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strannik1968 – :
The best drydown ever.EVER.
wolfenzug – :
It took me so many years on the quest to get to “Knowing” this gorgeous ageless scent. Without talking about the notes, my overall feeling is that of a rainforest: air smelling like rain, oakmossy wet greenery, sweet powdery washed-off pollen on petals lying on a the musty earthbed. Wonderful warm drydown of flowers, leaves and spices dried to dust.
I think the most beautiful Chypre. LOVE!!!
oppoheclathon – :
I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to try this beautiful gem! This is so good! One of the best chypres in the market IMO.
I think people (especially women) should try EL Knowing at least once in their lifetime, if for nothing else, but to appreciate just how well it’s blended. Sophistication in a bottle. I get the “mature” and “old-school” vibe people are talking about, but it still feels timeless in a way. This to me is the true embodiment of a woman. A classy, sophisticated, self confident woman. This is one of those rare beauties that could dress up any outfit. FBW for sure!
That said, on to the specifics. This works best for me in cooler autumn type weather. And it keeps getting better by the hour! A little goes a long way. Projection and longevity are quite impressive. Also, if you are not into oakmoss, vetiver, patchouli or civet, stay away from EL Knowing. They are quite prominent here.
Something about the opening reminds me of Cacharel’s LouLou. Could be the mimosa, plum and tuberose notes. On me the opening is juicy, earthy and spicy(first 2 hours), with oakmoss,patchouli, civet, plum, spices (I can’t tell which), mimosa and tuberose taking center stage. Mimosa here is absolutely gorgeous.
As it develops through the day, it loses its “juiciness” and becomes more spicier, more earthy and muskier, with some floral and powdery support. Oakmoss, vetiver and musk dominate the dry down, with support from tuberose, spices and orris. I can still catch whiffs of the civet (which I love) and mimosa, but only in the periphery.
I still can’t decide which stage I love more. This is perfection in a bottle. I am getting me a FB and back-ups!
константин09 – :
My fragrance journey continues because of my admiration to, for me, the best smelling and most divine, dry down in the perfume world, Knowing.
The nostalgia that Knowing brought to my past brings happiness to my heart, then and now.
From the vintage bottles I preserve and conserve, to the vintage miniatures that stood beside them, the quality and consistency of this liquid gold have attracted my friends and acquaintances whenever I passed by, said hellos, shared hugs or even when I am just within a distance on a windy outdoor activity.
Knowing creates magic, from the wearer and into the cold air. Such a cloud of sensuality and sophistication.
Sadly, the current formulation loss it’s spell to captivate the public. At least, in my lifetime, I will have sufficient amount of this vintage magic potion that my skin love and adore.
Knowing, the vintage, is a perfect 10.
sumka2211 – :
Powerful sensual chypre. Just like many others that belong in the same ballpark and share similarities (Paloma, Diva, Eau du Soir..), Knowing goes from executive decisions in the morning to a theater function in the evening, before winding in an underground club. While the others feel more ‘take no prisoners’, Knowing shares the debauchery of La Nuit; they don’t smell alike but they could be sisters. Carnality is the theme du jour!
Honey is majorly present in Knowing, just like in a fragrance 20 years younger and inspired by it; Soir de Lune. And if it’s not, then it must be the pitosporum which does a similar job in Blonde (Versace). Opening with a rush of aldehydes, Knowing feels animalic and honeyed from the very start; melon? Not so much, but plum adds a beautiful juiciness that wraps the whole composition. On some days, I get the florals distinctly but on most the blending is so well made that I just get lost in it. Some days it’s powdery and I think ‘oh, there’s the mimosa and the orris’. Some days the woody facets shine more, or the spicy side, and I sense the patchouli, and the sandalwood, and the spices…always floral, narcotic, and never demure. Oakmoss shines big time from the heart onwards and never fades away.
Civet is a major player from the opening to the drydown, and this erotic dirtiness that never fades away, but engulfs the other notes in unashamed badness is what links it to La Nuit; elegant, well made, classy, but with a dirty side that can’t be hidden. Knowing is a gorgeously sweet chypre, less on the rose side, and more on the oakmoss and white floral one. Gorgeous on both men and women.
