To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
feerweeby – :
I was a fan of Tenere in the early 90s and I finally got my hands again on vintage bottles (splash and spray EDTs) of this unique and beautiful scent!
Brings back so many great memories and, like other classics, another reminder of how much better perfumes were in the past. Really sad.
exeddylulselt – :
the opening is so similar with Boss No.1
green, floral, a little bit medicinal.
but, on middle phase they give the different direction.
Tenere darkened by leather and dirty musk.
i’m 23, and i felt outdated when i wore this, but this scent is so straightforward Raw Manliness in the bottle, totally full of character.
seems perfect on all occassion but not on summer daytime.
Scent: 7
Longetivity: 9 (9-10hrs)
Projection: 8 (2-2.5hrs)
Sillage: 7.5
редиско – :
@rcavs. I strongly disagree with you. This is not a feminine scent. I dare any woman to wear this. This is a strong masculine fougere fragrance. A macho type of scent.
JeannyMean68 – :
Very very strong fragrance. Smells like sweat animalic, stays on clothes for days. Projection and longevity are above average. Despite the few flower notes, this fragrance is 100% masculine.
Snikes13 – :
Smells like …. toilet on my skin. But the dry down is amazing.
larka68 – :
A complex scent similar to Boss Number One, and fortunately if there is a fougere accord here is gets dominated by the other notes/accords. Another which comes to mind, though being more chypre-ish, is Iquitos. If you have no experience with these kinds of scents you may find them “old lady,” so sample first. Others have described the scent fairly well, so I won’t reiterate all that. Longevity and projection are at least very good.
111_12 – :
Fantastic fragrance centered around the note of honey. This fragrance is surprisingly floral but without a doubt not feminine at all. Dirty honey with leather is what I get with masculine florals.
All and all a solid fragrance if you really like the note of honey.
друид – :
Boss Number One came to mind immediately upon application. They both share the honeyed, mossy, ambery smell. Similarities for me are obvious. Where I think they turn the corner is Tenere becomes dirtier (if that is the right expression)as it progresses. The honey is amped up in this one, giving it that lovely, animalic, “dirty” feeling. On clothes, you can definitely smell the leather more and an whole different array of flowers, very complex. Another reviewer mentioned a similarity to Rochas Globe, and I would agree, initially at the beginning, and minus the pine. Tenere for me is as fougere as they get, but a more opulent one. I first had this on my late teens and I must say I did not care for it. Time sure makes a difference, because nowadays I can’t get enough of these oldies but far superior goodies compared to what you find nowadays.
Update: I am also reminded of another fume from the early 90’s: Amarige from Givenchy, a huge floral. The jasmine is very prominent on Tenere upon top notes and it becomes very floral towards its heart.
If you like opulent fougeres (if there is such a term) this is a no brainer.
Smell great my friends.
ead231speagoessenda – :
Even though old-school 80s fougeres are really not my style, I wanted to test out Ténéré because it could be categorized somewhat as a men’s floral and I’m always curious to experience fragrances in that underrepresented category.
The composition of Ténéré is hugely complicated and it is difficult to really boil the fragrance down to a few sentences. There’s a mossy, green effect along with herbal tones that adds a sharp freshness to the scent. I also smell a warm, ambery, leathery facet and a very solid base of patchouli, vetiver, honey, and animalics. Unfortunately I don’t actively perceive any floral notes in this fragrance, but there’s so much going on in the scent that I’m sure they’re buried in there somewhere.
I’m not really sure how to look at Ténéré with a critical eye. The fragrance smells very high quality, and I appreciate the complexity and thought put into the composition. I agree with the other reviewers who have mentioned that you could probably release this exact fragrance today under Serge Lutens or Amouage and gain a wide fan base. However, this fragrance is so far from my personal taste or anything that I would ever wear that I have difficulty getting too enthusiastic about it. But I can still recognize that Ténéré is a unique, sophisticated fragrance and it really says something that it has struck a chord with so many people, even all these years later.
ngvnak – :
Un profumo che ci riporta alla fine dei mitici anni ’80!
Rosmarino e lavanda sono tra le note che percepisco con maggiore intensità all’apertura poi la dolcezza del miele ed il patchouli fanno il resto. Chiude con il vetiver, detto questo un profumo che non passerà mai di moda.
Profumo 8/10.
strike – :
This fragrance reminds me of the legendary Boss Nº 1 with which it shares many notes.
Certainly Tenere is a very complex, rich in nuances eighties fragrance is like climbing a mountain coaster, has a fresh, citrus and terpene opening, giving an incredible feeling of old school, even reminded me chypre mythical era type Derby , but then he turns around, enters the fern touch of lavender and herbs, it becomes dark, deep and sumptuous. Then appears the floral combo, orris root and everything is based on incredibly nice and balanced skin, highlights the spicy carnation and spicy touch that makes everything very masculine.
