French Lover
Bois d'Orage
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 2007

French Lover / Bois d'Orage by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle

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French Lover / Bois d'Orage (Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle)

7.9 / 10 770 Ratings

French Lover is a popular perfume by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle for men and was released in 2007. The scent is green-spicy. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
Pronunciation

Layers well with Eau de Gentiane Blanche

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Main accords

Green

Spicy

Woody

Fresh

Earthy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Galbanum

Pimento

Florentine iris

Heart Notes

Angelica

Vetiver

Cedar

Base Notes

Frankincense

Musk

Patchouli

Perfumer

Pierre Bourdon

Ratings

Scent

7.9770 Ratings

Longevity

7.4618 Ratings

Sillage

6.7611 Ratings

Bottle

7.7558 Ratings

Value for money

6.1222 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 12.04.2024.

Interesting Facts

This fragrance is sold as "Bois d'Orage" in the US and Canada.

Reviews

23 in-depth fragrance descriptions

06/07/2020

8
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8
Scent

Meggi
212 Reviews

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Meggi

Top Review 67

The clandestine lover

"Say, what are you fiddling with me for?"

"Well, listen, I'm a lover! I'm a French lover, to be exact. I knead a roll here, pinch a nose there, tickle a nip..."

"You are something else Sneak up on them and quietly start with the amorous activities. How long have you been doing this?"

"In general," you mean? Since 2007. Or specifically now with you? Since this morning! And what does 'sneaking around' mean? You finally sprayed me yourself! In full knowledge of my name!"

"Oh, and then you can just make out on the quiet? I think you're confusing the two: politeness, manners, good clothes - you're not supposed to notice that on the spot, you're supposed to have only perceived it as a memory in retrospect. It's different with fumbling. I, at least, like to get them straight away. Why do you go at it like that?"

"Reaching is the key word! Here I can at least really get at it. In America they don't like it that much, I'm only allowed to thunder down incognito
"Well, you know, it took me a while to catch your act. You don't have to hide your qualities You offer... well... certainly no demonstrative sexiness, let alone primitive broad-leggedness. Your appearance has style: the angular-sharp start, green-herbal with bitter iris. You don't want to make it too easy, do you? Maybe secretly be conquered on your part? It's probably not by chance that I have to think of Brussels sprouts, which I also had to conquer in the course of my life - as a child I loathed them because they were bitter."

"Brussels sprouts...?"

"It's just a picture, don't panic! Whoever smells carefully will soon feel its sensual core. There's an idea of sweaty - have you taken a pinch of cumin? After two hours, your skin is almost warm and spicy. And yet at the same time distinguished and tart. Restrained, yet strong smoke completes your morning routine."

"Mmmmmmh...I like that better!"
"From midday onwards you become calmer, the afternoon is calmly woody-green and in the course of the day vetiver becomes more and more distinct, fresh, powerful and clean. You even seem to rasp a little liquorice out of it, probably to make the vetiver a bit rounder, darker and more tobacco like. You can smell all this wonderfully lovely!"

"I'm very touched by the way you looked at me... Do you really find me attractive?"
"I think so! And next time, let me know before they start having sex, okay?"

03/22/2020

8
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 7.5
Longevity 7
Scent

Ernstheiter
5 Reviews

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Ernstheiter

Top Review 22

The elegance of the thistle

Anyone who has already dealt with Frédéric Malle's fragrances knows that normally you should not expect to find any that come up with a head note that is so captivating. In most cases, they do not open with a pleasing composition of citric or floral notes that immediately excite the wearer. Of course, one can also find examples of Frédéric Malle's work that defy this claim, which are pleasing from the very beginning, especially Bigarade Concentrée or Vétiver Extraordinaire.

Fréderic Malle - Duets are not images of Monet or van Gogh that are quickly revealed; they are more like Picassos or Pollocks, images that trigger emotions ranging from rejection to admiration, even when they are not liked.

I think French Lover is a good example of that
Even before the image of a lush green meadow in spring can form in my head right after I have been spinning and before the idea of foggy, damp, impenetrable jungle is formed, my imagination is kept in check by a brownish veil. The jungle pictures still in the making dissolve, the grass is allowed to stay, but no longer on the summer meadow. It has already been cut for a few hours and the meadow has been replaced by the compost bin, which is already slightly rusty from the inside. The scent of the fresh green cannot spread by itself. It is forced to peel slowly upwards at the rusty inner walls of the compost bin and has to accept that a brown basic tone mixes with it. Only a few more hours will pass before the green has to give way to a straw-flowery basic mood.

It is difficult to smell individual scents from French Lover, only vétiver and pepper, I can consciously perceive. Vétiver is the source of the green earthy note, which is slightly scratched by pepper. Citric or flowery additions are completely avoided. French Lover does not rely on the successive appearance of different scents; the speciality lies in the change of its character, from green to scratchy to harsh. If I should name a plant that is representative for French Lover, I would choose a thistle. Of course you don't have to find it beautiful, but you should take the time to have a closer look at it.

French Lover is a gruff fragrance, not a stalker who wants to draw attention to himself in a loud voice to provoke. He has personality, knows his rough edges, but makes no signs to soften or even hide them; and he claims them for hours
This scent by Fréderic Malle does not want to be a mass scent. The fragrance was deliberately avoided to create a unique composition with personality, which polarizes, does not allow "so la la" and forces the perfume to make a clear statement, which can only lead to a yes or no.

11/28/2020

8
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 9.5
Scent

ScentBubble
14 Reviews

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ScentBubble

Top Review

Would you like to pour the wine, honey?