Reviewing a first release vintage splash, and comparing with a sample I have from the mid 2000’s, up until then Knowing held pretty well. I don’t know about current bottles but my vintage packs the punch of a lifetime. And it’s all the better for it! One of the best Lauder creations; the woman knew what she was doing!
maxgun – :
Lovely and versatile, very “smart”. I reach for it in the Fall when moody weather begs for fuzzy sweaters and leather. However, I now realize my bottle from the 2000’s gives me a headache whenever I wear it. This did not happen with the 90’s bottle I had, but the opening on that one had turned so sweet and animalic it was too embarrassing to wear!
Alex0903sa – :
Amazing ! Looove the aldehydes and the oakmoss. This is so stylish, classy and feminine on my skin. It` a very grown up scent, not girly at all. As I way younger I used to think that it was old lady scent… so maybe thats what I have become. I adore it now ! Silage and longevity is way beyound average on my. Crisp, light and yet deep as an ocean. This is perfection. No more words needed for Knowing… she speaks for herself. Sophisticated woman in scent edition.
Unforgettable !
oxt814speagoessenda – :
This is a lovely chypre. I really like the floral opening of mimosa and rose mixed with aldehydes. The base is very earthy and woody with oakmoss and patchouli. Many say this reminds them of Paloma Picasso. It is similar, but the animal notes in Paloma Picasso are much more intense. Very nice!
VAS1998 – :
Exquisitely warm, intense but in a good way. Sweet, woodsy, unforgettable.
9valdemar – :
Just received a small older bottle in the mail, so my nose it not used to it. I sprayed some on my wrists and I thought, initially, I do not like this. It was too dry and too intense for me. After a half an hour I still am sorry to say it doesn’t work for me. It is not awful, but just not my thing. I wish I could explain why and what notes I don’t like, but I’m not an educated nose.I guess I am just not the knowing type. Even tho it’s not for me I can tell it is a quality perfume. Somehow it seems rather well put together. It does calm down a bit with the dry down.
Арман_Керей – :
Omg I remember Knowing when it launched and I was able to finally meet my favorite supermodel in the world Paulina Porizkova who was the spokesmodel for Estēe Lauder at that time so beautiful and she gave an autograph and there it was a gorgeous bottle of Knowing in front of me that eventually I bought and now everytime I wear Knowing it reminds me of her and those beautiful days I enjoyed wearing this beast of a fragrance, they don’t make them like they use to.
Beautiful luxurious dark and warm just so inviting and long lasting you’ll know, everyone will know you’re wearing KNOWING”
The Mimosa and oakmoss with the rose and civet sings with the plum oh so sweet and then warm woodsy mossy patchouli dances with the cloves and vetiver not overwhelming and on me the melon says I’m present..
Well done Elie Roger who also did Clinique’s Wrappings RIP!
Alex95 – :
I hadn’t tried this for years but decided to test it again today for some reason.
Obviously reformulated, but great job! Lauder obviously respect their old greats in a way certain other houses haven’t.
Superb sillage and longevity.
Not much more to add to the excellent reviews below, but this is a true chypre classic that has well and truly stood the test of time.
Knowing will most certainly be added to my wardrobe very soon.
Rocker123 – :
Knowing is powerful stuff. Like many EL fragrances it’s long lasting with strong sillage. I don’t know the age of my bottle, and from reading the comments it appears the fragrance has been reformulated.
Knowing is a perfume in the classic sense, there’s nothing light and watery fresh about it. It’s well blended and there’s nothing cheap about it.
It’s a good scent, I like it better than Pleasures. I tried combining the two fragrances and Pleasures came out on top and continued to dominate for hours.
Knowing is fine as it is, but it’s not exceptional. I like EL frags, and there are more I’d like to discover.
But I’ll keep Knowing around, that much I know for sure.
Андрей Лесников – :
What the hell happened to this between 2014 and 2017 give or take? The bottle I got from a new batch smells like weaponized white musk and flat, headachey mimosa (which actually reminds me of Cacharel’s Eden) whereas the old one smelled like moss and roses.
