Though I own Bois de Violette and the original Dolce Vita, I really only have eyes for Feminité du Bois. I think this is because it is the only one that achieves a perfect balance between sparkle and gloom. God, the opening never fails to rouse me.
Have you ever watched a downpour so sudden and violent that the raindrops bounce right back up off the ground? Here, the flirtier, Fruit Pastille-like notes of mint, cinnamon, ginger, and peach bounce off the slab floor of cedar and cumin, creating a spiced tan fizz that you can almost feel on your skin, like sticking your face into a freshly poured glass of Coca Cola.
The drydown, though a far more muted affair (that purply effervescence cannot be sustained for long), is also beautiful. The matt ochre yellow ‘body odor’ aspect of the cumin sings out amiably to the corresponding funk of the cedarwood. This creates a slightly sweaty warmth and roundness suggestive of the lived-in-ness of a grown woman’s skin, while the gummy violets tilt still at girlishness.
That Feminité du Bois is able to do this with florals, woods, and spice alone – and not a drop of musk – is amazing to me. The scent becomes quite powdery but remains deep brown-magenta in tone, its fine dust enlivened in parts by the plum’s oaked wine sourness. Pure magic.
Source of Sample: Purchased by me.
Cover Image: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
