French Lover
Bois d'Orage
2007

French Lover / Bois d'Orage by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
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7.9 / 10 868 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.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Green
Spicy
Woody
Fresh
Earthy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
GalbanumGalbanum PimentoPimento Florentine irisFlorentine iris
Heart Notes Heart Notes
AngelicaAngelica VetiverVetiver CedarCedar
Base Notes Base Notes
FrankincenseFrankincense MuskMusk PatchouliPatchouli

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.9868 Ratings
Longevity
7.3699 Ratings
Sillage
6.6692 Ratings
Bottle
7.7636 Ratings
Value for money
6.1296 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 07/19/2025.
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 by Comme des Garçons
Monocle Scent Two: Laurel
Mousse de Chêne 30 by Le Labo
Mousse de Chêne 30
Spice and Wood by Creed
Spice and Wood
L'Eau Bleue d'Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake
L'Eau Bleue d'Issey pour Homme
Majesty by Richouli
Majesty
Arabian Forest by Alexandria Fragrances
Arabian Forest

Reviews

26 in-depth fragrance descriptions
7
Scent
Drseid

821 Reviews
Drseid
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.
0 Comments
7.5
Bottle
5
Sillage
5
Longevity
5
Scent
WRoth

154 Reviews
WRoth
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.
0 Comments
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
9
Scent
GreMuser

13 Reviews
GreMuser
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.
0 Comments
7.5
Bottle
5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
7
Scent
Sherapop

1239 Reviews
Sherapop
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.
0 Comments
10
Pricing
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
FilipMurray

18 Reviews
FilipMurray
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.
1 Comment
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Statements

25 short views on the fragrance
KusyaKusya 2 years ago
2
Sillage
2
Longevity
8.5
Scent
A masterpiece that by 2023 is watered down to a scam-adjacent levels. Real loss.
0 Comments
Finerthings8Finerthings8 12 days ago
2
Bottle
5
Sillage
7
Longevity
7.5
Scent
Very mature, green wood scent. It is very linear and performs poorly
0 Comments
AarsethAarseth 2 years ago
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
This is a fresh spicy watery rooty green and woody classic frag. It has an average to low performance, but it is really good..
0 Comments
Roby78Roby78 2 years ago
8
Bottle
6
Sillage
7
Longevity
8
Scent
My favourite from the brand. Green herbs, spices...can't go wrong with this stuff. Masculine leaning
0 Comments
KuraiKurai 3 years ago
4
Sillage
7
Longevity
7
Scent
Green-hued woody spicy. Tasteful but traditional composition, confident but risk-free presentation. Office scent par excellence.
0 Comments
SoapySoapy 2 years ago
Beautiful green, bitter, and astringent perfume that has suffered severely from reformulation.
0 Comments
Dan93Dan93 3 years ago
10
Bottle
7
Sillage
7
Longevity
10
Scent
Classy, but yet modern french perfume! Beautiful for layering with FM‘s Monsieur! Ready for every date, day and night or party! Get it!
0 Comments
Gbence9Gbence9 3 years ago
Beautiful woody spicy fragrance from Malle, not a huge performer though
0 Comments
StarscreamStarscream 6 years ago
Similarity to Monocle Laurel is only in the opening
0 Comments
Nikito27Nikito27 9 months ago
8
Bottle
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Fresh, green spicy opening. Lovely.
Dry down is more woody and looses some sparkle. Becomes a bit “old masculine” smelling, but still enjoyable
0 Comments
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