Sabine and Achim are a couple for ages. It hasn't always been easy, but they have always stuck together and defied the often harsh reality. The two children they have had together are now out of the house. Marie moved into their student flat two years ago, Hannes has already earned his spurs as an engineer with a well-known company. But the house has by no means become too big as the children have moved out. Marie's room is now used as a guest room, Hannes' former domicile was converted into a gambling den immediately after he moved out. From time to time Achim has cyber-battles with mates of the same age. In the beginning Sabine rolled her eyes, meanwhile she smiles about it.

Today, on this late summer afternoon, everything is just right. The sun is doing its best once again. Both have done the budget as planned and now a little bit of Saturday afternoon. So nothing was more obvious than to pick some delicious things out of the fridge, put a bottle of wine in it, get on the e-bikes and just ride, always in the direction of nature.

Finally they find a cosy place on a forest meadow, not far from the sparsely travelled country road.

Achim pulls blanket and food out of the bicycle bag, Sabine takes the wine out of the blue cool transport box. She smiles at her husband like on the first day, hands him the bottle and asks:

"Would you like to pour the wine, honey?"

Achim is fine. He is proud of his wife, still can hardly resist her smile - and has put on "French Lover". Appropriate for the occasion, as always...

First of all, the inclined but pragmatic perfume lover can't avoid frowning and shaking his head at the name "French Lover". On the one hand, the question could arise as to which French lover is meant here. Is it about the concrete way of ... well, exchanging ideas or does this term refer to the origin of the lover? On the other hand: Even if one is quite sure about the answer to these questions, what on earth does it have to do with the scent? In my opinion, the North Americans, who are somewhat reserved when it comes to sexuality, have solved it better: Bois d'Orage - Holzsturm. That's exactly what this fragrance should be called!

Why?

Well, it starts off rather sharp green with a dominant juniper note. After a few minutes, the mainly cedar-wood phase begins, paired with subtle patchouli and naturally beautiful light, wet vetiver.

After the drydown the heavy wood storm ebbs away a little and Angelika takes over the helm - the plant mind you, a threesome would be out of the question for Sabine and Achim. The scent becomes slightly cool and distant. Even a powdery note I think I notice. The bitterness often present in vetiver is not present at any time, at least not for my sense of smell.

Even when the wood storm is at full throttle for the first three hours, which is easy to perceive here at arm's length, and becomes very close to my skin after about seven hours, it always remains a quiet but unique scent that never comes across as synthetic. This, in combination with its slightly cool aura, makes it wearable in the office all year round, although it is likely to experience its magic moments in spring and autumn. I see him primarily in the medieval, mature and naturally distinguished man and I am quite sure that after the bottling is finished I will treat myself to a bottle of this wonderful fragrance - just like Achim did!

05/14/2019

9
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 10
Scent

Flammingo
3 Reviews

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Flammingo

Top Review 16

Je m'appelle Marcel, et avec ce parfum je suis l'amant français.

It took a long time until I had something to say about my current signature. There isn't really much to write, because the French lover isn't complicated at all. It starts off herb-pungent, natural, cool and green. Very extraordinary. He then becomes more wooded and discreet incense joins it. I like that this bitter Angelica-Galbanum mix always remains in the foreground. After a few hours only the sexy, dirty, spicy patchouli incense, which we already know from Armani's Profumo, is still perceptible. Anyway, Profumo has copied the basis here, because the scents are no longer distinguishable towards the end.
The fragrance is very distinctive and masculine at all levels. Something you don't smell on men every day. I honestly can't imagine him in ladies either. I don't see it as an office or sports fragrance because it's too special for that. But for shopping, leaving, dating, day or night, this is one of the best fragrances I've ever found.
Sillage and shelf life could be better, as so often with green fragrances. But this is a scent you can't take too much from. It simply smells pleasant and is pleasing, but still different.

12/29/2018

5
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 8.5
Scent

MajorTom
97 Reviews

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MajorTom

Top Review 15

THE SPECIAL ONE

I never noticed the brand before and it was only by chance that I passed one of these "noble department stores" at a Frederic Malle Sales Desk. And since the lady in charge approached me there and I had just a few minutes, I gave her a rough description of what I might be looking for (elegant office fragrance with perceptible sillage but without big airs and graces). Without hesitation (and that speaks in such a case for the quality of the personnel (because good personnel is notoriously hard to find)) the lady reached for the French Lover flacon (the name irritated me colossally, that should be an office fragrance?), sprayed three times into the air, pulled a paper handkerchief through the resulting fragrance mist and handed it to me then. Impressed by the way of presenting a fragrance, I led the white paper to my nose and took a breath.

First impulse: what a stupid name. I was expecting something completely different. An aggressive, macho, dirty, challenging thing. So much for the power of words and their influence.

Second impulse: special. Interesting. First the nose is neutralized on the coffee bean glass and then smelled again. Still special. The fragrance pyramid quotes Florentine iris, ok, fair enough, I am not such an expert to identify them. Rather a hint of galbanum, which is normally found in base notes. Certainly a reason for the special top note. I also hear Vetiver, who is always present, but never loud, simply accompanying the whole ensemble. And the longer this fragrance develops, the more patchouli comes to the fore. The combination of Vetiver and Patchouli gives this fragrance a green and slightly bitter note, very special and so from me yet with no other perfume so smelled.

Third impulse: Want to have. Bagged and ready. To give a recommendation, when and for whom this smell fits now, falls to me super heavily, because I cannot make a clear statement despite his extra class. I definitely see the scent in men rather than women. I can't wear the scent myself every day either, because sometimes (depending on the mood) it seems a little melancholic and melancholic due to its green character. But FL is undoubtedly a fragrance of great class, so Sillange and durability are also high on the list. Finely tuned and great craftsmanship. And fully satisfying my original parameters (discreet office fragrance).

Just the name, gentlemen, I don't want to know which advertising agency has paid for it and probably not too tight. A complete mistake for me, but paper is patient as you know....

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