry and spicy freshness leads to the floral heart, the light sweetness of which undulates with dry and dark woody notes. At the end, the composition becomes warmer, more comfortable and tame, as if entering into a dark room illuminated by the fireplace flame.
The perfume concentration is richer and sweeter, while eau de toilette is quite lighter, but magnificent. The top notes are composed of aldehydes, bergamot, neroli and peach, the heart composition consists of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris and ylang-ylang, and the base of vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin and musk.
korea – :
My vintage mini of Bois des Iles parfum exhibits a spicy sandalwood drydown emanating from the neck of the bottle that is a little misleading. It’s this part that smells exactly like Egoiste, but if you are expecting a somewhat feminized, unisex, or generally more wearable version of Egoiste you may be in for a surprise. Though sharing some DNA, these two perfumes are quite different. Nevertheless, I did vote above that they smell like each other; it’s quite noticeable. This kept me from wearing BDI for a while (I already have a bottle of Egoiste), along with something intensely animalic that made me even blush a little.
When I finally dabbed some on, I put a little on the back of each hand along with a honey scent on one arm to kind of layer and soften the effect. Turns out it complemented BDI exceedingly well, but it didn’t need it. BDI started out with a blast of honey itself, the sandalwood, a bit of spice, and then more resin when I reached the drydown. It was animalic, yes, but not as in-your-face as I was expecting. Nevertheless, there is some sort of real musk or civet that appears in a nicely balanced form. I could not stop sniffing!
Though the theme centers around wood, the woodiness was really not overwhelming, nor the pillar of the fragrance at all. It was a honey-sweetened, balmy, musky wood, not nearly as sandalwood-forward as I had feared (sandalwood sometimes bites my nose a little). This may be because it’s the parfum, not the EDT. BDI is an iconic oriental – balanced, timeless, exotic yet comforting. Performance was great; tiny dabs gave off quite a bit of sillage and lasted much of the day. I will definitely be buying more of this.
Volari_flax – :
Dry, sandalwood, powder, iris, vetiver, parsley. Not too bad, but a tad feminine for me.
Augmesimmes97 – :
Reminds me of samsara. Only softer.
pfnjrf – :
This is another truly amazing juice from Chanel’s Les Exclusifs collection. The opening notes is a soft floral ylang-ylang blend with subtle sandalwood notes coming through. At the same time there’s a well balanced aroma between other floral scent with sweet/creamy aroma from Tonka bean as well amber dancing the tango in rhythm. Orris roots and vanilla add to this rich luxurious aroma. After 30 minutes, I’m able to smell green notes including Vetiver which helps to ground this juice.
It’s no surprise why it’s worth every penny.
Both longevity and Silage do well lasting over 8hrs and you can smell this juice well past arms length.
Finally, I now own this juice as well as Boy, Coromandel and Cuir De Russie. It’s money well spent especially when you are able to appreciate the time and dedication that it takes to create such amazing fragrance’s. I consider myself fortunate to be able to enjoy the finest quality of fragrance. If you are able to save up for these fragrance’s, you will not regret that you bought them. 9.5/10
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Leodim – :
I sprayed this by mistake over the weekend , I was actually aiming for the Jersey bottle. Anyway , I sprayed Jersey on the other arm and went away from the counter to do some other shopping while I waited for the scent to settle and develop.
What happened next was , I had two amazing scents developing on each arm , both totally different but both captivating . And now I own both …..
I cannot do Bois Des Iles justice in a review all I can say is that when I wear this I have the most amazing scent wafting around me .. its creamy and delicious and absolutely beautiful. If I hadn’t sprayed it by mistake , I would never have to got try this beauty .. or own it .
Im absolutely Thrilled, its gorgeous .
vlad1950 – :
Aldehydes are my kind of thing. Caleche, No.5, White Linen are all proud members of my fragrance collection and I love wearing them. Bois des Iles was a blind buy after reading the reviews here. What was there not to love? It has aldehydes; the dry down is similar to Samsara, another all-time favorite. It was also on sale.