Drying is fantastic, very measures across two stages, one with leather-patchouli combo and another combo followed honey-Animalic, with a slightly dusty cloud shot effect that spreads leaving a very sophisticated aura.
The result is impeccable, refreshing, versatile, classy and stylish. In fact, Tenere has so much personality that deserves a good fragrance of worship that every lover of the world of perfumery should enjoy at least once in life.
Rating: 8
dimona35 – :
Maybe this is weird…
But the middle note smells like abandoned toilet
Top notes smells fresh, elegant, clean, lemon and rose majority
Base note is better, the leather scent and honey stays long at my skin
I accidentally spray it at my forearm, while I intend to use another frags, at 6AM
Guess what? Until 4PM I can still smell Tenere on my skin! Superb longevity!
I just don’t like the drydown smell, really reminds me of toilet… no offence
But once the drydown is complete, I don’t have complains anymore
This can be an allround frags, good to go in all situation
ice1375 – :
To incapsalate what this juice is all about..take Colin’s line that you could repackage Tenere and call it a nieche fragrance today. To think, the quality of fragrance which were put into the market back then were only a fraction of what you have to spend today…so sad 🙁 but true and THAT’S A FACT!!!!!!
After trying it on my skin..the sweet/powdery aroma with a hint Amber starts off with honey, Orris roots and patucchli.There’s just enough leather to get that animalistic quality which comes alive with the warm sweet notes. When it settles…watch how it will curl your partner’s toes. This juice is UNBELIEVABLY SEXY…the floral notes of rose and lavender with jasmine enriches this fragrance making it a really desirable Aromatic Fougere. Both anise and tarragon gives it a slightly herbal/spicy tone to complete this fragrance.
Longevity and Silage is excellent..when I sprayed it 2x on my skin it lasts well over 8hrs.
To sum up on what I think about this fragrance…if your into the 80’s with deep aroma’s you will UNDOUBTEDLY LOVE this juice. To me this is a nieche fragrance in today’s world and I ♥ it. 8/10 See for yourself…..
svitvito – :
unusual, oriental, earthy, honey. yet modern. I can distinguish the rose without a doubt and sandalwood. I like the iris root as well as all the herbs and spices .. but I do not know if it comprerei.7.5 / 10 maybe I expected more. however very grassy and floral.
fantastic performance. to be reassessed. perhaps it is an ancestor of opium?
POMA2001 – :
I think this may be one of those fragrances where you have to be careful about it turning on you. If you buy it new or well kept, be sure to keep it in a temperature controlled environment.
I blind bought a 50ml bottle in box barely used. Seller assured me it was stored properly and they had flawless feedback. But what I got smelled like it was… “musty citrus”. There’s no animalic note like civet or castoreum listed, but it sure smelled like something similar was in the mix. Associations of a shirt from a stale mothball laden closet came to mind, previously anointed with 4711 that had baked in the sun. This wasn’t the slightly sweet complex formulation I was expecting.
I got rid of the bottle. I tried to imagine what this would smell like if it were “fresh”, and I don’t think it would be something I’d seek out. It might be pleasing to you… I only encourage that you be sure of your source.
rhics2012 – :
I’m guessing “…charli” below is referring to the grassy/hay/sweet clover accord. Others have likened Tenere to the 80s powerhouse frags. That is true, but there us something that really settles this down away from Paco Rabanne in the green bottle, which I like, but find few occasions on which I would wear it. There is something else reminding me of days of old. It’s been a while since I used Brut, but this may have some similarities. Back in the day, Brut was the juice of choice if you were on a limited budget. I could see Tenere as being an all-season fragrance. Nothing spectacular. But, if you want to take a trip back in time, or down memory lane, this one provides a nice journey.
aleksei72 – :
I bought a miniature of this scent and I thought the seller bottled wrong juice in it when I first smelled it. There is honey, mild fruity and some floral notes, it could be marked as a female scent! The aromatic aspect hides behind this floral fruity veils, it smells too shy to remind me this is actually a masculine scent.
I’m not saying it’s bad, I like it’s clean fresh, its elegance and delightful notes, and did think if it launched nowadays, it would be better received and might even be a hit. It’s pity it was born in the 80s, surrounded by those monsterous masculine scents and lost its voice altogether.
joshuabeistle – :
I second riffjim4069’s assessment below: To my nose, Tenere and OMSGE are nothing alike. In fact, I came to this page from the OMSGE page through the Tenere icon in the “This perfume reminds me of” section, all the while scratching my head and trying to figure out any possible similarities between the two fragrances.
