Description
The house of Roger & Gallet presents a new fragrance of their collection, Bois d`Orange, aiming at women and men, combined of fresh accords of citruses and warm nuances and strength of wood. The fragrance invites for a long and pleasant walk in the garden of Andalusia, among alleys of fragrant oranges. Vibrant and sunny freshness of leaves, combined with orange blossom and scent of fruits, created to regenerate the aura and gives pleasure to each user.
Top notes of Bois d’Orange introduce mandarin, basil and lemon verbena, a fresh and encouraging scent of citrusy-green aromas. A heart brings us orange blossom and neroli, while a base adds strong and warm amber, rosewood and cedar.
The fragrance is available in a package characteristic of the house of Roger & Gallet, in amounts of 100 and 200 ml (3.4 and 6.8 oz) eau fraiche. Besides the fragrance Bois d`Orange, an accompanying body care line with the same aromas was introduced. It includes luxurious soaps, which made this house famous!
Bois d’Orange was launched in 2009.
Elder – :
I spent a lot of time on orange farms in California as a kid. Smelling the blossoms, eating the fruit, playing in the leaf litter underneath the canopy, burning orange wood in the fireplace. This has imbued me with some fondness for the associated odors, that’s true, but even more than that it’s given me the experience to identify very faithful renditions in this category.
And that’s why I snagged this up when I ran across it. It’s not an especially complicated smell. The notes of orange fruits, blossoms, all there, but scents of that sort are a dime a dozen. What was striking is that the overall effect is a very realistic odor of crushed orange leaves, spicy and a little strident. Just the way they would smell if you rolled a few leaves around in your palms, supported a bit by the smell of orange wood.
Bois d’Orange is straightforward in its verisimilitude. Orange leaves, that’s mostly what it does, and it does it well. You might be mistaken for having been playing in the orchard.
Very nice but evidently not for everyone, judging by the other comments. The bitter, bright herbaceousness of it might be off-putting to some.
utyfs – :
È una fragranza molto piacevole e persistente pur con discrezione. La trovo simile ad Arancia di Capri dell’Acqua di Parma. Assolutamente unisex. Perfetto per le giornate calde estive o per fare sport.
urf507elipseskism – :
È una fragranza molto piacevole e persistente pur con discrezione. La trovo simile ad Arancia di Capri dell’Acqua di Parma. Assolutamente unisex. Perfetto per le giornate calde estive o per fare sport.
lexa.1.1978 – :
Too much on the masculine side of unisex for me due to a lot of rough woody notes. The mandarin is too sour and doesn’t last very long before this just becomes cedar and rosewood. A lot of these Roger & Gallets now have an Eau Fraiche flanker. Unfortunatly in the shops there’s never a tester bottle, although all the others have one.. it makes me think the fraiche are better and so perhaps getting stolen first? They are also not in the database yet so I can’t even work out any blind buys 🙁
Their Fraiche Fig sounds especially interesting.
mafia12rus – :
This is one addictive orange fragrance, not much cedar or any wood on it, but good…
a.s.masiuk – :
I got very sharp spicy mandarin at the beginning. It’s more uplifting than freshness in my opinion.
pavel222tt – :
Long lasting AND subtle. Great for summer
sanek21.77 – :
great cologne for summer, the orange bring the frishness and the wood on the base note is really good
a good one with a small price
vitrinaschaem – :
Sorry, I can’t recommend this. If you follow the brief, it’s supposed to smell as if you’re walking through a verdant orchard of oranges; the bright scent of citrus and rind on the wind, with the woody notes and damp soil the first thing in the morning fresh with dew, or after a fresh shower of rain.
The initial spritz is good, in that it promises all of this. The cheerful scent of orange giving way to the delicate breath of neroli – only for the amber and rosewood to steamroll everything with their heavy, muddy scents. You’d think the cedarwood would have hold the amber at bay in terms of its spiky scent, but noooo.
