Feminite du Bois Shiseido for women

I discovered Feminite du Bois when I worked for Shiseido in the early 90s. If only I had known it would be discontinued so quickly. I’d have spent all of my gratis on it every year. I’ve never experienced any other perfume like it. Every time I wear it, someone comments that they love it. There’s a strong thread of cedar that weaves through every layer. Definitely not sweet. Definitely not floral. It’s spicy, woody, and sharp. Although there are notes of honey and plum and supposedly even a hint of musk, cedar is the star. I’ve read that this perfume or that other perfume smells like it. But I’ve never found anything even remotely similar except the reformulation by Serge Leutens, which is is close. But when I wear it I miss the powerful cedar in the original. Sadly, my last vintage bottle that I found a couple of years ago was stolen. All I’ve got left are a few cartridges for my stylo. Sighs.

Years ago I scored a bottle just like the one in the photo for almost nothing. Thrilled, I brought it home. Upon inspection I read "eau timide" on the label and was not immediately disappointed. Disappointment followed when I applied it and it vanished as it dried. Last night, visiting my collection looking for something to wear to bed, I sprayed it onto my forearm. Boy is it ever still both "eau" and "timide". I could barely smell it straight upon application and it is so fleeting... like a dream one is wanting to remember but the more one tries to grasp the details, the quicker it disintegrates. I keep it because it is the "dream" of a work of art.

This is beyond words for me calming simple love it

Cel'ho da trenta anni ma non ne ho mai parlato.
E' un profumo scuro e legnoso,misterioso,calmo e appiccicoso.
Resta molto dolce e appiccicoso senza dare spigoli pungenti e note distorte.
Una miscela introspettiva e serena, matura,calmante.
Ricorda i colori viola,prugna e marrone,riporta la mente a qualcosa di antico,una casa in campagna,una signora di altri tempi,non evoca sesso ne seduzione ne volgarità.
Non grida,non fa rumore,non lascia scie ma resta con te e sussurra.
Naturlamente fuori produzione da decenni...

Long story but I wanted Tom Ford Plum Japonaos as so many have said it is like this

Then I realised that the TF was discontinued too!

I have used Eden perfumes from Brighton England for years for good quality, cruelty free, vegan dupes. I ordered No.670 Japanese Plum which arrived Friday and smells so much like how I remember Feminite du Bois Shiseido that I’m a happy girl.

Hopefully this recommendation helps someone in the same boat!

Masterpiece!

This 30 year old fragrance manages to smell more timeless than the Serge Lutens brand version from 2009. That fragrance feels like someone wanted to show how old the idea of Feminte Du Bois is, the Shiseido version however could be released today and no one would've said It's from the 90's.

The plum is dark and dense, the cedar pierces through every layer of the composition and cloves with cinnamon give it pizazz, that I am yet to smell in any other cedar based fragrance! It's fizzy and ethereal without a hint of greenness. And the honey - beeswax combo in here accompanied by benzoin gives this fragrance so much depth and elegance.

Not to say that the 2009 version is bad, it's also great, but if You still have a chance to get a bottle of this at a good price, then go for the Shiseido.

Superbly comfortable scent. The scent opens with cedar sweetened with innocuous florals like orange blossom, powdery sandalwood and prominent spiciness lent by clove and carnation. I was struck by how aptly named the scent was. FdB subverts the typically masculine roles played by cedar in scents, placing it in the midst of a sweet musky wood accord. There are no edges, the scent is rounded and warm, forming an intimate scent bubble.

Over time, the lush top layer of sweetness subsides to reveal darker, lower-frequency notes of plum. Together with the woods and bed of spices, the scent becomes drier, more subdued and takes on a darker tonality. Projection falls off quickly before the second hour, but the scent persists on skin for over six. Lovely scent that I'll reluctantly use, accounting for its scarcity, and reserve for more intimate encounters. The bottle is also the most beautiful one that I own.

The original Shiseido smells sweeter with more prominent fruity and floral notes than the current iteration, which lends itself a darker varnish-like sweetness. The dramatic metamorphosis from light to dark lends the original more personality, but both are super unique and beautiful perfumes.

Explorations in the attic of my past, I trace my fingers across the buckled, bowed surface of a wooden artifact, with afternoon sunlight shining through a jungle of spider plants in the windows that face that backyard. Cedar, along with pine, are my earliest scent memories. There is a sober sweetness to a red cedar, a small face spelunking through the deepest hope chest in the world, pretending to be a vampire returning to his coffin.

Feminite du Bois has a profound impact on my olfactory receptors. "Where have I smelled this before?" turns into a near dissertation each time I wear it. A transportive experience can only be applied with only a few dozen fragrances out of several that I've smelled, and this one is included. We know how highly regarded it is among perfumers and perfume critics for its innovation and avant-garde approach; it opened the world of woods to fragrance in an unprecedented manner, it was a benchmark for what would become niche perfumery (as we would see in further Serge Lutens releases throughout the 90s). It also blurred the lines between what constitutes gender in fragrance, particularly for the western world. "Femininity of the Wood," may scare some men, but this exploration has proven to be genderless, especially thirty years after its release, where perceptions of gender have been successfully challenged in modern, even mainstream fragrances. Those who love Hermes Bel Ami will find something kindred to it with Feminite du Bois as well.

This also features one of my favorite plush, velvety plum accords in a fragrance, as it balances the sweet with the spicier qualities, underlined with a dusky cumin which mellows after its opening. The dry down has a stage that brings to mind violet scented beeswax candles, burning leaves, and smoke from a distant fire. When I wear this, I want to relish autumn days minute by minute, and retreat from the noise and into the forest. End scene with a slow fade.

@Domenica23 they did make it in body lotion, and perfume stylus as well. I have them :)

Those drops this wonderful bottle contains, are fragments of memories.
I inherited the Eau Timide version, the invisible and fragrant bridge between what I am now and my memories, my story. Because we all know the evocative power of perfumes.
Finally thanks to Fragrantica I gave a connotation to granny's caresses, now I know they smelled of plum, cloves, carnation and sandalwood.
I'll go no further, I am not so sure, but these notes are certainly also common to this (probably lighter) version now in my hands. I haven't met yet EDP alas, and even my bottle no longer has the same intensity I knew, lost in the last 26 years.
Féminité du Bois Eau Timide represents the only thing I wanted for myself as souvenir talisman, the most precious object that belonged to an ancestor I could ever have.
The love we have and share for fragrances has enormous power, a scent reaches our soul, soothes us, heals us, amazes us.
That’s why for me it is one of the most beautiful things to own.
My next step is to look for the EDP (ie the perfume in which I am writing this review) to get to know it and to compare it also with the Serge Lutens version, to fill the gap and close the loop.

It is not sold anymore, just when I wanted to buy it finally. Oh well, this scent is unique, great, incredibly good and many years I waited to get it and now it`s not available anymore. It reminds me of a place where I was once long ago, a very special place far away. The scent lasts long, why didn`t they also make a body lotion? I mean, in this scent there is everything, because of the amber, sandalwood, plum and honey.

In the 90s Paris. I was wondering around the city then suddenly unfamiliar yet attractive smell came to my nose. It was Feminite du Bois. I didn’t planned but why yes I purchased a tiny perfume bottle. At that time, no any other perfume smelled like this. I was crazy about the perfect balance of soothing sharp cider and sweetness of ripen fruits with rich spices. But a friend told me that I smell like a fresh sharpen pencil with some holiday spices. He express it in his honest unique way and I still remember that whenever I wear it.

