With a name like Fragrance Du Bois, you know it’s all about the wood. The best Fragrance Du Bois colognes for men combine exotic woods known for their smooth, smoky and earthy characters.
Exotic woods such as Oud, Guaiac, Sandal, and Cedar are layered with dazzling spices and surprisingly bright citrus and floral notes for the man who dares to be different.
Headquartered in Paris, Fragrance Du Bois works with some of the most prestigious perfumers on the planet to blend an array of exhilarating fragrances.
7 Best Fragrance Du Bois Colognes
With rich woods, bold spices, and zesty freshness, the best Fragrance Du Bois colognes for men are luxurious and confident. Here are 7 scents to consider.
1. Solstis Extrait De Parfum
Review
Solstis Extrait de Parfum is an aromatic, zesty, woody, spicy fragrance released in 2022. This head-turning creation is seductive, fresh yet complex, and long-lasting.
Opens with crisp apple and sunny citrus reminiscent of high summer with a hint of pink pepper. In the heart, nutmeg, pepper, and cardamom are uplifted by the freshness of neroli.
It dries down to a base of warm, earthy vetiver, milky sandalwood, and distinctly powdery vanilla. I found this to be very similar to the stunning Météore by Louis Vuitton.
Top Notes:
Apple, Mandarin, Bergamot, Pink Pepper.
Mid Notes:
Nutmeg, Neroli, Pepper, Cardamom.
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver.
Seasons & Longevity
While this fragrance is named after the solstices, it is best suited as a warm-weather scent for spring and summer days.
Fragrance Du Bois Solstis is long-lasting (expect 6+ hours of wear), with moderate projection and sillage.
2. New York Intense Parfum
Review
New York Intense Parfum is a luxurious spicy, woody extravaganza released in 2020. This Pierre-Constantin Guéros creation is an intensely scented homage to the Big Apple.
Spicy cinnamon, coriander, and bay leaf mingle with fruity blackberry, summery orange, and bold rose on the opening.
The heart combines sweet vanilla, clove and orchid with sweet notes of olibanum, immortelle and the tarry complexity of guaiac wood.
It dries down to a warm, earthy, musky, and sweetly sensual wood accord with oud, cedar wood, myrrh, vetiver, patchouli, amber, musk, labdanum, and oakmoss. Also, consider Jubilation XXV by Amouage.
Top Notes:
Cinnamon, Coriander, Orange, Blackberry, Bay Leaf, Rose
Mid Notes:
Olibanum, Guaiac Wood, Clove, Vanilla, Honey, immortelle, Orchid
Base Notes:
Vetiver, Cedarwood, Oud, Myrhh, Patchouli, Musk, Amber, Labdanum, Oakmoss
Seasons & Longevity
I recommend this fragrance for fall, winter and spring, and it fares well day or night. Ideal for more formal occasions as it smells classy.
Expect good longevity from it, with 6+ of wear. However, one drawback is that its projection is more modest than I expected.
3. Sahraa Parfum
Review
Fragrance Du Bois Sahraa Parfum is an exhilarating amber oud fragrance released in 2013. This Francois Merle-Baudoin creation swirls together sensual, warm, and smoky oud with the intense romance of desert rose.
Opening with tart grapefruit, Sahraa progresses to a complex heart of rose absolute and geranium mingled with sweet, sultry jasmine and warm patchouli.
As it dries down, sweet and milky sandalwood and vanilla reveal themselves with spicy black pepper and warm amber, held together by the smoky, sensual warmth of vintage oud.
Top Notes:
Grapefruit
Mid Notes:
Rose Absolute, Geranium, Jasmine, Patchouli
Base Notes:
Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Saffron, Vanilla, Amber, 100% Pure Organic Oud
Seasons & Longevity
We recommend you wear Sahraa in the fall or winter, as cold weather brings out the best in this fragrance. You can wear it day or night, although its sultry, sensual vibe is better suited to the night.
OMG… I found this an absolute beast of a performer: the main benefit is you can expect 8+ wear with nuclear projection. Not one for the office, but it’s fantastic.
4. Oud Noir Intense Parfum
Review
Oud Noir Intense Parfum is a bold and daring amber spicy fragrance. This Francois Merle-Baudoin innovation is dark and complex, full of mystery and intrigue like a midnight rendezvous.
Zesty bergamot and exotic, spicy cardamom start proceedings before an intense heart of classic rose and heady jasmine blooms amid warm, powdery musk, rich amber, creamy vanilla, sandalwood, and earthy saffron.
It dries down to warm, amber woods underpinned by complex, sweet, smoky, sensual, vintage oud. I found this similar to Oud Wood by Tom Ford but more complex.
Top Notes:
Bergamot, Cardamom
Mid Notes:
Rose, Jasmine
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Saffron, Patchouli, Vanilla, Musk, Amber, 100% Pure Organic Oud
Seasons & Longevity
Oud Noir Intense is a versatile fragrance you can wear in autumn/winter and spring, day or night. However, it fares particularly well in cooler conditions.