A positive? The longevity is amazing, but I’ve had to pass on this perfume. Too bad.
derun.filipp – :
Gorgeous bargain buy – woody and warm, yet with a surprising freshness (the zest?)! Every self-respecting pharmacy in Paris has the whole range. A complete steal!
Kucherowatikhonina – :
Since 2013, I purchase Bois d´ orange in the summer (I already made a review here).
It lasts 4-5 hours in my skin (what is amazing for a cologne).In the office, I receive many compliments, and the better than all, I feel myself fresh and active for my busy day…this scent wakes me up!
Super!
Mister555 – :
I love this as a refreshing unisex neroli cologne. It has a dry bitter herbal woody neroli base. So refreshing, natural, and unlike the orange bubblegum vanilla dry down of Eau Amiable. Get this instead! Smells like nature itself.
However, if you’re in the market for a natural smelling and less bitter orange blossom cologne (as opposed to neroli), go for the gorgeous Zagara by Santa Maria Novella.
Pencil_Torch – :
Very bright orange scent with a pronounced herbal and woody base. This reminds me a lot of Hermes Eau d’Orange Verte. I wear a lot of floral and oriental perfumes, so there are days when wrapping myself up in a natural, uncomplicated orange smell like this for a change is amazingly comforting. This would be a fragrance for after the shower or before bed, when I want to feel satisfied but not challenged. Totally unisex.
FoXl4R – :
Too woody for me. I love and I use the Bois d’orange Sublime but this Bois d’Orange (without Sublime) is more masculine. It reminds me of some male Cartier EAU.
Dimasik.tmb – :
Wonderful orange blossom with an underlying green herbal note in a soft woody base – this goes on my favorites list. Longevity is better than I expected for this kind of fragrance, an added plus for me!
gorsvetik – :
The opening is an unmistakable blend of mandarin and neroli, the rind, the flesh and the juice of an orange all exposed at first.
The undertone is herbal, very soft basil. It gets greener, like the sap of a tree, raw and virgin. Still maintaining a clear citrus aura.
The wood notes come at last and with the amber I can smell some sort of tobacco, making this fragrance more masculine yet sweeter and deeper than the top notes.
Overall I like this fragrance, it isn’t something that I would wear to stand out. It’s more like a comfortable scent, not really a “fresh” or “light” scent. The major downside is the longevity, at least on my skin it’s abysmal, maybe 3 hours max.
rasul – :
I was torn between this and Gingembre when I was shopping in M&S recently but it was the dry down on this that sold it to me it develops into this clean warm citrus with a hint of floral greenery.
There is a strong dark green tree resin bitterness in the opening that reminds you of leaves and the pith and rind of oranges and I really like it. It is a great wake up call and transports me outdoors. I have been looking for a simple summer scent that has some of the warmth that I love in fragrances but is still fresh, and this is definitely it.
Given that this is a cologne the lasting power is pretty great no massive silage but lingers for 5-6 hours.
федос – :
Lovely perfume, I like to use this in the midst of winter, when I am feeling blue and summer is long forgotten and months away…that is when this lovely little perfume comes out to play.
This is a really happy, unpretentious orange scent. I have the shower gel too which is very nice to use – uplifting, fresh and invigorating on cold, dark, damp mornings it lifts the spirits. I also have the body oil which is nice to use when you want a little scent and soft skin but don’t feel like wearing anything “big”. I find the body oil slightly sweeter than the perfume.
The scent itself is quite a natural manadarin orange smell to me, but also with some green and some wood mixed in – and it smells like all the orange – the peel and zest, the flesh, the juice, perhaps even the pips as well as the leaves, the wood, the blossom….it doesn’t smell on the skin as though you have just peeled an orange and it actuall doesn’t smell gourmand to me, it just captures orange beautifully.
A little brash and intense in the opening this soon settles down. It is pretty much a skin scent for me after the first few minutes, which means it is suitable for work as it is unlikely to offend and smells clean and fresh. I have also found it layers beautifully with a little violet oil on the pulse points, or a splash of violet water.
