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Collection Extraordinaire

Bois d'Amande Van Cleef & Arpels 2020

7.8 / 10 316 Ratings

A popular perfume by Van Cleef & Arpels for women and men, released in 2020. The scent is sweet-woody. It is being marketed by Interparfums.
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Main accords

Sweet

Woody

Creamy

Gourmand

Powdery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Almond

Lemon

Heart Notes

Cedarwood

Base Notes

Tonka bean absolute

White musk

Perfumer

Sidonie Lancesseur

Ratings

Scent

7.8316 Ratings

Longevity

7.6271 Ratings

Sillage

7.0271 Ratings

Bottle

8.3265 Ratings

Value for money

7.3183 Ratings

Submitted by Morpheus1, last update on 10/27/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Collection Extraordinaire collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Nubica

Bois Doré

Star

Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense

Infusion d'Amande

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/26/2024

9.5Scent 10Longevity 5Sillage

CatSmells
7 Reviews

CatSmells

5

Smooth and Buttery

This is not a typical gourmand fragrance, yes it has vanilla and almonds but it’s not a heavy marzipan or frangipani dessert. Instead it’s more of a light, fluffy almond cake, or even an almond pudding/mousse (if that’s a thing - it should be!). That being said, it doesn’t actually smell edible like many gourmands.

This is a well blended, smooth and buttery fragrance that dries down into a woody, and musky skin scent that lasts forever on clothes. It does not have a big projection, but the intimate scent trail is addicting once noticed. The airy lemon scent adds a gentle zing whilst the woody notes add depth that prevents it being sickly sweet and cloying.

I appreciate those likening it to BR540, but I think it shares an airy almond or burnt sugar note found in BR540 Extrait. However this is far superior in that it doesn’t have a synthetic/plastic smell I find with both BR540. I own Replica BTFP and they’re nothing alike - both have vanilla but it’s totally different, even the vanilla notes are different.

I think this could be a popular fragrance in 2024. I’m obsessed.

12/29/2024

7.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Musicandarts
227 Reviews

Musicandarts

2

A nice versatile almond gourmand that is not too sweet.

This review is based on a 10 ml vial of Bois d’Amande that came as part of a travel set that also included Ambre Imperial and Moonlight Patchouli. It is a beautiful almond fragrance from the Collection Extraordinaire from Van Cleef & Arpels. Sidonie Lancesseur has created a lovely mild gourmand that stays elegant without becoming too sweet.

It opens with lemon and almond notes that do not foreshadow the typical almond tonka gourmands. The presence of a tangy lemon in the opening coupled with a raw almond note makes this a unique almond. Every note listed by the perfumer is present in the beginning, though with different intensities. The tonka bean pushes it towards a gourmand personality while the musk holds it back from going there. The citrus subsides as we move into the heart notes, but the cedar is now perceptible. For most of its life on my skin, Bois d’Amande is an almond-tonka-cedar. Most notes stay on till the very end, though their relative contribution changes as time proceeds. I can easily pick up tonka bean, cedar, musk and almonds in the base notes and dry down. Though this is a nice almond gourmand scent, it does not stand out as something particularly unique or exceptional.

The performance of Bois d’Amande is moderate, though this may not be bad thing. It is a perfume that I can recommend for the office setting, perhaps the only almond scent I would dare to. Sillage is detectable in the wake of the wearer for a few hours, but it doesn’t project over long distance, again something useful in an office scent. The longevity is good, not great. The base notes of almond, cedar and tonka subside in less than six hours on my skin.

In summary, Bois d’Amande is a lovely almond gourmand that stays on the respectable side of the gourmand spectrum. It works great as an entry-level almond scent that is also versatile. Just like Ambre Imperial, Bois d’Amande does not chart new courses in perfumery. However, it is still a good bargain if you can get a 45 ml bottle for $40. The inexpensive travel set that I bought is also a good option.

