Boucheron (1988)
by Boucheron

Boucheron launches on a lovely honeyed neroli accord and fills out, via tuberose, tonka bean, and sandalwood, into a rich, mellow floral bouquet that rivals even Joy, Van Cleef & Arpels First, and Givenchy’s Le De in depth and balance. The decadence of indole and the lightest touch of civet lend animalic warmth without distracting from the larger-than-life floral heart, while the silky sandalwood provides a dry counterpoint to what might otherwise have been an overly sweet and heady composition.

Sillage and projection are both ample, though Boucheron is not of the same megaphone-wielding volume of its near contemporaries, Giorgio and Amarige. Boucheron endures well on the skin, with a smooth, sweet tonka (coumarin), resin, and musk drydown that generates an appealing warmth while avoiding any trace of the stuffiness that large scale white flower-centered floral-orientals sometimes lapse into. A worthy foray in a field made competitive by so many other classic entries.

NICE!! Unlike other scents of its genre and time, Boucheron is not very musky- just big, warm, and bright. Not too sweet, but sweet enough to make the florals feel at home.
I like how its not too cheery and not too serious.
Boucheron has found an important place on my "if I can find cheaply enough" wish list.

This review is for the EdP formulation.

Sexy, sophisticated, and elegant.

Boucheron opens with a lovely combination of lemon, bergamot, orange flowers, and basil. The basil gives the opening a herbaceous air, which takes the sharp edge off of all of the citrus. Consequently, one gets to experience the full complexity of the bergamot and lemon. The combination of basil and orange flowers is captivating, and I like this expression of orange flowers even more than the petals in Caron Nocturnes.

As the heart of the fragrance makes its presence felt, a perfectly balanced combination of iris and geranium weaves its way from the highest note to the lowest note, drawing everything together. The iris is sweet without being cloying, and the geranium lends the fragrance a sexy smoulder. The tuberose smells like an entire garden of flowers, and blends seamlessly with the geranium, iris, and citrus.

The base of Boucheron begins with a creamy sandalwood, which could easily become too sweet if not for the oak moss and civet that accompany it. The oak moss gives the sandalwood depth and earthiness, and the civet turns the base sexy.

As Boucheron reaches its dry down, vanilla is added to the base. Like in Boucheron Jaipur pour Homme, this is a spicy and complex vanilla, and adds to the sexy base.

It could be said that Boucheron is an old fashioned fragrance, and this is fine with me. In this case old fashioned means sexy, sophisticated, and elegant, and all I’ve got to say is bring on the past.

As a guy who frequently wears Boucheron pour Homme and Boucheron Jaipur pour Homme, I’m not sure I could get away with wearing Boucheron, but I’m oh so happy that it is out there for women to wear.

For any fans of Chanel No. 19 EdP out there, I think Boucheron is one that you should definitely check out.

My favorite scent. Reminds me of entering a fabulous party dressed to kill and dripping in precious stones. Since I can't afford any of the above, I buy the perfume instead. Strong, lingering but captivating and unique. Sexy, spicey, enchanting and mysterious. Demands respect, and has a spoonful of attitude. Love it.

When I was a teenager my dad's brother's family would join us every summer for a vacation to Barbados or Margarita Island. Every evening my aunt would wear Boucheron and at the end of the trip she'd give me what was left of the bottle. This fragrance is tropical island nights and teasing marine breezes. It's the warmth of suntanned skin, the flaunting of island flowers and the mystery of the ocean rolling under the stars.

Boucheron seems to surround me in beauty and mystery. Timeless.

I agree with purplebird7. When I wear this I am enveloped in warmth, fruit and spice...love it