Some years ago I had the good fortune to acquire a boxed bottle of Shiseido « Fémininité du Bois » EDP and rediscovered it tonight.

The presentation is stylish and classy, with its distinctive flacon designed by Serge Lutens.
The sprayer is superb and responsive to even the slightest pressure, which is critically important with so potent an elixir as FdB.

« Fémininité du Bois » (Femininity of Wood) alludes to its eponymous femininity with its rose pink packaging and iconic, curvy, striated brown-pink-brown bottle whose unusual form captures the imagination and prompts curiosity about what such a bottle contains.

FdB creates an immediate impression of luxury - it smells like luxury - like a potion brewed from exotic and expensive flowers, spices and woods, which, as FdB evolves, present as dreamy idealised suggestions.

The plum is lush, velvet, purple and has remarkable tenacity.
With the spices and woods, on a resinous bed of styrax and vanilla, FdB is an ode to glamour, a sensory pleasure to wearer and entourage alike.

In my mind’s eye I can see how popular this would’ve been and I imagine glamorous Tokyo ladies wearing this in Ginza or Akasaka, although I’m not sure how it would’ve performed in the heat of Tokyo’s stifling Summer.

In any case FdB stands out as a rare and uncommon beauty.
Performance is quite amazing (can’t think of any men’s fragrances that come close), longevity is easily twelve hours plus in winter, during which time it projects remarkably well, enveloping its wearer in an aura scented with a dry down that only begins to sit close to the skin after about the ninth hour.

At one point I thought I detected an animalic note that reminded me of deer musk. A thought that just came to mind is that, given the date FdB was created, it might possibly contain some of the since-banned synthetic carcinogenic musks like musk xylene or nitro musk and that thought alarms me. Hopefully I’m wrong.

The name « Fémininité du Bois » has always fascinated me: the legend goes that it was a challenge to traditional notions of masculine and feminine where women’s fragrance are stereotypically floral and men’s are stereotypically woods, and the name itself is at once an assertion, a statement, and a response to a tacit, unasked question - a challenge to the “pink for girls and blue for boys” mentality by staking a claim on woody fragrances in the name of womanhood.

Elegant and enigmatic, sensual and luxurious, I can see why it’s a legend.

Fortunately, I can buy this expensive and rare perfume. Feminite du bois is very historically recommend by each famous Perfumer. Why? Because of its wooden proportion, it is unprecedented, raised to half of the whole. The other half, using traditional Oriental aroma combination, plum, cinnamon, beeswax, small cardamom ... Cedar (wow! So many cedar) lutens and sheldrake, Pierre Bourdon, three people bold ideas, promoting the birth of Feminite Du bois. In 2000, Lutens got the original formula of Feminite Du Bois and Modified and Re-Introducesd. Now, Shiseido No Longer Products Feminite Du Bois. What a pity! I Was Looking For An Autumn Perfume, Now I Found - like rose juice.Unique, Deep Purple, Cool, Sweet Feminite Du Bois.
I Must Say That this is the best gift for the shiseido to all mankind!

Churinl...the version that you bought and was not entirely happy with, the Eau Timide version, was brought out as a flanker and was meant to used as a sheer body spray. It’s much lighter in composition and not as warm, and complex as the beautiful original Feminité du Bois. The lovely, rich cedarwood note is a lot more pronounced in the original.
I used to work for Shiseido when Feminité du Bois was released in 1992.

Where do I start with this one? It's just plain amazing to my nose: super woody, but at the same time spicy and sweet, due to the cloves, cinnamon, and honey. The notes merge beautifully, exuding warmth and mystery. Even though it has different phases, it's so complex that I can't pick a single note in any of them, just the kaleidoscopic scent that they project.
Duration- and projection-wise, this is old school: it last forever and leaves a trail wherever you go, even if you just spray once.
Lovely scent. I'm happy I got the chance to buy a mini to experience it.

10/10

I just found and immediately grabbed a 3.4 oz vintage, unopened, still wrapped bottle for roughly the same price as the various SLs. I am not sure how much they go for, but considering these are being sold for upwards of $200 and I paid less than half of that from a reputable buyer, I am over the moon excited to receive it. I have lucked out on a few purchases lately, namely this and Theorema. Patience really can pay off!
Review to follow...
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So my bottle of the Eau Timide version arrived today. I am still waiting for my "pen" dispenser along with multiple refill packs to arrive. My initial impression is... confused. There is a light, cumin-type note present for the first 10-15 minutes. I can only assume it's from the honey combined with something making it slightly animalic. Soon enough though, the smell of rich plum and cedar makes it's way to the top, and it's as exotic and intriguing as others have said. The bottle is a splash on, and the box and bottle both refer to it as a "treatment fragrance". I don't know if this is somehow different than the regular version, but I like what I am smelling. It makes me feel womanly and sensuous even though a man could easily wear it. I will let it settle, and will write more when my original arrives.
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I remain confused - I love it sometimes and other times not. It reminds me of eating in an Indian restaurant with all the fragrant spices in the air, clinging to my clothing, which is yummy. But then it's like I worked up a sweat eating a very spicy curry, and I smell that touch of BO! In the right situation, I think it's intoxicating, but other times, it's just too funky! I am so happy to have it in my collection though, but may reserve it for intimate times only. It's odd because for a Bois, it has little to do with wood on my skin - it's 100% exotic spice!

I actually had to go out of my way to buy this for the sake of comparing it to the new Serge Lutens one which is slightly reformatted. The Shiseido version is of course discontinued but I wanted to see what the original intentions were with the SL one... Ultimately I think the biggest difference is in power -Shiseido is bigger and louder, the spices are more front and center elevating the cedar wood but without forfeiting their own stages. The plumb is deeper and more interesting... I do prefer it over the new SL, which is a real heartbreak for me. I think it's absolutely gorgeous and will treasure my small 5ml decant for as long as possible. 9/10

It doesn’t smell like its cohorts during the 90s. This one is exotic with a masterful restraint on execution.

The plums don’t smell like the one you find in Poison or say in the Fordian Plum Japonais. Like most of the Lutens, there’s a liquorish quality to the composition. I don’t know how Serge does this but I’m thinking of using a high quality rose accord with it’s main note to give it a sparkling and fermented feel. And then I smell carnation and beeswax but please do take note that even if these are usually heavy-leaning, the ginger and cinnamon notes just make everything feel the opposite.

The similarity to Dolce Vita only appears in its later developments but in its opening, it’s plummy, balmy, warm spicy and sweet.

The modern version has become a more reserved and fleeting fragrance.

I am not familiar with the reformulated version, but Sheldrakes FdB was a masterpiece. Not only for the composition itself, but for its sheer originality and audacity. Never before had a scent marketed towards women been so woody. I actually don’t know about any fragrance with such a modern, bold, woody signature before FdB came along, be it for men or women! And then to do it with such refinement....that ripe, fruity cedar wood, the still, meditative aura, the contrast of density and weightlesness, the dry, exotic sweetness.....

A true, true classic and game changer. I’ve enjoyed wearing it a lot...

OMG I used to love this scent, so different and unusual, warm sandal tree scent with some spicy touch. Very comfort and calm. Beautiful scent.

