Chanel • Bois des Iles • Fragrances

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SUPAtime on 6/8/2013 1:35:00 AM more reviews by SUPAtime

Age: Unknown   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I wish I could give this a higher rating but this perfume doesn't last at all on me. Like KittyC I ended up with a faint sandalwood dry down which was nearly imperceptible. Initially, there is a wonderful blast of aldehydes-- very much like No. 5 which reveals a heart of lightly spiced sandalwood. The sandalwood is nice and has a creamy quality but also smells somewhat thin and synthetic. Overall I enjoyed this for the 30 minutes it lasted but I can't give it more than 2 lipsticks for being so short lived.

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gingersnap250 on 4/19/2013 4:01:00 PM more reviews by gingersnap250

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Curly   Eyes: Blue    

This perfume reminds me a teeny bit of #5. It must be the aldehydes, but I'm not sure. It really is a beautiful sort of everyday scent though. It's refined and mature, but I can see women 30 and over wearing it best. It has an intensity to it, but it really isn't cloying at all. I wish I were better at describing scents as to the actual notes, but this scent certainly upholds the quality of the Chanel name for sure.

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kittyc on 3/10/2013 1:55:00 AM more reviews by kittyc

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

No. Not for me. I can't smell it. Three big spritzes from a large decant on to freshly moisturised skin produce a faint burst of roughened wood and a fizz of cola. That dies in a couple of minutes, leaving almost no trace on my skin, and almost no sillage other than what I might expect if I had just showered with sandalwood soap. I wish I could be transported to bliss like so many other people are, but no.

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*TOP REVIEWER* LizWords on 8/31/2012 11:44:00 PM more reviews by LizWords

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

I wish there was a maybe for "would you buy this product again", as I am on the fence about whether or not this fragrance is really for me. I bought a decent sized decant of the EDT from TPC and have tested it several times over the last 6 months or so. I'm giving it 4 stars because I do appreciate it and I do think it smells very good, but I don't really find myself wanting to wear it often. I've said this about other decants and samples in the past and then when I've run out I've decided I miss it and end up buying a bottle and loving it for a long time, so maybe this will happen with Bois des Iles.


It's funny how this EDT sometimes reminds me of No.5, and how other time it remind me of No. 22. It certainly seems to have notes that are found in both. Of course there's the massive aldehydes, but beyond that there is the jasmine, ylang-ylang, and neroli of no.5 and no.22, as there is similar vetiver and vanilla base notes. But Bois des Iles makes sandalwood the star note, blending it with the florals and resinous and woody notes to create a woodsy, warm, powdery scent that has very decent lasting power and silage. Again, I really like the smell, and am even ashamed to admit that I often prefer spritzing it in the air in a small room over wearing it. I like being able to walk through that room several times later that day and smell it. It does smell so good, but I think it is just not really the type of perfume that works with my personality enough to feel right wearing it...

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*TOP REVIEWER* SNIFFMEALLOVER on 7/7/2012 11:19:00 PM more reviews by SNIFFMEALLOVER

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Creamy sandalwood with a dusting of strong, nose pinching, almost headache inducing aldehydes. I read about this perfume and desired owning it. When I first smelled it, I was suprised how familiar it was. This has been done many times over the years one way or the other. Creamy, feminen smell with a very sophisticated, almost dated edge. It did bring to mind Samsara. Bois des Iles has a lovely, yummy, warm, creamy sandalwood side to it. But also a side that reminds me of visiting aunts, dressed best, hugging and kissing you, saying how much you have grown. And you just want to get away!
And I must add that this perception may be due to the fact that Bois des Iles has been reformulated. It is a tribute to sandalwood without sandalwood. Sandalwood has become very expensive due to regulations and scarcity, thus substitued in perfumery with synthetic polystantol and others. And from my experience, while polysantol has a nice warm wafting aroma, it can also be a little screechy. So just to clarify, my review is for the Les Exclusifs version. When Bois des Iles was created, sandalwood was imported from India in large quantities, so I bet back then it smelt devine!