When I first sprayed it on my wrist, it felt as if I was hit on the head with a hammer. I couldn’t believe this nasty smell was coming from a Chanel fragrance. The aldehydes in this one are absolutely repulsive. Wearing Bois des Iles takes me up to an hour of breathing carefully so as not to pick up the horrid stench while the aldehydes are still there. I’m baffled as to why does my nose react this way because everyone else in my household seems to like the opening notes. My bottle is as original as it gets, having come directly from the country representative office, so it must be a personal reaction. This is my warning to anyone who considers a blind buy.
захаров1997 – :
If you tide my eyes and let me scent my scarf with it..
I would argue with you to my last day I just have smelled Guerlain.
But it’s Chanel… but so much… in Guerlain style…
Of course I adore whole House of Guerlain.
This fragrance is a twin sister of Guerlain. Born just couple seconds after the first one…
I am not even kidding… I feel Guerlain… not Chanel… its not even Chanel style at all in it…
Of course I am in love…
tjx144speagoessenda – :
chanel
where is the sandalwood ?????
I’ll be just fine if you used a synthetic sandalwood like guerlain samsara .
but nooo
plain aldehydes , musk , opoponax , ylang ylang .
get the vintage .
save your money .
you people amaze me about the dreamy creamy sandalwood .
edvard222 – :
How can people not see the similarity to Shalimar or smell the fruit and citrus in the top???? There is peach, lime and orange then the aldehydes kick your ass. This is a lovely floral aldehyde that isn’t as weird as Shalimar and has a powdery base with a hint of fruit. VERY complex. I can smell every note listed except the rose and ylang.
dimmaz – :
Noses are weird. I get mild aldehydes but mostly the most wonderfully creamy, shapeshifting sandalwood.
Fabulous, though I think I’d try the Creed one before getting myself a sandalwood full bottle.
andreyweis – :
I can only agree with most others on this page: I also think this is great. Classic and elegant from start to finish, but a real shapeshifter too – the kind of thing I can imagine wearing often without getting tired of it, even though it’s not really “my” type of scent: it’s just so well-made. Chanel is really good at this kind of timeless sophistication!
As for the scent itself: it starts out as a softer, easier to wear version of Chanel N° 5, which is very nice. The heart of the fragrance is my favourite part, though: as someone else has mentioned, it kind of smells like coca cola, but in the best possible way. It’s like some genius was able to isolate what smells nice about cola without taking along any of the oversweet synthetic stickiness of it. I don’t know what it says about me, but I’m really into it! After a couple of hours more warm woody and spicy notes come into focus, but that lovely cola accord stays noticeable until the very end. Which means all day, by the way: I don’t know if my sample came from an older and more potent formulation, but for me longevity has been excellent, contrary to what lots of reviewers here have experienced.
So, big sigh: another one for my wish list…
Kshetra – :
So glad I started with a sample. I was expecting an emphatic scent, but this is mild and almost soapy. It reminds me of Chanel No.5, but not as strong. It is lovely but ephemeral on my skin.
fenixs2 – :
Wow, I allmost blind bought this befor my sample came in.
From the reviews I thought this may be a magnificent woody fragrance, a great mysore sandalwood etc…
I have Creed Boise du Portugal a great sandalwood, and I was expecting the same here.
But I got no sandalwood mostly aldehydes.
Well it right off reminded me of Iquitos Alain Delon. They share about 14 of the same notes. I have the discontinued gem Iquitos, which had very similar heavy aldehydes, but Iquitos has a distinct rose, is richer and more complex.
Bois des Iles is the biggest let down in years…Borring aldehydes for me, nice aldehyes, dosnt smell bad.
Rating: 7/10
God bless. John 3:16
bhbirf.1979 – :
This perfume is perfection! Soft sandalwood, pristine aldehydes, dreamy jasmine all mixed in an elegant and complex accord. One of the first Chanel’s that has made me tingle with pleasure. It’s warm and sophisticated, soft and alluring. It lasts for hours on my skin, and every time I stop to enjoy the smell it makes me happy to have it on! Many people stopped me to ask what I was wearing it is so noticeably beautiful!
sathack2009 – :
This is indeed a gorgeous fragrance. I adore sandalwood. I have to admit how surprised I was to find it so similar to my Samsara edp. There just seemed to be a bit more ylang in the Samsara. Im sure this equates with blasphemy in the perfume world but I have to tell it like I experience it. Since it was so similar I will stick with my Samsara edp which hangs around for just as long. You may stone me now! lol
I also have Coromandel which is just as wonderful and I am yet to find another fragrance to hold a candle to it. I cherish my huge bottle of this amazing fragrance.
Glad – :
bright sandalwood.
have experienced various fragrances based on sandalwood, this is the best.
I’m addicted in smelling the spray of my bottle every day.
superb.
dutti – :
I loved the Bois des Îles EDT that I sampled years ago. It shared a lot in common with No. 5. It had the aldehydes, but it smelled a lot more woody. I was never able to put it out of my mind entirely, so I went out on a limb one day and purchased a bottle of the Parfum. Instead of opening it, I let it sit for almost a year. With all due respect to myself, what was I thinking? How could I let this magnificent siren smolder in its box, all alone, all that time?
When describing Bois des Îles (parfum), where does one begin? The Parfum also resembles No.5, with aldehydes that smell like a dry, fizzy champagne. They last hours on my skin.
Bois des Îles is a master at “now you see it, now you don’t.” One moment I smell lilac, the next I don’t. Another moment I smell coconut, the next I don’t, and so on and so forth with notes of vetiver, benzoin, vanilla, orange and some ethereal white flower.
But one thing that is evident without fail is the generous amount of creamy sandalwood that is the focus of this timeless beauty. Bois des Îles (parfum) must be the best sandalwood fragrance in existence. It is effortlessly silky and somehow exotic, capturing the true nature of the precious wood.
The sandalwood is beautifully supported by a lactonic peach, which brings a syrup-like sweetness to the Parfum. While I love both concentrations, the sweet, rounded scent of the Parfum makes it seem more voluptuous, and even a bit sexy, whereas the word “sexy” never crossed my mind with the EDT.
The other thing about Bois des Îles Parfum that I can not get enough of is the animalic musk. It smells very much like the one used in No. 5. It caught me off guard, as I didn’t really think of Bois des Îles as a musky perfume, but it is on my skin. It’s very musky! The musk melts into my skin like butter.
I know that Bois des Îles is an old perfume, and I have never smelled a vintage, but the current interpretations seem perfectly modern at this point in time. Vintage-style modern perfumes are all the rage these days (e.g. Maai, Salome, This Grand Affair, etc.), and Bois des Îles seems as though it belongs in that category.
In my book, Bois des Îles is a masterpiece, especially the Parfum, which I am so glad I purchased blindly. It is every bit as stunning and memorable as No. 5.
aleksei72 – :
Of all the Chanel scents, this is my favourite. It is complex but not at all taxing and has the trademark Chanel aldehydes but is still soft. It somehow smells a little of coca cola, a little of rose, a little of gingerbread. It is cosy and ethereal, gourmand and couture and it is just beautiful at every point and from every angle.
The down sides are that it is low sillage and expensive. Would I like a bottle? Yes, definitely. Will I buy a bottle? I’m not sure.
Egoiste is stronger, punchier and spicier. No.5 is soapier, smoother and lighter. Part of me wonders whether I could layer the two for that aldehydic cola note and florals over shadowy woods and spice (no doubt a sacrilegious thought!).There are other sandalwood scents around that I love but this is such a full, rounded, soft beauty. I can’t decide!
FesTheceacces – :
This is for review is for the vintage EDT!
Bois Des Iles is a wonderful Sandalwood fragrance. It is marketed for women but it is very much unisex. I get a blast of sandalwood off top with some floral arrangements & that beautiful woody/ginger cookie note.
This could ALMOST be gourmand but it falls short. It is delicious & wonderful in spring & fall weather. I personally think it is to thin to wear in winter. Much better options for that.
A draw back is that the lasting power is only around 5 hours or so… Not good considering the soaring prices for the vintage juice. The new version is still good, but lasting power is about the same, tho I would say, if you can live without the vintage juice & its real use of sandalwood, than by all means get the new version because it is a better option for your money as you will get more juice.
This is a classic for sure.
eie954speagoessenda – :
Hmm! The EDT.
After the assault of adelehydes, this is the spot for the dreamy,creamy Chanel Sandalwood drydown.
Chanel has captured the soft round creamy facet of Mysore that forms part of the picture of this precious stuff.
However for a larger view of the whole picture you really need to taste the Vintage Extrait. This presents a better snap of Mysore that I see of childhood. A magical, multilayered, caramel nuttiness that is clearly wood and the transcendence thereof.
I occasionally layer the Chanel EDT with Vreeland Absolutely Vital which leaves a drydown and synthetic that together with the Chanel more closely approximates the Extrait.
As others have said, until you try the Vintage Extrait, you really haven’t lived.
Joker_krim – :
I don’t know that it was like that before but currently formulation smells nothing! I sprayed to on my skin, first 10 min. is ok but then it is faded away! I can smell musky, woody and spicy things but too light. It was too short story!
vaag73 – :
Don’t try it!
This juice is too evil to handle. You’ll be manacingly temped to grab a full bottle no matter the cost. You’ll be restless, keep yearning for it, obsessing about it, willing to rob someone for it, like I’d been before #MyPrecious
I know I know it sounds exaggerated. I will tell you my story. I received a sample of this in a swap and it was love at first sniff! I then, in an attempt to reduce the risk of losing the bottle or breaking it, transfered approx 50% of the juice into another decant bottle. I want a full bottle but could not afford it, and no mini around at that time. The next thing I know I was ordering mini Egoiste online… solely because this site suggests they smell pretty much alike. Hopeless right?
Now that time passed and I have finished the first decant, I try to save the latter by not spraying it, only sniffing for my own pleasure 🙂
MeanteeAped – :
This is a glorious perfume of woods, incense and flowers. The incense is there in the form of benzoin which is a myrrh and frankincense type of scent. The opening is your typical Chanel opening of aldehydes and citrus but the heart and base are what makes it stand out. It’s smoky florals: iris, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley. These are not very sweet flowers and are aromatic because of the benzoin. The whole thing is never too masculine for me because of the vanilla scent. This smells like running very fast through a dark woods at sunset and the intense sunlight suddenly becomes a forest fire. It’s beautiful and I will wear this in winter as so many of the warm Chanel scents are clearly designed for winter. Aromatic, floral, smoky, seductive and unisex. I bought this in Paris for Fashion Week. It was worth the Chanel boutique price. This is one of the most beautiful of the Chanels selling today. Who needs No. 5 get yourself some Bois de Iles.
Gusarrydjx – :
Oh, my goodness, Bois de Iles is gorgeous (I am wearing the current version). Sandalwood lovers, beware: You’ll have an insatiable desire for a full bottle after trial…
The signature “Chanel” powdery luminosity paired with rich sandalwood and resins make for a cozy, yet sophisticated experience. It’s not too cozy, though – I could never loaf around eating ice cream in pajamas with Bois de Iles. This deliberate fragrance practically jump-starts my body into meaningful movement. Bois de Iles is high-quality, and like others have stated in their comments, the scent evokes undeniable luxury: dark polished furniture, old Persian rugs, fur coats, understated timepieces worn on slender wrists and well-built estates backing into lush, sweeping forests. Nothing in Bois de Iles is overt or flashy, but the quality is undeniable.
As the fragrance dries down it seems to thin out; the sweetness that was so apparent in the opening disappears and is replaced by a Samsara-like dry/spicy quality. I’d love to smell this on a man!
Bois de Iles really is beautiful. Try the EDP and the EDT on the skin, so see which you prefer. 🙂
Dedushka – :
This is for the EDT:
If you don’t like the aldehydic opening, seriously, wait for an hour (spray it an hour before you leave home), it changes so much and becomes warm and delicious and timeless.
andrei8619 – :
I have only tried the vintage EdC formulation. I agree with those who say this is similar to Samsara (not as strong) and that there’s a touch of Chanel No. 5 at first. It’s got the smooth and “classy” quality one finds in the old Chanels, though it’s not very strong – a traditional EdC strength or perhaps a bit stronger. Considering the prices, I’d say go for vintage Samsara instead unless this is exactly what you are seeking.
hoanuncnupe – :
Similar to Egoiste??? not at all … Check your noses with a doctor . . .
gerasgood – :
Sorry poor longevity and no projection such a pity as the scent itself is beautiful but not worth the money.