Am I the only one who’s noticed a huge difference between batches around that time? There’s definitely no longer any oakmoss in it, which is confirmed by the list of ingredients on the back of the box. I know older post-2010 boxes did list it, but I don’t remember whether my 2014 one did.
tsv-1991 – :
With Knowing, one is in the the presence of royalty. It is the king of the chypres. It’s mix, notes and formulation is a master piece in artistry. Unfortunately, chypres for some people are hard to like because they’re edgy and dry with the woody moss type notes. It can be an acquired taste. However, if you are one that like chypres then this is a must have in your collection. And as an added note. I think that some men would like to wear it too.
САЛОЕД – :
This smells like luxurious, musky rose soap. It’s not really an office scent, but for special occasions it’s amazing. It is also extremely strong
It will last 24 hours on fabric.
Bason1996 – :
I tried it, didn’t like it much. Too dusty and dry. Not my thing. It’s probably classy for a lot of people though, doesn’t smell cheap.
Puschistik94 – :
A real meaning of a Floral scent , I did not notice any fruits there and expected that it has only a collection of white and yellow flowers only . Soooo longlasting and the sillage is perfect .
vitos88888 – :
This is such a nice, elegant, and assertive fragrance. It’s definitely a classic rose chypre, and I love it. Not much more I can add to all the many reviewers that have praised this one. I have been craving this lately with all the wet spring evenings. It’s warm and sophisticated and I can still get that feeling of confidence and “get it done” for my evenings.
Abstruse – :
Smells exotic! It is sophisticated, it is luxurious, it is beautiful and it is elegant! Use it in your special day, example like : wedding days or anniversary days! This perfume is not boring (Pleasures is too boring!) and the best season to use is winter and falls! This is one of the best perfume by Estee Lauder! I like two fragrances from Estee Lauder, Beautiful (Original) and Knowing, both elegant, sophisticated, and beautiful 🙂
lalakun – :
Knowing in the current formulation smells like my college dorm’s laundry room. Have you ever left your clothes in the washer too long and then thrown them in the dryer with 4 or 5 highly scented dryer sheets and hoped for the best? That’s what this smells like. It’s a startling olfactory memory: warm and extreme soapy detergent musk mixed with a tinge of mildew and the remnants of Aromatics Elixir on a favorite hoodie. If I could cut the detergent note down by 3/4 I might love it.
vhu355bedyWelty – :
A wonderful toxic jasmin rose chipre, rich,spicy, leathery,sweet,civet,nitro musk,a lot of personality. The aldehydes gives a very dimensional olfactory game. When you wear it projects a wonderful aura around you.
I wear Knowing and should be wear by men too.
crerbarsels – :
I was a guest at the Australian Woman of the Year luncheon in the 1990’s and Estée Lauder gave a bottle to every guest. Very good marketing on their part, because Knowing is powerful, feminine and a very clever composition, so it really seemed to sum up the purpose of that event. I bet a great many guests are still purchasing it today like me. While it is strong, it’s not in the class of other 90’s power perfumes which nearly knock you over with their headiness (I’m not saying that’s a bad thing). I adore Knowing, and would love it even if it didn’t evoke memories of an event celebrating some of the world’s most incredible women.
Skif – :
I never liked this. I guess Oakmoss turns me off a bit. And now I’m wearing Cristalle and I don’t like the initial burst of oakmoss with that either, but Cristalle does settle to something I like I don’t know that Knowing ever would and it was the vintage knowing that I didn’t like in the 90s.
In fact I really wanted to like the Estee perfumes but I only ever really liked Cinnabar. These days though I like some of the Michael Kors perfumes and they are by the Lauder house. I did like White Linen back in the 80s but trying it the other day at the mall I did not.
romul17 – :
This is a beautiful, oak-mossy, a little bit spicy, rose chypre. I bought a small vintage perfume, and it smells just perfect, just like I remember when it first came out. Rich rose and tuberose, woods/ a touch green from the vetiver, civet, oakmoss… I can see how this conjures up images of late fall for people.