I just tried the EDP for the first time, and OMG this is ripe fruits and cedar at its perfection! This puts Serge Lutens current formulation to shame. There was something in the Serge Lutens didn’t quite agree with me. I couldn’t pull the trigger despite a strong like. Now I am sad - Why discontinue such a master piece and will there be a decent replacement when I finish my bottle?

Scored 2 bottles of this!
A completely gorgeous woodsy oriental scent commissioned by Serge Lutens for Shiseido created by Chris Sheldrake.
One of the all time greats of late 20th century perfumery, IMO.
Cedar, fruits and spices done to perfection.

Plum liquore and buns on a sun heated pine stump. The prune note is really intense, it's not sweet like a jam, but also not fresh like a fruit. The nearest thing would be a prune liquore, thick and fermented. The forest in the base is a warm summer pine forest, the raisin is getting out of the body.

The two are connected by the unobtrusive scent of baking, honey and cinnamon. A cozy comfort touch in a kind of a dramatic perfume.

I have both FnB Shiseido and Serge Lutens, so I'll compare:

Shiseido.
More woods > more drought > more (uni)sex > more more more —
From the bottle it has a vintage vibe, almost aldehydic. This is perfect for me as I love to smell aldehydes on a cap or paperstrip, but not on skin (For me aldedhydes could be even a room refreshener...). It's just a nice extra before applying.
The opening is righ away plum, cinnamon, a pleasant sourness underlined by woods. A faint musk appears at the very end.

This is a scent that I've been waiting for. Over are the times where I wanted to smell fresh out of the shower or creamed. I decided in my thirties that I smell clean enough. Sadly I have to deal with the new formula now, which, maybe is really 99% the same but now it's a fragrance for my younger self as it has that cleanness to it. I'll explain:

Serge Lutens.
More musk > more typical feminine department store appeal > more bore —
Also the opening changed: very harsh, like cleaning products. Normally I like the smell of something like turpentine or fresh paint, but this is soso. Then comes the lovely plum-cinnamon-cedar DNA but the mushy musky dry down comes way too early.

My general opinion on the topic musk in the fragrance industry:

A lot of times more musk is added to a fragrance with every reformulation. Why is that? A fragrance loses its edges, it tends to smell more perfume-y, therefor more commercial. Therefore more money (making).

Who did actually decide musk smells interesting, animalic, dirty? It is the complete opposite of that.
E.g. Muscs Koublai Khan does not smell dirty because of the musk, but because of the prominent civit and caraway.

Bubbles 1964, your story is so similar to my own in relation to loss and grief within the fragrance industry. I hear you, girl!

نكمل في هذه المجموعة البهارية الجميلة
بعد الحديث عن عطر ديور دولتشي فيتا
..
عطر شيسيدو فامنت دو بوا
الوحي الاول لهذه الرائحة
..
لن نطيل الوصف
عطر شرقي بهاري خشبي حليبي نوعاً ما
رائع للغاية .. العطر مقطوع و مرتفع الثمن
..
هل من بديل ؟! نعم لنتحث في العطر الآخر

This is the perfume that I wore as a young woman in my late 20s, and the one that I fell in love with, long before I heard of Serge Lutens or before I understood the term "niche perfume". I remember lots of compliments. And compared to typical department store perfumes that were marketed to women, it was unique on me: spicy woods, lush fruits and delicate florals.

More spicy than sweet, I wore this through three seasons - Fall, Winter and Spring. I had just come back from a trip to India and South East Asia when I found this exotic perfume, and it has always reminded me of those faraway places.

FdB had became my signature scent. Then sadly a few years later, when I went to buy my 5th or 12th bottle, I found out Shiseido discontinued it. I begged the sales person to search other stores for any stray bottles, but alas it had disappeared. I really felt a sense of loss and I shed a few tears. This was long before the world wide web and I knew my days with the most delicious smell in the world were numbered.

About 10 years ago, I found the original composition and bought it from an international retailer. My taste after the discovery of new perfumes has changed, so I only wear it when I want to go back to a specific time in my life. I still adore it though I rarely reach for it, but that doesn't mean I don't want it in my collection.

I think I paid around $60 for 50ml. I wish I had picked up a couple more at this price because I looked this week and was shocked at the prices being asked on eBay. When this bottle is gone, I will be getting the Lutens.

I had the good luck to interview Uncle Serge a few years ago and I asked him about the controversy about the Shiseido FdB versus the Serge Lutens FdeB. "It's exactly the bl--dy same!" he said, exasperated. "Well, you know, everything has to be reformulated from time to time, but basically, it's 99.99999 per cent the same..." Well, I think he's right. I've worn the 'new' FdeB for years but recently scored a mini of the Shiseido original on Ebay, and although the top notes on the original are much more interesting and heavy on the cedar, after half an hour I couldn't tell the difference. I wore one on each wrist and they matched right through to the drydown. As with most of the handful of the Bois fragrances, if you've got one, you don't need the other. Of the lot, I like Bois de Violette the best - I gave the FdeB to my husband.

I received my vintage splash bean bottle today. Take heart, the Serge Lutens version is really almost as good as this. I actually think the vintage original is closer to SL Bois et Fruit. Don't break the bank for a vintage bottle when either SL version will do. Unless you can find the vintage for the same as the SL rectangle bottle, then go for it. I love them all!

I love this version. So soft - gentle - mysterius. I tried the new formation. More dry and not so sweet. Then I tried Christian Dior Dolce Vita. It is so near the original version .Try it if you miss this.

I don't have α good nose. I love, like or dislike fragrances as an amateur, so my reviews are simple and uncomplicated, although perfumes are complex creations.Feminite is quite masculin but sweet and worm at the same time.

This is so beautiful. It is fruity, deep, woody, floral and spicy and I love it so much. It has a wonderful radiance and it is perfect all year. I enjoyed a bottle of this Shiseido version recently. It is rich, shadowy and radiant but it smells like those scents in the 1990s, that is to say, not like the ones we have these days. Until recently, the Lutens was a good substitute - not any more, sadly.

Féminité du Bois means "Femininity of wood" and its fragrance was conceived by Serge Lutens having the Cedar as a central theme, in which the ingredient was responsible for about 60% of the composition, according to the official website of the brand. In his words: "expresses the masculine side of femininity and vice-versa".

This review is for the current version, released in 2009. However, this perfume was launched in 1992, for women, when Serge still was the Creative Director of Shiseido. Some say that, at the time, Serge dragged the team involved to Marrakech, in order to show its real intent, which was to convey the essence of Atlas Cedar (the city of Marrakech is situated near the mountains of the High Atlas).

Who had access to the vintage version, states that was much stronger in the woody nuance, besides the fact that the fragrance grew in projection as evolved, while the current stays close to the skin and doesn't scare anymore when applied.
The company has also admitted that the composition has undergone changes to adapt to standards set by the industry. The original version featured notes of cedarwood, orange blossom, plum, rose, violet, honey, beeswax, clove, cardamom, vanilla, and cinnamon. In the current version, the composition brings Moroccan Orange, Turkish rose, Atlas cedar, violets, beeswax, honey, peach, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, and musk.

Still, even with the changes, Féminité du Bois is a beautiful perfume. However, it's not feminine, if it ever really was. When it reaches the skin is woody and dense. Its first evolutionary stage is male and intense. Carries the style of good niche perfumes created with high-quality raw materials. After about 30 minutes, approximately, begins to evolve into a more floral body, in which the strong scent of wood and spices gives way to a fragrance of wood and violets. Breathing on the spot applied, you can feel a touch of orange, a soft presence of the rose and a subtle sweetness. At this stage, the fragrance turns into a more unisex scent and stop exhaling. After about 2 hours, arises a spicy and almost salty nuance, which I believe came from the cinnamon.