hravn22 – :
les exclusifs EDT lasts for many hours on me (and my winter aran).
it drifts up and around me every now and again, as the hours pass. like a ghostly scent that keeps reappearing from nowhere. 31 rue cambon does the same.
this is the perfect scent to wear on a chilly, blustery, wet November weekend. the neroli and ylang lifted by those Chanel aldehydes calms the senses and uplifts the spirits, before the most gorgeous comfort scent of all time starts to develop.
in town today, i kept walking into this lovely smell and was looking around me to see where it was coming from. and that old nutshell “but it was me!”.
was it a pipe filled with honey tobacco? i wondered, looking for an old man sucking on a pipe somewhere.
resinous sweet soft powdery wood. timeless.
soft, warm, comforting, uplifting, creamy, beautiful.
it rubbed off onto my winter aran this morning when i sprayed and my cosy jumper smells divine, so perhaps an additional spray on clothing might make this one last longer for those of you who find it disappears on them.
but i personally find this has good sillage and once a skin scent 2 hours later, it just keeps on giving for at least 4-6 more hours.
i have been so delighted by les exclusifs i have tried. Misia is next.
Bois Des Iles i think is my favourite so far. perhaps my favourite of all time?
9gramm – :
I first tried this 6 years ago, now returning to see how time had treated my memory.
I had to deal with a pompous ass to get a sample (“Chanel never changes its formulas!) but he was generous so it was worth it. I’ve now sat with this for a few hours and my first impression is: I”m wearing perfume. It seems to be stuck in that ‘I”ve smelled this before on a passing old woman” phase.
I think the aldehydes are to blame. It’s what made me cool on Des Isles the first time around. I do like the warm base notes. It recalls the warmth of your favorite sweater. I also like the gentle floral whiffs.
IN short, this isn’t a wow scent for me but like before, I respect it.
sergey.rashtnko.64 – :
Bois des Iles – what a gorgeous, powdery, soapy aldehyde, warm and woody perfume. Love it!!!! Starts off quite strong aldehyde (Only for short time and depending on how much you spray on) but soon tones down to a warm comfort powdery scent with notes of wood, bergamot and creamy soft sandalwood. I get whiffs of it throughout the day – especially if you spray some in your hair and clothes. Lasts a good 6 hours without having to re spray. Bois des Iles is so very Chanel, very classic, classy, elegant….. suitable for males and females. This is a classic and for me, will never date…. timeless elegance.
cemm – :
Very nice fragrance. Woody, Powdery, clean, floral and slightly sweet. However, I’m very disappointed with the longevity and sillage on this one. It’s too pricey to be such a selfish scent. It makes a great daily wear and very safe for the office since there’s not much danger of over-spraying, leaving a trail or stuffing a room.
Deadpoolishe – :
I don’t know if I have sprayed the wrong perfume on the card but I will place Bios des iles in the same category with Chanel Coromandel and Guerlain samsara, although they differ. There are some similarities. I find this to be softer that the two I mentioned earlier. Vanilla, Tonka bean, amber and rose have a strong projection. Please note, I tested this on a card, It might be better on the skin.
Pysi – :
Bois des Iles is an ode to the smell of the quixotic woods and being rapt in the fleeting yet regal sound of Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades. Bois des Iles is a confrontation between light and dark. It’s aldehydic opening notes are like fizzy bubbles of carbon, with citrus and a peach note imparting a wholesome feel like an innocuous child. The supreme use of sandalwood is rich, smooth and complex; a paradox between dry, spice, powder and plumpness. A sweet opening is ‘light’ whereas woods serve to recreate the absence of light (dark). The sandalwood here is superlative and leaves me lost for words. All I can say is beautiful.
teorema – :
Dry, witty, edgy joke. A perfect evocation of clean, warm skin. And it is very tempting to think it might be an evocation of Louise Brooks.
