Hi there Posse! According to Fragrantica Féminité du Bois came originally from the Shiseido range in 1992. Serge Lutens was originally a photographer and brand creative. Also in 1992 he went to do his niche thing with the original four wood scents Les Salons du Palais Royal, which went on to become Parfums-Beaute Serge Lutens. His eponymous perfume and cosmetic house was always under the Shiseido banner but off to the side a bit, till the recent buy out. It didn’t move across to the Serge line until 2009, not long after I became aware of it but didn’t try it till much later, maybe 2012 or 13. Today I’m thunking an older sample vial, maybe 2015?
Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Beeswax, Clove, Honey, Cardamom, Musk, Orange blossom, Peach, Plum, Rose, Vanilla, Violet, Ylang-ylang, Cedar, Cinnamon
Surrender to Chance has both the Original Shiseido Formula and Modern Serge Lutens Formula.
FdB gets a mention in Patty’s Intermediate Level Classics 201 post
What are your Féminité du Bois recollections?
Portia xx
Portia also writes for Australian Perfume Junkies
I do like it, but it stays pretty much a skin scent on me, wearing really close. I end up enjoying some of the other SL Bois scents more, especially Bois et Fruits and Bois de Violette.
Isn’t That interesting HCZERWIEC,
It’s much louder on me but does end up a skin scent.
BdV is lovely, if I remember correctly.
Portia xx
This makes me tear up. It’s perfect weather for FdB — super cold here. I tried FdB early in my perfume journey because it was on the Greats List — and I adored it. It was everything that drew me to niche perfumery.
Hey March,
Ahhh, FdB would be spectacular in the frosty cold of winter.
I bet you smelled amazing in it.
Do you still have any?
Portia xx
I lucked out when I was working downtown years ago- got a bottle from a shop in Little Tokyo for (I think) $20. The old stuff. Think I will dig it out and wear it tomorrow..
Tom,
You will smell AMAZING!
Portia x
A recent comer to Lutens myself I fell in love with Bois Oriental and since a bottle of this would be an extravagance I was looking for something that would be close and FdB was suggested so I got a sample. While it’s very similar, in the base especially, the fruit notes make the difference and make it sweeter. It’s very nice though and when I find a good sale I may just pick up a bottle!
Have since picked up more samples from this house which, I find, agrees with my chemistry.
Hi JenniferS,
YAY! Some of us are very lucky and the Serge Lutens range hits our sweet spot. Me too.
Portia xx
I love FdB. I bought a bottle of it early in my perfume journey about 10 years ago. Last year, I managed to snag a bottle of the Shiseido version.
Woo Hoo! That’s so cool Eldarwen22,
How do you perceive the differences?
Portia xx
Cedar is one of my most challenging notes so although I have tried this, it didn’t make my loves list. I can appreciate it but can’t wear it.
Hey MMKinPA,
I totally get that. I bet one day in a few years you try it again and suddenly the plum and honey will speak to you.
Portia xx
Agreed Portia. I was a late-comer to Serve Lutens fragrances and only ordered samples of many last year. F d B was one that I ordered a bottle immediately after sampling. Of course it’s the newer version which I am happy with so not pining for vintage. Although I wouldn’t mind sniffing the Shiseido so may include that with my next STC order.
It is good to know where the idea comes from Kathleen, I like to have sniffed the original but mostly I’m happy with modern.
Portia x
Have only tried the SL recent version. Would love to get my nose on the original Sheseido or older SL versions one of these days.
The good thing about not knowing is you can’t pine for it Brigitte.
Portia xx
I’ve had a bottle back then when it came out and ever since then it’s among my favourite 5 perfumes. I’ve bought a bottle on ebay some time ago but it is probably watered down because the sillage is very weak and I’m not sure it’s the right perfume. The SL version is slightly sweeter to me, if I remember the original right.
Yeah, also less in your face. 1992 was just after the 1980s. He He he
I have two bottles of it. One Shiseido and one of the earlier SL variants. Neither has been getting much love lately, so they’ve been put in the sell/give away/toss bag. They’ll sit there awaiting their fate until I decide if I want to try wearing them again or they need to go out the door.
Ahhhh, that box is sometimes so hard to get empty Tatiana,
Good luck.
Portia xx
One of my all-time favorites! Have the Sheseido and two back-ups of the SL. I love all the notes, especially the cedar. Hmmmm…. this may be the SOTD tomorrow.
Good choice Shiva-woman.
Portia xx
I’ve not tried it. I always felt that it might be a little bit too masculine for my taste. I like Gina’s Sugar Plum Fairy reference,
Hey Matty,
Gina is absolutely spot on, get some on your skin.
Portia xx
I’ve been wearing it since it was launched in 1992. I love the original formula in the vintage Shiseido bottle. Not a big fan of the current formulation, but that’s true of most things nowadays. I think it was pretty revolutionary for its time, as cedar wood was not typically considered a feminine perfume note at that time.
Hey TaraC,
On Jin and my first visit to the Serge Lutens Palais Royal we were lucky enough to get to smell about four vintages of Féminité du Bois from the Shiseido to current. Interesting progression.
Having not worn the original I’m lucky that this current is really my benchmark.
Portia x
I’ve been wearing it during Christmas layered with Molton Brown Muddled Plum, and I smelled like the Sugar Plum Fairy!
Hey Gina,
I think you might have been my inspiration for grabbing the sample out.
Portia xx