Feminite du Bois Serge Lutens for women

This is so good it makes me sick I only have one sample.
A bit like Dolce Vita, but stronger and very exuberant.
Anyone in for a swap? Please take a look at the swap items in my profile and let me know!..
Same goes for Cèdre de Lutens.
Thank you

Interesting scent, like fancy Crayola Crayons. Not bad but maybe not what I was looking for.

~ Finally we have SL available at our stores and I could put my hands on cute little bottles. The price is bearable [I thought it would be higher but it's around 114$ and I can afford one next month]. Still, it's pricier than what I gave for 50ml Shiseido FdB [73 bucks].

First of all I picked up this, cause I couldn't find Louve. After reading some reviews, I was afraid that it would be different and less wow than Shiseido was. Shiseido sometimes played naughty practical jokes on me [infamous bo] so I was hoping this would behave better and be same amazing fragrance that's me! I sprayed it on my chest [lol wrists were taken, but I was driven with nostalgia and it was either there or on hair] and amazed how similar it smells to the original. It is less resinous balmy thing at first, but linear beast at a perfect stage of original that I loved.

Sillage is owning the space and my friend who just had shock experience with her very first niche [history moment, it was Fille en Aiguilles] said it's strong and unbearably sweet. Nah, it is so shiny, woody, sweetened up. There is cedar of course, but it's not furniture like, it's rather drowned in ...plum? peach jam. It is very balanced, nice.

It was reformulated and it doesn't do the poor old FdB the shame. It makes me feel real me, the old sassy witch I was before I got lost in my life. [And btw someone stole my bottle of Shiseido]. Deffo a must try. Now I have hard time deciding this or twice as much Havana Vanille. [Since I will collect some money at last]

Love this scent, woody and powdery, but I wouldn't wear it too often or it will end up boring me. Lasts all day, from a strong woody and spicy scent it turns into a powdery, talcum- like yet still bitter drydown. Surely not or the faint hearted.

Smells in the opening like the German Obstler, 40 % alcohol, made from fruits.
Now I know, where the Obstler smell is coming from - it is clear boozy cedar wood.

Basically reminds me of Tam Doa with a little cedar. Maybe there are a few more notes or a slightly different configuration, but overall that's my impression.

I only ordered a medium decant from the perfume court and I’m glad I did. I would not buy a FB of this for the price. Feminite du Bois smells like ginger snaps from start to finish, with a touch of woods and vanilla. It never quite makes it into the gourmand or woody category, but seems to try.

It’s almost as if it can’t make up its mind what it wants to be. Is it passive or aggressive, smoky or sweet, male or female? Feminite du Bois just doesn’t know.

One minute I think I’m in my kitchen simmering ginger on the stove. The next I’m catching whiffs of wood smoke, but it’s so faint and leaves me quickly. Then whiffs of ginger snaps or ginger bread come back again. It's not that I don't like ginger, I love ginger, but it just overpowers the rest of the notes in this I think. Oh and my son didn’t like it. He actually told me it was a total rip off. I hope others have a better experience with this one.

the first association I had when sniffed it the first time was antique wood furniture..you know that musky/fruity even a little insence- like smell I'm talking about..it does develop..into a warm ceder wood smell..vanilla and peach and musk combined give this sweet-woody-cinnamon accord ( @bugmenot :))love it.a real find for woody frag lovers..sillage is good too- it lasts...gets closer to skin the longer you wear it..
ps' DEFINITELY not just for women..

i absolutely love this scent. on me it's mainly cedar with just a slight hint of floral. i think it's appropriate for men but i guess most men will be be put off just by the name alone

i have to revise myself somewhat. as much as i love this fragrance, some days after a few hours it can develop an "unhygienic" quality, and then i have to wash it off. for the first four hours or so fem du bois is still probably my absolute favorite scent ever, but after that sometimes it moves into my "maria callas" category (brilliant but definitely flawed).

Evolution over time is highly valued in perfumery. Headnotes, heartnotes, basenotes. “Linear” is generally derogatory. A linear fragrance or one that does not demonstrate substantial change over time is considered either lacking or a failure. The traditional categories, fougere, chypre, oriental (could we please get a better word for this?) are all defined by their changes over time. A good, proper perfume must demonstrate development yet consistency from start to finish.

