I participated in a business transaction with a trusted member of the internet fragrance community and procured the following scents:
Eau de NY by Bond No 9
Bois D'Iris by A Different Company
Bois D'Armenie by Guerlain
Bois D'Argent by Christian Dior
Labdanum 18 by Le Labo
I also received complementary samples of Parfum de Nicolai's Patchouli and Leau Chic.
Eau de NY: Very citrusy. Somewhat bracing on initial application that stays that way for a while. Not as smooth as I'd like from my casual fragrances. Thought it was so-so.
Bois D'Iris: Good scent, albeit soft and fleeting on my first wearing. I like Iris but don't love Iris. This is a very good iris if you love iris scents. Needs more wearings.
Bois D'Armenie: The best of the lot. I have never smelled paper armenie, but I'm told it smells like it. This is another great Annick Menardo creation and worth sampling. Incense + honey is what some have described it. This one jumped out at me as being a winner. Reminds me a bit of Cuir Beluga, also by Guerlain and part of the high end L'Art et la Matiere line. Another elegant, classy, creaming, and smooth fragrance! The problem with these scents is that they're not the types you would wear everyday but for very special occasions.
Bois D'Argent: Apparently also made by Annick Menardo! (of Bvlgari Black, Body Kouros, and Hypnotic Poison, Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin, Jaipur Homme fame...wow she has had some real winners). I like this one but the incense (smells like pepper to me) is a bit too strong for me to love it. I could see BnB crowd enjoying this one.
Labdanum 18: Didn't like it. I guess I don't like Labdanum...or maybe it's the civet in there. Too much of that masculine macho musk/civet. Some say it's like Musc Ravageur, but I find MR much better than this one. If you like scents like Jicky and Cooper Square by Bond you might like this one.
PdN Patchouli: Didn't like.
PdN Leau Chic: REALLY LIKED THIS! A surprise for me as this was a bonus given to me as part of this decant purchase. I think wetshavers will love this one. Similar to Geranium Pour Monsieur...and I think I like the Leau Chic better (at least for now.....the GPM by Malle is really moving up in my rankings lately). To me it's a mix between Geranium PM and Caron Pour Un Homme, with geranium and lavender put together. This would make a classy work scent and you must like mint smells to enjoy this. Not quite as potent as the Malle Geranium fragrance so if you like sillage that one wins over the Leau Chic.
Ranking the top 3:
1. Bois D'Armenie - special occasion, awesome.
2. Leau Chic - minty uplifting scent that can be everyday.
3. Bois D'Iris - nice iris scent.
Eau de NY by Bond No 9
Bois D'Iris by A Different Company
Bois D'Armenie by Guerlain
Bois D'Argent by Christian Dior
Labdanum 18 by Le Labo
I also received complementary samples of Parfum de Nicolai's Patchouli and Leau Chic.
Eau de NY: Very citrusy. Somewhat bracing on initial application that stays that way for a while. Not as smooth as I'd like from my casual fragrances. Thought it was so-so.
Bois D'Iris: Good scent, albeit soft and fleeting on my first wearing. I like Iris but don't love Iris. This is a very good iris if you love iris scents. Needs more wearings.
Bois D'Armenie: The best of the lot. I have never smelled paper armenie, but I'm told it smells like it. This is another great Annick Menardo creation and worth sampling. Incense + honey is what some have described it. This one jumped out at me as being a winner. Reminds me a bit of Cuir Beluga, also by Guerlain and part of the high end L'Art et la Matiere line. Another elegant, classy, creaming, and smooth fragrance! The problem with these scents is that they're not the types you would wear everyday but for very special occasions.
Bois D'Argent: Apparently also made by Annick Menardo! (of Bvlgari Black, Body Kouros, and Hypnotic Poison, Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin, Jaipur Homme fame...wow she has had some real winners). I like this one but the incense (smells like pepper to me) is a bit too strong for me to love it. I could see BnB crowd enjoying this one.
Labdanum 18: Didn't like it. I guess I don't like Labdanum...or maybe it's the civet in there. Too much of that masculine macho musk/civet. Some say it's like Musc Ravageur, but I find MR much better than this one. If you like scents like Jicky and Cooper Square by Bond you might like this one.
PdN Patchouli: Didn't like.
PdN Leau Chic: REALLY LIKED THIS! A surprise for me as this was a bonus given to me as part of this decant purchase. I think wetshavers will love this one. Similar to Geranium Pour Monsieur...and I think I like the Leau Chic better (at least for now.....the GPM by Malle is really moving up in my rankings lately). To me it's a mix between Geranium PM and Caron Pour Un Homme, with geranium and lavender put together. This would make a classy work scent and you must like mint smells to enjoy this. Not quite as potent as the Malle Geranium fragrance so if you like sillage that one wins over the Leau Chic.
Ranking the top 3:
1. Bois D'Armenie - special occasion, awesome.
2. Leau Chic - minty uplifting scent that can be everyday.
3. Bois D'Iris - nice iris scent.
