Top Notes 
Bergamot
Mandarin orange
Heart Notes 
New Caledonian sandalwood
Ylang-ylang
Base Notes 
Tonka bean
Vanilla
08/04/2025
KT4267
14 Reviews
KT4267
2
Here comes the sun
I first came to Bois des Iles by way of Samsara. It was the texture and quality of its original formula, the sandalwood, that held me. The plush warmth that seems to inhabit the air and the memory at the same time.
So when people mentioned that sort of sandalwood could also be found in Bois des Iles, I began my chase.
When I first sprayed Bois des Iles, nearly two years ago now, I recoiled a bit. The aldehydes blasted my nostrils, powerful and too confident. It was like waking up to a spotlight in my face. Novice to Chanel’s classic DNA, the opening was too prominent, an assertive soapiness with which I was unfamiliar. However, after some time, I was able to faintly perceive the sandalwood yet it was like trying to view a painting through frosted glass. I nearly gave up on it.
But something made me come back to my decant a few months later, my nose properly forewarned, the aldehydes no longer shouted. They whispered. Still, I shelved the decant.
A year later, I gave the decant another wear. This time, the aldehydes swirled a bit, bright and effervescent but then they stepped aside. A trick of time or a trick of expectation, I don’t know. But now there was something beckoning me.
I don’t know exactly it when I changed, maybe the fourth wear-test, maybe the fifth, but the aldehydes softened or I softened to them. The veil lifted like the sun peeking through clouds, and through it the true heart of this perfume…
And the sandalwood arrived…
Creamy, smooth and warm like the sun shining on once shaded skin. Here it’s less showy than that of Samsara, it doesn’t push itself forward but rather, emerges slowly. It has a timeless quality to it, something both elegant and refined and also comforting. It’s both an evening gown and a favorite sweater.
Bois des Iles was not an easy love for me. It asked for patience and a little trust and rewarded me with quiet majesty. It taught me sometimes the most beautiful things need discovering but will reward those who seek with something enduring.
And now a full bottle awaits…
So when people mentioned that sort of sandalwood could also be found in Bois des Iles, I began my chase.
When I first sprayed Bois des Iles, nearly two years ago now, I recoiled a bit. The aldehydes blasted my nostrils, powerful and too confident. It was like waking up to a spotlight in my face. Novice to Chanel’s classic DNA, the opening was too prominent, an assertive soapiness with which I was unfamiliar. However, after some time, I was able to faintly perceive the sandalwood yet it was like trying to view a painting through frosted glass. I nearly gave up on it.
But something made me come back to my decant a few months later, my nose properly forewarned, the aldehydes no longer shouted. They whispered. Still, I shelved the decant.
A year later, I gave the decant another wear. This time, the aldehydes swirled a bit, bright and effervescent but then they stepped aside. A trick of time or a trick of expectation, I don’t know. But now there was something beckoning me.
I don’t know exactly it when I changed, maybe the fourth wear-test, maybe the fifth, but the aldehydes softened or I softened to them. The veil lifted like the sun peeking through clouds, and through it the true heart of this perfume…
And the sandalwood arrived…
Creamy, smooth and warm like the sun shining on once shaded skin. Here it’s less showy than that of Samsara, it doesn’t push itself forward but rather, emerges slowly. It has a timeless quality to it, something both elegant and refined and also comforting. It’s both an evening gown and a favorite sweater.
Bois des Iles was not an easy love for me. It asked for patience and a little trust and rewarded me with quiet majesty. It taught me sometimes the most beautiful things need discovering but will reward those who seek with something enduring.
And now a full bottle awaits…
Aarseth
Kurai
Jbl775
Lillibet
