DIOR
BOIS D’ARGENT
2018
PERFUMER
Francois Demachy
Iris
Myrrh
Musk
Floral Notes
Bois D’Argent was first released in 2004 as part of the Colognes collection curated by creative director Hedi Slimane, done by perfumer Annick Menardo. It was released in an EDP concentration in 2010, which was reformulated in 2018 signed by in-house perfumer Francois Demachy. It was reformulated again in 2022, by Francis Kurkdjian, who had become the in-house perfumer for Dior in that year.
‘NAME
Bois d’Argent is the olfactory translation of Dior allure. A name that has become iconic. It is a unisex fragrance that creates its own story and invites you to do the same.
CHARACTER
Bois d’Argent is an iconic and mysterious fragrance. Feminine, masculine? It doesn’t take sides: it is a fragrance that arouses desire and curiosity.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURE
Bois d’Argent is a contrasting fragrance. Its Iris heart is the light in a smoky swirl of Incense.
COLOUR
The vaporous white of smoky Incense blends with the golden sheen of the Iris heart.
FAMILY
Sensual. Bois d’Argent combines masculine Iris with feminine Incense. Its fragrance invites you to dress yourself in a soft elegance.
INTENSITY
Bois d’Argent is a powerful scent you love sensing nearby. Its sensuality, wrapped in a mystical smoky quality, gives the fragrance a strikingly unforgettable personality.’- Dior
‘Feminine or masculine? Bois d’Argent doesn’t take sides: it’s like a white shirt that anyone can wear. It’s finely-honed, Dior allure is accompanied by an iconic trail that becomes one with the skin. The fragrance has the elegance of Iris absolute that blends with sensual Musks plunged into mysterious smoky Incense. It is a contrasted composition that plays on a noble floral and taut softness.’ – Francois Demachy
REVIEW
The review is for the 2018 Francois Demachy formulation and not the 2004 or 2022 releases.
Bois D’Argent is one of the most comforting fragrances in my collection. It’s easy to see why Bois D’Argent can be a bit underwhelming to some fans of the Maison Christian Dior line. It’s a fragrance that doesn’t take risks; it’s soft, light, sweet and the performance is moderate. Bois D’Argent is not the fragrance you wear to make a statement when you enter the room, but to me this is like a soft, warming hug (while at the same time being rather refreshing and zen).
The woods are there from the start. It’s the cooling, refreshing element, though it’s not at all sharp, as juniper and cypress combinations can be, which are listed for the 2004 version. Almost instantly the sweetness takes over. Vanilla, honey, myrrh all play a big role in the composition. The sweetness almost borders on being cloying, however the close to the skin projection and texture keep it from being too much. It’s very powdery (a lot of iris), but also rather ozonic. You can overspray this and it will not become too heavy, dense or sweet.
It’s rare for a fragrance this sweet, to be as versatile and calming as Bois D’Argent is. You can wear it in any weather and on any occasion, although I tend to reach for it at home or when going to bed the most. It would also work well for close encounters. I love it on every wear.
Bois D’Argent might not blow your mind upon first impression, but I think it’s best in class for what it sets out to do. I have and love Van Cleef’s Bois D’Iris, which comes close, but Bois D’Argent is one step up. Iris Fauve by Atelier Des Ors comes close as well.