Faberge Woodhue

I have no idea why Fragrantica does not list the original Faberge Woodhue. This was available as cologne, in various concentrations (there is a cologne concentree) and in a pure perfume oil. The cologne is found in cute cylindrical bottles with wooden tops, usually splash. The perfume oil was sold in high end department stores in early metal rollerballs, in brass and goldtone filigree. The perfume oil is creamy Mysore sandalwood, paired with a light dusting of vetyver and oakmoss, woody perfection. It is clean and simple, but not a searing sawmill wood. This is soft and creamy, a memento box filled with chips of aromatic woods, mixed with dried herbs and dusty flowers. If you can find the perfume oil, it is a fine sandalwood exemplar. There is not much else to say about Woodhue. It is sandalwood, of the finest quality. It can bolster the base of many perfumes, particularly florals, and is great for layering. Wears close, lasts 4-5 hours in oil, 3-4 hours with cologne, 6+ hours layering the cologne and the oil.

This is the 4th vintage Faberge fragrance I've tried and it's the least "perfumy" of them, although it still has that classic perfuminess. The opening blast of citrus is so sharp I wondered if my sample had turned, but that faded quickly and the progression was not at all vinegary. I got that classic perfuminess, and then it went oddly powdery in addition. I have to say of the 4 I've tried, including Tigress, Flambeau, and Aphrodisia, Woodhue has the least amount of that perfumy profile that is most associated with vintage perfumes marketed for women. Woodhue was supposed to be the casual one, and I can see it as casual if casual means not trying to be sexy. But it could also read as more unisex.

So the citruses in my bottle of Woodhue may have turned just an itty bit but I wait a few seconds after application and they smell deliciously candied and vanillic, like orange upside-down cake. There is a bridge of jasmine and orange blossom that are pleasant for sure, but its the wood of Woodhue that steals the show for me. Could there be some real mysore sandalwood in this? I feel a little sad even consider this considering how its overuse had ravaged the tree population, but glory be, this is such an incredible, soft, creamy sandalwood. Imagine something similar to Shalimar with woods replacing much of the resins, and that may give an approximation. Dynamite.

There is a delicious, mouthwatering orange creamsicle vibe in the opening of woodhue that I find delightful. I was expecting something austere from the listed notes but this is a joyful interpretation of woodiness. The cedar and sandalwood here have a whipped texture buoyed by jasmine, almost resembling soft orris. It’s almost depressing to me to think how widely available this was in its heyday, versus how many expensive brands today fail to present anything more imaginative than a pile of sawdust in their woody profiles. That’s only to say, woodhue is an appealing, cozy woody pic that I could see being a fixture in almost anyone’s wardrobe.

I just scored a vintage 2 oz spray bottle with gold lid, "Faberge" embossed into the lid still 3/4 full. My bottle is just like the smaller "Fragram photo" just above the notes and says distributed by Faberge Inc. The spray is the aerosol propellant kind where a light touch gives you a large pre-measured spray no matter what... and this is GLORIOUS! Beautiful warm spicy sandalwood with vanilla plus something more. Instant love for me! I've also tried the vintage Faberge Tigress and Aphrodisia, but for me they weren't keepers. This one not only a keeper but going back to search for more.

My bottles are all empty now but once in a while I will bring them out just to see if I can catch a smell of this wonderful scent. I use to love this one so much when I was a teenager and I would still wear it if I could find a good bottle. So many of the vintage fragrances have lost that fresh fragrant smell to me though. I do wish they would remake these scents using the same strength as they did in the beginning.

Woodhue Parfum rollerball & cologne reviewed (70s bottle) Both scents are similar. I find the cologne spicier. The citric opening has faded in my bottles. The dense florals give way to the true prize- the drydown. Creamy, slightly powdery vanillic mysore sandalwood is just lovely. If woods are your game, do not miss this. Let it sputter a bit as sometimes vintages do... but you will be rewarded.

Totally a less vanillic less citrusy Shalimar. But I can't believe people aren't smelling the citrus. It is there out of the gate! In the drydown you get a hint more woods (sandalwood and cedar). This is not spicy and not woody in the sense of a chypre. No oakmoss at all, thank god. Doesn't last long since it's EDC. Very powdery in the bottle and soapy on the skin.

The first fragrance I ever fell in love with. So different from the polite, girly, flowery fragrances of the mid-60's but less naughty than that "bad girl" fragrance, Tigress. The opening of citrus packed a punch. Then it dried down to a soft, powdery vanilla/ spice/snadalwood. And I loved the block-of-wood cap!

Actually, there was a Woodhue for men fragrance as well, maybe that's what Dean Martin wore. I'm not sure there was a lot of difference between the two. I'll have to hunt up the set I had and see how the male version smells.

Creamy, powdery and woodsy. It is such a comforting and exciting smell! I fell in love all over again.

