Private Collection - Bois Blond
Parfumerie Generale (2006)

Bois Blond opens with an aldehydic sweet green floral accord—an interesting take on galbanum—before settling into a grassy, woody main phase. The amber/musk base is more of a support for that than a strong colorant, so while the pyramid suggests a sort of paglia e fieno oriental, Bois Blond is more of a light outdoorsy scent, like a stroll through the country on a mild day.

The good news is, it’s beautiful. Alas, it’s also somewhat ephemeral, which could explain why it’s been discontinued. Still, worth finding and applying liberally.

Bois Blond is an overlooked scent in the Parfumerie Generale line up, perhaps because when it was released people heard the word “hay” and assumed it must be along the lines of the sweet, tobacco-ish, and almond-heavy treatment of coumarin in scents such as Chergui by Serge Lutens and Fieno by Santa Maria Novella. And when expectations were not met, Bois Blond was filed away in a dusty corner of the brain.

But Bois Blond is an excellent hay scent for summer precisely because it eschews all the regular tropes associated with hay and chooses instead to emphasize its aromatic side with a collection of dusty green notes: galbanum resin, mint, oakmoss, wheatgrass, and herbs. The fragrance picks out and highlights the scorched grass and minty, lime-peel resin facets of galbanum that, when taken as a whole, form an interesting dryness that catches at the inside of one’s throat, like a whole pitcher of lemonade drunk too fast.

Funnily enough, although Bois Blond doesn’t immediately strike the imagination as “hay”, it ends up providing a more naturalistic picture of hay than most coumarin-dominated fragrances, which all seem to plant hay in the context of a rich, sweet oriental fantasy of powder and tobacco pipes. This makes it one of the rare hay-themed fragrances one can actually wear in hot weather without feeling like you are drowning in a pot of cherry tobacco syrup.

Parfumerie Generale Bois Blond is the following Guillaume's "opera" which I test on skin after the "insipid" La Collection Croisiere Paris Seychelles (my last experience with his work before this one) and I have to say this reapectful creator performs far better when "at home" in Parfumerie Generale (where indeed he has along the way appointed several higher creations as Intrigant Patchouli, Coze 02, Aomassai 10, Harmatan Noir, L'Ombre Fauve and further). Well Bois Blond is a really intriguing creation and a galbanum's poetic Ode imo. Galbanum first of all is in here responsible about a main aromatic/minty/fennel-like musky aura which is the featuring "trait" of this boise concoction. In a general musky-piquant (vaguely barber-shop/naïf and freshly herbal a la Oriza L. Legrand Chypre Mousse New) dimension this aroma releases a really playful game of contrasts (as Alfarom indeed suggests below) between bitter and soapy mild elements. The fresh (slightly misty) and mild atmosphere is provided by dusty resins (amber and galbanum) and a touch of balsams (plus musk/labdanum) while a bitter sort of almost acid/ammoniacal ambience is generated by not-listed pink pepper (imo), hay, herbs and dry tobacco. Actually the latter (tobacco) unfolds all at once mild and dry-bitter (vaguely smoky) feels, overall perfectly harmonic and modulated. There is a general musky-powdery background surrounding all the elements and this feel is basically aromatic and spicy (in a salty-sweet/sugary way). I detect some dry woodiness as well (fresh salty-powdery vetiver and may be cedarwood, at least supposedly). Galbanum provides a general "silvan atmosphere" (with all its charge of grassiness, "dry earth", green resins and airy-penetrating muskiness) but I have to say that a subtle modulation of this element does not alter the general talky-musky dryness of the fragrance and the main note is in here basically dry/balsamic/minty/aromatic/piney and not lacteous-resinous or particularly gummy or lymphatic. Bois Blond is a seriously woodsy aroma with a background of fashinating "silvan-fairy imagination" (elfs, enchanted ponds, forests little creatures and intelligent entities from the deep dark-green wilderness). Not so much to add, just I remark my full satisfation for a scent encompassing you by its aromatic and enigmatic vegetal-spicy mistiness and a touch of soapy chypre classicism. Thumbs up.

Despite one's personal taste, I think it's undeniable that Pierre Guillame have been responsible of some of the most peculiar/original/sophisticated accords in contemporary perfumery and Bois Blond is a great example of his visionary approach to fragrances.

A striking concoction of hay, wheat and other undefined green notes surrounded by a smooth yet absolutely remarkable woody presence. I would classify Bois Blond as a bittersweet composition in which extremely bitter notes such as galbanum and grass are juxtaposed to the warm, summery vibe provided by wheat and hay. The woods are definitely there and increase the juxtaposition effect by providing both a smoky quality and great smoothness to an otherwise austere fragrance. Slight ambery undertones softens the base with some sweetness. An extremely original composition which is at the same time, easy to wear and very unique. I just wished it was a tad more potent. Maybe not PG's masterpiece yet very, very nice.

I was expecting light, warm wood. But to my nose, this was more about hay with some warm amber and tobacco notes to blend it out. This is a sunshine scent, bright but with warmth that settles on your skin and brings comfort and a smile. It opens with hay note to me, the edge brought by the faintest cedar. Cedar is a tough note for me, as I do not often like it's sharpness. But here, the cedar was never sharp. It just added some additional color to the blond feel. The hay was a mix of baked gold hay and new green hay, a beguiling mix. After about 10 -15 min the tobacco, cedar, hay mix settled in. Slowly the amber rises up, but never sweet or cloying. Some musk rounded it out. And there it sat for the next 3-4 hours, cooing to me.

To me, this is a spring or late summer scent, when sunshine warms it up and allows your mind to go where Bois Blond is trying to take you. It is slightly woody and fieldy, but never straying into stems and white flower territory. Just some good ole fashion roll in the hay vibes, laughing and feeling easy in your warm skin! I loved this!

This is listed as an EDP I believe, but it is neither concentrated nor long lasting, though perhaps I applied my sample too lightly. It is a pleasant enough fragrance. Something in it reminds me of Penhaligons Elixir and Costes 1 . At first I thought there was some rose hiding in here somewhere. But probably not. It is a sweetened light amber/cedar with cinnamon and/or other spices thrown in. Very sweet, perhaps dandyish for a man to wear, but mellow. Not my thing really. I do not get anything unpleasant from this, unlike some other reviewers. I just wouldn't wear it. Worth trying, I guess, it just doesn't excite me in any way.