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.