In my opinion, it is not a feminine scent that can be shared. It is a unisex scent, which has excellent fragrance, but a bad projection with a moderate duration. For men, perhaps can disappoint. For women who like strong and masculine fragrances, but do not give up the tenderness, it is a great option.

LeslieKatherine you can try Jungle Kenzo, it has cinnamon, cloves and vanilla!

I SOO WANT AN awersome fragrance that has CLOVES in it, very similar to this. When ever I see one on here and it looks good or "Amazing" have you, Of course, it's been discontinued, it so agravating? Please if anyone has knowledge of a sweet and spicy clove scented fragrance, please let me know? I love the smell of cloves, To me it would give of a sweet, mysterious, unique yet comforting smell, which basically sums up my personality. ;)

It opens with Cedar. There is a hint of spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger) behind it, but cedar dominates fully. It's a fresh, dry cedar. After it warms up a bit a sweet musk with some added sweetness of plum and honey peek out. This is really a lovely transformation. The plum and cedar pair so nicely. It's an interesting pairing, preventing the scent from getting boring. There is also that spice mix peeking out, but it's very understated.

After a couple of hours I mostly get benzoin, plum and honey in front of the cedar with a hint of spices.

The dry down is all sandalwood, benzoin and a nice ginger zing. There is also a nice clean musk in there and a faint memory of the cedar, spices, and honey.

Overall a lovely scent with a nice progression. The sillage is personal, but more than a skin scent and the longevity was about 8 hours or so.

I never owned it but I KNOW I LOVE IT. They told me its not produced anymore, = it doesnt exist anymore?!?!?! As I can see it is very appreciated so why not produce and sell anymore?? I cant wait to have it, the biggest bottle possible, for day and night use!!! BIG LOVE.

I bought a sample of Shiseido FdB out of curiosity, not expecting to love it based on the notes listed here. However I was shocked by the fresh cedar when I put it on, and even more in awe as the fragrance developed into a fruity and warm spicy/woody plum/cinnamon/cumin cloud. How does it work?? The cumin is almost wrong or indecent, and so sexy it is manipulative. The cedar keeps it fresh, and the plum and several other notes I cannot identify somehow manages to keep it teetering on the edge of more conventional femininity, while some darker element with a similar effect to pheremone creeps in. Amazing fragrance, one of my favourites.

However, take care when buying a vintage bottle. While I have had much success with vintage frags before, the top and middle notes of this one went overwhelmingly powdery, though the sexy base was intact.

Feminite du bois anf eau timide.is there a difference between the two ,is thr timide a different fragrance.i am interested to know as there is no explanation and is the lutens really that uncomparable.many thanks

You know what I mean.I love dolce vita so I'l double love F.D.B

A friend of mine gifted me this last night, saying that it smelled like walking into an ancient library (in a good way). I mostly smell cedar and cinnamon. It smells delightful, but in Florida in September it doesn't feel suited to the temperature. I think this will be a lovely cool weather scent.

Fortunately I own full bottles of this and the SL version. The original wears like a beautiful negligé. It's refined, and accentuates a woman's beauty by delicately draping itself over her own special essence. It becomes part of you. The SL version has a sharp edge to it that is better suited for a man. The cedar almost stings and curdles the fruit and ginger notes. Not once have I ever received a compliment or comment when wearing it. The original always brings attention from a close proximity. It causes the person to be drawn in, not inundated by a overly familiar scenario of a fragrance wearing a woman, but of a woman's allure being sought out. If you plan to make the investment don't waste it on the SL version as you will be doing yourself a great injustice.

i wonder how nobody notice that its very similiar with Omania the brown bottle

its sweet spicy cool comfort relaxing with a hint of cola

"Feminite du Bois" as a fairy tale is all about whispers of tender creatures live in a little dark gothic forest.

What is to me Feminite du Bois The queen of an enchanted forest .Season Autumn - Winter
Location A State unknown somewhere in the center of Asia
Cinnamon , Cedar , Plum , Honey , Sandalwood Carnation Oil e few drops Rose Oil , Vanilla
And for the end Rainwater The Queen is ready to take a bath
Maybe the best bottle he designed of Serge Lutens Simple Valuable Different Rare

An absolutely gorgeous, restrained oriental. This oriental says class like no other I have experienced. On my skin it opens with a gorgeous cedar note, plum, honey, just a hint of spice. The middle notes are unfolding with violet and a bit of peach. I get the tiniest hint of incense too, but I don't it listed in the notes. I can't imagine why this was ever discontinued, this is so stunningly beautiful! This is one I MUST have a full bottle of!

Many, many thanks to the lovely akats for the generous sample!

Deep and mysterious and very oriental. I'm a sucker for fragrances like this one and it's such a crying shame that it's no longer available. It reminds me of a cedar chest with sweet spice and violets. I was lucky enough to acquire it through a great swap with Angelica 000 and it sure is a wrist sniffer. I'll be keeping this discontinued masterpiece for very special occasions. Mm mmmm!!

Feminite du Bois is a very nice, malicious fragrance.

Feminite really, smells like Poison to me. It has that plummy incense, with sharp, sticky woods and a drop of honey. Feminite also has its original cedar-creamy quality, which gives it more depth and originality.

The middle is very sweet, with the plum mixing with flowers, and also has a very niche aphrodisiac amber quality. The incense develops a cumin-like quality, and gives a body and character to the fragrance.

The base is the remnants of a pile of incense-burnt ashes, plum, roses and a creamy, powdery vanilla-cedar accord. A very sensual fragrance that lasts an incredibly long time.

Thank you very much to Shiseido for making this beautiful fragrance.

P.S. - The Serge Lutens version of this fragrance is really not the same. To me, it lacks longevity along with sillage and intensity.

Aaahhhhh....its all been said before, and more eloquently than I could, Paolalou said it...masterpiece, my love since '92 etc.. Heartbroken since discontinued


All I know regarding this is... If Catherine Earnshaw had a scent for her rendezvous with Heathcliffe...this was it!!! Dark, earthy, seductive, unlimited and unrestrained...that was her and that is this magical scent Maybe that's why he didn't open the window....he knew if he caught that scent he was lost forever (and he was!)

Highly recommended for hilltop walks through moors and intimate (even clandestine...) occasions

I now HAVE to try SL FdB to see if I can recapture the magic

Finally got a hold of some of this! And I'm relieved that it does smell very similar to my lovely Dolce Vita! I'm relieved because I was afraid I would fall in love with this and start selling off the furniture & the dogs to acquire bottles of it! I did spring for a big bottle of the Eau Timide, and I hope that it will suffice, scent wise.

But yes, the reviews that compare this to Dolce Vita are spot on to my nose. D.V. being a bit more ginger (spicier/pepperier) up top, and yes, "sunnier"... brighter... (though the dry down of D.V., while not as richly prominent as FdB in the opening & heart, does result in a skin scented balmy/sweet/powder that, actually, has greater longevity than FdB. So, I'm happy to stay w/ D.V. just on sheer cost comparison & longevity of wear). These are not identical twins, but boy they sure seem like they came from the same womb.

