Houbigant Perfumes: Bois Dormant by Houbigant c1925

Launched in 1925, Bois Dormant by Houbigant arrived during a period when perfumery was evolving rapidly in both artistic expression and technical complexity. The name Bois Dormant—French for “Sleeping Woods”—is pronounced roughly as “bwah dor-MAHN”. But beyond its literal meaning, the name evokes a dreamlike state: a quiet, enchanted forest wrapped in mist and stillness, untouched by time. In some English-language advertisements, the name was translated or reimagined as “Enchanted Woods”, a romantic interpretation that deepened its fairytale aura. This wasn’t coincidental. In 1925, public interest in fairy tales was notably high: a theatrical adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was published by Samuel French, and the celebrated illustrator Kay Nielsen released a lavishly drawn version of the tale. It’s likely Houbigant was tapping into this broader cultural fascination with myth, sleep, and enchantment—offering a scent that felt as spellbinding and transportive as the stories themselves.

For Houbigant to name a perfume Bois Dormant at this moment was both poetic and strategic. The 1920s were a time of artistic freedom and modernist experimentation, but also a moment when women were asserting new roles in society. The flapper era was in full swing—marked by shorter hemlines, bobbed hair, and a taste for jazz and nightlife—but there remained a parallel yearning for elegance, mystique, and nature’s deeper romanticism. Bois Dormant offered an alternative to the sparkling aldehydic florals popularized by perfumes like Chanel No. 5. Instead of brash modernity, Houbigant’s offering leaned into mystery, sophistication, and atmosphere. The name itself conjures images of misty groves, dusky amber light filtering through tall trees, and forgotten glades where magic lingers.

The fragrance was the work of Raymond Kling and Arturo Jordi-Pey, two perfumers known for their attention to structure and depth. Classified as a floral chypre, Bois Dormant distinguished itself through a powdery-ambergris and musk-laden base, with a cool, woody core that bordered on astringent and herbaceous. The chypre construction—typically composed of bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum—was given a decidedly cool and mysterious edge here. Rather than a warm, resinous forest, Bois Dormant smells like a shadowed woodland at dawn: damp bark, crushed herbs, and the mineral chill of moss underfoot. This cold woody note, unusual for the time, gave the fragrance a quiet solemnity and depth that would have stood apart from the more floral or powdery perfumes then dominating the market.

At its base, the scent was anchored by heavy musk and natural ambergris, substances known not only for their sensual diffusion but their remarkable longevity. Advertisements boasted that Bois Dormant was “a parfum that lasts not mere hours but days… alluring and enticing.” Its ability to cling to garments and skin for extended periods was framed not as overpowering, but as enduring, like the memory of a dream you can’t quite forget. This was a perfume that didn’t announce itself with brightness, but one that whispered, then lingered. It was said to charm “that Paris which is sophisticated and smart”—a nod to the fashion-forward women of the day who appreciated subtlety over excess.

In the broader context of perfumery in the mid-1920s, Bois Dormant was both of its time and quietly radical. It followed the chypre tradition made famous by Coty in 1917, but introduced new facets—coldness, stillness, a powdered hush rather than sparkle. At a time when many fragrances sought to celebrate modernity with aldehydic effervescence or rich orientals bursting with vanilla and spice, Bois Dormant stood out for its tonal restraint and emotional depth.

For women in 1925, wearing Bois Dormant may have felt like stepping away from the roar of the city and into a secret grove—a place of calm, reflection, and hidden allure. In an era defined by jazz and liberation, Bois Dormant offered a personal escape, a scented fairytale, and a reminder that even in a modern age, mystery and magic still held their place.Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Bois Dormant by Houbigant is classified as a floral chypre perfume for women with distinct powdery ambergris and woody notes with a heavy musk base. a certain woody, cold note. Astringent and herbaceous.

Top notes: pungent green accord, aldehydes, Persian galbanum, Calabrian bergamot, Amalfi lemon, Syrian acacia, Chinese costus root oil
Middle notes: Mediterranean artemisia, Russian coriander, Alpine lily of the valley, Indian carnation, Grasse rose, Italian jasmine, Bourbon geranium
Base notes: Mysore sandalwood, Venezuelan tonka bean, coumarin, Mexican vanilla, resins, Maltese labdanum, ambergris, Tyrolean oakmoss, Central American guaiac, Brazilian rosewood, Virginian cedar, Singapore patchouli, Siberian spruce, Canadian fir balsam, Java vetiver, Tibetan musk, Abyssinian civet

Scent Profile:

Smelling Bois Dormant by Houbigant is like stepping into a forest at twilight—where the air is cool, shadows deepen between trees, and the breeze carries the scents of earth, bark, and blossoms just past their bloom. This perfume, launched in 1925, is an elegant study in contrast: astringent yet velvety, sharp yet softened, wooded yet floral, with a powdery finish that lingers like mist on moss. Each ingredient feels deliberate, contributing to a fragrance that evokes not merely a “sleeping forest” but one dreamt of—enchanted, eternal, and mysteriously alive.