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*TOP REVIEWER* peoplerpeople on 4/12/2012 9:10:00 AM more reviews by peoplerpeople

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

First, an apology: this review will probably not be helpful to many because, as much as I like to read about fragrances, I have difficulty writing about fragrance myself. I did not like this at first because I thought it smelled too "old lady." I would wear it to, I don't know, daytime weddings or luncheons. Then I realized that I really liked the fragrance when I smelled it in my clothes. After two years, I have come to think of this as a signature fragrance, which means that I reach for this one more than others on the occasions that I wear fragrance at all. A spritz of the EDT behind the knee or at the base of my back 1+ hour before "showtime" is perfect. I like that the fragrance is not crazily overly popular; at least, I haven't noticed the fragrance on others (Yay! Mine!) Also, though I couldn't explain why, I haven't suddenly fallen out of "like" with it the way I have with other scents. There. Told you not to expect much. I just wanted to document my appreciation for no reason in particular.

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squarebear on 3/4/2012 7:43:00 PM more reviews by squarebear

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

What can I add that others have not already said? It is best here to go personal: Bois des Îles sinks into my skin and more than any other fragrance becomes a part of me. Wearing it feels like being home. It is sandalwood, jasmine, gingerbread, deliciously warm, comfortably elegant, beautiful, never pretentious. It works just as well with t-shirt and jeans or flannel pajamas as it does with a little black dress, soft cashmere, or lingerie. This was love at first sniff - from its sharp, aldehydic (and slightly uric) start to its creamy middle to its soft drydown, Chanel has captured all facets of sandalwood here. Lovely, lovely, I do not think I will ever be without it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* julia178 on 1/25/2012 9:54:00 PM more reviews by julia178

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This was the third of five fragrance from Chanel's Les Exclusifs line that I recently added to my collection, it started with Coromandel, then Jersey, Bois des îles, Beige and lastly, No. 22. Overall, I have mostly soft woody oriental gourmands in my collection, florals are almost absent, Enter Chanel... To me Bois des îles is somewhat similar to 22, minus the aldehydes and with a creamier base note. That base note consisting of Sandalwood, Vanilla and Tonka Bean with a hint of Vetyver is very soft and comforting to me. It makes Bois des îles very versatile, I can wear this at home as well as to work because it smells sophisticated and elegant. Bois des îles definitely has a more floral opening than what I am used to so I really enjoy venturing out a bit, and I enjoy how this fragrance develops throughout the day into that warm cozy skin scent. Beautiful classy Chanel spray bottle, 6.8 oz, retails for $210. Big bottle, but once it runs out, this is a definite repurchase. A word of warning to your wallet: I never paid too much attention to them, but now I find that these Chanels are addictive.

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*TOP REVIEWER* FlameDancer on 12/30/2011 2:17:00 PM more reviews by FlameDancer

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

Bois des Iles is a pure, clean, crystalline representation of sandalwood, set in a perfectly arranged bouquet of aldehydic flowers with culinary spices smoldering dryly underneath, perfuming the whole like the fragrant smoke of clean Japanese incense.


There is something wealthy about Bois des Iles, but not in an ostentatious way -- each ingredient within the composition seems to be of the very highest quality, and like a great meal, instead of being drenched in heavy sauces, each ingredient shines with the simple perfection of its natural state. The ingredients together produce a magnificent experience.


The sandalwood in Bois des Iles has a distinctly animalic and slightly leathery quality, and reminds me of human sexual smells and the slight glow of clean, healthy people. This component is hardly dirty, though. It's like a perfect, distilled smell of exquisite humanness. There is much more of this quality in the parfum than the edt -- the parfum leans toward raunchiness and reminds me a little of horses and leather tack, while in the edt, this component is only a light mist that lends warmth and humanity to the whole of the composition.


