How is Bois D’Argent by Dior?

[Celinman]

So many people were wearing it (or should i say over-applying it), especially in bars and nightclubs.

Being worn ostentatiously by the masses to attract girls while it was meant to be a singular, subtle and discreet scent killed it

Don't be so snobby about it. A good product should be shared and the more the world smells nice, the better and more beautiful the world will be. Wearing something to feel like you're elite and part of some exclusive club speaks volumes about one's lack of self esteem.

 

[Oki-Ni]

I was not stating my personal opinion (i actually really don't care, especially since at this time i was not into fragrances), i was translating what people thought about it. But then again, it might differ depending on your social class

There even was a TV report a bit later that confirmed about this trend, "how people from the suburbs, rappers, took over one of Drio's private line product" and how girls found people wearing it so cliché.

 

[Vitamin D]

I was searching this one on fragrantica, and noticed it has two entries with the same name. One from like 2004 and one from 2018 (I think)?

Is there a big difference between the two? How is the newest batch in terms of quality, longevity, performance, etc? Is it still a good representation of the original?

 

[hednic]

I personally haven't noticed any discernible difference between the the original 2004 (which I own) and the 2018 which I have tried.

 

[Vitamin D]

Just got my 40ml bottle of the new stuff today.

Love the smell so far, but I can totally see why people say this is weak in terms of projection. It might last as a skin scent for a long long time, but it sure doesn’t seem to project much. I wonder if the sillage is ok though if sprayed on exposed skin?

How many sprays do you all use for this newer formula/batch?

 

[ultravisitor]

Just got my 40ml bottle of the new stuff today.

Love the smell so far, but I can totally see why people say this is weak in terms of projection. It might last as a skin scent for a long long time, but it sure doesn’t seem to project much. I wonder if the sillage is ok though if sprayed on exposed skin?

How many sprays do you all use for this newer formula/batch?

Three or four sprays. It's not a perfume that is meant to scream at people.

If you want to be the cologne guy whose perfume screams at and offends everyone around them, Bois d'Argent is not for you.

 

[Vitamin D]

Three or four sprays. It's not a perfume that is meant to scream at people.

If you want to be the cologne guy whose perfume screams at and offends everyone around them, Bois d'Argent is not for you.

Haha no that’s not what I want, but I do want to be able to detect it and have it be somewhat detectable.

Where do you like to put those 4 sprays? Is the sillage at least noticeable 5-6 hours in?

 

[ultravisitor]

Haha no that’s not what I want, but I do want to be able to detect it and have it be somewhat detectable.

Where do you like to put those 4 sprays? Is the sillage at least noticeable 5-6 hours in?

Chest and forearms. I put it on in the morning before work and still get whiffs of it in the evening, which is way longer than 5 or 6 hours.

 

[Foamywax]

I think it was the Aventus of France for years. I can't believe I e never smelled it.
How odd the exclusive line was never brought here. I think there is a documentary where this fragrance is talked about in detail.

 

[hednic]

How odd the exclusive line was never brought here.

That is very surprising.

 

[naylor]

Hmmm, I was never a big fan of this one...

 

[Vitamin D]

I’m loving this scent but man is it just so light…

Is there anything similar to this but a little stronger? It smells lovely. The projection and sillage just seem very bad.

 

[FragrA(nce)ddict]

I’m loving this scent but man is it just so light…

Is there anything similar to this but a little stronger? It smells lovely. The projection and sillage just seem very bad.

Honestly, the sillage and projection aren't bad, it's just that the intensity of the aromachemicals leave you noseblind quite quickly.

I also thought this was quite a weak fragrance, but I once wore BdA to work and sprayed it on my coat as well. Came back home, showered and after I got out, I could smell it from a meter and a half away (and that was around 10 hours later).

 

[Vitamin D]

Honestly, the sillage and projection aren't bad, it's just that the intensity of the aromachemicals leave you noseblind quite quickly.

I also thought this was quite a weak fragrance, but I once wore BdA to work and sprayed it on my coat as well. Came back home, showered and after I got out, I could smell it from a meter and a half away (and that was around 10 hours later).

Interesting, I guess that would make sense with these notes. They are heavy things like myrrh and wood. Were you using a recent formula, or an older one (pre-2018)? How many sprays do you like to use?

 

[Erok32]

+1

I personally prefer Bois d'Iris, even without factoring in the price.

Agreed… personally, I feel that the VCA is much stronger, and has more of a pronounced cedar note. They’re very similar otherwise. I also like Ormonde Jayne Man as a more masculine alternative.

 

[imm0rtelle]

I was searching this one on fragrantica, and noticed it has two entries with the same name. One from like 2004 and one from 2018 (I think)?

