Our take
What does Bois d'Amande smell like?
Bois d'Amande joined the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire in 2020. Sidonie Lancesseur composed this eau de parfum, and its structure is easy to read. A stroke of lemon opens before the almond catches up. Don't expect cloying frangipane. This almond is dry and powdery, like marzipan without too much sugar. Virginia cedar fills the heart with warm wood and a slight pencil shaving edge. Musk and vanilla make up the base. It stays smooth from start to finish, with no wrong note and no real surprise. Compared with Dior's Hypnotic Poison, the other great almond perfume, Bois d'Amande is far less sweet and woodier. It smells of cashmere more than pastry. That restraint appeals to anyone after a wearable everyday almond. Others will find it too tame for the price. We sit somewhere in between.
When to wear it
Great for autumn and winter, at the office or on weekends. Two or three sprays on a sweater and the almond lasts into the evening.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Bois d'Amande is one of 20 creations by Van Cleef & Arpels in our encyclopedia.
