Description
More voluptuous, more intense, more sensual than the original version of Sensuous, a new fragrance by Estee Lauder – Sensuous Noir includes characteristic wooden tones, floral notes of roses and jasmine and subtle aromas of benzoin, honey, vanilla and amber that carry the entire composition.
Sensuous Noir has a stronger, more intoxicating and more seductive scent than the prior fragrance. The top notes include a floral blend of purple rose, jasmine, rose oil, black pepper and spices. The heart focuses on the warm wooden notes, typical for this scent, with the use of the innovative Nature Print technology.
The smell of dissolved wood generated by pine tree and guaiac wood merging “was captured” exactly by this technology and used as a seductive note that was first used as a sensory note and complemented by innovative Noir cream, lily flowers and patchouli notes. The base notes include benzoin, amber and soft vanilla with amber aroma.
The fragrance is available in a distinctive bottle of thick glass in enchanting purple colour and decorated with luxurious red gold stopper. The face of the advertising campaign for Sensuous Noir is the model Carolyn Murphy. The scent will be available in amount of 30 and 50 ml EDP in September 2010.
Kh_richa – :
Not really a review but this is currently back in stock at the Saks off 5th website!!! Go get it ladies!! I’m praying this is back in production because it is SO FABULOUS.
lif125speagoessenda – :
This is far prettier than Sensuous .
I was at the EL counter one evening for about 45 minutes. I noticed one of the sales ladies behind the counter as she carried our her tasks . I also observed that she sprayed the original Senous on herself about three times in 45 minutes. That is because Sensuous gets lost pretty fast .
Sensuous Noir is not a shrinking get lost fragrance ( that makes you feel your money is wasted ) . It is rich , spicy and has a few notes that remind me of Euphoria . It projects nicely and lasts the whole day long and then some . Sadly I did not see EL promote this great fragrance . I stumbled on it in an outlet store that sells EL products, and was in shock that I had never seen it . After a sniff , I snagged it and I can say that it has impressed me and think anyone who likes the notes should snag this rich fragrance that smells expensive before it disappears . If I was running the EL sales market , I would promote this version and shift Sensuous to the outlet stores .
I always get compliments on this perfume . If you love Euphoria, you might love this too .
Noir is one of the all time bests from Estée Lauder .
zapar79 – :
first burst is a cold unrelenting patchouli, softens into a woody syrup after 30 mins. Couldn’t say that I liked either stage one or stage 2. Not particularly sensuous in my book, it’s too butch for that and yet not edgy enough to be edgy.
P.S After 1 hr it turns into a non-descript soap.
jdef – :
I’m wearing this beauty on a warm summer day and it’s not overpowering, though this is probably much nicer in the cooler months. Sensuous Noir is my first Estée Lauder fragrance and I really like it, so much so that I want to test the other two related flankers.
It’s a deep, sultry amber scent loaded with benzoin and some earthy patchouli. The whole mix gives me a spicy incense vibe. And I pick up what others say about this feeling like Shiseido’s FdB, but this is like the cool younger aunt who lives in Europe.
The only thing I don’t like is falling in love with a discontinued scent. 9/10 for me.
andreiplatonov1984 – :
Why stop this perfume?? For God’s sake, why why why!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously??? Jesus……
Аскербий – :
To me, this smells so close to Nanette Lepore Nanette. It’s just more spicy. The original Sensuous is possibly hiding in there, somewhere, waaay down deep. Take away that peppery, incensy note, and, to me, it’s a dead ringer for Nanette. Love them both.
bodyanski – :
Hi there,
For those of you who are thinking of blindbying this think of Opium in the beginning and Tom Ford’s white patchouli as it develops into the benzoin bomb that it is.
AndrejP – :
I am absolutely in love. This fragrance is full of BENZOIN!!! amber, patch with a hint of pine and pepper and some underlying jasmine and lily but I would not call this a floral. It is dark and warm. Rich. Not overpowering and a bit sweet.
