CHANEL Bois des Îles photo and collage by Neringa©️

1920s Paris. Gripped by the fever of exotic lands, it was an era when opulence and exoticism were style-du-jour, and the nights of the “Roaring Twenties” moved to the beat of jazz and the java.

Josephine Baker with her pet cheetah Chiquita via Reddit

Josephine Baker was born Frieda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri and the ex-patriate American entertainer and advocate of social justice “La Baker” found her spiritual home in France. Her skills as a dancer were honed in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. Baker was immediately embraced by the French – an American-born French dancer and singer who take Paris by storm in the 1920s. Introducing her danse sauvage to France, she became one of the most popular music-hall entertainers and achieved star billing at the Folies-Bergère. Her performance in the revue Un vent de Folie caused a sensation in the city. Baker’s costume, consisting of only a short skirt of artificial bananas and a beaded necklace; accompanied by her pet cheetah “Chiquita”, adorned with a dazzling diamond collar; became an iconic image and a symbol both of the jazz age and the Roaring Twenties. It is said that Ernest Beaux, Russian émigré, was inspired by “Pikovaya Dama,” when he created Bois des Iles in 1926. “The Queen of Spades” (La Dame de Pique) – an opera by Tchaikovsky, based on Aleksandr Pushkin’s story of love, madness and obsession. Chanel website, however, gives a very different backstory for the perfume, describing instead the Paris of 1920s:

“From the CHANEL site: Paris, 1926. ‘Art deco’ is all the rage, exoticism fascinates, and jazz stirs passions. People dream of faraway lands and precious woods. Once again, Coco Chanel shakes up the history of perfume by launching the first woody fragrance for women. An intoxicating, enveloping, warm, sensual, spiraling scent. It’s all there: the precious woods, the opiate scents and magnificent, languid flowers. The fragrance is a mysterious, faraway continent in itself.”

CHANEL Bois des Îles Extrait de Parfum by Neringa©️ 

Vintage Bois des Îles’ enigmatic opening shimmers with scintillating coup d’eclat of aldehyde burst, like rows of beads warmed by the heat of Josephine Baker’s skin under the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées lights, Beaux employed his olfactory signature – aldehydes and a varied floral bouquet of creamy ylang-ylang, crimson rose petals and abundance of jasmine; leading to glowing intensity of orange blossom indoles lending a warm, honeyed aspect perfectly contrasting with the icy element and melancholic, pensive aloofness of iris. CHANEL Bois des Îles – the very first woody fragrance created for women, and one of the most infamous sandalwood compositions in perfume history, seen through an ornate lattice of spices, balsams and vanilla is a true embodiment of understated luxury.  sandalwood is one of the most alluring  of all ingredients in a perfumer’s palette and its use can make or break a perfume. It’s exotic, classically lush structure and warm, ethereal nature rounds beautifully any rough edges into an enveloping embrace. When the effervescent aldehydic burst relinquishes its hold on the composition the bright sweetness of the iridescent, fruity opening and floral heart dazzle in the darkness. ,Spicy coriander seed and fleshy cumin begin to fan the flames of the smouldering sandalwood accord; rendering CHANEL Bois des Îles warmer and more sensuous – like Josephine Baker’s cheetah’s “Chiquita” fur gleaming under the bright stage lights; glistening with burnished shades of gold and tan of the most exotic perfumed ingredients: sandalwood ochre; golden amber; pure jasmine white; blackened-chocolate tonka; dusty sprinklings of cinnamon; the benzoin ivory and the flesh colour of the ripest peach.

CHANEL Bois des Îles by Neringa©️

Jacques Polge, when reissuing CHANEL Bois des Îles for the Les Exclusifs collection in 2007 managed to craft from various modern sandalwood essences an accord resembling the Mysore variety without employing the actual ingredient – a masterstroke of modern perfumery. When comparing my vintage, circa early 1950’s, CHANEL Bois des Îles Eau de Cologne (presenting original Ernest Beaux’ formula with few (possible) minor adjustments over the years of 1926 release), to Jacque Polge’s Extrait de Parfum 2007 formulation; the opulence of sandalwood present in the former is unmatched and is the most opulent sandalwood note I have ever experienced in my olfactive journey. Jacques Polge’s CHANEL Bois des Îles Extrait de Parfum rendition, on the other hand, steers more into woody-gourmand territory, with the application of bitter almond and delectably spicy gingerbread accord. A stunning and exquisitely balanced composition of luminous, scintillating flurry of aldehydes atop restrained floral heart speckled with soupçon of spices; an orchestration of light and dark, depth and complexity;  vinatgeCHANEL Bois des Îles comes as close to perfume perfection as you will ever experience.

Notes of original 1926 Ernest Beaux release are- Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Neroli, Coriander, Mandarin and Peach; Heart: Jasmine, Rose, Lily of the valley, Orris, Iris, Ylang-Ylang,  and Lilac; Base: Vetiver, Amber,  Sandalwood, Benzoin, Vanilla, Opoponax, Musk

Notes of 2007 Jacques Polge Extrait de Parfum: Sandalwood, Gingerbread, Ylang-Ylang, Vetiver, Damask Rose, Vanilla, Jasmine, Tonka  Bean, Bitter Almond

Disclaimer: CHANEL Bois des Îles Eau de Cologne and Extrait de Parfum from my personal collection; opinions are my own.

–Neringa Svobutaite, Senior Contributor

CHANEL Bois des Îles Eau de Cologne and vintage Extrait de Parfum by Neringa©️

There is a draw for a 5ml decant of CHANEL Bois des Îles Eau de Cologne and 2ml Extrait de Parfum from Neringa’s personal bottles for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader in USA UK and EU (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Neringa’s CHANEL Bois des Îles reviews, where you live, if you are familiar with Les Exclusifs by CHANEL and if you have a favourite.  Draw closes 8/24/2021 EST

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