I love Bois des Iles because its simplicity and richness reminds me of an exquisite moss garden in that it's deceptively complex and intricate, but seems completely uncluttered and beautifully ordered nonetheless. It makes me feel utterly calm and beautiful. It's a meditation on abstract living flowers floating in an ancient sandalwood bowl, wrapped in chic French aldehydes. It's the epitome of simple, luxurious quality, and it glows in an aura of deliciously good taste.


The edt is deceptively long lasting. BdI doesn't scream, despite the basenote-heavy composition, so it won't whomp you over the head with a projected "smell," but instead it shrouds you lightly in a rich golden sparkling aura. The parfum is decidedly more noticeable and animalic, and it seems denser. All of the notes project louder and with more presence. The edt is like the whisper of a soft, impossibly expensive cashmere dress shimmering with gold dust, where the parfum is like a heavy silk satin sheath. Both are incredible.


Because it's expensive and has limited availability, it has an exclusivity factor that makes it very intriguing. It's not the sort of thing you'll smell everywhere, and it's certainly unique, but at the same time, I can't imagine it offending anyone's nose. It's not controversial, overtly sexual or quirky, but neither does it smell like anything else -- It's just delectable beauty of the highest quality.

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joeyemma on 12/14/2011 4:09:00 PM more reviews by joeyemma

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I recently bought a 75ml bottle of Bois des Iles from Selfridges in Manchester. The 75ml bottle is £100 and definitely makes it the most expensive EDT I have ever bought.

I think its fabulous, earthy and woody. It has excellent silage. I wore it at work the other day and got several comments about how fantastic it was. I got told I smelt beautiful and sophisticated, without being girly and flowery.

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MissChanel24 on 12/14/2011 2:58:00 PM more reviews by MissChanel24

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Very lovely fragrance as can be expected of Chanel - created initially in 1926. This is like a fresher and soapier version of no5 with added sandalwood, gingerbread accord and a TINY bit of incense that was in no22. This is great fragrance and definitely one of the best in the Les Exclusifs line. I really love this fragrance for autumn and maybe for winter too, although i'd wear no5 and coco for winter. This is a very elegant soapy sandalwood scent. Like a previous reviewer said, Bois des Iles does for sandalwood what no5 does for jasmine... I completely agree. I will DEFINITELY repurchase this fragrance - no doubt! :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* apparently on 11/19/2011 1:17:00 AM more reviews by apparently

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Like many others, I thought this was going to blow my mind. Nope. Curiously flat on me, and I'm not getting woods or gingerbread or any of the other promised notes. It smells genteely oriental. Generic rich person.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cerulfox on 10/18/2011 3:30:00 PM more reviews by cerulfox

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Bois de Iles is warm, fuzzy, woody oriental with an opening splash of Chanel aldehydes. The Guide stated that Bois de Iles was like the brunette sister of No.5, and I totally agree: it has the same deep murky fuzzy wood notes but Bois de Iles is lighter, perhaps a little more laid back. I would even say Bois de Iles was like the brunette little sister, and is a better "fresher" version of No. 5 than Eau Premiere (which was ash on my skin). Perfect for those early fall days when you want something a little deeper but not too strong, a nice light blazer rather than a heavy peacoat.


Would I buy Bois de Iles? Someday, but it's low on my priority list. Inez by BPAL is pretty similar, like a scent cousin, and significantly cheaper though it comes in only 5ml bottles. If you like Bois de Iles but don't want to spend $110, Inez is a fine substitute; likewise if you like Inez and want more than 5ml, Bois de Iles is where to go. When I finally run out of my bottle of Inez I'll buy Bois de Iles, but not till then.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Melloney on 5/11/2011 9:08:00 PM more reviews by Melloney

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

On my skin, Bois des Iles is all about that dusty sweet sandalwood. It goes from power aldehydes to that spicy sweet gingerbread and then rests with sandalwood .It remains quite a strong sandalwood for some hours and this is the EDT ( Les Exclusifs version ) . There is very little iris on me ,little floral too. It's a beauty ,smooth and very Chanel .Unisex.