FdB has the feminine sensual sexual smell to it as well which I thought would be off putting, but I think if I was trying to ensnare a man, he'd be helpless around this stuff! VERY sexy! rarrr... Can't believe they'd stop making something this wonderful... this is a beautiful elixir. The cedar makes it magical, to me. I love a good woodsy cedar and plum and this is just divine love in a bottle.

Sultry, balmy, plummy, mentholated at times, ginger as well (and reminds me of S.L. 5 O'Clock Ginger in surprising wafty moments)... shape-shifting, yet not, and I am now curious about the S.L. brand version of this.

All in all, I'm glad I was able to experience this. I have two .25ml tiny little adorable bottles that I will keep for a long time I think and just use the Eau Timide. Those tiny miniatures will put my grand-kids through college at this rate!

Even with my D.V. comparisons, I think I'll jump on the bandwagon here: >>>Feminite du Bois Shiseido perfume is liquid vintage gold!<<<

(but thank GOD for Dior Dolce Vita... and yes, the NEW stuff!!!)

Feminité du Bois by Shiseido has been my love from the first sniff in 1992 and it was my signature until it was discontinued.
I was impressed by his description, which revealed the revolution in the world of fragrance, being the first to have the same note in the head, in the heart and in the base: a fantastic, fascinating and intoxicating absolute of Atlas cedar... Absolutely a masterpiece!!!

It 's a pitty that they don't sell it anymore, this charming sweet warm sent

Deep and truly oriental fragrance of dried fruits with spices!

Most of all I feel the plum, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, honey, beeswax and cedar notes in this fragrance. The plum note smells like a dried plum more. I would say that I feel much more the clove note and the cardamom note than the cinnamon note in this fragrance. The cedar woody note is also very noticeable. And also I feel the honey and beeswax notes warmth and sweetness.

It really has similarities with Dolce Vita by Dior. As I see, one of the noses behind these two fragrances is Pierre Bourdon. But as I see, Dolce Vita was created lately. As for me I feel the main difference in fruity and floral notes in these fragrances. Most of all the plum note in Feminite du Bois and the magnolia and apricot notes in Dolce Vita make these fragrances different enough. While the spicy (except the clove note) and woody notes are very similar, except also similarity in the peach fruity note. I would say that Feminite du Bois is more dark, deep and less sweet, while Dolce Vita is more sweet and radiant.

But actually I feel more similarities with some of the fragrances by Serge Lutens, created by Christopher Sheldrake, who is the nose behind this fragrance, too, as I see. For example, I feel some similarities with the honey and the beeswax notes in Chypre Rouge, with the spiciness in Five O`Clock Au Gingembre and the smoke-dry nuances in Fumerie Turque.

This fragrance smells dark and mysterious enough.
Gourmand oriental fairy-tale!

I really like it:)

I want this perfume - anyone for a swap?

Plum and cedar happiness. Love it!

Не раз слышала, что Феминита- аромат, навевающий грусть,либо депрессивный...Я же воспринимаю ее глубокой , темной, но весьма позитивной, и чувствую себя в капельке Феминиты уютно, как ведьма в ступе.
Не представляю, что же грустного может быть во вкуснейшем сливовом варенье, сваренном с пряностями, которые не дают ему скатиться в банальный джем к завтраку, а превращают в настоящее лакомство для гурманов. Обожаю!!!

И ооочень довольна, что успела запастись парой-тройкой флаконов!

First prickly, almost masculine cedar softly transforms into something that - to my humble nose - smells like a love child of a passionate Rochas Femme and an unconventional McQueen Kingdom; a magic, quiet forest of pale, dry cedar trees bearing most sensual fruits ever - plums. Sounds weird, but smells divine, alluring and utterly feminine.

After an eternity of waiting to get my hands on this beauty, today I finally realized I have smelled it someplace, sometimes, in the past...

A timeless classic and perfect signature (skin) scent.

Wow..I had read so much about this one..and just wanted to have it. Today was my first sniff and hallelujah!! It was worth every euro :) It's sweet, dark, spicy..everything I love in a fragrance. The crazy thing is that it reminds me of Aroma Exalting by Guerlain, which is now also one hard to find. I am lucky enough to own both. I'm curious to know if anyone has compared these two. Anyway..this was a blind buy and I will never regret it! Why are all the beautiful things discontinued or very hard to find? Well, it gives us something to crave for right?

I adore this perfume, used to have it as a teenager. Quite expensive but worth every penny. The cedar wood makes is sexy yet comforting. Buying it again for sure.

I bought this scent this year. I've been purchasing purfume for years and have heard so much about it and for some reason I never sniffed it.
I bought it unsniffed!! I was terrified that I wouldn't like it. Some people weren't wild about it! I CANNOT imagine!!
I ADORE it. I mean it!!
It is one of my TOP 3!!! I was soooooo thrilled when I got it!!

One of my favourite perfumes ever. Great on Feminine and masculine skin. It is a beautiful symphony of Cedar wood, Chinese Cinnamon and musk. All the rest fills in as a perfect master peace al a Sheldrake.

I've kept a bottle in my china cabinet because the the bottle is just so unusual. I remember a perfume lady once told me that the bottles were hand blown and therefore, were all unique in their own way. Then again, she could have conned me! Anyway, I remember it being spicy, peppery, slightly sweet and quite mature at the time (mid 90's). I went through a few bottles of it too, quite hastily I might add!! I don't think you can buy it anymore, which is a damn shame!!

Anniebanannie - What a beautiful, thoughtful review! So full of emotion and vivid imagery. As a lover of Greek & Roman mythology, I really enjoyed reading it - thank you! I love FdB as well and your review has given me a whole new mystical appreciation for it.

“I may be numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes
Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief

I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid
'Til you love me”

A Thousand Years by Sting

One of the saddest and most poignant tales in Greek mythology, in my opinion, is that of Orion and Artemis. Artemis was proud goddess, a fierce huntress, and known to be cold...but she had feminine wiles that were just as memorable. She was beautiful, elegant, nurturing, and mysterious. Who wouldn’t want to touch her glowing face, embraced by that lovely head of shining, dark brown hair? This was a notion she perhaps never understood, and maybe the reason she may have killed the one man who loved her for all idiosyncrasies...her soulmate, Orion. Handsome, strong, tall and beastly Orion. Who wanted to hunt every animal on the Earth to satisfy his wild spirit, or perhaps to impress a certain wild woman. The lovable giant who had so much love to give and needed much in return, and never got. Through perseverance, he finally got his wish, and became Artemis’ favorite...

So close they became that one day, Artemis’ brother Apollo (who was also unlucky in love) decided to give his sister a challenge. He knew very well of his sister’s prideful will, how she never backs down from a fight. He told her to shoot a black figure that stood in the ocean. Artemis did not know her beloved Orion could walk on water (a gift given by his father Poseidon), thus did not think twice to shoot her fatal arrows. That night, powerful waves rolled Orion’s lifeless body onto shore, and Artemis, realizing the error of her ways, placed his body among the heavens. For all the universe to see. He appears as a shining giant, with a Lion’s hide, his bow and arrows, and his faithful dog Sirius by his side. Chasing the Pleiades right above him, to keep him entertained. The moon that became his religion, lighting his way....is so far away, yet so close. A moon and a star never touch.

