Ernest Beaux, the master creator of Chanel Nos 5, 22 and also Cuir de Russie and Bois des Iles, reportedly said that Chanel No 5 smelled of a snowy landscape. Mr. Beaux had fled from Russia, so he knew his snowy landscapes well. But to me, Chanel No 5 smells warm and golden with a refreshing coolness underneath it all, . . . but no snow. It's Bois des Iles which smells silvery and snowy. I know, I know. Bois des Iles is supposed to conjure images of warmth and woods, and while it does have a warmth to it, it's the warmth of the silver necklace you're wearing under your heavy parka while you're in that snow in those woods. Guerlain's Attrape Coeur is similar to Bois des Iles in many ways, which makes me wonder if Guerlain was making a nod to Chanel when it released A-C. Bois des Iles also reminds me of Long Lost Perfume's dupe of Lanvin's My Sin, another creation from a Russian perfumer and which predates Bois by a couple years. There is a large dollop of sandalwood in the drydown of Bois; it's rather alluring yet stays classy at the same time. I don't find the sandalwood overpowering as in some of the heavier fragrances popular on the market. I won't list the notes of BdI since others have done so below. One day I hope to sample the pure parfum. It is rather pricey, but I bet it's worth it. For the time, however, I'm content with the EdT. And, yes, this is one to wear all year. You don't have to wait until it's parka time.

Oh, I could simultaneously kiss and slap the swapper who was kind/mean enough to send me a sample of Chanel's Bois des Iles fragrance in the *pure parfum* form. Released in 1926 (!), it is Fragrance Nirvana for me, unspeakably beautiful. Mellow and comforting sandalwood, light aldehydes, a little vanilla and spice, a light gingerbread-like smell in the drydown. Blended to perfection and simply gorgeous, I *must* own a bottle of the pure parfum; it's an instant Holy Grail for me. It's only found in Chanel boutiques, so I'll have to order online when I buy it (not if, when)... and it's $150. Ouch. Hence the "I could slap her" comment... I could try to wait for my birthday and ask for it as my gift from my DH, but can I really wait that long (2 months) without more of this in my life?? Damn, it's lovely. I want to date myself. Update: Ordered!! YAY!

This strikes me as a very watered down version of Coco. I like Coco and it's lovely on me but BdI is a little disappointing. It's nice enough, but barely there on me and not worth the price. Maybe at one time it was a great fragrance in a previous vintage form, but the current EDT is weak with poor lasting power. This is for the EDT; I've not yet tested the parfum.

This is my 2nd review here and to those who don't know me from the boards, I am one big perfume-holic. I was fortunate enough to get a small decant of BdI in a swap and when I first sprayed it on, I felt cheated! It had the aldehylic opening of No5 which I dislike. However, that soon disappeared and led to a nice warm sandalwood aroma. Soft and very warm, like a much softer Samsara and reminded me of pure sandalwood oil I smelled while vacationing in India. This is a very refined perfume and I am definitely picking a bottle up when I go to Paris in 2 weeks!

This is a beautiful fragrance. I doubt I would actually wear it (at least not very often) because it smells a little (I thought I would never say these words, but here goes) "old ladyish" to me. And I'm an old lady. Compared to many of the ladies who post here, I might be very old, but I'm not saying.

I admire it, but it is not my style.

I kept hearing how great this is, so I bought a decant. It has that aldehyde opening like #5, which I *hate*... but underneath is a pleasant, gingerbread-like fragrance. I'm going to have to try this a few more times to see how it sits. I like it but don't love it.

This is the nicest fragrance I own. It's elegant, beautiful and made with quality. The creator, Ernest Beaux, made a timeless masterpiece with this one.

Typical headache inducing Chanel mess. Perfumey, powdery, floral. Ugh, my head is pounding and I must WASH THIS OFF. It ain't no No.5 or Coco, let's just leave it at that.

Basically, I am inspired to write reviews now because of this fragrance. Although I will wear others, this is now my HG fragrance. At first I only smelled aldehydes and sandalwood, but now after wearing is so much, I am finally picking up different notes. The ylang-ylang and rose was particularly strong the other day. But the sandalwood is my favorite. It's a little powdery too, but not baby powder, more like classic perfume powdery. This is so sophisticated and makes me feel like a woman (which I am of course, but some things just make you feel more that way). I feel instantly confident and more outgoing when I spritz this on. Heaven in a bottle. Absolutely lovely.

This has a strange perfumey top note on me (similar to No. 5), and then turns into a beautiful powdery floral for a while (I LOVE this stage of the fragrance). Until alas...it turns to something beautiful that i just cannot describe. I did not likle this one the first couple of times I put it on, but now, I can't stop smelling my wrists when i wear it. It is intoxicating in the best way possible. A classic beauty!