FdB is a definitively linear fragrance. It is none the worse for being so. In fact it demonstrates strengths that a typical ‘evolving’ perfume generally does not have. The experience of FdB is that it all comes at you at once. It’s not an onslaught. It’s just that all the elements seem to have a similar intensity so that you can smell the fruit, the wood, the violet-floral in equal measure. All the set pieces are in place and the development is that of a fugue, where you notice different elements at different times. It’s a great fragrance for contemplation in this sense. The ongoing juxtaposition of the pieces makes you reconsider the perfume again and again as you wear it. And like a fugue, the whole composition, the geometry of the component parts, remains the same, but the whole piece gets shifted up or down over time. It’s a bit like walking around a sculpture. It’s the same work no matter where you go, but your perspective changes

To me, the fear of this approach is that you could wind up with a rather cold, impassive perfume. You might walk around it to consider it, but it’s not exactly a thrill-ride. Also, this sort of fragrance might become something more that you wear than you meld with. But FdB avoids these problems by having a beautiful harmonic intensity. It just keeps coming around the corner at you. I appreciate why people use the term radiant to describe FdB.

Having read the thoughts of those who understand the nut-and-bolts composition of fragrance (I don’t---I’m just an avid perfume fan) the creation of FdB and its congeners is due to novel chemistry. As with the introduction of any new aromachemicals, new styles emerge and perfumery remains new and fresh. FdB and other ‘new linears’ of its era seem not so much a change in style as a categorical shift in approach. The notion of how a perfume works is fundamentally different here than in, say, the category-defining Mitsouko. There certainly are bad linear fragrances. But then again there are equally bad perfumes that demonstrate an ugly evolution over time. FdB reminds me that ‘linear’ alone doesn’t connote bad, it’s just a more recent form in the tradition of classical perfumery.

Feminite du Bois: so much love, so much disappointment. First, the love-- this is the ultimate woods scent. It is what the Biblical cedars of Lebanon must have smelled like. Sharp but with a caressing spicy sweetness, enhanced with dried peach and cherry and sparked with just a touch of cinnamon and roses, it is miles beyond the ordinary, classy, gorgeous and sexy without even a shadow of tawdriness.

Now, the disappointment. 50 mL for $120, in a bottle with a paper label glued to it, in a flimsy cardboard box, with the cheapest tin cap going. And, this would all just be window dressing, a forgivable eccentricity if the juice lasted longer that 2 hours. No matter how much I spray on, or where I spray it (hair, clothing, on skin moisturized with unscented lotion, you name it) the heavenly scent just does not last. So, unless Serge Lutens begins selling a concentration of this glorious elixir that actually has some staying power, my first bottle of Feminite will be my last...and that makes me sad.

This is a witchy fragrance. I imagine a woman leaning over a bubbling cauldron, inside are spices, herbs, nectars, flower heads. She's making a love potion..Well not exactly love...maybe a seduction potion. Cedar logs are burning under the cauldron and the smoke lingers in her wild hair and black cloak. Nearby, an incense burner releases wafts myrrh and styrax. Like with Sarassins, I got a feeling of something dangerous, dark and wicked from this scent. Strange brew.

It was love at first sight also a bit short in time as the lasting power doesn't exceed 2h. Which is one of the reasons I bought a roll on through the net. It is absolutely faboulous if layered with cuir de russie Chanel EDT. I tried samples of other variations such as fruit et bois (too gourmand and foody) and bois de violette, this last one is an excellent version for hotter days as the violet adds a greener accent to the scent.

I just purchased this while on vacation in Paris last week. It made me homesick and nostalgic for my Rocky Mts. Evokes memories of evenings around a campfire, a whiff of a toasted marshmallow, the incense of a damp forest floor, waking to the scent of sweet wood violets. Beautiful, sensual and nostalgic.

I am very surprised at how lovely this perfume is - I shouldn't be, but I have tried a few duds from SL lately. This soft fragrance has great lasting power - just when I think I can't smell it any more another waft will come up from my neck/chest, and so far I have been wearing it for three hours. It may be full bottle worthy; I will keep trying it.

I get almost a honey or beeswax note in the drydown which is not listed. A beautiful blend of soft woods, hushed florals and subtle vanilla in which no note tries to outdo any other. There is a tiny hint of cumin but you need to have your nose on your wrist to identify it. It doesn't have the usual SL complexity, which is rather a relief sometimes!

It is more weak version than the origianl FdB from Shiseido. doesn´t last long and not that much vibrant and rich as it used to be. I´ve been waiting desperatly for this one, since the original has been discontinued and hard to find.
First i was dissapointed BUT! then i began to love it! It has a sweet wood note that is more dominant here than in original Shiseido.
AMAZING PERFUME, but i would recommend it only for colder time of the year for outdoor wearing. Indoors it can be a bit intoxicating.

