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 2007

7.9 / 10 888 Ratings

A popular perfume by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle for men, released in 2007. The scent is green-spicy. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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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

Musk

Patchouli

Perfumer

Pierre Bourdon

Ratings

Scent

7.9888 Ratings

Longevity

7.3715 Ratings

Sillage

6.6699 Ratings

Bottle

7.7640 Ratings

Value for money

6.1312 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 10/10/2025.

Interesting Facts

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

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Monocle Scent Two: Laurel

Spice and Wood

Arabian Forest

Klubwasser (2018)

Mousse de Chêne 30

Olivier Ondé

Reviews

51 in-depth fragrance descriptions

12/21/2012

7Scent

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

Very helpful Review 5

Grows On You...

Bois d'Orage (French Lover outside the US) starts off quite vegetal. Those green vegetal notes hang around for more than a bit before the scent grows gradually into its natural smelling cedar heart with accents of musky angelica and incense to compliment the primary cedar heart note. The cedar hangs around through the rest of scent's development, combining with a prominent vetiver note on the dry-down.

It was not "love at first sniff" for me on this one, but it has grown rapidly on me quite a bit and I now would say it is one of my favorites from the Malle line. It is unisex, with a slight masculine tilt, and has average projection with superb longevity. Maybe not a mandatory addition to one's collection at its relatively lofty price tag, but definitely worth considering and quite pleasant smelling on the whole, IMO. 3.5 stars out of 5 and recommended.

05/01/2014

5Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

WRoth
154 Reviews

WRoth

5

French Lover / Bois d'Orage

Opens with an fresh and aromatic blend of angelica, spices and galbanum. I see a perfect olfactory simulation of dark forests and open fields, of grass, herbs, leaves and damp soil. The crisp greenness of the galbanum dominates the whole fragrance until the very end, but it is enhanced and modified as the other notes emerge or disappear. Iris and angelica for example soften its sharp edges, whereas bay rum and clove add sweetness and fullness to it. When cedar, vetiver and frankincense emerge the scent's character change from a luminous (plant-like) green to a slightly darker earth-and-woods accord. The dry-down is characterized by a gauzy oakmoss, woods and musk blend.
Bois d'Orage/French Lover is quite a unique fragrance, since it evokes many different, conflicting impressions at the same time: rustic but sophisticated, austere but luminous, mysterious but easygoing. Although the opening may be bracing, the fragrance calms down quickly and becomes this enchanting woodsy-aromatic skin scent that is suitable for all occasions and accessible to anyone. Its crisp dryness make it especially pleasant for warmer days, and since it is very sheer it will never be annoying.

12/08/2020

9Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

GreMuser
13 Reviews

GreMuser

Helpful Review 2

Love at first sight

What can I say ... it was love at first sight, it is woody, spicy and very pleasant and elegant.

It looks like a 'softer' version of Creed Royal Oud, with which it shares a fantastic cedar wood, very versatile even if I see it better in an autumn / winter context.

The more it dries, the more a very sensual note of incense emerges, not at all 'church' to be clear.

One of my absolute favorites, definitely unisex.

02/10/2012

7Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Sherapop
1239 Reviews

Sherapop

3

Doesn't Smell Funny To Me

I managed to acquire samples of both Frédéric Malle BOIS D'ORAGE and FRENCH LOVER and had no idea that they were the same. I started with the decanted sample of BOIS D'ORAGE, with no knowledge of notes, perfumer, intended gender, etc., and my initial impression was that this was similar in some ways to ANGELIQUE SOUS LA PLUIE--only better. It must have been the angelica-cedar-pepper connection...

Next, upon learning that BOIS D'ORAGE really is FRENCH LOVER, I took a gander at my manufacturer's card and discovered that, lo and behold, this composition was created by beloved Pierre Bourdon! According to the marketing text, this perfume is intended for men with a sense of humor. Hmmm... it doesn't smell funny to me. Oh well, it smells great! A very nice blend of angelica, galbanum, pepper, incense, cedar, and what not, FRENCH LOVER is now my friend.

This angelica composition has much better longevity on my skin and also more depth and complexity to my nose than does the J.C. Ellena FM angelica offering. BOIS D'ORAGE/FRENCH LOVER seems entirely unisex to me.

03/25/2022

10Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

FilipMurray
18 Reviews

FilipMurray

Helpful Review 3

French Lover

Very interesting ''old school'' perfume.

Frederic Malle asked JC Ellena for a stronger and more intense version of Angelique Sous La Pluie. JCE worked on the formula for several months and he almost finished it - however at the time he signed the contract to be the exclusive nose for Hermes. So he was not allowed to give his formula to Frederic or to work with Frederic anymore.
Malle called JCE and asked him if he could advise him on who could do the job instead of him and JCE recommended Malle's longtime family friend - Pierre Bourdon. Malle asked JCE to share the initial idea and concept of the formula with Bourdon so that he could complete it and put his “final touch”. And here we are... we've got the French Lover.
It's not a secret that French Lover was kind of a collaboration and that the inspiration was ASLP. The story is verified from a Frederic Malle book I bought in Paris.

If you are in the USA, you will find French Lover under the name "Bois D'Orage".

Another interesting fact is that this is the last perfume that Pierre Bourdon created.

French Lover might be one of the safest picks from the house.
Woody, slightly spicy, wet and cold smell of the forest after the rain - when the aromas start to evaporate from the soil. It is quite green and vegetal. It’s not a classic woody perfume you'd expect to smell when you see the notes.
Very natural scent of cedar wood.
Quality should not be mentioned when it comes to Frederic Malle. It's always top notch.

Projection and longevity are probably one of the weakest from the house.
It projects for an hour or two, very moderate...
Longevity is solid, definitely over 10-12h. But just slightly stronger than a skin scent.

But if you want your perfume to "dominate" from you - then you might need to skip this perfume.

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