This story has always inspired a pang in my heart, and unbelievably, so has this perfume. A beautiful masterpiece. The lady of the woods...mysterious, romantic, smoky. Who could resist her? Perhaps the most shallow of men...and even they fall for this. This makes me dream of what it would be like if Artemis and Orion ever made love. Strange but...wonderful. Violent, warm, and after, soothing, peaceful. They would spend their passion on grass kissed by violets, underneath a sapping plum tree. A campfire brings warmth. At the end, an air of recognition passing between them, as if they are wondering, how could so much love pass between two people, in such a fleeting amount of time. Something only they would know, hidden in that forest. Like the song (A Thousand Years) and the tale, not everything is supposed to be cheerful and light. Life would be too boring if it were. It's about love lost, the unanswered questions, the denial, still wanting and the uncertainty of life. It is the story of both genders, as I think this would fit both. The most beautiful love song I know, for one of the most beautiful fragrances ever made.

I feel confused. I didn't like Feminitè de Bois because it didn't agree with my chemistry.
Now I read that many compare FdB to Dolce Vita...
Uhm, yes, very similar, but wait a moment! Which Dolce Vita are we talking about? The old gorgeous luminous airy woody spicy cinnamon that warmed one of my winters 10 years (sic!) ago or the bland, flat, faint imitation they sell now? Is it the death of real sandalwood?
Well, at the moment FdB is waaaay better than new Dolce Vita!

yum peache jasmine Cardamom and apricot cant go wrong luv it in evrey meaning serge lutens should be proud about this master piece the spices and woods blended very well with soft and sweet aprict then honey wich gives it a real warmth and the cedar wood gives it the eartnes complicatd but good one of kind

This smells exactly like wooden color crayons while sharpened. And than changes into Dolce Vita by Dior.

This is the one that got away...
I tried this when I was 19 or 20 and liked it, but being on a very tight budget, never purchased it. I would "visit" the tester at Marshall Fields and there was just something about this evocative scent that is like no other. By the time I went to purchase it, it was gone. Imagine my excitement when I found out that I could purchase the Serge Lutens version, even if I did have to call Canada to get it shipped. I like it, but it definitely didn't make me feel like the Shiseido version did. I thought that I didn't remember it correctly, so I bought a decant from The Perfumed Court. Yes, yes, yes!!! This is what I remember! The SL version is spicier, more cinnamon, less plum and cedar. The dry down is pleasant, but not haunting like the Shiseido version. I know it probably has a lot to do with new regulations concerning ingredients, so I need to buy the vintage. I am leery of purchasing something off eBay, has anyone had any luck with any online sellers?
I could kick myself for not buying it when I could.

Feminite du Bois is a gorgeously sweet spicy and uttly stunning and dark perfume to me. Thanks to a lovely member here for the sample :)
It starts with a burst of deep, dark, spicy cinnamon and soon the sweetness in the background catches up and dances well with the cinnamon. It feels dry and silk smooth at the same time.

Later on, it turns quite woody with a slight woody creamy touch (it’s not like gardenia creaminess or vanilla creaminess, the creamy smell here is more like a sweet creamy feel amplified from the wood). Somehow it makes me think about those plum jerky you can easily get from an Asian grocery shop, and the sweet-creamy smell reminiscent the pit of the plum jerky a lot. Somehow I can see why I love Bond No.9 Chinatown quite a lot, both Chinatown and Feminite du Bois have this intriguing and somehow addictive sweet creamy lovely woody scent there with a faint hint of cinnamon spicy in the background at this stage.

The final dry down is quite gorgeous in a dark, smoky slightly leather-y hinted sense, along with the well-blended creamy woody and sweet cinnamon-y spicy smell; it makes me think about a female fatal.

Well done Shiseido! Worth trying and if you were tossing in-between this one and Dolce Vita by Dior, I would highly recommend Feminite du Bois because it’s much well balanced and well made with a deep and more fascinating personality despite the superficial similarity.

A rare case where the vintage (Shiseido) and the reformulation (Lutens) are different but both great. I've got the Shiseido on one wrist and the Lutens on the other and have been comparing and contrasting for quite some time. I prefer the Shiseido but the Lutens is so good that I'm not going to scour eBay paying increasingly extortionate prices. With that being said:
the Shiseido is more subtle, with woods predominating and the fruit, especially the plum, is less sweet than liquer-ish: dry, cool with some bite. As much as I love the opening it's the cinnamon-sandalwood-cedar drydown that makes this marvelous. I had dinner last night with a group from the UAE and the gentleman sitting next to me initially insisted that my perfume was a particularly fine Middle Eastern oud and incense perfume and didn't believe me until he smelled the bottle. Like it or love it, this is definitely a treasure.

A different and interesting take on the same set of notes is Ineke's Evenings Edged in Gold. If you love Femininite you should check it out.

Sillage: 2-3 ft
Persistence: 4-5 hours
Fabulosity: the pearl without price
Price to value ratio: very good
10/10

A fantastic scent of a great harmony exactly as the name of it "Feminite du bois". Woody with a good lasting. I tried this and instantly felt inside a "bois"! Very well balanced. I think that the philosophy of Shiseido is accurate to what this represents. Balance and smells that bring your sentiments into that.

this fantastic scent of dried plum tones, sandalwood and cedar makes this spicy concoction someting very recognizable and special. a fun story is that my perfumista friand once made a dessert based on dried prunes, spices and cedar wood oil. in essence making EDIBLE FEMINITE DU BOIS. it was AMAZING.

Even if you hate this fragrance is impossible to say this doesn't smell unique.

It has taken some time for me to appreciate this evolving powerful fragrance.

When I think of Feminite Du Bois, the things that come to my mind are: Deepest emotions, a wet cedar forest, hints of dark cinnamon, a poison violet.

Unbeatable sillage and lasting power, so this one is best dabbed, not sprayed.

This scent is like Angel you love it or hate it. Just don't take the risk of buying this one unsniffed.

This amazing fragrance has been discontinued! It is a real tragedy! I know there is still a Serge Lutens version but i have heard from many FdB lovers (and this is also my opinion) this new version is not that concentrated and lacks of richness of an old one. Also it doesn´t stays on for long and has lost it´s variety, not everchanging anymore.
First when i read reviews that it is similar to Dolce Vita i was surprised and even angry! It is not! I am a huge fan of dolce vita and wearing this one today and i can say that in some way they have something in common the warm pine (?) note. But DV is frizzy sweet, like a soda pop and FdB is more mature and classy chypre!
And it reminds me of the thing they use in churches called olibanum. This thing gets people in trance and the same this perfume does to me!!! If you´re ever been to orthodox church then you will understand what i am talking about.


If anyone has a bottle of pure perfume or EDP of Shiseido´s FdB and willing to sell it for the reasonable price, please contact me!

omg this is gorgeous. got a sample today and it's just awesome ! balmy beeswax, very alluring woods and spicy cinnamon with juicy plum in a bottle. a very prominent sandalwood beautyful layered on the slightly vanilic base. a gem! unfortunately too hard get a full sz bottle of this. :(

great sillage, staying power very good on me.

SHISEIDO FEMINITE DU BOIS EAU DE PARFUM 100ML=249,95€

0.0

The eau parfum is a more intense version of the fragrance, whereas the eau timide is lighter, pared down a little. I have tried both and suggest you try the parfum first, it does have better sillage, I find the eau timide doesn't last quite as long on me. The parfum is more expensive and harder to find but well worth it. Otherwise get a small sample first. I buy whatever i can get my paws on! Good luck!

