Serge Lutens 2003 EDP

U ££ Favourite

Un Bois Vanille

by Christopher Sheldrake

Share
Card A shareable image of this fragrance - its verdict, notes and profile. Save or copy it to post anywhere.

Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille is an Eau de Parfum launched in 2003, created by Christopher Sheldrake. Un Bois Vanille opens with Licorice, Almond, Beeswax, and Coconut, settles into a heart of Guaiac Wood, Vanilla, and Benzoin, and dries down to a base of Musk, Sandalwood, and Tonka Bean. Serge Lutens's Un Bois Vanille carries a Favourite verdict, a sweet-led wear.

Un Bois Vanille is the non-gourmand vanilla for those who usually swerve the sweet stuff. Its unique woody-waxy warmth is divisive, often sparking love-it-or-hate-it debates, particularly concerning longevity. Some call it an absolute masterpiece, others a forgettable 'candle'.
What our verdicts mean →
  • Sophisticated
  • Cozy
  • Warm
  • Mysterious
  • Classic
$83.99 at FragranceNet 1.7 fl oz (50 ml) · plus sales tax Check price on → Check prices ↓
Un Bois Vanille Eau de Parfum bottle

Scent Profile

Composition

Timeline

Showing: Overall Blend

Top, heart and base are the brand's own listing, not a timing claim - the industry classifies a note by its character as much as by how fast it fades. Each curve here is modelled from that material's own volatility, so groups can overlap when a house lists long-lasting materials in its heart.

ScentArt

ScentArt Gallery What is ScentArt?

Performance & Mood

Performance

Longevity
Moderate (4-6h)
Projection
Moderate
Intensity
Moderate

Mood

Mood Energising
Calming
Character Playful
Serious
Sentiment Uplifting
Brooding

When To Wear

Best Seasons

Best For:
Fall Winter
Also Works:
Spring

A cold-weather scent. The creamy vanilla, beeswax and dry guaiac wood read warm and cozy in autumn and winter, with the woody-balsamic drydown of sandalwood and tonka holding up best on cool skin. It can stretch into spring, but the sweetness reads heavy in summer heat.

Best Occasions

Best For:
Date Casual
Also Works:
Office Formal

Its intimate-to-moderate projection and creamy, mature vanilla make it an easy casual and date-night wear, and the soft sillage keeps it office-friendly. The distinctive beeswax and licorice twist is too idiosyncratic for strictly formal settings, and it lacks the freshness for sport.

Declarable allergens

We derive these from the materials behind this fragrance's notes, not from the bottle. Each one is likely, not confirmed. The list is partial - the box can name others.

In standard patch-test panels

Other declarable allergens

  • Bitter almond Benzaldehyde from Almond
  • Sandalwood Santalol from Sandalwood
  • Synthetic musk Hexamethylindanopyran from Musk
  • Vanillin from Vanilla

The large name is the everyday one. The small name is the INCI form on the box, so you can compare the two. Reactions differ between people. A patch-test panel is not a ranking of risk. How we derive this

About

Un Bois Vanille opens with a creamy, deep vanilla, instantly grounded by a noticeable beeswax and subtle licorice twist that keeps it from veering into cloying sweetness. As it settles, a woody heart emerges with guaiac wood and sandalwood, giving it a sophisticated, dry character. Hints of coconut and bitter almond lend a lactonic warmth, while benzoin and tonka bean provide a rich, slightly powdery, balsamic finish, evoking a contemplative, almost ancient kind of allure.

Similar

Compare & Pair

Layer

Wear two at once: the blends worth trying, how each one scores and where to spray See what layers well

Complement

Two people, two scents: what sits well beside it when you each wear your own See what pairs well

Where to buy

Prices for the United States · · checked 10 October

Prices before sales tax, which the shop adds at checkout.

ScentVerdict earns a commission from purchases - this doesn't affect our verdicts.

Drawn from community reviews and editor-reviewed before publishing on . See our methodology and disclosure policy.