The Cashmere Wrap Scent
Do you have a cashmere wrap scent? It's a perfume that makes you feel like you are wrapped up in a soft, luxurious blanket. For me that perfume is Chanel Bois des Iles.
Bois des Iles pushed boundaries in its time. Ernest Beaux created it in 1926 as twist on a traditional woody masculine fragrance, but for women. Bois des Iles opens with a hint of citrus and the champagne sparkle of aldehydes. Soon, it becomes all about the creamiest sandalwood you have ever smelled. Flowers are used to add shimmer and highlights, but they are also seamlessly blended with the wood. I get hints of lily of the valley and jasmine if I inhale deeply. There is also a touch of soft peach skin and fruity rose.
The wood beneath these flowers glows and surrounds you in a close cocoon of comfort. It has a slightly spicy and sweet warmth to it, which many have called the "gingerbread" note. It's gourmand without being foody because the creaminess is dry. If Bois des Iles were a colour, it would be chocolate brown with champagne highlights or the colour of silk by candlelight.
Bois des Iles is my comfort scent, but it's also very rich smelling. Rich as in decadent. When I want to smell like a million bucks, I reach for my Bois des Iles. Luckily, smelling like million bucks is more affordable, now that Chanel is offering its Les Exclusifs line in smaller, 75ml, bottles and not just the enormous 200ml ones. If you'd like to give Bois des Iles a sniff, head on over to a Chanel Boutique, or Holt Renfrew in Toronto.
Nose: Ernest Beaux
Notes: aldehydes, and "Sandalwood and Ylang-Ylang spirals in a base of Tonka Bean and Bourbon Vanilla, with heady, enchanting notes of Sicilian Mandarin and Calabrian Bergamot." [from the Chanel website]
Oh how I love my Bois des Iles. Definitely in my Top 5, often listed as my #1. So damn delicious.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful description of one of my all time faves (its the banner of my blog!) thank you for such a love story to Bois des Iles...I have both vintage & current edt and frankly, they are so similar it takes some serious contemplative sniffing to tell the difference. It really IS a cashmere wrap of a scent...+1 what Jen said above..."so damn delicious"
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, thanks for stopping by! I'd love to know what your other top 4 are.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, I've never tried the vintage but I'm happy to hear that BdI hasn't changed much. Good old Chanel, they're pretty good at maintaining quality for these really old scents.
ReplyDeleteYou described beautifully a beautiful fragrance. I'm so glad that Chanel offers Bois des Iles in a more reasonably sized bottle: I would have never justified buying a 200 ml one with all other perfumes that I love and own. Bois des Iles is on my "to buy" list. Hopefully, I'll get to it the next year.
ReplyDelete~ Undina ~
I have this. It's beautiful. Can only wear it in winter though.
ReplyDeleteI'll link to this awesome review once I write mine.