Armani Privé Bois d'Encens (2004)
by Giorgio Armani

If I could afford I'd buy all the stock I could and wear forever. Love at first sniff.
Wonder if No 2 son would notice if I didn't pay his University lodgings this month?

6th January, 2012.

Simply stunning and placed on the higher places of my personal incense based fragrances parade, just few steps behind those pillars as my lord Black Tourmaline and others favourite of mine as Norma Kamali Incense, Tauer's Incense Extreme, Incense Oud by Kilian, Shams by Memo (which is an aoud based fragrance but nicely incensey in its olfactory outcome), Incensi Villoresi, Messe de Minuit Etro, Kyoto CDG and Dzongkha. Sharp, incensey and balanced enough to be ranked as a real dark and gothic incense based fragrance in its dusty boise liturgical soul. The juice itsel, starting with a real dusty and pungent blast (black pepper, juniper, spices), evolves towards a slightly rooty and woodsy real incense with the boldness of vetiver and hints of secret patchouli. The outcome is a cool-warm whiff of conifers, cedar and smoky frankincense  while the smoothing elements (not listed....,labdanum, florals, amber?) are minimally dosed and hidden just in order to barely  sweeten the juice and to introduce a touch of marketing  appeal. The mildness of woods and some resin enhance the pleasure of the final issue that is surprisingly bold, modern and charismatic in comparison with many of the other incensed fragrances (many of those are too introspective  and out of time). The smell itsel and the relative atmosphere remind a bit those coming from some burning candles or oils in a shadowy room. The packaging is excellent, the price is dreadful. Highly recomended anyway.

24th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 13rd January, 2012.)

This, ladies and gents, is one of the most underrated perfumes in the fragrance world. Warm, smoky, and slightly lemony incense with that dusty undercurrent that top-shelf frankincense from Oman is known for is flawlessly framed on one end by deliciously spicy notes of pepper, and by mellow balsamic woods on the other. It's entirely delicious, and I've never smelt such a high quality frankincense note anywhere in perfumery - not in Amouage, not in Tauer, and certainly not in CdG. Not only that, but the supporting players do a perfect job of highlighting the beauty of the frankincense.

If you're enough of a frag aficionado to be browsing this site, then you owe it to yourself to at least try Bois d'Encens. Yes, even if you don't like so-called incense frags.

8th April, 2011.

This is a masterpiece! Dark, gothic, deep and mysterious liturgical incense. Together with CDG avignon, this stays at the top of church inspired fragrances and it's surely one of my favourites. It's pungent almost astringent in the opening to turn much more softer, warm and earthy during drydown. Pepper, some coniferous, vetiver and animalic hints give birth to a multi-faceted incense based composition that while smelling dark and gothic it's incredibly elegant in its minimalistic approach. Not too powerful but definitely remarkable. If you want your incense to stay close to the skin but to result incredibly distinctive at the same time, there's nothing like Bois D'Encens.

The original packaging came in a precious wood bottle and was available as a 50ml EDP at a quite unaffordable price. They now made a "smarter/cheaper" version with a dark glass bottle coming in a 100ml EDP size. Highly recommended!

5th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 16th January, 2012.)

The quiescent Bois d'Encens draws on myrrh,  black pepper, and (especially) frankincense for its austere charm; comparisons can be made with Diptyque's L'Eau Trois, and Comme des Garçons' Ouarzazate and Avignon, respectively. What Bois d'Encens lacks in novelty (L'Eau Trois appeared in 1975), it makes up for in temperament: whereas the CdG Incense series is synthetic-smelling and occasionally harsh (I'm going to blame the budget rather than Duchaufour), the Armani interpretation is terrifically smooth and poised, with a lightness of touch that prevents the incense from overwhelming. The overall effect is meditative rather than smothering.

With regards to the serious difference in cost between the CdG and Armani scents, I think a good question to ask is: could the money saved on buying a slightly lesser version within a genre be used towards buying another scent, in a different genre, able to provide more enjoyment than the quality advantage you've forsaken? It's what most of us would do intuitively, and the answer will depend mainly on the extremity of the difference in quality and the value accorded to that genre in your wardrobe. Speaking for myself, the difference in quality here is certain, but I can think of genres or notes other than incense for which I'd prefer to pay more for a comparable superiority. So, I'll stick with my Avignon despite the excellence of Michel Almairac's Bois d'Encens.

10th February, 2011.

I'd bypassed the Privé range for a long time, simply because nothing in the mainstream Armani range could possibly have led me to believe that the Privé scents would have anything memorable -- let alone fantastic -- to offer. How wrong I was. I've finally sampled Bois d'Encens, and it is as simple as it is rich and fantastic. Textbook treatment of the genre of the incense-smoke-and-pepper fragrance; dry, with the slight crackle of a slow-burning fire. Warm, yet beautifully austere, as a religious ceremony involving incense might be austere and introspective. Similar price range to the Amouage line, and I'd say worth it.

23rd October, 2010.