Bois du Portugal
Creed (1987)

Years ago, when I owned and wore Bois du Portugal, I felt absolutely ravishing. It felt like a luxury and prestige that I hadn't experienced in my tough working class upbringing. I wanted so much to embody this aura of sophistication and class in my late 20s, to distance myself from what seemed to be more pedestrian and coarse. I bought into the myth of Creed, hook line and sinker, and wore a number of their fragrances, with Bois du Portugal seeming to be the culmination of what Creed offered.

16 or more years later, I would then discover the work of Patricia de Nicolai, and her New York Intense would turn out to be an even more refined approach to this style, at least to my nose, feeling even more refined and elegant. However, Bois du Portugal will always be a fond memory of a time that I was searching myself, before all the wisdom, when everything was new and exciting, in terms of my exploration in fragrance and in the world in general.

Old school frag that reminds me of Givenchy Gentleman, Boss Number One, Chanel Pour Monsieur and a bit even YSL Kouros which is dirty and creamy, the others being more on an aromatic side.

Bois du Portugal is a typical aromatic barbershop fragrance of the 20. century eighties without big philosophy. Today it won't be a point of interest to younger crowd, even to a bit older people because one can get similar if not "better" for a lower price.

Unavoidable lavander and woody notes, but there's moss and a huge dose of musk here, even though it's not listed in the composition. Overall impression is "grandpa". Yeah, I'm sorry but that's that. That being said, I really appreciate the feel of it, personally liking this type of fragrances in general, however the price is too steep for what this fragrance offers. Due to that, I'll rate it neutral.

Originality 4/10
Scent 6/10
Longevity 7/10
Projection 5/10
____________________
subjectively 7/10
objectively 4/10

I thought I would test this after the years of hype, I had a assumptions about what it would smell like and immediately upon smelling it:

This wears grey cotton/polyester Farrah wide-legged flat fronted slack, with light tan slip on patent leather loafers, gold bracelets, big gold plated Sekonda, St Christopher chain against a salmon pink shirt and light blue Pringle jumper and cygnet rings, drives a '96 blue Jaguar XJS, with dubious mileage, brakes and MOT. Lives in Marbella (for tax reasons). Stands at the bar holding court with the same group of friends and golf buddies.

...all this and I would still wear this over Aventus. Possibly my second favourite from the brand, possibly.

The absolute scent of a man. Its masculine without being offensive, its sexy but not too much. I love this scent every day I wear it!

In the immortal words of a beloved BNer, BdP "smells like someone is getting a pony."

Luxurious and old-school is a good way to start to describe this perfume, with its more animalic (ambergris) take on the spicy woods also used in Heritage, New-York, CpM, etc.

A top shelf jus and a no-brainer perpetual top dozen in my collection ranking. Try if you can.

What is it about Bois de Portugal that makes it come across as a more gregarious relative of Nicolai’s stunning New York? It can’t be the orange glow or the shimmering powders of New York that are missing here, and certainly the citrus and lavender opening is way thinner and sharper, but the family resemblance is there nonetheless – and so if you like hanging out with one, you’ll probably enjoy the other’s company as well, although your purse will know the difference. And they do part ways increasingly the further one goes into the wear. Bois du Portugal is in a long tradition of energetic, fresh, citrus woodies – the gent with slicked back hair, crisp white shirt and well-rinsed bum. He’s probably got good teeth too, witness the clove-like aspect in the middle phase. But the important thing is that he’s pleasant and keen, and not at all overbearing, thus will go a long way. Slow coaches like me sometimes hope some of that dynamism will rub off on us.