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*TOP REVIEWER* KKAI on 4/12/2011 10:36:00 AM more reviews by KKAI

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

I am on the fence about this. Initially you get the signature Chanel aldehydes and it gets kind of soapy. After a while, there is a hint of feminine, sweet woodiness. I would definitely describe as a cosy scent, not really appropriate for warm weather. Intense but not really long-lasting and not worth a full bottle purchase IMO. Ideally, it would be 2.5 lippies.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BigEars on 3/19/2011 8:10:00 PM more reviews by BigEars

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

finally got to smell all the exclusifs and this was the one I bought. Don't get me wrong, most of them were pretty nice but this one is in a class of its own. Warm cuddly and soft sandalwood, not harsh or metalic like polysantol but much closer to the real mysore which I smelt once about 20 years ago and never forgot. Has a pretty iris note too. This scent smells to me what luxury should be, gorgeous, soft and understated - class in glass

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whitecountess on 8/10/2010 5:15:00 PM more reviews by whitecountess

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This is the perfume equivalent of cashmere or silk, something soft that lingers on the skin.. If it were a voice, it would be Kathleen Turner's. Interesting that Bois is called a "woodsy" scent, because I get the most exquisite Iris which dries to a light and sexy musk.
It is a scent you could wear every day for years. To tremendous effect.
Or just on those days where you want a warm blanket, cup of tea, and a book.

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*TOP REVIEWER* atomic_girl on 7/22/2010 12:15:00 AM more reviews by atomic_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Bois des Iles is a gorgeous sandalwood scent with floral hints in the background. I'm more accustomed to perfumes where the emphasis is reversed, but I'm loving the upfront dry woodsiness here. If only Bois des Iles wasn't so difficult and expensive to obtain...

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harlow74 on 7/13/2010 1:30:00 AM more reviews by harlow74

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This just smelled like Bijan to me from high school. So very similar.

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zazie33 on 7/9/2010 12:10:00 PM more reviews by zazie33

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Bois des iles, supposedly the first woody fragrance for women, is an iconic perfume created in 1926 by Ernest Beaux and reissued in at least a couple of different official incarnations since then. Today it is available in (light) edt concentration as part of “les exclusifs” collection at Chanel boutiques; a tight selection of flagship stores carries also the extrait de parfum concentration.

The notes describing the current edt are not really helpful in conveying the feeling of the fragrance (Sicilian Mandarin, Calabrian Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Bourbon Vanilla; source: chanel.com).


Bois des iles bears the signature fizzy aldehydic opening of classic chanels, announcing “money!” and “perfume!” in a very effective way.
The aldehydes blur the top and heart notes into an golden and soapy haze - though you could manage to perceive a faint citrus and peachy sparkle suspended on a delicate floral blend of neroli, jasmine, rose, iris, and ylang-ylang.
Polished and elegant, Bois des iles’ opening has a certain severe and clean quality that is balanced by a warm “gingerbread accord” that intensifies in the wonderful woody and oriental dry-down: a rich blend of vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, tonka bean, vanilla and musk.


Bois des iles is often considered a reference sandalwood perfume; however, while this might be true for earlier versions of the fragrance (or for the extrait de parfum concentration, which I haven’t smelled), in the current edt the precious wood is not particularly prominent, maybe due to strict regulations on mysore sandalwood harvesting – or to cheapen the formula (or both).

In any case, Bois des iles edt, as it is now, is a beautiful, complex and layered fragrance, truly elegant and timeless, with a luminous and golden feel...and suitable for both women and men.


Very generous application is required to allow the warm, woody base to soften and infuse with a sensual laziness the otherwise formal and soapy aldehydic cloud – and it is downright necessary if you simply want the fragrance to last.
With only a gigantic 200 ml bottle format available, I suppose generous application is not an issue… unless, while you’re happily spraying around, you happen to recall the price (200 Euros).

[If you like bois des iles you may also like, in addition to the classic Chanels (n° 5,n° 22, Cuir de Russie), Frederic Malle’s dirtier and funkier Une fleur de Cassie.]

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