The opening strikes immediately with a pungent green accord, piercing and brisk like the snap of crushed stems beneath your fingers. This is amplified by the inclusion of aldehydes, those sparkling molecules that, even in small amounts, give lift and radiance—like the glint of dew on leaves or distant light filtering through treetops. Persian galbanum adds a sharply resinous, bitter-green intensity. Unlike softer galbanum varieties, Persian galbanum is more assertive, smelling of broken sapwood and bruised greenery, with a wild, slightly animalic edge. This green shimmer is cooled by Calabrian bergamot—a citrus with a floral-leaning tartness, lending clarity and balance—while Amalfi lemon, less acidic and more aromatic than other lemon types, brightens the composition with a mellow, Mediterranean citrus freshness.

From there, an exotic, resinous pulse begins to hum. Syrian acacia—sometimes called cassie—brings a soft, dusty floralness tinged with honey and pollen, lending a faded-golden tone to the top. Then comes Chinese costus root oil, an earthy, slightly oily scent with an unmistakably vintage character. Costus smells of ancient woods and damp hair, giving the composition its first whisper of depth and skin-like warmth. It's grounding and slightly feral, a nod to the base still to come.

The heart of Bois Dormant is a true study in herbaceous elegance and floral restraint. Mediterranean artemisia, also known as wormwood, adds a sharp herbal dryness—almost bitter—with a camphoraceous touch that brings clarity and edge. This is balanced by the cool, spicy Russian coriander, which smells like citrus peels mingled with pepper and herbs. As the herbal facets soften, the florals begin to unfurl: Alpine lily of the valley lends its ethereal, green freshness; Indian carnation, warm and clove-like, adds a hint of spice and a nostalgic warmth. The florals are not dewy or bright—they are dappled in shade. Grasse rose, from the hills of southern France, smells lush yet quiet, its sweetness tempered by the dry mountain air. Italian jasmine emerges with soft indolic warmth, while Bourbon geranium, from the island of Réunion, introduces a rosy, minty facet that flirts between floral and foliage.

Then the forest floor reveals itself—damp, resinous, musky, endlessly complex. The base is anchored by Mysore sandalwood, the most precious variety, now nearly extinct. Its creamy, milky warmth glows softly, mingling with Venezuelan tonka bean and coumarin, which bring an almond-like, hay-sweet depth. These notes fuse with the dark sweetness of Mexican vanilla, adding smooth, gourmand richness without veering too edible. Resins—unspecified but likely including frankincense or benzoin—add golden depth and stickiness. Maltese labdanum, with its leathery, sun-baked aroma, serves as the true backbone of the chypre structure—its dense, balsamic richness softened by the whisper of ambergris, which lends a salty, animalic radiance that lingers on skin like silk.

The woody framework is dense and nuanced. Tyrolean oakmoss, from alpine forests, gives a mineral, forest-floor greenness—cool, earthy, slightly damp. Central American guaiac wood introduces a smoky, resinous facet, like incense rising from scorched bark. Brazilian rosewood, once commonly used, contributes a spicy-rosy woodiness, while Virginian cedar adds a pencil-sharp dryness. The cool, sappy tones of Siberian spruce and Canadian fir balsam add a piney chill—sharp and refreshing, like stepping into the shaded heart of a fir grove. Singapore patchouli, grown in tropical humidity, is darker and more tenacious than its Indian counterpart, with a loamy, almost wine-like richness. Java vetiver, with its dry, rooty smoke, gives the base structure and verticality.

And then, the final shadows settle with the base animalics. Tibetan musk—originally derived from deer but likely reproduced through early synthetic means—adds a persistent warmth and radiance, wrapping all in an intimate halo. Abyssinian civet, another note of bygone animal origin, brings its distinctive creamy-fecal complexity, blending seamlessly with the musks to create a perfume that clings to the skin and haunts the air for days. These base notes are not overpowering—they are refined, carefully measured, and part of the elegant architecture of the scent.

Bois Dormant is not simply a floral chypre—it is a landscape, one of shadow, silence, and sensuality. It unfolds like a spell, whispering of forests lost in time, stories left untold, and beauty that lingers long after you’ve left the room. It is a perfume that doesn’t just wear on the skin—it lives in the air and memory.