Best Bois des Iles by Chanel Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Matilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon I, was known for her breasts (“le plus beau décolleté”) and her talent as a painter. She also hosted a celebrated 19th-century Parisian salon attended by the greatest artists and writers of her time. This namesake perfume is an olfactory salon of provocative white florals (ylang-ylang, narcissus, jasmine) given tropical succulence with passion fruit and papaya. Mathilde’s heady brightness is softened by iris and sandalwood.

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour

Visual artist: landscape artist/photographer Martin Hill.

The same way in which Martin goes to a sight and rearranges what nature left there into an installation, the perfumer rearranged some molecules and materials to put the beauty of a natural material into focus.

Also Martin aims to let his structures be absorbed back into natural chaos. Perfume evaporates into the environment in a similar fashion, beautiful but transient.

In Vanilla Shot all of the focus is on vanilla (natural, dark and balsamic). The concept of the perfume is inspired by a photo of a piece of Martin Hill's land art shot at dreamy dusk (below). The twigs used in the structure balanced over the lake are reminiscent of vanilla beans. The installation transcends two planes - liquid and ether and in the perfume vanilla spans the sweet and bitter corners of the scented universe. Vanilla Shot is not an ordinary sweet gourmand. In this perfume all nuances of natural vanilla get proper attention: balsamic, fruity, spicy, sweet and even leathery.

September 1757, Casino Venier, Venice

A powdery floral fragrance based on authentic 18th century cosmetic formulas.

A coquettish floral capturing the decadence of 18th century Venice, its rococo interiors and clandestine affairs: a powdery blend of black violet, blush rose, and chamomile nestled on an impossibly soft base of dusty iris and subtle, animalic amber. 

This “divine flower” is a luminous, untamed floral that captures the serenity of nature in motion. It starts bright and light: lemongrass and passion fruit, opening up to peony and lily of the valley. Watery, ethereal cyclamen drenches the richness of jasmine, ylang-ylang and narcissus like dew over a meadow. The drydown is green, a mingling of eucalyptus and sage with peppermint, juniper and pine, grounded by 
Mysore sandalwood and a hint of vanilla bourbon.

A contemporary orange blossom cologne.

Perfumer for 002: Karine Dubreuil – Sereni. 

Not just a fine addition to luxury white chocolate chip cookies, macadamia is also an intriguing perfume material. Creamy, buttery and velvety, it’s the starting point for this unusual fruity floral. The floral is mimosa, a cute li’l flower that looks innocent, but plays dirty. Don’t let those fluffy yellow pom-poms fool you — mimosa’s got a raunchy side thanks to its dusty niff of overripe honey. Orris doubletracks mimosa’s powderiness, while peach twins mimosa’s earthy sweetness. Mellow sandalwood steers macadamia from a nut to wood. Macadamia? That’s Ms Macadamia to you.

The soft, gentle, enveloping fragrance of Teint de Neige in its most concentrated version. Recalling images and atmosphere of the belle-époque, with sweet and powdery notes of jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang on a base of musk, tonka beans and heliotrope.

Hélène Napoleone was the daughter of Napoleon’s last lover, Albine de Montholon, and although it was never confirmed if the now-exiled Emperor was indeed her father, he did give her his name, so…? Her namesake fragrance is a vivacious bouquet of fruits and florals, headlined by sparkling pear and creamy magnolia. The charm deepens with the amber base, warmed by sandalwood and patchouli.

An aromatic, dreamy citrus scent inspired by the sumptuous Andalusician city of Marbella. With rose, amber and peach this perfume is fresh, floral and sophisticated.

Terram captures the Mediterranean embrace of autumn. The path winding up from the beach is silent. Sweet aromatic notes of dry soil and clifftop pines float in the air. A haze of ambery benzoin and dusty patchouli settles over musk. Warm, woody, still — this is a fragrant mood that comforts and lulls.