It has great longevity (expect 8+ hours of wear) with excellent projection and sillage. You will still smell this on you the following day.
5. Parisian Eau de Parfum
Review
Parisian Parfum is a warm, smoky, amber, spicy, floral Fragrance Du Bois creation released in 2016. This Christian Provenzano creation delivers brightness, sophistication, and exotic masculinity.
Parisian opens with cheeky pink pepper and cardamom spice laced with tart grapefruit leading to a heart of rose essence, geranium, and white jasmine wrapped in expensive-smelling leather and sensual, sweet, and vintage oud.
It dries to smoky, balsamic, leather notes of amber and cistus labdanum, mingled with sweet piney frankincense, creamy sandalwood, earthy patchouli, powdery musk, and moss.
This rich, complex (and rather indulgent) fragrance does remind me somewhat of Musk Oud by Kilian.
Top Notes:
Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Grapefruit, Almond
Mid Notes:
Rose Essence, Geranium, White Jasmin, 100% Pure Organic Oud, Leather
Base Notes:
Frankincense, Moss, Cistus Labdanum, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Amber
Seasons & Longevity
Parisian Parfum is best suited to cooler weather, and I advise wearing it in fall, winter, or spring. You can wear it day or night, but it leans dressy/formal for me.
This fragrance benefits from excellent performance (expect 7+ hours of wear) with solid projection and sillage. You will make an impression with this fragrance.
6. Oud Vert Intense Parfum
Review
Fragrance Du Bois Oud Vert Intense Parfum is a warm yet fresh, citrus, aromatic, spicy fragrance released in 2013. This Olivier Pescheux creation is bright and sunny but also full of mystery and intrigue, with complex depths.
Bright bergamot, sharp ginger, and subtly exotic cardamom give way to a spicy, floral, soapy, and somewhat green heart of coriander, nutmeg, and geranium.
It dries down to powdery musk, earthy vetiver, camphoraceous cedar, and an embrace of sweetly smoky and exotic vintage oud similar to Voyage d’Hermes Parfum.
Top Notes:
Bergamot, Ginger, Cardamom
Mid Notes:
Coriander Seeds, Nutmeg, Geranium
Base Notes:
Vetiver, Cedarwood, Musk, 100% Pure Organic Oud
Seasons & Longevity
Oud Vert Intense Parfum best suits warmer conditions and fares best on spring or summer days and is the ideal oud fragrance for carefree sunny days.
It is a decent performer (for a freshie), so expect 4-5 hours of wear with moderate projection. I love the cardamom and ginger duo.
7. London Spice Parfum
Review
London Spice Parfum is a bright, aromatic, woody, spicy fragrance released in 2021 as an update to 2015’s London Oud. A Francois Merle-Baudoin creation that embodies the spirit of London, showcasing a fresher, sportier take without oud.
London Spice opens with sparkling summery lemon and floral bergamot mingled with fresh, green spearmint. The heart of masculine lavender, jasmine, and white flowers emerge with salty marine notes.
It dries down to herbal patchouli, and cooling, camphoraceous cedar wood is given a clean, spicy edge by nutmeg and cardamom. Reminds me of a less smokey version of Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Profumo.
Top Notes:
Lemon, Bergamot, Spearmint
Mid Notes:
Lavender, Jasmine, White Flowers, Marine Notes
Base Notes:
Patchouli, Cedar Wood, Nutmeg, Cardamom
Seasons & Longevity
London Spice Parfum is a feel-good freshie that performs best in warm conditions and is perfect for spring, summer or warmer autumn days. This freshie is ideal for office use or for after the gym.
One drawback is moderate longevity (expect 4+ hours of wear), but the projection is pretty good for most of that time.
Andrew’s Top Pick
Fragrance Du Bois Sahraa Parfum
My top pick Fragrance Du Bois cologne is Sahraa Parfum because the oud is not overdone and works well with the contrasting saffron and rose.
Manly, mysterious and confident, plus the performance is incredible. Bravo, Fragrance Du Bois.
Conclusion
The best Fragrance Du Bois colognes showcase exotic scents of the Middle East that I recommend for any man looking for a confident, bold, and non-traditional fragrance.
With a few fresher summertime exceptions, Fragrance Du Bois colognes are good performers, as most are Extrait De Parfum or Pure Parfum.
I would say that most of these fragrances are particularly suited to wearing at night, given oud’s sensual, sweetly smoky, and mysterious character.
As for cost, you will need deep pockets as these fragrances don’t come cheap. Depending on the scent, expect to pay between £285/$320 to £695/$750 for 100ml/3.4 oz.
Further Reading
Below are some additional articles from Viora London’s blog. We write articles on a number of interesting lifestyle topics such as fragrance, beauty, luxury accessories and more.
