ELLE Exclusive: Bois Impérial Is The Fragrance Everyone Will Be Talking About This Season

I’m the sort of person who can lose track of time at duty-free, spritzing one fragrance after another until my wrists smell like a perfume counter in overdrive. I adore fragrances, but too often luxury perfumes swing to extremes, either prohibitively expensive or frustratingly familiar. So when I came across Bois Impérial by Essential Parfums, introduced to India by Scentido, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Equal parts curious and cautious, I gave it a spritz.

Quentin Bisch is the nose behind it, but it was founder Géraldine Archambault’s almost cinematic take on the fragrance that caught my imagination: “When I started working with Quentin Bisch, I told him, I see for this fragrance a floating house on the Mekong River, with a man dressed in a beige linen suit and a white hat, leaning on the side and watching the horizon, after a strong and humid rain. Now, smell Bois Impérial, close your eyes, and you are there.” And she’s not exaggerating.

First Spritz

The first spray is like throwing open a window on a stormy afternoon; a sharp, peppery zing rushes in straight away. The Thai basil feels fresh and green, quickly followed by a sparkle of Timut pepper. It’s citrusy, peppery, a little electric, with grapefruit slipping in to add a bright, zesty edge. Refreshing, but never lightweight, and beneath it all, you can already sense the woodiness gathering, waiting for its moment.

The Heart

Once the spice settles, the real character of Bois Impérial comes through, and it’s unapologetically woody. Haitian vetiver adds that earthy depth, almost like walking barefoot after rain. Then there’s Georgywood, which brings a clean, cedar-like tone. Overall, it is bold but not overpowering. Instead, it’s smooth, refined, and just a touch mysterious.

The Dry Down 

Hours later, what lingers on the skin is the good stuff. This is where the fragrance earns its crown. The Akigalawood, a note upcycled from patchouli using biotechnology, takes over. It’s spicy, woody, and unlike anything I’ve smelt before. Add Indonesian patchouli and a sustainable note of Ambrofix, and you get this addictive, lingering scent that clings to your clothes in the best way. By the end of the day, I found myself casually sniffing my wrist every few minutes.

My Verdict

Bois Impérial is for anyone who wants to smell like quiet luxury without trying too hard. Fresh and spicy at first, woody and addictive by the end, it’s a unisex fragrance that shifts with the skin it lands on. While its niche positioning means it isn’t the easiest to find, that rarity is part of its allure. Add in the brand’s sustainability-first ethos, and you get a perfume that feels less like indulgence and more like intention. This season, it’s the one worth hunting down.

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