Vk – :
my review is based on the extract
old aldheides that recalls a forgotten cheap soap
the the sandalwood, more close to a mysore one, start to marry the spices and the flowers
i prefer this fragrance in summer
but i’m crazy
Deluuux – :
I have bought a bottle for christmas and I do not regret this. Bois des iles is very refined and luxurious. My signature scent is Egoiste which is in the same family of BDI. The sandalwood note is really nice and the general feeling of this perfume is bright (thanks to the aldehydes), warm and also a bit spicy (gingerbread?). It is really old vibe, but I am sure that this is very different than what it used to be. I am sure that this latest version fron the exclusive line has been changed due to the impossibility to obtain Mysore Sandalwood. I was told that Chanel still has access to natural Mysore sandalwood but that it is not used in BDI EDT. Perhaps they keep the precious ingredient for the Extrait de Parfum.
If Chanel No 5 is the gorgeous brunette, BDI is the sophisticater ginger head!
Sillage is present for the first hour or so. To be honest, I was hoping that it was stronger. If you like soft perfume, you will really enjoy it.
This is marketed for women, but I wear it without hesitation. I am often complimented on this.
I have bought the huge bottle. I think that I have enough for the rest of my life and that I will always go back to it.
pmb488speagoessenda – :
Chanel…WOWOWOWOWWOWOW……takes me to another place in time!
I am speechless…..only my nose works when I smell this, oh yes and my soul whisks away like feathers of smoke riding the wind to the heavens.
MASTERPIECE!
These from the LE line are so divine, I never ventured far from No. 5, but decided recently to and wow, am I ever so happy that I did.
You must try these. You will realize that this is what fragrance s all about. I also spritz myself before bed and what a comfort! I had no idea I could find something so beautiful as the LE line from Chanel. Please try them. I really am speechless on these beauties!
10/10
vardanyan – :
Whenever I wear this I realize again and again it is not such a very difficult task to find a Holy Grail in perfume -as I often think it is…
Being comfortable, mesmerizing, unique and of great quality, BdI not only thrills me with it’s sheer perfection, it brings me home.
sanya1990 – :
Chanel classic fragrances are really far too beautiful for words. Many of them are icons of scent, and Bois des Iles is a truly magnificent icon of Sandalwood-rich opulence.
BdI has a feel of a perfectly preserved Mysore Sandalwood box, heavily carved. It is filled with a diversity of flowers, a few carefully selected spices. There is a golden, sunny amber glow covering the box. It is not a heavy box, as Sandalwood is a fragile beauty, but oh, the substance!
I’ve lived off decants of Bois des Iles for years. I am finally so very lucky to have a partial bottle of the original. A great big thank you to my lovely swap friend for allowing me to have this pleasure.
I do believe that this is my favorite fragrance.
It is all that. And more.
Serenity_fromAD – :
This is my all time favourite perfume. It has the power to bring me into a near state of bliss. I feel like a cat must do about catnip when I smell this. It’s heavenly. I layered this once with some bois d’orange but roger and gallet and now do it all the time. A combination that works very well to my mind.
pletchersjt – :
Bois des Iles is the best of all Chanels and my absolutely favorite. It contains all beautiful characteristics of Chanel and brings the most beautiful elements of the rest of the line together. It is a warm classy and elegant scent with slightly powdery woody and balmy undertones, full of woody sweet spices and creamy sandalwood on a well-known Chanel aldehydic base.
This is a comfortable and luxurious masterpiece. I am in love <3
10/10
sqhpbhtbwjt – :
What a moody fragrance! I don’t even know where to start. Every time I wear it, it smells dramatically different!
Sometimes(on my skin) it smells so ambery with a lot of clove that it reminds me of Ambre Soie by Armani Prive.
Sometimes(on my cotton t-shirt) I can smell the strong benzoin right away, almost like a unsweetened Coromandel!
Sometimes(in the cold weather) the Aldehydes is so dominant. and it just smells extremely green and sharp.
Sometimes it’s woody. or creamy. or dry and powdery. or floral.
BUT, no matter how it changes, I’m in love! I love every facet of it. I just wish it were stronger!
jilbobona – :
Pretty, soft, powdery sandalwood – the real stuff, which is just heaven. It’s milky, nutty and creamy, and it’s so sad that it’s rare to find it in scent now. Really lovely. Obviously my only issue is the longevity, which is poor. The scent itself is beautiful and very natural, equally good on a man I expect. Like wearing cashmere or stroking a chinchilla. Wonderful 🙂
BlaBla – :
INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL.
