Bois d'Argent Cologne (2004)
by Christian Dior

When I first tested this on paper and on my skin, my reactions were very much in the positive sphere. I had written phrases like: “Delicate,” “…restrained spiciness and sweetness,” “…soft incense,” and “…transparent but rich notes.” Then came the wearing. About two hours into my first wearing I began to be annoyed by what I was smelling. The annoyance quickly changed into genuine dislike and I had experienced this dislike before from notes I recognized in YSL’s Nu, Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. It was that floral / vegetal note that, with continued exposure, tended to make me disgusted, and, as in the case of the two mentioned, I had to wash off Bois d’Argent immediately. I very seldom feel the need to remove a fragrance from my skin, but this was one of those few cases.

Sweet, smooth, and refined buttery iris, honey, incense, and blond woods. (or silver according to Slimane) As a whole, Bois d'Argent is subtle, but intricately detailed, and has surprisingly good longevity. Personally, this is my favorite of the three boutique-exclusive scents, and a good compliment-winner.

Yet another winner from Annick Menardo!

Reviewing from a second sample

This is my favourite out of the three.

Its longevity is definitely on par with most quality EDT fragrances although, as some have already mentioned, it comes across as a little too soft for my liking. Its sweet and buttery combination of honey, myrrh, patchouli, iris, leather, incense and musk creates a scent that is both delicious and sensual (but never cloying).

However, there are a couple of reservations about these colognes that I need to ‘get off my chest’:

1) Like the Cuiron bottle, it would have been better if the label was laminated – after frequent use, the soiled label just ruins the bottle’s overall appearance.

2) The inside of the fabric bag (for the spray attachment) isn’t lined. Therefore fine strands of fabric have shed onto the spray attachment itself. This is an awful design flaw and I’d advise anyone, who purchases any of the Dior colognes, to thoroughly rinse their spray attachments before screwing it onto the bottle. You’ll get a nasty surprise if you don’t!

A more intense version would have been pure perfection.

[Original submission date: 10 April 2008]

wow... for once in my basenotes life I don't have too much to add to previous reviews... I unloaded a full 3 ml on myself and............... not too much to write about. Iris? check. transparent incense? check. dusty old furniture? check. I know that it is only cologne strength but this is the equivalent of someone showing me a picture of a great steak they ate at a fancy restaurant, only the picture was in black and white and taken from a cell phone. I get the idea that it was awesome, and I can almost stretch the experience enough to warrant thinking about how the steak would taste, but there just isn't enough substance to capture my attention and make me want to go out and buy the meal... Even while I am wearing it I get the feeling that someone just passed me by smothered in the juice, but it was so bleh that I would forget the sniff in a moment. The topnotes vanish into thin (or thick) air, giving you a slight tease of floral iris that dissipates immediately upon hitting the skin... there is a very rapid transformation from cheap gas station incense into a rubbery note that reminds me of a newly opened package of dog chewy toys before fulling developing into a quiet patchouli drydown. This isn't a cloying hyperbole of a monster, but a whispering ghost of notes that probably could have played well together with better blending. If you could imagine Ben Stein reading War and Peace in a slow cadence, you would have a decent projection of how exciting this is. I'm not a huge fan of loud ostentatious fragrances, but at least let me know I'm wearing one. Oh well at least it was just a sample.

Do you like root beer? If so, you should try this.