Our take
What does Bois Doré smell like?
Bois Doré joined the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire in 2017. Fabrice Pellegrin of Firmenich built it as a woody oriental with no heaviness. The first seconds prickle with pepper and a mineral note, a bit like a stone warmed in the sun. Then cedar takes over. Forget the dry pencil-shaving cedar of many men's scents. This wood is rounded by vanilla, soft without turning into dessert. Tonka bean absolute comes through in the base along with a white musk that smooths the corners. The effect is varnished wood rather than raw timber, and the name describes that colour well. Compared with Dior's Bois d'Argent, which is more powdery and leans on incense, Bois Doré is simpler and sweeter. It lacks a hook to stand out in a collection already full of pale woods.
When to wear it
Wear it on autumn and winter evenings, sprayed on a wool sweater or a coat collar. Two sprays are plenty because the vanilla base clings to fabric for hours.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Bois Doré is one of 20 creations by Van Cleef & Arpels in our encyclopedia.