Warm, cozy, classy, complex but not complicated, elegant in an understated way – those who know will know, if you get what I mean.
Chanel N°5 is a scent which has everything in it (it’s tender, classy, elegant, timeless, chic, naif, …) and I thought it was the only one in the world to possess all these qualities.
Wrong.
Bois des Iles is all that and much more. It was created at a time when artistic perfumery was at its dawn and yet it has all it could contain without being a messy array.
Don’t ask me about what it was prior to reformulation, I ignore it.
Don’t ask me anything. All I can say is that this is a scent one must try in a lifetime.
MASTERPIECE
Gnava – :
I want to thank christianne1 for her wonderful review. Took me two little samples to really grow attached to this impressive fragrance and now I own a full big bottle of this. Aldehydic in the opening and amazing slightly sweet sandalwood, that I love on the dry down. Never disappoints and doesn’t need an occasion to be worn. I don’t last too long and stays intimately close to your skin. It is not one of those “in your face” fragrances. It is very polite and classy. True Chanel and top notch
saulenaass – :
~ After a friendly fragrantica suggestion and reading many reviews I just had to have this one! So I ordered a large ml. bottle and rolled the dice on BdI. And as suspected I was not dissapointed with yet another classic Chanel masterpiece. Some say this is what Egoiste should have been and if that is the case I now understand its loyal following. This to my nose opened with a familiar Chanel aldehyde vibe much like Cuir de Russie but with a very clean sparkling soap added. A couple years ago I could not have appreciated this for what it is being the perfect blend of sandalwood, florals, vetiver and yes I get the faint gingerbread appeal. This may be labeled for a woman but also like Coromandel fits the well groomed man. It is amazing how a nose can mature when exposed to new discoveries such as this well crafted Chanel Exclusif line. ~
Kind Regards, Plat ~
Score ~ No number rating fits this scent. Just wear it with your best gown or suit and smile inside confidant in your choice.
Borzen – :
If you see similarities to Egoiste you must be new in the fragrance game or you have a nose like michael jackson.
bois des iles is much brighter…
in colors this would be a pastel yellow, egoiste on the other hand is like a deep orange.
both are great scents, but as a male i prefer egoiste 😉
Danila888 – :
This is quite nice. A true Chanel in it’s powder and aldehydes but still enjoyable. Tania Sanchez describes it as Number 5’s brunette sister and that is exactly what this is. More sandalwood and spices rather than floral. I find it pleasant, classy and well made but not distinctive enough to suit me.
Edit: I thought this had gone but the next morning I awoke to the most delicious cinnamon/sandalwood dry down, warm cozy and complex. Chanel is really starting to win me over!
valentin1995 – :
On me, Chanel Bois des Iles EdT opens on a spicy note, reminiscent of one of my favourite fragrances – Guerlain Jicky EdP. There’s also something melancholy in it, which I have smelled in Guerlain Mitsouko Extract.
Bois des Iles is unmistakably balsamic, softly woody, and is possessive of something resembling candle wax. Everything about Bois des Iles is soft – soft projection, soft notes (once that spiciness airs out), soft scent… It’s a calm, whimsical perfume. By the end of my 10 hour day, I can still smell the EdT, but only faintly. It clings to my skin like it wants nothing to do with the outside world. Bois des Iles, to me, is an alone scent. As beautiful as it is, it’s like one of those quiet, alluring people that show their best colours when time is spent with them one-on-one.
ilya35 – :
YES! Thank you Chanel and Mr. Beaux for this absolutely gorgeous creation. This is a elegant creamy sandalwood with a little spice and whole lot of nice. I wish it was a bit louder cause I love it so much. I want to live in a cloud of Bois des Iles. This is the best of the Chanels in my opinion.
gevik – :
At the beginning, to me, this aldehydes cocktail resembles large, sunny, happy, floral garden, in some exotic place, perhaps filled with fancy people, back in an era, having picnics.
The garden is filled with all kinds of blooming flowers, green bushes and trees. Birds are singing, butterflies are in the air, water fountains spraying mist, kids running and laughing and fancy moms wearing fragrances and heavily powdered.
A dry-down: the party is over, it’s getting late. The f