PlumOpens with
CloveHeart
SandalwoodDries down to
Christopher SheldrakeThe nose · 94 fragrances · also made Feminite du Bois (1992)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Serge Lutens · Sold as unisex
Feminite du Bois
The quiet sophistication of an old-world library where the scent of aged wood and warm spices fills the air, creating a sense of lasting comfort.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Feminite du BoisPremium · $100–250
60%Similar accords, often for lessFeminite du Bois · ShiseidoMid-range tier, $40–100 · shares 6 of its 17 notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
TopOpening
BaseFoundation
The story behind the bottle.
Féminité du Bois was created by Christopher Sheldrake and Pierre Bourdon for Serge Lutens and released in 1992, originally as a Shiseido exclusive before entering the broader Lutens canon. It arrived at a moment when niche perfumery was still finding its identity — when the idea that a fragrance could be primarily an artistic statement, uncompromised by mass-market considerations, was more aspiration than established practice. Féminité du Bois helped make it practice.
The composition centres on cedarwood used in a way nobody had done before. Rather than deploying cedar as a supporting material — dry, structural, quietly present — Sheldrake and Bourdon put it at the very heart of the fragrance, surrounding it with plum, rose, violet, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and a warm amber accord. The effect is cedar experienced as richness rather than dryness: fruited, spiced, almost edible, but never losing the material's fundamental character. It is a composition that feels simultaneously ancient and entirely without precedent.
Its influence on niche perfumery is difficult to overstate. The woody oriental genre that now constitutes a major share of serious fragrance releases — the tradition of placing unusual or undervalued raw materials at the centre of a composition and building everything else in service of that choice — owes a particular debt to Féminité du Bois. Many perfumers cite it as the fragrance that demonstrated what niche could mean: not simply more expensive, but genuinely more adventurous. It is the fragrance that convinced a generation that cedar deserved to be a star.
Apply Feminité du Bois in layers for maximum impact — the spicy notes are most noticeable in the first hour but the woody warmth continues to develop throughout the day. It pairs well with cooler weather when you want a fragrance that feels cocooning and rich.
Fig. 01 — Feminite du Bois, Serge Lutens
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
Live prices aren't shown yet. Each link opens that seller's own search; we may earn a commission.
Not sure it's you?
Five questions, about a minute, no account. You get a shortlist that fits how you actually wear fragrance.
Christopher Sheldrake
From Serge Lutens' shadow to Chanel's spotlightChristopher Sheldrake is a British-born perfumer who studied art history before extensive travels sparked his interest in fragrance.
The Feminite du Bois line
2 fragrances, compared side by side
Designer Serge Lutens
More from the house · France
You Might Also Like
Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalFeminite du BoisSerge Lutens · Premium · $100–250Shiseido · 1992Feminite du BoisShares 6 of its 17 notes$40–100★ 4.42 (1,803)48%Match
Al Haramain PerfumesSultanShares 6 of its 15 notesunder $40★ 3.98 (616)47%Match
Jean Paul Gaultier · 2020Classique Eau de Toilette X Mas Edition 2020Shares 6 of its 17 notes$40–100★ 4.25 (8)46%Match
Shiseido · 1992Féminité du Bois Eau TimideShares 6 of its 13 notes$40–100★ 4.50 (2)
With Xerjoff Oroville
Adds aromatic, citrus and floral; shares african orange flower and sandalwood and 1 more note.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Well loved by wearers: loved by 40%, disliked or hated by 12%.