I love this perfume, I would like to be my signature scent, but unfortunately I have only a small amount and keep it for special moments.
Can anybody tell me is there any difference in flavor and durability of EAU TIMIDE and EAU de Parfum?

Bought myself the Serge Lutens version for Xmas and love it - very similar to the old Shishedo version. But very pricey at aus$175 for a small bottle!

I first tried Feminite Du Bois back when it was first released by Shiseido in 1992. I was only 16, but I immmediately fell in love with the heady, exotic warmth of this fragrance, and have worn it ever since! ( apart from when I have run out) It is my absolute favourite. I reaally do love to try and wear other fragrances, but this is truly my one and only first "love" :)
It is warm, heady and somewhat sweet, the top notes are quite overwhelming but it dries down to such a rich and sexy scent, I always feel beautiful wearing it.
To me is a warm night walking through an enchanted forest, the smell of damp wood and over-ripe fruit...a hint of fragrant incense in the air. It is very complex, after so many hours it softens down but there's always a shimmer of something warm and animalic there.
I was just so horrified when I heard it was discontinued, and from then on I try to buy bottles when I can. I have yet to try Serge Lutens' newer, more 'revealed' version, but I must say if it close enough to this I am sure i'll love it.

I tried it today, with high expectations and I'm disappointed!

As I grow up I tend to like more and more woody and spicy fragrances instead of light florals and floral fruity fragrances. A note that I really love in fragrances (specially male fragrances) is cinnamon, so I thought that I would love Feminite du Bois! Wrong!

Feminite du Bois opens cinnamon-y and deep and marvellous but five minutes later all I can smell in my skin is pot pourri! Only pot pourri! Floral woody pot pourri... maybe I'm not mature enough to appreciate it or not sophisticated or knowledgeable enough, in this world of pefumes, to view the perfection and the masterpiece that other reviewers do, but one thing I know for sure: right now, I don't want to smell like pot pourri!

This is my all time favorite. I now use it miserly as it is no longer available in Australia.

Would love to hear from anyone who has been able to source Shisiedo FdB recently.

sadly,i have been unable to get this perfume for ages here in aussieland.
having said that,what i remember is the sexy purple bottle,and the very complex juice it contained.
sweet ,intoxicating,mysterious and...on a dark cold grey rainy winter's day...it comforts and brightens my day.
as many have commented here,a ragrance you fall in love with............or hate

It smells like a dark, viscous plum liqueur infused with cinnamon, cardamom, woods and honey. Oriental, mellow, wild cat. It develops into a firework of flowers, spices, warmth and sharpness. It's very passionate at that stage with a hidden, underlying smell of having sex. You feel very naughty soon when it calms down as an innocent religious insence with a hint of plum. A confusing fragrance, not for every woman, not for every night.

I wanted to like it.. but i just don't!! it smells like a sharp scent of cola, it's not soft and not feminin at all. my boyfriend hates it even more than me, he just can't stand it!!

I was very intrigued to test this perfume, most of the notes listed are things i love to smell. at first when i wore it, it gave me a spicy and yet dry feeling, even kind of soapy i must admit, i felt the ginger the honey the plum the cardamom but there was a very familiar feeling, t reminded me strongly of something and after squeezing my head i found it! It is like Dior Poison (on me) but in a smoother way and it is more chic than the loud and intoxicating Poison which I happen to love. and i'm loving this too so far, on me is like something i can describe as "clean spicy" lasting power so and so though.

I have a love/hate thing going on with Feminite du Bois. On me, it is a shapeshifter fragrance. At times, the woody plum comes forward in a soft and sweet way. It is this facet of FdB that I so love. I could immerse myself in that gorgeous luscious scent. But, underneath, there lurks a cumin scent which at times recedes far into the background and at other times becomes more prominent. This cumin scent, to my nose, is rather - how shall I say this discreetly - sometimes somewhat crotch-like and sometimes somewhat armpit-like. There, I said it. I've read elsewhere that FdB smells like an artistic perfume interpretation of a woman's nether region and it does. I'm not comfortable with that aspect at all and I wish it were absent in the fragrance. I may have to sit with this one awhile and see if it evolves further. I have a sample of the SL version of FdB and it has much less "skank" for want of a better word.

Edit: After 3 hours I reapplied. Amazingly enough, no cumin odor. Instead, I am getting all of the gorgeousness of this fragrance: the clean woody plum with the hint of clove and cinnamon. Simply breathtaking. I think my initial problem with the fragrance stemmed from having applied it to freshly showered skin. I have noted in the past that with certain fragrances, applying it right after showering somehow changed the fragrance for the worse. Perhaps it is because my skin pH is altered from bathing. Anyway, it appears in my case, waiting a few hours will reward me with a cumin-free luscious scent.

2nd Edit after a few days of wear: Although waiting a long time after bathing to apply in order to minimize the skank factor, I must say at times it is still subtly present. It comes and goes, receding and coming forward. Over it, however, is the most beautiful clean scent that I can't get enough of. Since I very rarely see FdB described as a fragrance with a skank factor, perhaps it is just me. But, be advised, there is a skank (b.o.) thing going on with FdB that may be offputting to some. There is a "clean" and "dirty" juxtaposition here that is so odd to me. I know this is a masterpiece and perhaps that's what makes it so. I clearly admit it could be that I'm unsophisticated with regard to perfumes, but it's just weird to me to have a B.O. scent in fragrance. I mean, I bathe to get rid of that smell, I'm not sure I see the point of spending money to apply that smell.

The first time I tested this scent, I wasn't impressed-I thought "sour and spicy wood, kind of light, kind of dark, but where's the strength, the dryness, the sweetness, the mystique?"

Ah, the mystique...
I tried again today, and I think I could easily use up more than one bottle of this fascinating composition.
The cedar in Femininite du Bois is quite strong, and blends well with the plum, keeping the plum note from being prune-sweet. I can smell the orange blossom, the cinnamon and the honey, but thankfully this is not really such a sweet scent! This is far more subtle than Dolce Vita, and I don't mean "lighter". Feminite du Bois is truly woody, with the warmth of sandalwood to balance the sharpness of cedar-and the incense element thanks to benzoin makes this lively. The femininity of wood is a shape-shifting femininity-One moment dry, and then sweet...one moment not there, and then intensely present....If you like this, it will like you. Don't buy Dolce Vita just because this is discontinued, if you love the complexity here.

Glorious and understated, Feminite du Bois is very Japanese without staying within an "Oriental Woody" box.

I received a generous sample from a wonderful Fragrantica member and it was like a miracle. I wanted to try this mysterious scent for ages!
I saw many reviews on it and I knew it must be something I may really like. Well, it is. For me it is a "Dolce Vita meets Kenzo Jungle L`Elephant" fragrance, and it has the best of each.I`d say that everything in Feminite du Bois is about plum, clove and cinnamon, everything else is just a frame to show off the best of three notes.
It starts as a gentle honey plum, almost tame...until it quickly turns spicy and sharp thanks to a massive amount of cloves and cinnamon.Just as I was afraid that I can`t take this spice attack anymore, it became mild and tame again, rich with sandalwood. The playfulness of this scent is admirable, I can`t imagine that it would sound "flat" on anyone.
One of the greatest, for sure.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I tried this, and I'm still trying to figure out whether I was pleasantly surprised or disappointed by my sample of what I assume is the original Shiseido formula. It starts out badly with a blast of something like super synthetic sandalwood, but fairly quickly changes to a dry, dusty cedar-sandalwood scent that lasts for a few hours. That's the bois. OK - is that all there is? Eventually a subtle blend of something else comes through, sort of a fruity, cinnamon, benzoin scent, pleasant, but not something that would make me go out and buy a larger quantity than the 1 ml sample that I have. I don't usually read other reviews before posting mine, but a couple of them are visible as I write and I see that one mentions Murasaki, one of my all-time favorites. Feminite du Bois just can't compare. The one thing that Feminite does have going for it is that it lasts and lasts. I put it on this morning and am still smelling the nice tail end of it it tonight.

