Feminité du Bois

Reminds me significantly of Tom Ford's Plum Japonais, and upon application, I find it challenging to distinguish between the two scents.

Féminité du Bois, conceived by Serge Lutens, translates to "Femininity of wood" and revolves around Cedar as its central theme, comprising approximately 60% of the composition, according to the brand's official website. Lutens himself described it as expressing the masculine side of femininity and vice versa. I'm reviewing the current version released in 2009, although this perfume was initially launched for women in 1992 when Serge Lutens was Creative Director at Shiseido. Some claim that he took the team to Marrakech to convey the essence of Atlas Cedar. Those who've experienced the vintage version note it was stronger in its woody nuance and had better projection, whereas the current version stays close to the skin. The composition has undergone changes to meet industry standards. The original featured notes of cedarwood, orange blossom, plum, rose, violet, honey, beeswax, clove, cardamom, vanilla, and cinnamon, while the current version includes Moroccan Orange, Turkish rose, Atlas Cedar, violets, beeswax, honey, peach, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, and musk. Despite changes, Féminité du Bois is a beautiful perfume, yet it's not particularly feminine. Upon application, the scent is woody and dense, with an initial male and intense quality. It's reminiscent of high-quality niche perfumes created with premium materials. After about 30 minutes, it evolves into a more floral body, where the strong wood and spice notes give way to a fragrance featuring wood and violets. Breathing on the spot applied reveals a soft touch of orange, rose, and subtle sweetness. At this stage, the scent becomes unisex and loses its projection. After two hours, a spicy and almost salty nuance emerges, likely attributed to the cinnamon. In my opinion, Féminité du Bois is not a feminine scent that can be shared; it's more of a unisex fragrance with excellent fragrance, but poor projection and moderate duration. While men might find it disappointing, women who appreciate strong and masculine fragrances with tender undertones may enjoy it.

This autumnal scent has truly captured my heart and I've been thoroughly enjoying its presence on me these past few weeks, with it being the sole perfume I've yearned to wear. Unfortunately, my decant has come to an end, so it's time for this perfume to take its place on my want list.

Feminité du Bois is an exceptional creation and one of my most beloved fragrances. Its beauty lies in its elegant, refined, and soothing qualities, making it a pleasure to wear. I'm particularly fond of plum notes in perfumes and they're executed beautifully here. While the sillage and longevity could be improved, as it only lasts for a few hours, I appreciate how the musk is incorporated in a way that doesn't overpower the scent.

The cumin, cedar, cinnamon combination opens up on my skin with a fizzy, effervescent cola-like quality. Cedar is the most prominent note I detect, followed by cumin, cinnamon, and sandalwood. While not an absolute favorite of mine, I find it pleasant to wear 😊