Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet.
Naomi Goodsir’s Bois d’Ascese is perhaps the smokiest peaty and charred-whiskey-barrels smelling perfume out there. But the smoke in this fragrance is quite contemplative, it’s not the hints of gunpowder or fireworks, neither is it anything foody. The smoke and woods in this perfume are dry and romantically ascetic, rather introvert and they practice self-discipline.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close quarters and quiet intensity: a room where the air is still, the light is low, and the wearer leaves behind a trail of smoke, wood and dark warmth rather than sweetness. It suits a composed presence that feels inward, deliberate and a little severe.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, where its smoke and incense can unfold without becoming harsh. Apply sparingly, as the composition is dense and dry; one or two sprays are enough to create a close, persistent aura that reads beautifully on skin and in still air.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky incense, dry woods and unconventional dark compositions. It will appeal to those who prefer austere, contemplative fragrances with a tactile, almost mineral darkness rather than sweetness, smoothness or obvious comfort.
Release year
2012
The nose
Julien Rasquinet. Rasquinet is known for composing with texture and contrast, often giving niche fragrances a tactile, atmospheric depth rather than a polished mainstream sheen. In Bois d’Ascèse, his hand is visible in the fragrance’s stark structure: smoke, incense and woods are rendered with restraint, so the composition feels ascetic rather than heavy.
Collaborators
Naomi Goodsir shaped the creative brief from the outset, building the fragrance around a raw material she loved and a personal memory of incense, bushfire and oakmoss; her role was not just as brand founder but as the conceptual driver behind the scent’s emotional tone.
Naomi Goodsir’s story
Naomi Goodsir Parfums approaches fragrance like a continuation of its fashion language: independent, tactile and slightly subversive. The house favours noble materials, sculptural compositions and a tension between romance and rebellion, with each perfume built from a clear artistic idea rather than trend-led polish.
Bois d’Ascese’s concept
Bois d’Ascèse was created as one of the debut fragrances for Naomi Goodsir Parfums and is rooted in a deeply personal memory. Its inspiration comes from the smell of incense in a church in rural New South Wales, tied to the last visit Naomi Goodsir made with her father, and from the bushfire scents of her childhood. The result is a woody-incense composition designed with deliberate starkness and minimalism.
Extra info
Bois d’Ascèse was one of the debut fragrances of Naomi Goodsir Parfums. It later contributed to the house’s 2018 FIFI Award recognition for Best Fragrance from an Independent Niche Brand. The perfume is also noted for its stark, sculptural minimalism and unusually smoky, peaty character.
Perfumer: Julien Rasquinet.
Naomi Goodsir’s Bois d’Ascese is perhaps the smokiest peaty and charred-whiskey-barrels smelling perfume out there. But the smoke in this fragrance is quite contemplative, it’s not the hints of gunpowder or fireworks, neither is it anything foody. The smoke and woods in this perfume are dry and romantically ascetic, rather introvert and they practice self-discipline.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is a fragrance for close quarters and quiet intensity: a room where the air is still, the light is low, and the wearer leaves behind a trail of smoke, wood and dark warmth rather than sweetness. It suits a composed presence that feels inward, deliberate and a little severe.
How to wear
Best in cool weather, where its smoke and incense can unfold without becoming harsh. Apply sparingly, as the composition is dense and dry; one or two sprays are enough to create a close, persistent aura that reads beautifully on skin and in still air.
Who it’s for
For lovers of smoky incense, dry woods and unconventional dark compositions. It will appeal to those who prefer austere, contemplative fragrances with a tactile, almost mineral darkness rather than sweetness, smoothness or obvious comfort.
Release year
2012
The nose
Julien Rasquinet. Rasquinet is known for composing with texture and contrast, often giving niche fragrances a tactile, atmospheric depth rather than a polished mainstream sheen. In Bois d’Ascèse, his hand is visible in the fragrance’s stark structure: smoke, incense and woods are rendered with restraint, so the composition feels ascetic rather than heavy.
Collaborators
Naomi Goodsir shaped the creative brief from the outset, building the fragrance around a raw material she loved and a personal memory of incense, bushfire and oakmoss; her role was not just as brand founder but as the conceptual driver behind the scent’s emotional tone.
Naomi Goodsir’s story
Naomi Goodsir Parfums approaches fragrance like a continuation of its fashion language: independent, tactile and slightly subversive. The house favours noble materials, sculptural compositions and a tension between romance and rebellion, with each perfume built from a clear artistic idea rather than trend-led polish.
Bois d’Ascese’s concept
Bois d’Ascèse was created as one of the debut fragrances for Naomi Goodsir Parfums and is rooted in a deeply personal memory. Its inspiration comes from the smell of incense in a church in rural New South Wales, tied to the last visit Naomi Goodsir made with her father, and from the bushfire scents of her childhood. The result is a woody-incense composition designed with deliberate starkness and minimalism.
Extra info
Bois d’Ascèse was one of the debut fragrances of Naomi Goodsir Parfums. It later contributed to the house’s 2018 FIFI Award recognition for Best Fragrance from an Independent Niche Brand. The perfume is also noted for its stark, sculptural minimalism and unusually smoky, peaty character.