Kurskii – :
Just got my bottle in today. On first spray (1-2 min) it smells perfumey, floral. It then starts to become heavier and darker. This reminds me of TF Black Orchid, not a dupe but a cousin, the favorite cousin. I smell all the listed notes, thankfully the florals subside and become supporting cast members only. Nice purple bottle and good frag. This stuff has a great scent cloud in this cool 57 degree weather today. This is def for cool to cold weather. If you consider Black Orchid unisex you will feel the same about this, no more masculine or fem IMO. I can see this being another frag people scramble for when they hear it’s been discontinued and it will fetch a high price. Recommended. Happy sniffing
Update: This is already in the mid and bottom note range. It’s dry down phase smells better than black orchid IMO because it doesn’t have that waxy smell Black Oechid has and the it’s sweeter (smells yummy) than BO… Recommended.
melia-777 – :
On me the pine is not the star but is in the background behind a spicy sweetness. Wished it was less sweet and more earthy and pine. Prefer Filles on Aiguilles for pine and forest floor smell, it’s more refreshing and realistic.
risearpensoms – :
As of September, I started making monthly perfume trays in order to get to know the perfumes I already own even better. This is on October’s tray, and now that the last days of October are coming to an end, I feel that I can give a pretty fair review on this. 🙂
This is beautiful. It’s strange because I bought it in spring of this year, not giving it a proper wear until this month. When I tried it in the spring upon buying (blindly, of course), I liked it but wasn’t entirely impressed. I thought it was weak and wasn’t very “noir” but…something happened when I started wearing it this month. The woods and pine started dancing on my skin and flooding my senses in a good way. It reminds me a little of Lolita Lempicka. Not the scent itself, but the feelings it invokes. It reminds me of a woodland fairy. One minute you see her, the next you don’t. That’s what I believe makes this scent very wearable and not overbearing. If I smelled a pine tree all day long, I might get sick, but with the honey, amber, and spices to complement the pine, this turns out to be absolutely gorgeous. Any moment I think that this scent has faded, I get whiffs of this lovely gem. It literally is beautiful all-around, even the bottle, which is a royal gem purple. This IS a noir scent, just not super strong like Black Orchid or Poison. This is perfect for a stroll on a cool autumn day. Goes perfectly with boots, scarf, and a light jacket. I hope to always have this in my collection for autumn/winter.
jubasin1 – :
This perfume inspired me and calm me down at the same time. It smells like sensuous with a lot more spice and wood. I don’t get a sweet note that some review said, to me every notes are blended and suprisingly quite clean. I have a migrane but I don’t have a problem wearing Sensuous Noir 1-2 spray on a lower part of my body. For a perfume called ‘noir’ this one is quiet and polite. But I think about a quote from Keira Knightly she said “I want a perfume that makes me feel standing up straight”. The fact that this scent reminded me of Christmas, my favorite time of the year, is also a big plus!
Sig42 – :
i loved it but the old man hated it isnt it strange how fragrance evokes such differing opinions , i still recomend it 🙂
kolevatov55 – :
I have never found an Estee Lauder fragrance that I have gotten along with. That is, until I found Sensuous Noir. It’s a very unusual fragrance, and definitely not something I would expect from the brand. Very woody pine and spices, with the tiniest touch of sweetness and creaminess, right on the edge of being masculine. My husband could just as easily wear this fragrance – those are my favorite kind. On top of that, the sillage is powerful and it really lasts.
This is my dream winter evening fragrance. What a stunner!
jonik886 – :
@corvid_charm
I love your review!
I am searching for The Best Patchouli, and I stumbled across this fragrance.
Never tried it, but thanks to your witty judgement I will just have to search and sniff it!
Takc – :
Noir is so comforting. I tested this expecting a smoky, earthy woody punch in the face. But it’s sooo mellow and soft. It has such a maternal vibe about it.
I get mainly pine (which I mistook for a very soft sandalwood), honey and spice. It’s just a safe, comforting scent. i really love it.
Max.front – :
Tried this again today, to me its like if you mixed the original sensuous with nirvana black and some pine which creates a nice menthol touch.
Overall its sexy with soft sillage that doesn’t leave a trail.
Im not sure if its me since the original is my aunts signature and i already own nirvana black.
On the skin it mellows out after a while and becomes smooth and sweeter.
It is very beautiful though, a little gothic, quite sweet and oriental.
Selend – :
How strong is this fragrance?Exhibit A: I have to store the closed bottle in ziplock bag or it will waft through the whole room. Exhibit B: Four hours after application (a single spray on the right wrist), I sat across a massive oak desk from someone who told me, “Pardon me, I find your perfume overwhelming.” From my perspective, I was only catching quite occasional bursts of delicious dark pine. From his, it was like a whole German forest was being rammed up his nose.