I find it lasts about 4-5 hours on my skin, but I get longer if I spray my clothes too. This doesn’t project much, it stays close to the skin – I can smell it but it doesn’t bother others.
I can see comparisons with Guerlain’s mandarine basilic although that dries down to a much more straightforward orange peel scent on me that really does smell like I have been eating oranges, it also has some similarities with Crabtree and Evelyn’s Tarocco Orange, Sage and Eucalyptus range of bath and body products, although without the herbiness of the sage – it does layer well with these products though – and the C&E range has a light body mist so I sometimes use the Bois D’orange in the morning and carry the C&E body mist to refresh in the day.
This is a happy perfume, summer in a bottle in the middle of winter – lovely 🙂
igor1g – :
Bois d`Orange smells like an orange orchard: there is the woody aspect, the citrusy aspect and even the bitter essence of the orange tree leaves.
The herbal and woody notes are more prominent than I expected, actually. It is indeed perfectly unisex and refreshing with low to moderate sillage and longevity. Tried the body lotion too and it’s heavily fragranced, would project even stronger and longer than the eau fraiche itself.
Overall I found Bois d`Orange pleasant and natural smelling but too green and herbal for my taste.
Info: According to boisdejasmin it was created by Dominique Ropion
Dmitry_900 – :
It may not be The Memorable Scent of your life, I think it does have no pretences to be such, but in summer this is nice. If you like orange scents with a hint of wood, you might like it. Please be patient, the opening is almost a slam in your face, but time tames it.
I would recommend the body oil, either paired to the eau de toilette, or by itself.
-_ИлЬя_- – :
True, Bois d’orange has a VERY violent opening. But what were you expecting for the price? Patience is rewarded.
Here it is straight: To wear this you WILL just have to accept that the first few minutes are going to be awful. However, after about twenty minutes, the assault softens into a lingering herbaceous, almost aldehydic accord–and just the thing to edge up the pastry-powder flavor of the orange blossom (which emerges as if from nowhere), one of the truest and most delicious orange blossom scents ever.
I knew what I wanted: a very idiosyncratic type of orange blossom gourmand. To be precise, for personal Proustian reasons I wanted the summer option of smelling like a sophisticate’s version of those inimitable Ladurée fleur d’oranger macarons. I’d tried and been disappointed in a good number of orange blossom scents already (including Serge Lutens, Fragonard, L’Occitane, Prada Infusion)–some quite fine, but none what I wanted. But this humble bottle was it! So give it a chance, don’t judge from the get-go. Perfumes, like people, can be shy and surprising, especially ones that come from good intentions but without the extra hundred-odd dollars of packaging and marketer’s backstory.
Chernova_Mariya – :
Only good comments on this uplifting scent.Despite it doesn’t last long I have a sensation that it becomes the natural smell of my skin and this is what I want from a fragrance.
mavrodinog – :
The idea of this perfume is to simulate a walk in the gardens of Andalusia (the region of Spain famous for the production of oranges).
This was my first impression.
In the first minute I feel the strong smell of orange, but not fruit, but the broken stems and leaves, but that feeling does not last, suddenly appears actually the smell of orange peel that is slowly softening to the extent that the amber and cedar begin to appear. The stage becomes the protagonist of citrus and supporting woody fragrance becomes a smooth and slightly sweet. I really liked! Phase citrus is very good, but do not know how other perfumes with similar proposal, it is difficult to compare, but it felt great orange. The wood appears as far as my taste, especially because I’m still trying to digest / I adapt the woody fragrances stronger.
eoq580speagoessenda – :
Has everyone gone mad? It’s a good thing this is sold in pharmacies, next to painkillers, because this is a recipe for headache and a cheap one from the first sniff to the exhausting, almost never ending drydown. Starts with synthetic citrus -if you find this natural then you have been staying off oranges for at least 5 years, please, go eat some before you get scurvy. I can assure you that the whole composition smells nothing like orange trees in bloom as I happen to live surrounded by them. I don’t really care about the notes though, because the whole thing is diluted in the most awful, nose singeing, sinus devastating musk. It is trying to gather all the disparate notes under its powdery mantle and suffocates everyone in the process. The only thing that peaks through is a very sour citrusy blah. Where is the orange oil with the naturally musky drydown? Where is the living wood which smells like clean human skin? No real green notes, just a sketch and an oakmoss substitute. If I sniff harder in the effort to detect any of the above I get a splitting headache and an itching nose. I’ve smelled better washing powders in the supermarket aisle and less harmful too.