Feminite du Bois is an amazing perfume, indeed))I get cedar wood rounded by peach, orange blossom and vanilla. I have feeling that it also has cinnamon in it somewhere, and it reminds me of SL's another creation - Rousse (also one of the favourites of mine). FdB has this soft sweet-n-spicy effect, which makes it perfect for the winter time. This perfume has good sillage and is long-lasting. Thumbs up!

It's quite good for russian cold & snowy winters. When I put on my furs, this aroma & go out in a frostymorning, I feel great.

Ive been wanting to try this perfume for so long. Mainly because of the influence of all the fans of the Shiseido version. Its pretty much exactly as I expected. It opens with dry spices which I adore then I pick up some plummy notes on a base of cedar. Kind of festive.

This is the third Serge Lutens sample Ive tried and I have to say Im surprised that they dont last longer on my skin. No sillage on me with this one either. Its a skin scent. But I should make note of the fact that my skin doesnt project perfume very well. Only a precious few perfumes can project on my skin. Having said that, I dont have a problem with perfume lasting, and with FDB and the others Ive tried they fade fast.

If this perfume had good power behind it, it would be full bottle worthy.

can a Man pull it off?

I kind of had the same experience as mellyhelly. I bought this bottle YEARS ago ( in the early 90's ) but was WAYY too young and didn't appreciate it. I have no idea if I threw it away or gave it away. Today I received my sample of the new version. I could cry. I am feeling sad and nostalgic that I did whatever I did with the old bottle but yet I feel unfaithful because I am soooo loving the new one.

This one is just enough like the old potion that you would never question it, but the "newness" in this is ...I don't even have a word. This is good stuff. I believe the old formula was more spicy ( like curry, cumin, etc...) while this has more of something else that i cannot pinpoint.

So far ( at least for me ) Serge Luten is a winner. This stuff is amazing. Definetly not main stream and utterly sexy. All fo the ones I have ( chergui, fille an aguilles, muscs Kublai khan, chene, and fumerie turque ) could be worn on a man or a woman. i love that in a fragrance because it can smell so different on everyone. FB worthy for sure for sure!!!!!

I completely agree with below description I found on lyckyscent site. Generally I don’t read any reviews before writing mine, however this time the notes listed on fragrantica were very different from what I smelled… I had to check with a reliable source.

“The notes… quintessence of Atlas cedar…The result a dark, honeyed, animalic wood rubbed with candied fruit, sweet balms and the slow burn of spices, encrusted with the amethyst flash of violets.”

Great, truthful description. I couldn’t have said it better.

I remember I felt the same excitement when I tried Dolce Vita EDP. Somehow my olfactive memory thinks there is something similar in these 2 fragrances: the dark, woody, honey spices. Checking the compositions and I can see the reason: some identical notes.
I go and check the fragrance. Not much in common. However I still agree with my memory. My bottle of Dolce Vita is old and not reformulated. It feels sweeter and less cedary than it used to be. I love it even more. But I remember the day I bought it and the impact on my olfactive receptors of the woody-spiced cedar in the dry down. Similar with the opening of Feminite du Bois.

Feminite du Bois smells like a great cognac to my nose. I can’t get the violets, just a powdery note that combines with the cedar for a friendlier composition. All notes are here: ginger, cinnamon, clove, plum, peach, orange blossom, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin. I don't feel cumin, just cardamom that adds an animalic print. Absolutely beautiful and rich. Still, the boozy note follows me and doesn’t let me enjoy the fume completely. I wish this tone was quieter. I don’t mind it IN a cognac glass, but I am not sure I would like to smell it on myself.

The final has a soft-dry, woody, musky and smoky tone. Lovely.

PS Just checked the Serge Lutens site and this fragrance has a subtitle: cedar brandy. My brain and nose are at peace now. Finally, justice done to my nose.

