The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Green Wood arrived in 2019 from DSQUARED2, designed by perfumer Daphné Bugey. The fragrance line began in 2007 with He Wood, a scent built around raw timber and woody accords. Green Wood arrives as the next step in that conversation with the forest. But where earlier releases leaned into timber's warmth, Green Wood pushes further into the undergrowth, incorporating darker, more resinous materials alongside the expected cedar. Bugey, working from the brand's Milanese sensibility, crafted something that feels both modern and grounded in the earth from which its namesake grows.
The note structure tells a story about contrast and balance. Lemon and black pepper open with brightness, but cypriol and ambroxan close with darkness and warmth. Cedarwood bridges these two extremes, its familiar timber character providing continuity as the fragrance moves through its phases. Vetiver adds earthiness, the resinous notes add depth, and musks ensure the finish feels human rather than harsh. This is a fragrance designed for someone who wants the DSQUARED2 woody tradition but with more complexity and a more interesting drydown.
The evolution
The fragrance begins with lemon and black pepper, a bright, spicy opening that announces itself clearly. Santolina adds an herbal quality that keeps the citrus from becoming too sweet or generic. Within the first half hour, cedarwood takes over as the dominant force, supported by vetiver's earthy depth and a resinous accord that thickens the composition. The drydown shifts again, with cypriol bringing a dark, tar-like intensity that grounds the fragrance before clean musks and ambroxan soften the edges into something that lingers close to the skin. This arc from bright citrus to dark resin to skin-close warmth is what gives Green Wood its narrative pull.
Cultural impact
Green Wood sits among bold woody aromatics. It shares territory with Lalique Encre Noire, Lalique Encre Noire Sport, and Bvlgari pour Homme Extrême. What separates Green Wood from several of its comparables is the green factor. Where Encre Noire carries ink and smoke, Green Wood carries the living plant. Santolina is the differentiator, an unusual ingredient that introduces qualities found in Mediterranean garrigue rather than typical masculine fragrance conventions.