One of my favourite fragrances, this is deep, delightful, weird, almost sinister, like (as I have said previously) being trapped in a pine tree by a mischievous fairy. I cannot do without it on a chilly day. But spray with caution.
You have been warned!
ezq727elipseskism – :
I have to stop blind-buying scents based off reviews, as I’m clearly not capable of imagining what they smell like.
I’m not immediately a huge fan of this. It might be because it’s spring, not winter. It reminds me of a very generic 90s cologne when I smell it wafting around me.
That being said, it smells amazing close to the skin. I’m not sure how or why, but this fragrance smells much better to me and on me when it’s smelled up close. I’m able to detect the different elements and it’s very sexy and subtle. Unfortunately, I feel like the cloud of scent around me isn’t all that pleasant.
I’m hoping maybe colder air will make it smell different. I’m hanging on to this one for a while.
—
edit:
I don’t love it until it dries down, then it’s much more subtle and sensuous.
gadj111 – :
This fragrance smells like Christmas night to me. Beautiful and full of sweet pine. Great winter nighttime scent.
Валерия Апокина – :
I like this fragrance. Wonderful for a seductive intimate evening. I have sprayed it on the pillow cases too, but an FYI: do so sparingly, it can become overpowering. My favorite of the 3 is still the original Sensuous.
hhhqqqtpofgh – :
I think of this one as the “feminine” version of Phoenix by Keith Urban. The varnish-like quality of Phoenix is not in this one but otherwise it’s rather similar (there is a very similar “dark” berry element). And I’m not getting vanilla here, though it’s sweet, but instead it smells more tonka-like. I’m a fan of this kind of composition but I can see how some might view it as too sweet or simple. I can only handle it once every couple of weeks, at most, so I would caution against blind buying with the thought of making it an everyday or signature scent. And to me this is “unisex,” if you like ones such as A*Men – it’s mostly a matter of swapping out lavender for another floral note or two.
Ethedogog – :
This is one of my favorite perfumes for evening, EVER! I love the sweet, peppery, pine goodness. I want to say this is a bit masculine but it might just be because I am used to such sweet perfumes. It’s intense but in a good way and I love that it lasts SO LONG! I am talking 12 hours and more if you add a few sprays to clothing. I am a little pissed that this is being advertised as “discontinued” , “Hard to find” and sellers are jacking up the price very high… It is NOT discontinued.. I purchased mine 2 weeks ago and when I saw it on the sales counter I was amazed because I had just paid almost $100 for it on ebay like an idiot thinking it was no longer being sold. The sales woman opened her drawer where they keep the fragrance stock and there were 7 in there as well as added it is still on her order inventory. SO. I don’t know if it’s a regional thing? Perhaps they stop selling it in certain states? lol Not sure but here in NC it’s everywhere. DO NOT pay the high price you see on ebay for this. Yes it is fantastic but you can go online to Belk and order it for 70 bucks. I don’t ever want to be without this perfume, I will say.
edgerrytazy – :
Patchouli, pepper and pine
Three p:s I love . almost like their outdoing each other, but finally emerge into friendship. Vanilla and Honey in the base. A very intense start , but if you can handle it like a cool girl like me, can – you’ll be rewarded…A seductive must Have !
lrg264Diobtetty – :
Mmmmmm! Sweet, spicy evergreen, Sensuous Noir smells more niche than mainstream, very sexy, and has just enough polish. I don’t find that it smells unisex, but feminine with a masculine edge, if that makes any sense. Patchouli-phobes will want to steer clear, but I find that it is in balance to the other, more distinctive notes. This is one of the few perfumes called “Noir” that actually lives up to it, and of course it performs very well in terms of projection and longevity. Estee Lauder just gets it.
bmw325 – :
When I recieved a sample of this, I was very excited.
I definitely expected it pack more of a punch than it did. I thought this would smell like a dark, magical forest, but all I got was a rather watery, weak, jumbled patchouli-woodiness. It was nice, but not what I expected. In fact, I felt like this wasn’t even dark at all.
Wanted to love it, couldn’t. I like it, but would never buy a full bottle.