I remember fragrances from previous lines of this company and they were never as bad as the current collection. All of them smell as if diluted in chemical solvents. The central theme (wether it is ginger, vanilla, angelica or in this case orange) always swimming in a nondescript mess. No wonder no perfumer is mentioned. 40 euros for 100ml? Yeah, right…
Tricybibe – :
Among the Roger & Gallet, Bois d’Orange is one of the more interesting. It was a nice discover. I really like it even if I don’t love it, but it’s a very well made scent that can pass for a more sophisticated one, even elegant in a way, more than initial packaging and scope show.
The listed notes are to die for. I love both neroli and orange flower, especially in summer, but in BdO they are more complimentary notes, rather then the core of scent.
It’s very woody in a mellow and citrus way. This makes it suitable for both men and women. I like that the citrus is not overpowering and exagerately fresh and percieng. The overall feeling about BdO is more of a warm, conforting, autumn/winter scent without the heaviness of thick orientals if you don’t happen to like that thickness. The citrus here keeps the whole blend higher but not bracing fresh. The drydown is woody indeed, but never harsh and quite longlasting.
I suggest to try if you’re looking for an easy scent with a warm undertone, no matter if you’re woman or man.
jcdnhomep – :
Oh, boy. Is this a nice warm, smell or what! I the dry oil is what I am using and it is woody but never overpowering. I rub it after shower and before bed. The oranges are there but not in your face. Try it!
xqg986bedyWelty – :
At first, little bold and “grassy” orange, smelling really natural for me. Well, the middle surprised me because I was expecting something more aquatic or lemony but unlike I thought before, it goes to a gentle floral heart: warm, quickly powdery and sweet (not too much), prominent orange blossom note. Not very refreshing but this one dress well in every season (either summer) and you can’t get wrong with it. Projection is very good and logevity is above average for an eau fraiche (I think it’s compared to a eau de cologne). A safe one if you like orange.
On me:
Longevity: Along 4~5h
Projection: Very Good
AssAlexxxas – :
The body dry oil is to die for!
Alex-kpot – :
This was a wonderful surprise since my experience with citrus scents usually meant they’d last less than an hour.
This was a wonderful full orange smell and best of all this cologne doesn’t disappear in an hour.
It was still detectable almost 8 hours later.
Best yet-this less than half the price of high end brands like Creed and the very over rated Penhaligon.
crazycop – :
I went in to test ‘Vanille’ but my attention was diverted & I accidentally spritzed ‘Bois d’Orange’ on my wrist instead…..& I’m SO glad that I did.
My nose was expecting soft, delicate vanilla but was awakened, no, kicked awake by the punchy, zesty, herbal-citrus top notes. It was like a lovely dunking into ice-cold, freshly squeezed orange juice whilst being whacked with bunches of basil, verbena & orange leaves.
Quite quickly you are whooshed through a sweet floral lift….the orange blossom takes a brief hold before the big bassy wood notes really strike. & I’m so glad they have a large part in this show – without them this would be too twee & girly, just another juicy, fruity floral with bags of orange zest.
The smokey, herbalness of this fragrance makes it quite unisex – you can clearly separate the female & male personalities. If you need a lift & a wake up, & want something that is orange fresh not orange squash with enough depth to anchor down those zesty notes, then this is for you.
I can see it working very well for me this summer – refreshing in the day time, smokey & just interesting enough for warm, dusty evenings.
A really lovely serendipitous find 🙂