Bois et Fruits

This is the facet (as sherapop pointed out) that I love the most about the original Shiseido FdB. The fruity bits! I have a sample of BeF on my left wrist, and Shiseido FdB on my right. The Shiseido almost disappears next to this SL BeF! It seems all I can detect from FdB is the amber/musk! SO, if the fruit of Shiseido is what you adore, you must, MUST pick up a bottle of Serge Lutens Bois et Fruits! I'm drawn to plummy fragrances, and when I do note-comparisons of some of my most beloved perfumes, it's the plum that is the common factor. One of my VERY first "real" perfume buys was Dior's Dolce Vita. I got a sample and fell SO hard for it, I immediately picked up a full bottle! I LOVE it! Though it is "brighter" than Bois et Fruits (or FdB), and so I use it in summertime. Dolce Vita actually was my nudge full speed ahead into the world of fragrance!! (My wallet cries!) This was before I knew anything about Serge Lutens or Shiseido, much less Feminite du Bois or it's sisters. sherapop is also correct, according to the A-Z Guide. If you go to the section for Bois de Violette, you get Luca Turin's back story on the post-Shiseido FdB foursome that make up the elements of S-FdB. Basically SL performed "overdosage" (by which a "backstage component of a fragrance" is amplified and put center stage in a new fragrance) on four different aspects of FdB. The main four elements in Shiseido's Feminite du Bois are: 1. Musk (overdosed into: Bois et Musc) 2. Fruit (overdosed into: Bois et Fruits) 3. Amber (overdosed into: Bois Oriental) 4. Floral (overdosed into: Bois de Violette). and a cousin perfume exists: *5 Un-intended spin-off (Dior's Dolce Vita) *Luca Turin wraps up this fragrance family history telling the following story: Pierre Bourdon (who was the originating artist of FdB and passed it on to Sheldrake) went on to do a 5th variation in a different context. He apparently included one of his Feminite sketches as an afterthought into a presentation for Dior, and to his embarrassment they picked it, resulting in Dolce Vita. I hope my review enlightens and entertains. I know I really was inspired by the story in the A-Z guide, and now have all four of SL's "overdosages" on my FB wish list. But hands down, Bois et Fruit is the BEST (and top of the list) to my nose! It has pretty great longevity too. A good thing when it comes to SL. Edit: My FB of Serge Lutens Bois et Fruit arrived and is now lovingly displayed on my dresser.

The first time I smelled this, the first SL I ever tried....I was like get it away from me. I actually got angry at the thought of people pretending to like it. I thought what phonies, they could not POSSIBLY actually like this. If I just saw the name Serge Lutens it would annoy me. Then a few years later and after widening my perfume horizons and mindset just a tad, I started appreciating a few SL fragrances. More of the "baby ones". So, I decided to revisit the scary little vile that said "Bois et Fruits" on it to see if I could find anything to appreciate about it. Not only did I appreciate it, I could not stop sniffing my arm. I mean, I was turning blue and getting dizzy from the deep inhalations. Then as soon as I could get to my computer I ordered a full bottle. How does this happen? How do we go from being repulsed to being in love with a fragrance? I'm not sure but all I know is that it happened for me with this one. I went from absolutely hating Serge Lutens with every fiber of my being to ordering 10 full bottles in one week and becoming obsessed. There is absolutely no way to describe this scent and do it justice. It just has to be experienced and appreciated. For me, the best way I can describe it is like smelling a bag of mixed dark dried fruits that are still really moist. See, that sounds kinda gross. I told you I could not do it justice. I will try again....Bois et Fruits is just like spraying on a taste of pure, dark, mysterious, sweet bliss and I don't know any other way to describe it.

From the moment I first smelled Bois et Fruits in its sample container, the scent was instantly and wonderfully familiar to me. I'm still not sure what exactly it reminds me of - it might be some kind of candy, or dried apricots, or just some kind of essence of fruitiness in general, but whatever it is, I think it's really great. It's very, very fruity, but in a sophisticated way: rather cold at first, and quite powdery, with just the right level of sweetness. All my favourite fruit notes are represented here, and they really shine. I don't get much cedar, only later on in the development where it comes out as a general soft spiciness that warms the fragrance up considerably, but stays in the background. Someone on this page described this scent as "friendly", and I think they got it just right - it's very nice, very comfortable and with enough staying power to put me in a good mood all day. It's too bad this doesn't seem to be part of the more easily available and more affordable Serge Lutens lineup, because it's going straight onto my wishlist.

Very Autumnal! I find Bois et Fruits easier to wear than Feminite du Bois. I love Feminite du Bois because I love the smell of cedar wood, but often FdB can feel a bit one dimensional - so if you find FdB a little too 'wood workshop', Bois et Fruits might suit you. The sweaty cedar and boozy plum of FdB are softened considerably here with fig and apricot, so Bois et Fruits is a little more pillow-like - you can relax into it. The fig adds a lactonic (milky) note so it just feels more smooth. There's a 'nutty' quality to it - a sort of bitter-sweet almond that again gives a softer edge The apricot is slightly syrupy in feel, so this with the fig and less spicy notes makes for a sweeter, cosier, easier to wear perfume, still boozy though, and very warm. Friendly. On me the silage is fairly close to skin, longevity soft to moderate. This perfume is growing on me and I might upgrade from decant to full bottle.

Forbidden fruits, and my unequivocal favourite of all Les Eaux Boiseés. There isn't a huge amount to say though! It's Feminite du Bois, but the fruit is amped up and the other elements are hushed by this gorgeously chubby, bodacious plum note. It's "fuller bodied" than FdB in my opinion, with the latter coming off a little thin by comparison. Bois et Fruits is what you think: wood and fruit. Some say the fruit is dry, but I think it's more a half - rehydrated feel as in the original FdB. I don't find the scent to be powdery or dry, but it's not lush and watery either - somewhere in between. I will need to try it more extensively but so far it seems shy on me, making an abrupt exit after 5 hours and having low projection throughout. I'd love if the performance matched its friendly personality.