Interesting the age associations with this, I read all sorts of reviews referring to this as “old lady” and recommending this for ages 30+ or 40+. My older sister actually wore this when it first came out in 1988, she was 18, and it was her signature scent all through college. This was before the “teen” market really exploded in the 90s. Late 80s, teenagers were still shopping for clothes in the women’s department (with the exception of maybe Benetton, Esprit and Merry Go Round). During that time period, there was a certain independence and push towards adulthood much sooner than these days, and it was perfectly normal and acceptable for High School and college aged girls to being wearing the Estée Lauders and other department store perfumes of that time period.
Because of my memories & associations with this, to me this smells like late 80s young adulthood and freedom/ independence. I think this perfume was very popular in the 90s amongst all sorts of women, though. By today’s standards, I think it’s very “unisex” and would also smell lovely on a man.
As far as the current formulation, it’s truly ghastly. I tried it at Nordstrom’s, and to me it smells like this area where I walk my dog, all earthly with fallen leaves, but then you catch whiffs of urine because that’s where all of the dogs pee. I don’t know if it’s the synthetic floral ingredients (people do report Jasmine in particular goes “cat pee” on them, but I smell it in the current Knowing from first spray, so I don’t think it’s my chemistry), the absence of oakmoss, or what. There’s also this metallic side smell that emerges, not sure what that is, but Chanel 19 also has it now. The mini Knowing I bought was under $10 on EBay, I recommend getting that. You only need a little, this is a very strong, potent perfume.
DOG – :
Initially, it will turn you off, much like Clinique Aromatics……
Very strong, earthy notes of oak moss, civet, dried leaves, yet it has some sweetness toward the dry down, and I get a honey, smoky scent.
The floral notes begin later, in about one hour,…. you can smell bitter-sweet tuberose and roses.
Very sophisticated fragrance.
I think this on a young woman would be charming.
It is a definite for Winter. Today was not the coldest day, however, and as soon as the sun hit it, it did not evolve and shut down right back into the initial blast. Not good.
I would never wear this in the Summer.
Lasts for HOWAHS! I still smell it after 8 hrs.
Sillage enormous.
I like it.
ivanpetrovcev – :
Deep. Appropriate for the name. I really like this one; complex, a little dark, yet wearable for all occasions.
Apemabafefs – :
An almost leather chypre fragrance with a heavy dosage of civet. At first, I found this nauseating. After about 5 minutes, I was reminded strongly of Cabochard. Instant love, almost.
djallex666 – :
Archetypal soapy oakmossy mimosa chypre and so not my thing. Maybe it’s just the power of suggestion due to the name but it does feel knowing, teacher-like, wise old owl vibes. Tweed suits and thick-rimmed glasses.
depom – :
Belongs among the line of classic, old ladyish floral aldehidic fragrances.
I find similar to Chanel N°5 and Kiehl’s original musk EDT but this one is way, way more bitter, like something masculine. I definitely think it was the oakmoss, even though I don’t know what does it “actually” smells.
I’m attracted to old fashioned/old ladyish fragrances like the ones I mentioned before but this one is too bitter and quite masculine for my liking.
7/10
stoun – :
This is such a beautiful scent, its dry, mossy, woody….with a hint of rose…
Its like taking a forest walk one late spring afternoon, when the sun shines through the canopy of trees, the fallen leaves are dry on the mossy forest floor, delicate scent of wild roses lingering in the warm air….
You are quiet and reflective, absorbing the sheer beauty of the surrounds….the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds…..you walk alone….feeling safe, as if the angels have you under their wings…..
There is magic all around….
Tricybibe – :
I do not like chypre scents much but this is one of the more pleasant ones. It reminds me of a grade school teacher I had who was a lovely person. Is autumnal like dry leaves, cool moss, grass. I would not wear it but i appreciate it on others. I get more powder and woods than oakmoss or civet. This is a lighter, less intense Paloma Picasso.
zehlen – :
Strong womanly scent. This is what i call real perfume. Love Knowing!
dropdead1992 – :
This is a big surprise for me. It´s absolutely beautiful. It reminds me Chamade a lot, which is also really very sophisticated and rich fragrance. I didn´t know about it untill now, but I´m really happy to find this treasure.
After using it for some time I must say I absolutely adore it. I got a lot of compliments, so I suppose people around me love it too.
CosyAbubs – :
At 25, I’m finally realizing all of the scents that once made me turn up my nose are actually quite beautiful if you can get past the initial blast of notes.