I received this wonderful scent for Christmas. I recall when Feminite de Bois was first released back in 1992. An intruiging fruity oriental which, to me has a strong plum,honeyed apricot scent mixed with a hint of zest and a teaspoon of spices, all warmed exotically by the cedar, vanilla and musk. Unique and sensual. A true masterpiece to be added to the hall of legendary perfumes.

I really really like this fragrance. The cedar and cinnamon opening was appealing and it settled down to fruit. I will need to give it a while to see how it plays out but it seems to be a perfect scent for this time of year and it makes me feel warm.

Serge Lutens is crafting some great stuff!
This one is one of them... Well I'll buy this for my woman for sure in 2010!
Sexy, sensual for romantic use wow!
Only minus like most of fragrance; its longevity-sillage is average.

10/10

This is perfection in a bottle. Ideal for fall and winter, a true classic. Warm with the plum, honey and cinnamon but not overly sweet thanks to cedar. some complain about longevity, but on me, as somebody wrote, the scent plays a bit hide-and-seek, disappears and then reappears. stays rather close to skin.

My first encounter with this unique perfume was back in 1994.As a 18 years old college student in Sydney, my friends were so surprised I loved this strong woody notes fragrances.None of them like it, but I keep liking this perfume until now. It smells, spicy, woody and quite strong but surprisingly, it still gives you the sense of femininity.The unique bottle also worth to be a collectible item. Surge Lutens surely is a great creator behing it.

My impressions of this perfume are proba that I had enough to find his great resemblance to the Dolce Vita by Dior.Tvarde similar to me, based solely Femminite du Bois becomes sweet without feeling cinnamon Dolce Vita.

Very lovely stuff - rich, warm, woody-fruity-spicy. However, each time I test it, I find that it disappears from my skin within about three hours, which is not the usual experience.

And then, too, I prefer the similar Dolce Vita for its sunniness.

Edit: I do find that FdB does the disappear-reappear later trick on me. It vanishes three hours after application, is undetectable for a few hours, and then the wonderfully deep, rich base reappears much later, lingering very close to the skin.

This is a dark, sultry beauty. I would compare it to deep purple silk - plummy, sensuous and smooth.The woody/plummy notes are to die for. This is a really "womanly" scent that makes the wearer feel cosseted and special.

Allexa,you are totally right!I tried this today,it was soo good..i am smelling it now on me hand,just like dolce vita,almost better..I so want it!

Believe me or not this is a DOlce Vita`s twin.They smell exactly the same.I really can belive it!!!I love them both:)

Such a shame! I tested this scent lately and got disappointed. It's not new, I think I've tried many years ago and disliked it. Unfortunately Feminitè de Bois didn't agree with my chemistry or even my nose. On me it smells like hard dry old furniture with nauseous beewax for polishing. So bad. I wanted to like it. I'm sure it's very original and unsual and well-made but my skin says No or FdB says, I don't know...
It would be fantastic if it smelled like the listed notes, but it doesn't on me. Only furniture and beewax.
The bottle is so beautiful!

When I sprayed it it opened up very balmy, resinious- I was like ..Balm? Balm!
It was like herbal balm with minty or eucalipt flavour and also honey. Luckily it dried fast.
I wasn't sure if I like this one, but when I walked out of the store I discovered carnation with honey (honey disappears quite fast). Carnation was the one of leading roles on my wrist. But it doesn't just smell of carnation + it's friend notes. After 20 or so minutes it's like church incense with carnations and flowers floating gently around- it reminds me of church, some time of funeral, but I love it- it's warming and truly feminine. If you sniff it from far you get inviting feminine carnations, walk closer and burn your nose with incense.
Dry down is very dirty and sexy with cinnamon.
Now I know what can I expect of Serge Lutens perfumes. It's definitely my next catch- I see that it's almost hard to find one. Also the price is more than worth for it.
Feminite Du Bois is definitely my new love : it's all what I seek in perfume-
* unusual* challenging* unique* sexy*
* mysterious* dark
at the same time!
But be careful with this one- can turn into bad bo smell. Lol. I recommend it for colder days. ^^
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Edit. My 50ml bottle was stolen y.y rip my love fdb I miss U (((( Can't find it anymore.. Probably will have to get SL's Fdb .-.

For me its the best fragrance ever!
It is simply perfect!

In this one I perfectly hear all the notes without reading about its composition first. All notes are composed into the greatest hit of perfumery! Woody floral resinous fruity notes could be heard distinctly from the first seconds its sprayed on to the drydown. These notes and the whole composition are pleasant. It doesn't need time to develop, its gorgeous from the begibbibg til the end.
Truly perfume for all times uber-feminine, the name speaks for itself!
Everything is excellent, magnificent, superb (can't find enough adjectives:) here, scent, pacaging, bottle- so soft and nice to hold, it fits perfectly into small feminine hand.
I think its a hymn of all times to the ageless eternal beauty.

No wonder that good half of perfumes in Serge Lutens's line are its successors, who are following and imitating it, or you may say that half of SL perfumes are variations of the One and Only Feminite du Bois! I hear similarities not only in the de Bois series which are ment to be variations of FdB, but for instance Rousse resembls the idea ot this perfume too only in more spicy-cinnamon way. Oh and how I could forget - Dolce Vita has followed its steps too.

No.1 masterpiece, and chef-d'oeuvre!
Bravo Christopher Sheldrake and Pierre Bourdon!!!
Loud applause!

Heh, I just reread my review, well its pretty similar to those I read before, but you can't say anything much different about FdB:)

This oriental woody perfume is something totally different to me, and I love it to try new absolutely different perfumes. I want to have it so bad in my collection:)

This is one of my all-time favourites, I just never get tired of it. It's rich, woody, aromatic and warm, with a fair dose of spices but still no oriental in the usual sense. The plum, which is something I usually avoid, doesn't bother me at all - all the ingredients blend wonderfully. Sillage and lasting power are both excellent. Highly recommended!

There is something in it (think cinnamon)that is tickling pleasantly your nose but the whole perfume is a bit complex and doesn't let you enjoy that thing. I will give it one more shot though...

Classic-style oriental, with heavy fruits and woods. Complex and layered, but just not my style. Not really for day wear.

It's beautiful at first, but the dry down on my skin is terrible - smells like playdough and cumin, and some fruits. I've heard so many great things about this perfume and I was very sure I'd love it, but it doesn't work for me. I adore the idea and the initial spray, though. When it's first sprayed, you get so many separate notes, especially ginger, cedar, and plum, but a couple minutes later it just starts to form into a big mess where you can't pick the notes. I like that it is a bit masculine and it isn't soft and warm. It's spicy and demanding. Wish I was able to wear it!

This beautiful fragrance is in Sheldrake style - warm and sweet, very complex and sophisticated, like most of Lutens perfumes.