This is one of my all time favourite fragrances. I absolutely adore Bois des Iles. I just wish Chanel would release an EDP or make the parfum again. I keep trying out new scents when they're released and yet i always come back to this. This is woods - smooth, sensual and creamy woods. Divine ...

The only way I can describe this perfume is by saying that it smells like a woman. But not just any woman. Imagine Botticelli's Venus on her shell, and then imagine how fragrant the skin of such an idealized beauty would be. This comes close to the effect of Bois des Iles... it is a kind of ur-perfume, a perfect poem describing idealized femininity. It is tremendously gentle, superbly balanced between sweet woods, florals and aldehydes. After the first 'fix' of aldehydes, it develops on the skin into a fragrance so beautifully blended, so whisper-soft that it breaks the heart.

And yet it is not a 'special occasion' kind of scent - it is not about fireworks. You can wear it every day and it becomes a part of your skin, a part of your being. To say it is perfect signature-scent material sounds impertinent, since it is a masterpiece and one cannot personalise a masterpiece, but Bois des Iles runs counter to that notion. It is at once grand and intimate. If I ever need a reminder of why I'm obsessed with perfume, Boid des Iles is it.

Notes: vetiver, tonka bean, vanilla, ylang ylang, iris, coriander, rose, jasmine and aldehydes.
This is a very lovely woody scent. It's elegant, classic, sophisticated, warm and very smooth. I'm glad that I bought a sample of this.
I'm not sure how much this retails for here in the UK but you can expect to pay out a pretty nice price for this, I'm sure. Of course the packaging is the usual divine, timeless stuff that you can expect of Chanel.
It seems a shame to give this only three lippies but it just doesn't completely bowl me over but it is indeed very beautiful.

How sad! Based on the reviews and blogs thought I would want gallons of this. Found instead that one scant spritz was PLENTY. Aldehydes galore, without the sparkling sexy mischeviousness of No. 5
Indeed, if I hadn't sprayed this myself at the Chanel boutique, I would swear someone was trying to pass off a bad No. 5 dupe.
No go.

Wonderful! My fragrance staple, Bois des Iles is the kind of woman I want to be: warm, sophisticated, full of heart and comfort, but calm and confident. Like many other great fragrances it is full of life, changing every time, always itself, but somehow different. In the outdoors, especially in cool weather, its florals sparkle a little more, in a cozy spot, its vanilla/ginger warms seems to mimic the mood.

I wear the parfum, it opens with a creamy rose, sandalwood, plenty of aldehydes. As it develops, I notice more jasmine and ginger melding with the sandalwood base. I have never tried and EdT and I would like to see if there are noticeable differences.

I found this perfume to be quite sickening to be honest. I had high hopes for it, based on the reviews. I find it very powdery, musky and intensely strong. It actually made my stomach churn, and that's tough to do - I am a perfume lover and can stand some of the strongest fragrances around.

Gave this extra points because the lasting quality is terrific - however - it is extremely headache inducing, and far too powdery for my likings - reminds me a lot of Chanel #5 - smells almost identical on me.

Does Chanel keep the same basic scent framework for all of their perfumes? For some reason, to me, it smells similar, but worse than, Cuir de Russie and shares some accords with no. 5. I definitely get that smell of wet wipes, and not the baby powder ones either...more like the ones they give you at some restaurant to wipe your greasy fingers after you dine on King Crab. These scents last on me A LONG time (the old adage I guess), cuz I'm just not that into them. I certainly don't agree w/ Luca Turin (Perfumes: The Guide) on a lot of things. Perhaps I agree more with Christopher Brosius from CB, who I think said that perfumes are more about psychological/emotional connections. Maybe it was my wicked stepmother who wore one of these perfumes, and I'm just not conscious of it. Kidding.

Oh how I dreamed of this scent! I OWN it based on the reviews. I decided to test it again today, and was PAINED to have to actually remove it (gasp) when after 3 hours the aldehydes persisted. They persisted past the sandalwood base that I longed for. Perhaps in a perfume? My Cuir de Ruisse parfum, tested on the other arm did not emanate quite the overwhelming aldehydes of Bois de Iles today, so I once again suspect the strength difference will actually make a difference. I gave it 3 lippies, reluctantly, due to the aldehydes on my skin.

I don't understand why this is so "meh" on me when everyone else loves it so much. It smells dated and too sophisticated. It's a sophistication that doesn't interest me either, as does the sophistication of SL's Vetiver Oriental. There are supposed to be all these gorgeous notes going on--see Perfumes, The Guide. Unpleasant topnotes and then woods, just woods.

The fact that I haven’t fallen head over heels with Bois des Iles is a surprise, because I hankered after it for years thinking the description sounded just right for me. I love wood, powder, and almost every Chanel I have tried. I love Feminite du bois, Egoiste, Black Cashmere – so why ever don’t I love this? For a start, it buzzes in a very shrill manner on my skin. The powder is almost tangible, only it isn’t baby powder, but an old-fashioned, chalky, bathroom set powder, bought from a tourist shop in a seaside town that has seen better days. I regret I must admit that for the first time in a fragrance I actually detect a body odour note in Bois des Iles. There is a sweetness that sits quite high in the mix, as if on a window ledge, and I get a little lemon sherbet, which I think is an illusion from the peach and benzoin. I think it’s unlikely I have ever detected this on anyone else, but it definitely reminds me of something from my past. Possibly the wet-wipes my dad used to keep on the car dashboard for my sticky fingers.