SAMPLE .. Chanel, Bois des Iles, 'Woods of the Isles', DECANTED SAMPLE from Flacon, Eau de Cologne, 1930, Paris, France ..

When couturier Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel launched her debut perfume No. 5, in 1921, it changed the whole world of fragrance. Perfumer Ernest Beaux produced a portfolio of samples for Mademoiselle to try .. and she chose the fifth proposal. So No. 5 was born, and has since gone on to become the most recognised name in perfumery, worldwide.

Ernest Beaux remained the brand’s exclusive perfume designer, or ‘nose’, right up until 1952, creating further landmark scents including Chanel No. 22, and a trio of fragrances which now appear in Chanel‘s Les Exclusifs line: Cuir de Russie, Gardénia and Bois des Îles.

Bois des Îles translates to “Wood of the Isles”, and has a long, rich history. Ostensibly the very first “woody” fragrance for women, it was released in 1926 and was the result of collaboration between Coco Chanel and her cohort in olfactory adventures, the great, legendary Ernst Beaux. He was a Russian émigré who created some of the greatest perfumes in history, and an extremely intellectual man who supposedly used both Tchaikovsky and the great Russian poet and novelist, Aleksandr Pushkin, as his inspiration for Bois des Iles.

"I first reviewed the vintage parfum version of Bois Des Iles for Basenotes in January, 2014, updating in July, 2015. At the time I found it to be a “perfectly balanced floral melange (rose, jasmine, ylang ylang) with spices (almond, ginger, cinnamon) over a sandalwood, tonka bean and vetiver base.” Also at the time I agreed with other reviewers that Chanel’s later Egoiste, to which Bois had been compared, could not hold a candle to Bois. I am now experiencing the edc version from 1930 and find that my initial impression has not changed a jot, other than to realize that my more sophisticated nose senses a great similarity between Bois des Iles and No. 5 in this edc version. Also the edc is quite hefty with its natural oils, much more so than most edcs we find today. It is long-lasting scent with its creamy sandalwood and tonka bean base, very rich and dense – in a good way. This is sheer sophistication in a bottle." For those who want to smell luxuriantly, but can’t afford vintage Chanel parfum prices, this edc is the perfect way to get the best of both worlds. Basenotes Review. Jack Twist

Top notes are Aldehydes, Bergamot, Coriander, and Petitgrain
Heart notes are Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Orris, and Almond
Base notes are Vetiver, Sandalwood, Opoponax, Tonka Bean, and Vanilla

Offered here is an opportunity to try a large sample of the beautiful Bois des Iles Eau de Cologne. I had the good fortune to come upon this 1 liter bottle, equivalent to 1000 mls. Almost impossible to find now, this is super rare!! I am offering the cologne in three sizes, 1 ml., 2 ml., and 4 ml. It is quite superb!