Feminité du Bois was a revolution, being one of the first women’s fragrances to rely heavily on the use of wood notes. Of course today it is marketed as unisex, but the legend and skill in its composition lives on. I was not expecting this fragrance to smell so incredibly delicious, it ventures almost into gourmand territory, with the woods grounding it appropriately. Cedarwood makes up the majority of the scent profile, although it does not scream, being such a soft and gentle note - in fact, 60% of the composition is made up of wood notes. To contrast, fat juicy plums make themselves known loud and clear. Whilst some plum notes can come across rather like dried, syrupy prunes, in this fragrance it smells intensely ripe and juicy. Pair that with a gorgeous blend of warming spices including cinnamon, clove and ginger with a touch of vanilla, and you’re left with one of the most comforting scent profiles around. This perfume is astoundingly addictive, as I said before it’s ridiculously delicious and inviting, it’s impossible to stop smelling yourself. To me, this instantly reminds me of Christmas. And whilst the scent isn’t particularly dark, loud or limited to the cold, harsh conditions of winter - the warm, cosy notes lend themselves to the inviting cosiness of the festive season.
Feminité du Bois, the first Lutens fragrant creation that is still with with us. And what an absolute pleasure it is. It’s name breaking the preconceptions about woody scents only being for men. And it’s scent breaking the boundaries of what is expected of a woody fragrance, by the introduction of (dried) fruits.
It‘s dry cedar notes and fruity plum combined effortlessly. In an almost abstract way, though not quite.
It also features a lesser talked about animalic note, it enhances the purple fruity notes, without being overbearing.
Originally released under the Shiseido brand under the same name and av today under the Serge Lutens brand.
A scent every fragrance lover should get his or herself familiar with.