I went to the mall fully prepared to purchase Estee’s “Private Collection,” a beautiful, green, soapy scent in its own right. I instead walked out with this one. It’s earthy, herbal, dry and absolutely delicious. This could absolutely be pulled off beautifully on a man.
The longevity and “throw” “Knowing” provides is absolutely amazing. I have been doing 1 spray underneath my clothing by my belly button with one spray to walk through and I can smell this on myself all day long. Thank you, Steven Tyler, for the belly button/perfume tip.
There’s something a bit savory in this perfume – a little like salty skin. It really blooms in the heat and makes me feel all sorts of cozy and chic.
Masterpiece.
uywwfeeayax – :
A beautiful unique long lasting perfume….
On my skin, it amplifies stronger than Poison and White Linen.
Its dry, dusty and yet addictive….
I love it…..
cqx414Unlogrere – :
Blind bought a current version EDP produced in 2016. It is beyond lovely 🙂 If someone’s ever wondered whether it can be worn in hot and humid climate, it wears beautifully! The sillage is fantastic. Those who love chypres will definitely appreciate this beauty.
P.S.: it has quickly become my most complimented perfume
npg696Negeltzex – :
As most of my favourite perfumes have been discontinued over the years – i am 44 – I decided to look for a new autumn/winter scent.
As a teen and early 20s I wore Avon nightmusk and obsession. My mother wore opium which I also loved.
I made a birthday Trip to the department store for some odd reason I went straight to the Estée Lauder counter.
Now…I have never worn Estée Lauder but my glamorous aunt always did. Her scents were Estée and white linen.
For some reason that day she was obviously on my mind and I found myself asking the girl for a tester strip of both.
I smelt Estée first and the tears sprang to my eyes. It was like being a child again and smelling all her lipsticks and makeup.
I loved both scents on her so imagine my disappointment that they smell awful on me 🙁
I decided to try some others…most were far too floral for me but then…wow.
I tried cinnabar and knowing.
Cinnabar is full on oriental and gorgeous but then I sniffed knowing and I just….knew.
I have worn it all autumn and winter and it’s now nearly gone but I will be buying again when my birthday rolls round again.
It’s warm, sexy, a bit skanky in a way! And yet classy at the same time.
I love it.
Thanks Aunty Audrey, I hope you approve x
fitorodnik – :
Knowing reminds me of winter and fall, Christmas and Thanksgiving. When I first bought it in the late 80’s, I wore it to holiday parties. Because I was in school back then, money was tight, so I could only afford to wear it on special occasions. Today I wear it more often, but I still find it special. When I wear Estee Lauder Beautiful, I get complimented all the time; but it’s the rare guy who will compliment me on Knowing. I always look at those guys with a new appreciation.
molchanov – :
Not a fan. Too heavy almost metallic…chalky even. I don’t do well with the older Ester Lauders. I prefer something fresher less stifling. Doesn’t smell sexy or pretty on me, smells very dusty. That’s ok Estee actually works for me.
hunter454 – :
Oh dear… I’m gonna get a lot flack for this review -_-
I really don’t like it… One of my aunts used to wear this, and I remember how it stifled me as a child. No matter how much I loved my aunt, I could never sit next to her for too long.
There’s something dense, heavy, almost like lead in Knowing… It makes me think of sweat, and earth, and potpourri.
Maybe I’m just too much of a child in the world of “big girl” perfumes, or maybe my nose is too used to the more sedate smells of modern perfumes like La Vie Est Belle.
I know alot of great ladies who love this perfume, and I respect them, but this one ain’t for me 🙁
**
jrj088elipseskism – :
It’s a classic old-fashioned powerhouse in a good way. The oakmoss and aldehydes are very prominent. Only for confident ladies. Silage is phenomenal. I am not sure if it’s my thing, but it caught my attention for sure.
yokiorg – :
I thought I would love this with the roaring reviews it receives but it makes me feel trapped…it is heavy and synthetic.
bookashka – :
Knowing is so precious. Beautiful, elegant, easy to wear, compliment catcher. Long lasting and projecting. A true gem and a keeper. It will sit next to Patchouli Absolu Tom Ford and Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT, so I can layer it with fruity perfumes and maybe the sweet ones that lack refinery, but we have time to play!