Bleach9072 – :
On me it is tiringly linear and masculine 🙁 A patchouli bomb with evergreen edge and a hint of pepper. There’s also a cold amber in the base, and nothing sweetens or lifts it up. Makes me depressed and tired and the masculine edge is something I dislike on me. I wish I was getting some of the magic described in the comments.
Joviffvoila – :
questo è uno di quei casi in cui un profumo prescinde dal genere. benchè sia stato commercializzato come una fragranza da donna, si ritrovano qui note caratteristiche di profumi maschili (conifera, legni, spezie) piuttosto caldi e orientali. indipendentemente dal genere, è un profumo assai gradevole e avvolgente, resinoso quanto basta a renderlo più apprezzabile con il freddo. le prime note sono speziate e legnose, con un bel tocco di pepe e pino, mentre il cuore è di patchouli e ambra, con sentori di vaniglia e benzoino. l’assestamento rimane sul resinoso e restituisce un effetto orientale mai stucchevole e ben bilanciato. bello e senza tempo, riscalda senza addolcire troppo.
LAREK – :
There’s nothing more i can say about this perfume that hasn’t already been said. This is my all time favorite fall/winter scent. It’s better than the niche i have and that I’ve tried. This is so deep, complex, dark, spicy, woody, resinous, warm, thick and smells hot. The added pine is genius! Everthing i love in my perfumes is in here. Everthing i was searching for is in here! It reminds me of the woods in the winter , you’ve been hiking collecting sap from trees and the scent of the woods is on you and now your sitting by a warm fire in a cabin, decorated with Christmas trees, and the smell of spices in the air. My husband loves this on me and said i smell like hot oil. Whatever he means by that, lol. But he loves this just as much as me! Amazing longevity and sillage as well.
KCrack – :
I bought this since I love female perfumes that border on a masculine side and I like well mixed perfumes that are not too floral. It reminds me of a more balanced version of Tom Fords Black Orchid (maybe even the velvet version too, not sure). Black Orchid was always too Dominant, Floral and Bitter to me for some reason (maybe not for my body chemistry).
This here instead is a perfect melange where you can’t really tell what is in it at first. You always smell multiple complementing things at once so nothing is actually overpowering the other and it does not annoy or cloy. Some would say it smells generic, maybe not connoisseur, or unique enough like those niche perfumes etc. because it does not stand out as being so unique but that is exactly what I like in a perfume when it is a nice mix that just comes together to complement each other. This one does just that. E.g. Black Orchid is just too dominant on a few notes which I found boring rather quickly on me. One just has to wait a few minutes for this perfume to actually work with the body chemistry to realize that it has something special to it.
When you initially spray it one gets a hint of incense, sweet but sharp vanilla, peppercorn meets white floral and wood and a big whiff of musk. It then changes to a close to the body incense with a lot of spiciness and pepper with a woodsy touch (like cedar). It dries down to a non-dominant finish that is not floral but piney but in an elegant way (after about half a day), like a pine flower in a hint of vanilla and musk, but not as dominant as in many male perfumes.
Longevity is not the best but definitely not the worst, the other versions of sensuous were gone within minutes on my skin but this one stuck a few hours at least. Medium longevity I would say. I think it stays very close to the person, def. no trail here.
QWERTY79 – :
Oh yeessss, be still my beating heart. This is rich, velvety, deeply, darkly satisfying and grown up. It puts Estee Lauder fragrances back up there with the best of them. With Autumn in the air it’s time to open up the purpleness and experience its warm, long lasting embrace. I have no idea what Crème Noir is in the mix but it is all beautifully blended: roses, smokiness, woody, patchouli. A wonderful brew which needs some body products too!
raduga5 – :
OMG this. Is HEAVEN , I can smell spices and they are hot hot hot , dirty patchouli is a big kicker here but it’s perfectly blended with dry woods and dark amber honey and my fave benzoin a dark n creamy sexy rose and incense fuzziness is what bamboozles my senses here.
On first spritz I’m in love , this also somehow in all it’s spicy glory manages to my nose to smell a tiny bit clean and soapy ,But this is not overdone it’s just in the mid notes somewhere I think it’s how it pulls off it’s feminine side as it could have been masculine otherwise and so long as your a woman of any age with a daring side here and there you will pull this beauty off easily however if your a soft skinscent floral kinda girl who’s scared to stand out u may want to pass as this is no shrinking violet.
