Serge Lutens — Bois et Fruits
Essence
Bois et Fruits (1992) is the dried-fruit overdose variant of the Feminite du Bois template - the fruit-forward sibling in the Bois quartet, alongside Bois de Violette (violet), Bois Oriental (amber) and Bois et Musc (musk). Sheldrake and Lutens explicitly described it as “like candied fruit,” and Luca Turin gave it in Perfumes: The Guide, calling it a “plummy wood.” Plum, peach, apricot and fig drape over the Atlas cedar with a faint rose, cinnamon and beeswax to give the fruit a savory edge.
Scent Profile
The opening (10-20 minutes) is dense fruit-and-wood from the first second. Plum dominates immediately - a slightly fermented, dark, candied plum - with peach and apricot in support and a faint fig. The Lutens cedar is already present underneath; the perfume reads “stewed” from the start, as Victoria Frolova at Bois de Jasmin described it in her praised review. Kafkaesque called the opening “the dripping juices of sun-sweetened peaches, followed by plums and the tiniest hint of apricots.”
Performance
Performance is mid-tier for Lutens - projection moderate, sillage moderate-to-soft. Longevity is 5-8 hours on skin; better on fabric (12+ hours). Several reviewers including Kafkaesque and Bois de Jasmin have flagged that Bois et Fruits is “thinner and paler than the original” Feminite, and that the cedar-fruit accord reads less radiant than Feminite du Bois itself. reception on longevity is moderate.
Wearing Context
Late spring through early summer (the fruit reads as sun-warmed) and early autumn (the cinnamon and cedar read as harvest-time) are the two natural windows. Bois de Jasmin specifically positions Bois et Fruits as autumnal. It is one of the most weather-flexible Lutens - works year-round in cool climates. Time of day: any. Office and daytime use are entirely viable; evening also works.
Comparisons & DNA
The Bois series is the immediate context. Feminite du Bois is the mother fragrance - fruit-and-cedar but with the violet brighter; Bois et Fruits dials down the violet and pushes the fruit. Bois de Violette has the same cedar but emphasizes violet. Bois Oriental the spice-amber. Bois et Musc the musk. The historical antecedents: Dior Dolce Vita (Pierre Bourdon’s parallel project - fruit-spice-wood from the same olfactive cluster) and Chanel Bois des Iles (the chronological grandparent - woody floral with sandalwood). Within the wider Lutens catalog: Chypre Rouge has a fruit-spice-incense quality; Fille en Aiguilles is the pine-and-Christmas-cake cousin; Arabie is the heavier dried-fruit-spice giant - Bois et Fruits is the lighter, more elegant version of the same territory.
Reception
Luca Turin gave Bois et Fruits in Perfumes: The Guide. Bois de Jasmin gave it (Frolova). Kafkaesque’s long 2014 review is positive with reservations about cost. NST coverage is positive. wearer response is positive-leaning. response is similar. wearers treat it as a respected deep cut rather than a primary recommendation. Praise: the artistry of the fruit-cedar marriage, the autumnal mood, the “comforting” quality. Criticisms cluster on: (1) modest performance; (2) high bell-jar pricing relative to perceived complexity; (3) several reviewers, including Kafkaesque, who find it “good but non-essential” within a Lutens collection. Polarization is mild; this is one of the less divisive Lutens, with broad respect rather than passionate love or hate. Blind buy verdict: tentative yes for fans of the Bois series; sample first if you are new to Lutens - Bois de Violette or Feminite du Bois may be better entry points.
Versions & Reformulation
Originally a Palais Royal bell-jar exclusive launched 1992. For a period in the 2010s available as a 50ml export bottle at reduced price (Kafkaesque documents $82 at discounters during this window); now primarily back to bell-jar 75ml. Multiple reviewers including Bois de Jasmin’s commenters and wearers vintage hunters note that current production is “thinner and paler than the original” Feminite du Bois, attributable both to IFRA restrictions on certain woods and to general Lutens reformulation cycles. No EDT or parfum variants. Single composition, with thinning over time.
Acquisition Notes
Availability varies by market; sample before buying when possible.
Notable Facts & Lore
- Lutens’s stated intent for Bois et Fruits, quoted in his official copy and reproduced by Kafkaesque: “Like candied fruit.
- This is another descendant of Feminite du bois, whose base notes contained a complex blend of several types of plums.
- Here, unadulterated, it’s like candied fruit.“ Sheldrake’s overdosage technique - moving a component of one perfume to the forefront in a new composition - is most visibly applied here.
- Luca Turin’s analysis: “From Feminite du Bois came four variations, three of which create new effects by bold-typing one of the components of the original: musk (Bois et Musc), fruit (Bois et Fruits), amber (Bois Oriental).”