Basically a spicy citrusy oakmossy patchouli. I just can’t get enough of the patch. Herbal, dirty at times, an excellent pairing with oakmoss. Such a typical chypre base, but in here it is so prominent it’s breathtaking. Don’t worry about the civet. Feels more rosey than mimosa. As for the rest of the notes they are rather supportive or giving depth. Coriander though is intensified on skin, but it could be my skin, because I had just the same experience with Rush Gucci.
Powdery as cosmetics, it’s good, I like it. A wrist crack. Can’t wait for the summer to wear Knowing. Crisp and dry, she blooms in heat and survives water!
Death13 – :
So smooth, captivating, so impeccable! A perfect chypre, a cut above everything else I sprayed today in Douglas. I have smelled it years ago and I fell in love instantly, but it was a long time since I sniffed it. Today I re-tested it, and it was so complex and alluring. The other juices I smelled seemed lifeless and simple in comparison.
People so often say that the reformulations are only a mere shadow of the vintage, or downright terrible compared to it; to me, today’s Knowing is so beautiful and alluring and perfect, effortlessly elegant. So well blended, no sharpness, all serene harmony and balance.
To my nose, it is close to Magie Noire and Paloma Picasso, but even smoother and somehow friendlier, perhaps also suitable to less serious, more playful moods. Of course, only with a strictly elegant attire. Might be even similar to La Panthere, which is a very special modern fragrance, but I have to re-test that too. While it is strikingly out of this era, it is just as relevant today as ever. I hope they will keep producing it, along with the other EL classics.
_petroff_ – :
Knowing hands down the best “Chypre” perfume ever! I don’t need other Chypres this does it for me it is just gorgeous best of Estee Lauder and I have a 2014 bottle and still a beautiful mossy scent with strength now this is a true Chypre it last forever on me and I spray 3 to 4 sprays and that’s all I need! Truly a classic.
bender1983 – :
I used to wear this when it first came out and wore it pretty regularly. Then it seemed to have gone through some reforms over the years, and to my nose got a little too mossy. But I repurchased it in 2016 and it smells again how it did in the beginning, so now I’m wearing it pretty regularly again.
I love the scent and the silage, but do not find it as strong and overwhelming as others. It reminds me of an expensive French or Italian perfume, without any vanilla.
I also like Cinnabar and Spellbound. They’re all so different than any other Department store perfumes. I just got a little annoyed with all the reforms. But they all seem pretty okay again. We’ll see how long before another reform.
kostroma44 – :
Knowing is reminiscent of the classic chypre of yesteryear. Beautiful classic oak moss, civet, woodsy rose that just melts into the skin, a very soft, sexy, animalistic woodsy floral. It’s luxuriousness requires a light touch, barely a whisper of fragrance is all that’s required. What a beautiful fragrance, like moonlight caressing your skin.
rick pc – :
Oh my gosh one spritz and it took me back to another time. It evokes happy and safe memories of a time long gone by. I am so happy to revisit those memories with this perfume.
Until recently, I had not smelled it in many many years. Knowing is a total beauty. This one is not of course like all the modern day scents out there. She’s a floral spice unlike the ones of today’s market that tends to put you at risk for type 2 diabetes. It has a dated vibe but I love it. I love this perfume totally beautiful, not something I would ever be afraid to wear with the thought it is old fashioned. She’s a beauty in every way. ♥ ♥ ♥
Beneath the initial blast of chypre floral’s, vetiver and musk lies something naughty and somewhat dark. I can’t put my finger on it. I just watched the video above and they nailed it so to speak!
Strange part is my husband does not care for it at all. He normally loves smelling my perfumes. But this one is a no go for him. Like the great Meatloaf once said, “I will do anything for love.. but I won’t do that”. He won’t come near me with this one.
Roma1991Essentuky – :
Wonderful, just so utterly gorgeous. In these hard times this is exactly what is needed to get the most out of your bucks.