I been wondering where the “sexy” heady perfumes are at and this has gotta be one of them!
If you love chanel coco noir get ready to put this nearby on the shelf for it just may be as good though a little different .
If your planning a night with the BF of hubby or the milkman or window cleaner ( haha)
Spritz a little of this on first I think this will give you the confidence of a wonder bra and that man in your life will think you smell like a Goddess .
Sweet warm and passionate an oriental that’s sensuous as it’s name sake the grape purple bottle is perfect it’s exactly how it smells in colour.
Top marks from me in every way , lasts long too , get some !!
Edit ; I was in shock when my hubby said NO to this one ! Yup he hates it ,and he likes most of my fragrances I have never seen such a bad reaction to perfume. Hmmm it’s a strong fragrance I think maybe it’s best to try a tester first and check the reactions from those who will be very close to you b4 u splash out on a big bottle, unless of course ur unbothered by what anyone thinks.
romansirozhidinov – :
This is similar to the original Sensuous with a spicy kick. Clearly meant for nighttime, this scent truly is Sensuous. Beautifully done.
mafiya – :
Well hello sexy., I been looking for you.
give pepper give me fir give me resins!
sexy and dark and magical.
This seems like a night forest scene the firs are just divine.
I have fallen deeply in love.
If you like resin deeps notes then try this beauty out.
not IMO unisex, its just to womanly.
yurchyk – :
Very nice, this one. Personally I don’t find it too unisexy, but my tolerance for that is admittedly high. Honeyed patchy pine. Intriguing.
Lusik8484 – :
Very unisex, but a very sexy scent.
Its not as masculine as Elle ysl, there is a softness about this.
Though I’m not sure if i am able to pull this off on my skin.
I love the pine in this, its perfect, not harsh like a yankee candle
and not sickeningly synthetic either.
михей2012 – :
This is warm & spicy & SEXY! Very appropriate for winter time, reminds me of Christmas. It’s also very affordable and has quality/longevity – this is exactly what I love about the Estee Lauder brand. I don’t understand the reviews saying its too masculine, I find it very feminine.
innonsebaibly – :
I thought I was going to love this based on the reviews and notes, but it’s so masculine on me I can’t bare it. Mind you, I wear some men’s colognes like Spicebomb and unisex Middle Eastern oils, but this perfume doesn’t even seem unisex to me. It’s all masculine woods and a very powdery amber. It’s heavy, cloying and fairly linear.
DEMMON – :
I sadly only have a small sample of this I got from a giveaway. This scent is IT. The dark woodsy desire I have been burning for. In a beautiful bottle of my favorite color. This is almost masculine but something stops it just before it crosses that line. It’s very unusual and addicting. A one of a kind scent experience for those who appreciate woodsy perfumes.
pabda94 – :
This is a gorgeous autumn night in the pine forest and you’re wearing a scent that matches up with the woods that drives your lover crazy and you’re in the tent at night still smelling of the hike through the forest from earlier that day. I thought this was very nice and very touching. I usually avoid wood in fragrance because it turns masculine but I’ve discovered the joys and pleasure of wood (no pun intended). This is big on woodsy notes. It has guiacum wood and pine, lots of pine. There are two subtle soft floral scents of rose and jasmine. There’s pepper and spices which give it an Oriental spicy aspect that I like. It has a sexy seductive air to it and feminine despite all the woods. The honey is what keeps this creature in the female body. It’s a sweet but very sticky honey almost but not quite like apricot or nectar, just a very graphic honey or dirty honey like the one in Boudoir Vivienne Westwood. In fact if you like Boudoir check this out. This smells just as sexy. It has vanilla too but this is not a sweet vanilla nor gourmand in any way. It’s not always easy to wear and it’s quite strong so just spray lightly one spritz and youre good to go. It’s an evening perfume to wear out on dates or to wear to attract the bees to your honey. Sex bomb.
tula.71rus – :
Only for brave women! I adore it!
Ruslan111111 – :
This is the third time i’ve tried it now and it’s slowly turning from a dislike to a like.
The patchouli that I dislike is now nothing but a memory and I feel like today’s attire isn’t doing it any justice (a jumper and my work trousers) when I should be wearing a beautiful evening gown, luring a man to his demise as he follows me into the woods.