Is there a big difference between the two? How is the newest batch in terms of quality, longevity, performance, etc? Is it still a good representation of the original?

There's a significant difference between Annick Menardo's formulation and Francois Demachy's formulation. Annick's version is built according to Hedi Slimane's aesthetics, so it is more airy, delicate, and androgynous. Francois' formulation is denser, edgier, and more masculine. The honey has a more pronounced animalic piss smell that feels absent from the original formulation.

Smelling the current version, you would still 100% identity it as Bois d'Argent, but it feels like a high quality clone/inspiration of the original. The original version is angelic, while the current version is human. I tested the latest version and I didn't have any issues with its quality, longevity, or performance. I'm 100% sure that Francois made the changes he did so that the fragrance would be more commercial. I sometimes find the original too beautiful to wear casually with just t-shirt and jeans. However, I can imagine myself wearing Francois' version easily dressed down, so I would consider his version more versatile. I had no issues with longevity and performance.

 

[Vitamin D]

There's a significant difference between Annick Menardo's formulation and Francois Demachy's formulation. Annick's version is built according to Hedi Slimane's aesthetics, so it is more airy, delicate, and androgynous. Francois' formulation is denser, edgier, and more masculine. The honey has a more pronounced animalic piss smell that feels absent from the original formulation.

Smelling the current version, you would still 100% identity it as Bois d'Argent, but it feels like a high quality clone/inspiration of the original. The original version is angelic, while the current version is human. I tested the latest version and I didn't have any issues with its quality, longevity, or performance. I'm 100% sure that Francois made the changes he did so that the fragrance would be more commercial. I sometimes find the original too beautiful to wear casually with just t-shirt and jeans. However, I can imagine myself wearing Francois' version easily dressed down, so I would consider his version more versatile. I had no issues with longevity and performance.

Shoot, now I’m wishing I could smell the old one…

I ended up buying a 40ml bottle, loved the scent, so I ordered a 125ml bottle just the other day. I put the 40ml back in the box and will use it when I travel now.

I love the scent. And after wearing it a little more, I’m starting to appreciate the subtleness of it. The longevity is there, and I get whiffs here and there throughout the day. I just hope the sillage is there. I know most people say they wear fragrances for themself, and I agree with that and also mostly wear them for my own well being, but I do like it when other people can smell me too… not too much though! Just enough to appreciate the scent that I believe is worth appreciating. It also just adds some spice to my image, and that’s never bad. Haha

 

[imm0rtelle]

Shoot, now I’m wishing I could smell the old one…

I ended up buying a 40ml bottle, loved the scent, so I ordered a 125ml bottle just the other day. I put the 40ml back in the box and will use it when I travel now.

I love the scent. And after wearing it a little more, I’m starting to appreciate the subtleness of it. The longevity is there, and I get whiffs here and there throughout the day. I just hope the sillage is there. I know most people say they wear fragrances for themself, and I agree with that and also mostly wear them for my own well being, but I do like it when other people can smell me too… not too much though! Just enough to appreciate the scent that I believe is worth appreciating. It also just adds some spice to my image, and that’s never bad. Haha

I like it when people can notice what I'm wearing when they're within hugging distance of me.

I remember ordering a sample of a decant of Francois' formulation in 2015. I don't know which batch it was, but the animalic facet was just too off-putting for me. I wrote off Bois d'Argent entirely. I tried the latest version recently, and I don't mind the animalic facet this time around. It feels toned down compared to the batch I experienced. Of course, since my sensibilities align closely with Hedi's, I prefer his vision of Bois d'Agent the best. However, I suspect Francois' version is superior in the eyes of the majority, just like his reformulation of Dior Homme.

 

[maxwell_]

Not a fan of this one. Something was chemical and nose piercingly sharp about it, and I actually got a couple negative reactions when i wore it

 

[Nom de Guerre]

I'm on the fence with Bois d'Agent (François Demachy formulation) – some days it's absolutely stunning and some days it makes me feel like I'm buried under soiled hamster bedding.

 

[ultravisitor]

I love the scent. And after wearing it a little more, I’m starting to appreciate the subtleness of it. The longevity is there, and I get whiffs here and there throughout the day. I just hope the sillage is there.

It is. I've had people comment on it--even being able to tell what it is--while I've thought it was so soft that there was no way they could possibly smell it on me.

 

[FragrA(nce)ddict]

Interesting, I guess that would make sense with these notes. They are heavy things like myrrh and wood. Were you using a recent formula, or an older one (pre-2018)? How many sprays do you like to use?

Got it in 2020. I usually apply around 5 sprays.

 

[GRISMONTAIGNE]

It is a true shape shifter. I still didn't figure it out, and i've worn it so many times.

 

[sunny5011]

Prefer VC&A Bois D'iris over this one