9.2/10

first to me it is a little bit sharp and dryish kind of plasticy-acidy, nothing warm or woody.
A few minutes later the scent is 'calming down', becomes velvety.
However, I regret to say but on me it smells like ylang-ylang and Haribos (is this the peach?) with some notion of cedar, which is pretty disturbing.
Then it becomes just cedar and not much else. It might be harsh that I am going to say but when I sniff at it i have the feeling of a cedar stick going through my nose, stabbing my brain. I love cedar but this is just too much of it for me..
Then it again sweetens. Becomes more pleasant. But I am still unsure whether I am ever going to survive this fragrance due to the first two phases.
.
Again something i liked on paper but was not meant for me :(

One of the best fragrance made by Lutens...it's a dreaming voyage into vanilla and ylang-ylang notes. Truly remarkable

Honestly, I didn't smell any of the notes listed here. At first, it smelled really woodsy and sexy. But as it dried on my skin, it smelled like cumin. Lots and lots of cumin. It reminded me more of the time my housemate and I cleaned out the spice cabinet than anything else. Icky and overpowering.

It does, however, last a long time. I know, cause I was dying for the scent to disappear. I just wish such a nice scent in the bottle worked at all on me.

I'm very glad to have sampled this fragrance, because it taught me something about myself.

I don't like ginger.

It makes me sneeze, rub my nose, and the only case where it is not irritating to me is when it comes with sushi. So this precludes a positive review of this fragrance.

I know ginger isn't listed above, but you can certianly smell it. Here is the list of notes from Lucky Scent :Ginger, cinnamon, clove, plum, peach, orange blossom, violet, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin.

Ah well, to each his own. Pluck the spices out of this one and I think I would love it!

I found this very boring for a Serge Lutens blend.It lacks the depth and imagination of his later fragrances. Still, it's a basic, well-done, layered oriental of the traditional mold. Nothing special at all, but very well done. I wish the beeswax or cardamom came through a little more, as I love those notes and it might lift it a bit.

Scents change or maybe tastes change. I didn't like Feminite` de Bois when it first came out as Shiseido. I love the curvy bottle but the juice, OMG! It was repulsive to my nose and on my skin. It smelled very very dry, moth-eaten old wood, cloying and nauseating. Out of curiosity I smelled it again the other day and I was hooked! I tried the Serge Lutens' edition and could smell the Shiseido from tester. They seem absolutely similar. What happened to Feminite` du Bois? What happened to my nose/chemistry? I don't know. I know that it now smells great to me! In a few minutes on my skin it becomes much sweeter and mellow, a creamy extremely feminine woody spiced scent with some vanilla. It smells exactly like Dolcevita's drydown. It's rich, voluptous, a little wild yet behavioured, very elegant, refined and it induces imageries of natural setting even in the middle of the grey city. Still not my favourite and don't need to have a full bottle at the moment, but you never know...

I love how I feel when I wear this. It's so beautiful! I found the Shiseido version on ebay in edp and parfum for reasonable prices.

What a truly precious perfume!

It isn't as self conscious as some other SL perfumes. This is wood at its most exquisite, a dryad in autumn,voluptuous, caressing. If anyone is into the Art Nouveau art of Alphonse Mucha, this reminds me very much of his nymphs, starlit and seasonal, wandering through a magical earth of resins and musks and flowers.

Wearing this makes me feel like a very beautiful woman indeed.

To me, the notes mentioned here don't match with the fragrance, I smell loads of plum and cinnamon in FdB, plus the woodsy notes. The notes of FdB by Shiseido seem to go way better with this one, too.
If you loved Organza Indecence, you can try this one as a substitution. Along with Borneo and Chergui it's my SL's favourite. I can't wear it, because on my skin it goes crazy, but maybe it's just my skin - still, I love it on a paper.

A truly beautiful fragrance. On my skin I had the opposite experience to Lorilavira. At first the scent is very woody and the cedar is the strongest scent I can pick up.

As it mellows on my skin it becomes more floral and indeed slightly peachy but not too much so - there is still that hint of wood and spice.

well its pretty much like Dolce Vita and less like its original sister from shiseido. and its more wearable then its older version:))))

Vickalena is right about reformulation idea, its less consentrated then shiseido's one.

Some weeks ago i tested Feminite du Bois from shiseido and i don't liked it much(to strong and to powerful for me).
I prefer this one from Serge Lutens because it's much lighter/cleaner and has more woody notes.The first sniff is fresh,light and floral then it becomes woody and a bit soft,it smells like wet wood and flowers(i don't smell the peach that's so pity).I very like the scent but i'm not really in love something deranges me i think it could be the ylang-ylang i don't like this flower much.But all in all it's a really good and feminine woody scent.
Good for the fall and wintertime,better for mature woman and for each Occasion it last good, how all serge lutens fragrances but it's not powerful and annoying,this nice scent stays with you the whole day.