When Songe d’un Bois d’Été was introduced, perfumery was experiencing a renaissance of Middle Eastern influence. Western houses were increasingly fascinated by oud, myrrh, amber, and the ancient rituals of perfumed oils and resins. Guerlain’s choice to release the Les Déserts d’Orient line exclusively to the Middle Eastern market was a respectful nod to this tradition—an acknowledgment that the region had long been the cradle of perfumery. In fashion, 2012 was an era of global fusion: opulent fabrics, metallic embroidery, and desert-inspired palettes appeared on couture runways. In scent, rich, resinous compositions—once considered niche—were becoming symbols of sophistication. For a woman or man of this time, wearing a perfume called Songe d’un Bois d’Été meant embracing the modern mystique of the Orient—a fragrance that spoke of refinement, sensual depth, and cultural reverence.
The name “Dream of a Summer Wood” is beautifully interpreted in scent. Thierry Wasser envisioned a forest warmed by the sun yet cloaked in shadows—a tension between heat and coolness, light and dark. The composition is anchored by woods—especially cedar and patchouli—which form the backbone of the perfume. Cedar, often sourced from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, imparts its dry, aromatic tone, rich in cedrol and thujopsene, molecules that lend the scent its distinctive woody clarity. Patchouli, from Indonesia, brings depth and body—its earthy, camphorous character arising from patchoulol and norpatchoulenol. In this composition, patchouli’s natural damp darkness is polished and refined, evoking aged wood perfumed by desert winds.
Threaded through this heart is myrrh, one of perfumery’s most ancient resins, revered since antiquity for its bittersweet, balsamic warmth. Myrrh’s furanoeudesma-1,3-diene molecules give it its characteristic medicinal-amber tone, but Wasser softens its austerity with saffron—perhaps the perfume’s most striking feature. The saffron accord, created specially for this collection, glows like molten gold. Sourced from the fragile stigmas of the crocus flower—harvested by hand in Iran and Kashmir—saffron’s aroma blends leathery, spicy, and slightly honeyed notes. Its key aroma chemical, safranal, produces a radiant warmth that feels both exotic and human, enhancing the woody-leathery facets of the fragrance.
As the perfume deepens, hints of leather and amber emerge, adding tactile richness and a subtle sensuality. The “leather” here is not raw or smoky, but smooth and supple—an impression achieved through the blending of natural balsams with modern synthetics such as isobutyl quinoline or suederal, which lend texture and depth without heaviness. The interplay between saffron and leather is masterful: together they conjure the image of sun-warmed hide, incense smoke, and burnished wood.
Ultimately, Songe d’un Bois d’Été is a study in contrasts—light and dark, masculine and feminine, modern and ancient. Its structure is precise, yet its mood is dreamlike. Guerlain’s creation stands apart from many of the oud-laden scents of its time by focusing instead on the idea of wood and the feeling of heat, rather than the literal heaviness of resin. It feels contemplative and elegant, like the scent of a cedar forest at twilight—still warm from the day’s sun, yet cooling under a velvet night. For the wearer, it is an olfactory dream: one that lingers on the skin like memory, rich with mystery, sensuality, and the timeless soul of the desert.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Songe d'un Bois d'Ete is classified as a leather fragrance for men and women.
- Top notes: bay leaf, neroli
- Middle notes: patchouli, saffron, jasmine, cedar
- Base notes: leather, myrrh
Scent Profile:
Songe d’un Bois d’Été opens like the breath of an ancient breeze drifting through a dusky forest warmed by the last light of day. Created by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain’s Les Déserts d’Orient collection in 2012, the fragrance is a study in shadow and glow — a seamless fusion of resin, spice, and soft leather that mirrors the mystery and majesty of the desert night. Each note is carefully selected to evoke both the natural splendor of the East and the refinement of French perfumery, blending the two traditions in perfect symmetry.
The opening unfurls with bay leaf and neroli, an unusual pairing that immediately conjures contrast — aromatic and green against radiant floral light. The bay leaf, most likely from the Mediterranean basin, releases its sharp, camphorous aroma full of eugenol and cineole, molecules that lend both spice and clarity. It smells like crushed leaves warmed by the sun — peppery, dry, slightly medicinal, and almost masculine in its bite. The neroli, distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree in Tunisia or Morocco, counters this austerity with its golden softness. Linalool and limonene give neroli its delicate citrus sparkle, while indoles add an undercurrent of sensual warmth. Together, these two notes establish a tone of quiet strength — both contemplative and alive, as if the perfume is waking from a dream.
In the heart, the composition deepens into the richness that defines Songe d’un Bois d’Été. Patchouli, often sourced from Indonesia or India, anchors the center with its earthy, humus-like intensity. Its main components — patchoulol, alpha-bulnesene, and beta-caryophyllene — create a dark, grounding rhythm reminiscent of damp soil and polished wood. Yet, here it is refined, not heavy; Thierry Wasser tempers it with saffron, a specially crafted note designed for the Déserts d’Orient collection. True saffron, harvested from the stigmas of Crocus sativus flowers in Iran or Kashmir, is among the most precious ingredients in perfumery. Its unique molecules — safranal and crocin — release a scent that is simultaneously spicy, leathery, and faintly honeyed. Wasser’s saffron note mirrors this elusive beauty, amplifying the natural aroma with synthetics that enhance its luminous depth and elongate its life on skin.
Threaded through this heart is jasmine, possibly from Egypt, its narcotic sweetness softened by the warmth of cedarwood. The jasmine’s benzyl acetate and indole compounds bring an intoxicating floral glow that melts into the wood’s dry, balsamic smoothness. Cedarwood, particularly from Atlas or Virginia sources, provides a silken frame — pencil-shaving dry, lightly resinous, with a faint touch of honey. The interplay between jasmine’s opulence and cedar’s restraint evokes the sensation of sunlight filtering through a canopy — radiant and shadowed all at once.
As the fragrance settles, leather and myrrh dominate the base, creating a finale that feels both sacred and sensual. The leather accord, likely constructed from isobutyl quinoline and birch tar synthetics, exudes a smoky, animalic warmth that recalls well-worn saddles or burnished hide. It is softened by myrrh, a resin obtained from Commiphora myrrha trees native to Somalia and Yemen. Myrrh’s composition — rich in furanodiene and curzerene — yields a bittersweet aroma of balsamic resin, incense, and warm amber. Here, it infuses the leather with a golden, meditative depth, as though smoke from a ceremonial fire had woven itself into the fabric of the perfume.
Songe d’un Bois d’Été evolves like a journey through layers of shadow and flame. From the aromatic brightness of bay and neroli to the darkly spiced heart and smoldering resinous base, it tells the story of a dream half-remembered — one where the air is perfumed with the scent of sun-warmed wood, sacred smoke, and distant flowers. It is at once masculine and feminine, modern and timeless — a fragrance that seems to breathe with the rhythm of the earth itself.
Bottle:
The Déserts d’Orient fragrances are housed in simple, streamlined bottles gorgeously illuminated by a shower of gold, like a symbol of riches: a sign of belonging to a world in which this precious material has always been given pride of place. Available as: 75ml eau de parfum
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown.
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