03/01/2020

7.5Scent 6Longevity 7Sillage

Parfümlein
124 Reviews

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Parfümlein

Top Review 33

The Fragrance for Hours of Silence

... this is how "Bois d'amande" presents itself: It is not a loud fragrance, it does not attract attention, it does not impress with a dominant note. At the beginning, a citrus-woody freshness emerges, which smells more like warm, sunlit wood than cold winter forest. The balance between the citrus and woody elements is very well achieved, creating a harmonious connection. Very shortly thereafter, a soft almond note appears, blending with the citrus-woody note, adding a slight sweetness and a deeper richness. The woody note now clearly stands alongside the almond note, leaving the citrus behind. Both notes remain present, even as the distinctly perceivable spicy sweetness of vanilla finally sets in. All three components can now be perceived side by side and intertwined, with none overshadowing the other (I am not currently aware of any additional notes). This all remains unchanged on the skin for several hours without any surprising development, before the woody, warm tone ultimately recedes and gives more space to the almond sweetness.
From the very beginning, the fragrance appears light, unobtrusive, subtle. It softly, almost creamily hugs the skin and stays there, as mentioned, without significant development, as a delicate companion. Because none of the notes really appears dominant - when the almond and vanilla take over, the sillage has long since faded - the fragrance encounters one in a strangely distant manner, as if it truly wants to remain inconspicuous in the background, not distract, not occupy thoughts, just to be there, radiating a meditative calm that invites contemplation, allowing space for one's own thoughts, space for work, space for conversations, always as a gentle companion caressing the skin. Sweetness, spiciness, and woodiness are so balanced that it cannot be described as a gourmand nor as a forest scent. It is also difficult to assign the fragrance to a single season; I consider it suitable for autumn and winter as well as for spring, if not even for warm summer evenings. This is also due to the lightness of the fragrance. It is light without being fleeting; on the contrary, it leaves a slightly oily film on the skin. Nevertheless, it maintains its restraint. A fragrance, therefore, for the quiet moments in life, those not marked by enthusiastic feelings, but by a gentle inward turning, a calming down, a letting go. In lightness and weightlessness of thoughts. A beautiful fragrance, recommended for forest walks, for meditations, and always: for silence.

07/17/2022

9Scent 10Longevity 9Sillage

Judy0703
10 Reviews

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Judy0703

11

Summer in a bottle

Absolutely amazing, noble summer fragrance that, in my opinion, is completely underrated! The lemon comes across not zesty, but very creamy. Longevity and sillage are great! On the day I first wore it, I immediately received compliments for this scent from a stranger! A total no-brainer. Definitely worth a try!

04/15/2022

9.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Vasco
18 Reviews

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Vasco

5

A tricky thing

I received two samples of this fragrance, which allowed me to test it quite thoroughly. Unlike the notes suggest, I personally don't smell any lemon here but rather have an intense, even slightly alcoholic almond in my nose. I found it quite heavy to wear at first (especially in summer), but over time I perceived the scent as extremely elegant and distinctive. It also reminds me a lot of a fragrance by Kilian, although I can't recall the name (either Back to Black or Black Phantom). However, I deduct points for performance, as it felt to me like it just faded after the first hour. All in all, it's definitely worth a sniff.

More reviews

Statements

98 short views on the fragrance

Hermesh

3 years ago

8Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

3

Caramelised sweet almonds and salty woods (with a slight touch of fir) in an exciting, yet harmonious coexistence.

TwinStarSnif

3 days ago

5.5Scent 6Longevity 6Sillage

1

The cedarwood in this goes starchy pencil shavings to an almond scent I can’t take on my skin. Reminds me of a dusty attic, no sorry.

Lourencoreis

6 months ago

8.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

1

A very sexy fragrance! A buttery roasted almond with a hint of woods that gives a cozy feel yet slightly dirty!

leocoll4

5 months ago

5Scent

creamy and a little dusty wood, dried down suuuuper sweet in a way i didn't love (it was the tonka lol)

Schalkerin

4 years ago

4.5Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

38

29

Intensely sweet start. Eventually not so intense, just sweet tonka with musk. Late on, sweet and slightly woody.

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Theris

1 year ago

7Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

39

30

Lying on tonka fields
The usual
Appreciating Arpels' sweetness
Up to the cedar tips
Over almond crowns
The finish feels
Coated in musk

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Gandix

4 years ago

7.5Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

24

20

Almond overture
Amadeus Amadeus
Screaming cotton candy in the choir.
The wooden instruments
In the orchestra.
The sound is taking off..
People are throwing lemons.

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Bastian

4 years ago

6.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

23

19

Sweet almonds
Stored in a wooden basket
I also noticed a hint of cellar smell in the background.
Somehow, something doesn't fit together!
Strange

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Sweetsmell75

6 years ago

7.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

23

12

Green almond wood ...
in the opening everything is still very delicate & fluffy, it becomes
woodier as it develops.
Vanilla-musk in the base.
Quite nice :)

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