I haven’t smelt pine before in a scent but this one is so complex and I keep getting it wafting up from neck every now and again. I’ll keep exploring this one.
JOINAJAGS – :
An elegant, luxurious scent that reminds some people of Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. An evening perfume for a sophisticated, classy, elegant woman making a statement in her formal evening wear. Aside from all that, this is such a beautiful fragrance. My mother wears it with pride. I have worn it out on dates and have received compliments. I wear it to work. Roses, jasmines, lilies are mixed with spices, patchouli and woods. This is a very woodsy frag. Pine and guaiacum wood. And warm with honey and sweetened by vanilla. A fragrance of many facets: floral, spicy, sweet, romantic and strong. I loved it and I recommend it to you ladies.
urann – :
Sensuous Noir for me is a very pronounced warm spicy fragrance that is slowly sweetened very adequately to a heavenly amber honey drydown.
So the first spray test immediately gave me the pepper and spices with absolutely no trace of jasmine or rose. Unique, as I have no other such fragrance in my collection before. Wearing this in the day will be heady I imagine as it started very deep and “noir” indeed.
Then it developed in the next hour into a woody forest with scattered lily here and there, noticeable as the beginning of its sweet stage.
Finally the very feminine drydown of amber and honey lingers until its sixth hour when I woke up and had my shower. Traces of it can still be inhaled faintly before I spray my other perfume for the day.
I admire perfumes that really can develop and transform. Sensuous Noir is one of them. It’s sexy and warm, masculine yet eventually utterly feminine. It takes a flare and boldness to wear this, I consider it a challenge and really excited to try others of Estee Lauder’s offering, perhaps Amber Mystique next.
Edit: O wow….now I can smell the intoxicating lush and elevated rose with jasmine in the spicy mix. I own Givenchy Very Irresistible L’Intense and love the wet dark rose mixed with sweet plum there but this is warm embracing hot rose! Utterly sublime! LOVE definitely!
I don’t have anything to compare this bewitching noir perfume with yet. So opulent to the point that I’m struggling to find a perfect moment to wear it, especially in my tropical country. Hahaha I’ll keep you until the right time Sensuous Noir.
xopmovqujg – :
Sensuous Noir is a warm spicy scent. The combination of patchouli, sweet amber, and resins is almost chocolatey. There is slight rose note. It is a little sweet to be considered unisex but it is on the borderline of being a rather traditionally masculine type scent as it is quite smoky and peppery. If you are new to the idea of wearing masculine scents this may be a perfume to start with. What I love most is the pine needle note that infuses this dark balmy scent with some green outdoorsy freshness. I wish the pine needle note was stronger though to make this modern oriental stand out more. As far as mainstream female-marketed scents go though this is already a stand-out and it is a shame that it is discontinued.
I tested Sensuous Noir sometime very early in my interest of perfume and not really since. Remember really liking it, and since it is being discontinued I decided to purchase a discounted bottle at TJ Maxx without testing again beforehand. Unfortunately it smells very similar to me to Si Lolita by Lolita Lempicka, another peppery balmy scent with a hint of floral, of which I had a mini that took me forever to use up. I swapped this.
lisitsyn.iury – :
Oh, this is a fairy tale… This is Hänsel and Gretel – without the witch.
We have the deep pine forest, the honey, the candy canes and the sweet spice… There are a few flowers, softly glowing in the dark backyard…
But no witch. Maybe is it a fairy living here…? For there is definitely some warm, welcoming magic going on in this clearing.
A comforting, purple beauty. Get it while you can !
st5019 – :
Sensuous Noir is a distant, automnal or evening cousin of Si Lolita EDP for me thanks to the very invigorating tone they both offer.
It opens with a blast of peppery, spicy freshness that meets green, resinous pine needles (so unusual and refreshing to find pine note in scents for women!) and sensual, grounding patchouli. This rather warm composition is well blended and almost smooth in texture, yet the spicy and pine elements mark their presence in the mixture, so the whole is not bland, but definitely manifests some character.
During the day it gives me a “kick” to act, feel empowered and still a bit sensual, while afterhours it gives me some comfort of natural aromatherapy and indulgence to the senses reminiscent of a quick getaway to a forest with coniferous trees only. It’s like breething “fresh air” warmed by the sun and enriched with essential oils straight from a bottle. Illusion – still, it works!