This is no watered-down type and one bottle will last you year’s. To water it down a to treat yourself for summer, it’s easy to spray a few sprays down a funnel into a plastic dispensing spray bottle and full it up with water and a dash of lotion to combine it all, shake it up and you are good to go for summer.
muachungryh – :
Put off at first–why did I buy it? Along with Aliage, Azuree, Youth Dew, Private Collection, Aromatics Elixir, Cinnabar… just too strong out of the bottle. Put it in back of the shelf. What I forget, and I should know better, is that “good” perfume is concentrated, meant to be applied lightly. It has the oil and density to last and last.
Went around the corner other day to try Burberry, Ferragamo, Miyaki, which must be part of the same company because they’re in the same store. I test four. Nice enough out of the bottle: “catchy,” you could say, pretty, lively. But 15 minutes later–gone, and the dry downs smell like rubber erasers, or wiper fluid, or the old candy called Wax Lips.
I just had to give Knowing a chance, especially for 2016 noses. Sometimes reviewers say don’t leave the house for the first half-hour after applying a certain strong scent; might want to make that an hour for Knowing. In the 80’s it was fashionable to “spray it in the air and walk through it,” and some reviewers say that’s a waste. It doesn’t mean make a cloud, it means psst psst and walk through it.
This is a walk-through scent, and in polite disagreement with another reviewer, one that is very good on clothing. Doesn’t smell like air spray, plug-ins, soap–even good soap; deodorant, shampoo, or candles. It is the essence of rich, moving, complex Fragrance. An art form, not an accessory.
Vladimir Tsvitinsky – :
“I’ve always ♥ perfumes. Perfumes of yesteryear are oakmoss-heavy. Therefore, I’ve always ♥ oakmoss.”
Suffice it to say that when an oakmoss comes along and is friendly towards me I am delighted. It is a rare occurrence but one which I welcome. I hold dear the scents that have survived my change in body chemistry and the new scents that fly in the face of my dislike. One of the few survivors is Knowing. Knowing was probably one of the last classical chypres created before giving way to ‘fruitchoulies’, otherwise known as modern chypres. She represents a bygone era but I do not doubt she will be the first to usher in a chypre renaissance, where oakmoss will be as revered as whisky during The Prohibition of the last century. As oakmoss faces mandates and enforcements that will lead to its olfactory extinction Knowing will be smuggled through backdoors and displayed covertly on vanity tables throughout the world.
I don’t know exactly what it is about Knowing that is so alluring, so sensual, so boldly feminine—though not to say this would not work splendidly on a man’s chemistry. I can only describe it as a fragrant equivalent to MAC’s iconic red lipstick, Ruby Woo. I don’t know a woman alive who hasn’t tried it on and not felt like the ultimate femme fatale. Maybe it is the intoxicating mixture of voluptuous roses, mysterious oakmoss, and carnal civet.
Yeah, I can see where a new generation of men and women might feel repulsed. As much as I love my gourmands, none can spell out S-E-X like Knowing (or, really, at all). Knowing is deeply romantic and erotically moving. It’s old fashioned and—not to be crude—it’s the reason a new generation came into existence. There are probably a few readers out there who were born in the 1990s who owe their existence to Knowing (sorry, kids, to go there). It was a perfume for seduction. It wasn’t meant to be pretty or fun. Knowing had a job to do and she did it so very well.
Knowing is also a reminder that once long ago oakmoss and I had a history together. Oakmoss was never more zaftig than it is here in Knowing. She’s larger than life and certainly intimidating but you’ll find no better joyride companion than her.
maksim21065 – :
It is winter so this perfume will be good
It’s a kind of perfume that goese with human skin so well.
sasha123sasha – :
I’m not sure Estee Lauder is a good perfume house for me. I sometimes like the scent on paper but not on myself. I had an aunt who wore these types of chypres in the 90s she had very long nails and lots of jewelry. I’m not sure I’d she wore Knowing, or Ysatis but it definitely reminds me of aunt Phyllis so I get some sort of nice nostalgia. I don’t tend to like moss in scents though…I prefer Ysatis to this all in all.
anastasiya1988 – :
Very very elegant, womanly perfume. The most gorgeous warm florals and woods, a juicy plum, with a hint of spice. Absolutely lovely. Makes me feel very wise, and knowing. Yes;