Feminite du Bois by Shiseido

I recently scored a mini of this along with Basara on evilbay. I really pulled the trigger for the Basara/Basala since it's one of my favorites. The reviews on FdB however had my interest piqued.

Let's just say that there's no mistaking this for anything but a Lutens. I find the thumbprint unmistakably Serge. In spite of my history with Lutens per se this is a good fragrance. A few of the notes are predominant throughout the life of the scent, yet there is a multitude of other players.

This release is from 1992 ( I believe) and today this would be marketed as "shared" and probably don a different name. Chene seems to be from the same genre as this except it is woodier than FdB. I find this Shiseido very wearable and wonder what it would smell like layered with Chene. No matter, Feminite du Bois spotlights hints of peach, plum, cinnamon and clove overlaid on a subtle bed of cedar. Only in the extended drydown do I take note of soft spoken vanilla and a hint of muskiness.

The volume is lower than current Lutens, but FdB doesn't suffer from this. No, it's actually a positive. The color of the bottle and box is also very appropriate, because if I had to choose a color to describe this fragrance, it would be purple. This is still substantial and full smelling, just at a polite volume.

Thumbs up from Aromi for an extremely well done fragrance by my fragrance nemesis....The Serge.

Comments

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme by L'Artisan Parfumeur

I read many reviews before or after I do my own and I seem to be at complete odds with the house of L'Artisan. I have previously said on basenotes that for me, L'Artisan Parfumeur is the most over-rated house I have come across. La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme does nothing to sway that opinion. Yet another linear, floral dominant scent that does nothing to stir me up or inspire me in any way. This house has "pleasant" nailed down to an art form......but damn...can't we go beyond that? The only attempt at polarization so far has been Dzongkha ....and I found it a jumbled mess. At these prices, move me, anger me, hate me.......but please don't bore me. Extreme in a nutshell is a toned down tuberose with assorted "blossom" thrown in the mix. Is it bad? No, it's an acceptable floral scent that's very timid and just lays on my skin smelling like....well....a toned down version of tuberose with blossom this or that added to it. I'm almost a...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog