Chanel Bois des Iles

I recently ordered a number of the Chanel Les Exclusifs from The Perfumed Court and I'm looking forward to trying them all. The reason I tried Bois des Iles first is because I read somewhere that it bears similarities to Egoiste, which I own. The notes for Bois des Iles are Aldehydes, coriander, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang, iris, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, vanilla and musk. I must admit, the aldehydes (which I know Chanel is famous for) completely escape me. Having said that, I am dabbing from a vial, not spraying, so perhaps that is why. I also don't detect much citrus at all, and a lot of the florals are very subdued on me. I think the most prominent are rose, ylang and iris, which combine wonderfully with the sandalwood, vanilla and benzoin to create a creamy, slightly zingy accord early on, reminiscent of ginger, or gingerbread. I must admit, Bois des Iles does indeed share some similarities with Egoiste, but I think the ginger and citrus, and even the rose, come to think of it, are quite a lot more toned down. Bois des Iles strikes me as incredibly poised and sophisticated. Although quite sweet in a way, I find it relatively dry and woody, and Chanel do iris very well too. Bois des Iles dries down to a splendidly warm, cozy, comforting vanilla, sandalwood and iris combination. Egoiste on the other hand, although very good, is a touch courser to my nose, not quite as well-bred. What I find quite interesting is that Egoiste, although marketed to men, is quite frankly perfectly unisex, and Bois des Iles, I suspect, is a 'feminine' fragrance, yet also perfectly unisex, despite all those floral notes. Like a lot of the Chanels, Bois des Iles makes a statement of good breeding. It is not subdued by any means, and lasts well on my skin, yet it has minimal sillage and definitely does not shout its presence. I think it is truly a gorgeous perfume and I would love to smell it on both men and women. Although I love my bottle of Egoiste, I must admit that in my opinion, Bois des Iles is the superior perfume, and if I had tested a sample of each before owning either, I would have gone for Bois des Iles. This one comes highly recommended - I love it!