A precious add on to my collection and the first scent by Estee Lauder that I truly like.
Longevity: 6 hrs on skin and “permanent tack” on clothes
Sillage: intimate
Edit: I bought it once and will not repeat as EL syndicate went on my black list. Knowledge is power.
Feilan – :
I like this one a lot. I tried it about 2 years ago and back then was impressed already. Somehow I’ve only possessed it for 3 days now. I don’ t find it all that “noir”, nor strong niether overwhelming. It is like a fine cloud of warm spices and amber with changing waves of jasmine, rose, lily, pine, smoked woods, a hint of honeyed vanilla, that come and go like a dance around me. I turn and get a waft of something else everytime and keep asking myself who that is… it’s only me and “sensuous noir”. I get the “noir” – it is the mystery itself of how this perfume can develop all these faces, like there’s no top, no middle and no base. I don’t get sweet but I get at times a masculine vibe which might be a very fine patchouli-benzoin reaction.
Oddly, despite these continuously changing-note wafts, I have the impression it is just a skin scent, but it’s worth all money for the versatility and comfortable feelling it gives. A very fine creation!
raduchicu – :
Second review, as I have had a change of heart on this one. I wore sensuous noir on one hand, and sensuous on the other. Sensuous noir seems a lot more substantial. It is dark and sultry, but still quite elegant, IMO. It is denser than sensuous, and has a masculine edge. It is quite woody, too, and I thought I could detect some old. Definitely an evening fragrance, and inappropriate for use in the heatwave. I got myself a 30 ml bottle and will enjoy wearing it as my evening fragrance.
badboy – :
This may be a strange review, as I haven’t tried Sensuous.I was pleasantly surprised with this one, not quite what I would call Noir, maybe dusky is closer.My idea of Noir is a very intense & dramatic scent, where as I find this deep, rounded,& warmly sexy. The Rose is rosy, the Patchouli gentle & the whole package very comfortably feminine.I really,really like it, could learn to love.
tsarapkabel – :
A Midsummer’s Night Dream for dark winter’s days….it really catches the summer nights feeling in the opening and the heart. I’ve tried it today because of the “noir” part, it is actually dark and mysterious.It appears seductive and alluring, noir-ish in a way. It’s beautiful in the drydown, as some reviewers pointed out: incense oriental and creamy woods. Some rich creamy woods. But what actually makes it noir is the edgy feeling it projects.
The opening is deliciously masculine and I get a kind of the Chanel „Egoiste“ (my first impressions) minimalist base in the beginning plus some rich flowery burst which develops more and more. The drydown is definately masculine and warm, the part I really like, it’s beautiful. Piney woods in tones of purple night falls. It has a potential to enchant you flourishing smoothly in the magical forest…
annainbox – :
If you love Tom Ford Black Orchid, then you will LOVE this perfume. This is TF Black Orchid, but without that slightly medicinal note that makes some people wince slightly on the first spray.
I am literally blown away by this and seriously folks, I’m not joking!
I squirted it on my wrist in a local department store and was not expecting anything groundbreaking at all.
The initial spray is intoxicating, I can smell violets?? I don’t know if violets are listed but that’s what I could smell. It’s a very powerful, ‘full on’ scent. The fragrance remains addictively intriguing, it has sweet amber, a little skanky patchouli, a shade or two of vanilla and there is a powerful blend of florals and wood. Sensuous Noir is a rather masculine, sexy oriental perfume which you can almost chew.
This fragrance is an androgynous, powerbomb! Not for the faint hearted or retiring wallflowers of the perfume world. SN is a statement perfume and it’s along the same ilk as Youth Dew, Private Collection or Cinnabar. I have worn all the aforementioned in the 70’s and 80’s but I have shied away from buying any of the Lauder refumulations or lack lustre modern creations as they have been stripped of all their soul from the glory days. But this one has rekindled my faith in the house of Lauder again. It’s a stunning, classic, genius of a perfume and I love it! Silage and longevity are outstanding.
default1k – :
I want to like it & I can see that it’s beautiful but I think EL fragrances don’t agree with me. Something about the honey & woods combination is nauseating to my nose.
reklamma – :
there’s too much man in it .. I feel tired after couple hours