Woodhue, the third in the Tigress-Aphrodisia-Woodhue-Flambeau Faberge quartet that I recently acquired. Of the four, Woodhue is the most understated but remains just as beautiful of a fragrance as the others. This is a lovely amber-like wood fragrance that is radiant and palpable. The woods are vibrant but diffused with juicy soft fruit and floral sweetness. The citrus notes are so well blended that they appear golden, radiating a vintage mossy feel that's reminiscent of liquid soap. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Hermes Eau des Merveilles, but more feminine with a pronounced floral heart that seems like soft jasmine and slightly spicy carnation. My bottle is the same one pictured above, a cologne splash with a wood cap. These Faberge scents are a real treat -- I wish that they'd make a comeback!

This was one of my mother's daily fragrance choices. I admit to helping myself to "splashes" of it fairly frequently. This was my first experience with "woody" scents. I think that this was the best of the Faberge scents at the time. I recently found a small bottle of the vintage scent. So far I haven't worn it, only sniffed it from the bottle. It smells just as good as it did 50 years ago!

Brut? Prestige? Say what? Woodhue was produced by Faberge a perfume company launched in 1937 as an upmarket perfume house. After sorting out their use of the Faberge jewelers' name in 1951, the company was sold in 1964. Between 1964-84, Faberge produced Brut, Babe, Kiku and many other successful products, while continuing to market the older fumes. Cary Grant became a well paid "creative consultant" for Faberge in 1968, although there is no evidence that he ever applied a single drop of drugstore Faberge cologne to his ever-elegant, always-bespoke person. Woodhue appeared in 1944 but my cologne version dates from the 60's. A 1966 ad for Woodhue makes it clear that Woodhue is made for the singular woman: If you're an individualist, there's something in it for you--it's zingy, swingy, full of surprises. Some say Woodhue is a free translation of fall's first brash breeze...crisp leaves crackling underfoot...pale cool sunlight. Others insist it's the very soul of nonconformity. All of this advertising flimflam does makes some sense because Woodhue is a rare thing: a vintage scent for women that is dominated by woody notes. Fragrantica groups it with "floral woody musks." As I experience Woodhue, it calls to mind the great French woody grand dame, Vol de Nuit. The opening of Woodhue is not a citrus salad, despite the pyramid. The bergamot splashes out fresh and juicy but fades quickly (as it usually does). The floral midnotes read as mostly jasmine and carnation to me, but whatever else is in the blend--and there is more--makes for a subtle, sophisticated, and very addictive scent. The drydown is soft sandalwood, light vanilla, spices, and a frisky bit of civet. My cologne concentration is not especially potent, although it is respectable, but I bet Woodhue in the vintage parfum would be really amazing (vide Cybernoir's review below).

I recently joined Fragrantica and I love reading the reviews; very helpful for finding out about fragrances and making decisions about what to try. But I never thought it would lead me back to my first fragrance love, Woodhue! I wore it as a teenager and did not even remember its name but when I saw the conical bottle with the wood cap I knew! It's interesting that even back then I was attracted to this lovely woodsy, amber smell. While I have gone "up" in the world to more expensive and refined tastes like Shalimar, Samsara and Musk Ravegeur, I was never meant for the flowery, sweet fragrances my friends were wearing. It all makes sense now.

I was able to find a bottle of the vintage, men's version (though I've read that it's exactly the same as the women's). Anyway, as JB78 says, it's sweet, powdery, and dense at first, drying down to a non-synthetic sandalwood with a hint of amber and something animalic. UPDATE: I now have a new version too. It seems like it's weaker than the original, though not that much different. It's not as powdery or as dense as the original, especially in the opening. I'm not sure if it would still be worth buying, so I'll have to give it a full wearing at some point and then update again.

Sampling today from a vintage bottle of Fabergé Woodhue. This is a soothing sandalwood floral with a green, yet sweet, citrus opening, still remarkably well-preserved. The floral note is a pleasantly neutral white floral. Perhaps fair enough to call it jasmine, ...but it is not distinctively so. I'm also getting an unlisted, but prominent, spicy note. There was also a distinctively more spicy-aromatic scent called Woodhue for Men. Unfortunately, it has not been given its own profile page, so reviews for both fragrances seem to be muddled together here.

The citruses fade very quickly on me, the jasmine note is there briefly, and then it settles down into a soft, natural, powdery-woody and vanilla with just a hint of old school musk. It's woody, but not harsh, and very lovely and comforting. I find it to be quite unisex, too. This would probably smell incredible on a man. It stays close to the skin on me/ a gentle woody skin scent. Very nice!

A long time ago I used nothing but Fabrage Woodhue Spray Cologne. I loved it and was so disappointed when they discontinued it. I looked all over for it. A friend told me of this website and I am glad I have found it again. When I was single, it drew men to me. That is how I got my husband. He fell in love with my scent.

Orange blossom vintage? Definitely has a vintage feel. Takes me to childhood where I first smelled this and it seemed so adult. Classic construction, very 'golden' in the way the wood, musk and flowers combine. Quite nice, but almost black tie to me. Definitely of its time, but elegantly so. Not dated.