On the Eve of the New Year for 2014, I received samples from Fragrance Du Bois. The scents blew my mind and also blew me all the way to their plantation, distillery and perfume outlets. Of course, I loved the smell of some better than others, and some are more female-friendly, despite the notion that fragrance is genderless. On these matters you can make up your own mind.
Having ensured a sustainable, 100% pure Oud supply, as opposed to the aromachemicals that are usually touted as containing Oud, the Oud oil is sent to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. In Grasse several French perfumers use the ingredient to make perfumes for Fragrance Du Bois. If you choose to explore this range you will notice the difference in the depth of their perfumes. There are currently 11 perfumes in their entire collection. Let’s have a smell of some of these now.
This is the most accessible perfume in the range. The opening is a big burst of Oud which takes a while to quiet down. Oud Noir Intense is best applied 30 minutes before leaving home. The longevity is 6 to 8 hours and evolves into a complex floral heart and a drydown of amber, sandalwood and musk with the oud continuing to delight to the end. I recommend re-application at this point to enjoy the fun of the opening all over again. If you like designing scentscapes for your home or office then there is also a candle which I enjoyed lighting and smelling while writing this review.
This perfume made the Top Ten finalists of the Art and Olfaction Awards and is one of the best sellers in the Fragrance Du Bois range. Despite fragrance being notionally genderless I found this perfume to be best suited to a woman in a power suit in a board meeting. It is subtle but not a skin scent. It is unusual enough to make people wonder “what is that scent?” Well, this scent is an artful combination of Oud and Rose Absolute; one that does capture “the essence of desert wilderness, the vastness of windswept sand dunes of the Arabian Desert combined with hope and elusive qualities of an oasis.” To which I would add that it also captures the elusive qualities of boardroom power.
Oud melded with Mediterranean bergamot, Madagascan ginger and Sri Lankan cardamom are the opening notes in this symphonic perfume which continues with nutmeg, coriander seed and green geranium into a vetiver drydown that is also musky and warm while the Oud fades in and out. An uplifting foresty scent may not be for everyone but worth a smell to understand how all these notes play when real Oud oil is in the maceration.
O, my Magdelena, the patron saint of perfumers! This perfume is everything and more that you may have hoped Chanel’s boring and generic Bleu de Chanel (for men) to be. Usually I find comparisons to be odious but in this case it was a matter of “aha,” somebody has done something special here. Remarkably this is an oceanic scent, paired with real Oud and cardamom, frankincense, tonka bean, nutmeg, musk and amber.
I only smelt this last week as it is a new release. It wowed me in a similar manner to Oud Bleu. In fact it is now my favorite from this house. This perfume was originally made for Sonia Irvine, of Amber Lounge fame, in Monaco. This “exclusive” has now gone to general release.
Described as “a spicy, citrusy opening, with notes of bergamot, tangerine, black pepper and cinnamon. Flowers, fruity wood notes of neroli, rose, blackcurrant and patchouli infuse the heart, and are held together with an amber accord. The mélange enraptures the senses, with a finish of musk and Fragrance Du Bois’ signature 100% pure, natural, Oud.”
Well, yes, it did all that right to the “finish of musk.” It also made me feel warm. If you like Ambre Sultan then you could easily nickname this scent Ambre Sultana and be feeling orientated towards the East.
Oud Oils – they are also available from Fragrance du Bois and they are named from the area they are sourced from such as Trat, Khao Yai, etc. I happily paid US $123 for a 1/4 tola (3 ml) of Khao Yai Oud Oil and will do so again as it keeps vanishing into my skin. When I apply this oil on other people it is instant dislike followed by “wow” an hour or so later as the oil unveils its secrets.
Last November Fragrance Du Bois was invited by His Highness Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain to attend the prestigious Jewellery Arabia exhibition in Bahrain. The event is under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Fragrance Du Bois also presented a gift to His Highness Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, which was a bottle of pure sustainable Oud oil.
In older times Oud was rarely available outside a Sultan’s court. It comes as no surprise that even today such royal fragrances attact royal patronage. Their newest fragrance, Oud Amber Intense, was launched at the Amber Lounge Monaco, and endorsed by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for its sustainable production and a percentage of the sales of the perfume will go to the foundation. In Thailand, Fragrance Du Bois perfumes have been presented to Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali as pictured in the lead photo and to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as pictured.
