First Impressions – BDK – Gris Charnel Extrait

I tested quite a few BDK fragrances towards the end of last year, and sadly most of them had one nauseating common denominator – woody amber dry downs. Velvet Tonka, Pas Ce Soir, Ambre Safrano, and Villa Néroli featured such harsh base notes that within 30 minutes of testing each, it’s all I could smell. So, it makes it all the more remarkable that they can produce something as smooth as Gris Charnel Extrait. Unfortunately, there’s quite a disparity between their best and worst, but BDK should strive for (especially in this price bracket) “Gris Charnel Extrait” excellence with all their scents.

The original Gris Charnel in EDP form is one of the best sellers from BDK. However, like most compositions from the brand, it fell flat on my skin. It’s by no means bad, though. Indeed, I think it’s one of the best from BDK. Sadly, the combination of tea, cardamon, fig, iris, and woody notes didn’t quite do it for me. Nothing stood out in the EDP, and it ended up smelling nondescript. There are countless better fig, iris, tea, and woody perfumes on the market. Just as an aside, my pick from the brand is the resinous woody plum of Wood Jasmin. It still is after testing Gris Charnel Extrait, but the margin isn’t large.

The new extrait improves upon the original, exhibiting a woody, spicy depth I didn’t get from Gris Charnel. In particular, the base is punctuated with bulkier patchouli and vanilla notes, resulting in a richer, more rewarding dry down. My skin amplifies the woody notes, especially the vetiver. Mathilde Bijaoui dials back the juicy and sweet aspects in the extrait. Most importantly, it doesn’t fall into the dreaded woody ambery trap in the dry down.

The creamy, almost edible combined effects of the sandalwood, cardamom, fig, tea, vanilla, and tonka are beautifully balanced. There’s just enough of the iris and vetiver (which I mentioned is prominent on my skin) to keep it grounded—all in all, lovely stuff and excellent work.

In terms of longevity and projection, I don’t detect much of a difference between the two. The EDP does push out more, but the extrait lasts longer. Extraits often sit close to the skin, so that isn’t surprising. If I had to pick a winner, it would be Gris Charnel Extrait. Still, it’s not something I’d buy. And, you may not need the extrait if you own the EDP, as they are similar enough. It’s 180 Australian Dollars more than the original Gris Charnel.

Do you have a favourite BDK? Have you tried Gris Charnel Extrait? Do you prefer it over the EDP?

Note: I purchased my samples. Images of Wood Jasmin are my own.