Instead, I find Tenere quite close to Rochas Globe. Both have that old-timey, low-key, melancholy herbal-floral vibe, which I recognize instantly, but find quite hard to put into words. They take you back to another time and another place with a few sprays. Another fragrance that gives me a similar feeling is Balenciaga’s Ho Hang Club, which I find more old-school than both Tenere and Globe, but not as good as either, (although I still like Ho Hang Club quite a bit.) Tenere and Globe are lighter and brighter, while I find Ho Hang Club a bit heavy and blunt (if that word makes sense).
Having suggested a similarity between Tenere and Globe, I am having a hard time trying to find the exact connection between them by looking at the official lists of the notes for the two fragrances. However, my nose insists that there indeed is a strong connection. Is it the rose or the carnation? No, I would not say so. I find the connection to be more along the herbal dimension than the floral. Perhaps artemisia, or the restrained and refined use of patchouli? Possibly. Between the two, Globe is the smoother, while Tenere is the harsher one. Tenere has some additional animalic aspect to it, while Globe comes across quite “clean”.
Are far as recommendations go, Tenere is not something I would suggest for people who do not usually enjoy old-school fragrances. However, if you do enjoy such fragrances, you may want to give Tenere a try. The problem of course is that Tenere is discontinued and can no longer be sampled in department stores or chain perfumeries. So, you probably will have to take the risk of making a blind buy, unless you have access to an independent brick-and-mortar perfumery that carries discontinued fragrances. As you make your buying decision, consider Rochas Globe and Ho Hang Club as possible alternatives to Tenere; Globe being a very close, and Ho Hang Club a distant substitute. Among the three, Ho Hang Club seems to be the most affordable as of early 2015, and Tenere the most expensive.
kosimo – :
Ténéré is a beautiful tradicional floral fragrance for… WOMEN! That’s it. I understand perfectly why It was discontinued.If It was at the rightside of the counter, It would probably be selling a lot since its launching. My wife loved the fragrance and me too (on her skin).
booneeeldep – :
I found this more pleasant than OMS Gold Edition…and much smoother and well rounded, without the OMS GE sharp tobacco note
saglaev – :
I could feel this wonder herb is fresh and floral
I can only tell the emotion that brought me back to those spring days when the breeze carries the scent of flowering plants, a combination of sweet and mellow notes that blend with a sweetness of base.Also if several years have elapsed from the its release, the irresistible charm of this fragrance remains intact, I do not know if the name is attributed to the leading African desert, but if so you could take a walk barefoot at any time of day if there was this atmosphere gorgeous.
Well beyond the sands of time
BoWVolk – :
very similar to Bogart One Man Show Gold Edition! Only much weaker. A disapointment!
Pavlo999 – :
LOVE THIS ONE!!!
Herbal, floral and powdery…
Day to evening…
Year-rounder…
Work or play…
A multi-faceted, all-occasion fragrance; whats more is that it is the quintessential big, bold 80’s fragrance…
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!
Netyazhuk – :
با سلام و ادب
عطری خاطره انگیز پیر کاردین که رایحه شیرینی عسل به وضوح از آن استشمام می گردید
کار خوبی بود و شاید الان دیگر کمتر کسی سراغ آنرا بگیرد
از دوام و پخش بوی متوسطی هم برخوردار بود
زمانی که آبسیشن کلوین کلاین مورد استقبال بود دوستی بهم گفت این کار هم گرم و شیرین است و می تواند برای کسانی که روایح شیرین دوست دارند مورد پسند واقع شود
با احترام
گالری عطر مهرداد
мишаняя – :
Vintage Ténéré has now a similar in the market: at least during the first hours, One man Show Gold Edition remembers it. Maybe olfactive delusion or distorted memories, but this is my impression at this moment.
Roshag – :
Update: I just have to reiterate how much I love this! This has been my ‘go to’ in the hot NYC summer. Fresh, invigorating, challenging, yet somehow comforting at the same time. This is definitely a masterpiece for me…
I had this as a teenager when it first came out, and was entirely too young to appreciate it, or for it to work with my chemistry. I’m glad to have it again! To me this is similar to Balenciaga Pour Homme, but completely appropriate for the summer. Complex, herbal, honeyed and slightly sweet. It dries to the most amazing fresh spicy floral. It is definitely a sexy summer romantic night scent. No way you could *not* get lucky wearing this! 😉 Sublime! Beware, do use sparingly as it is quite the 80’s powerhouse.
Aerohoplenerigxt – :
I’m going to add a full review of this scent later, after a few more wears, but I just want to say that anyone that loves Tenere and is looking for something similar should check out Asmar by SoOud. There are differences, of course, but the honey/floral (carnation, espectially)/woody elements are quite similar!
Out of all the scents I’ve smelled, Asmar is closest to Tenere.
Despero – :
یادش بخیر.عجب بویی داشت.هنوز میتونم بوی اونو به خاطر بیارم.خیلی آرامش بخش بود.ماندگاریش متوسط بود
arrilarne – :
Outrageously spectacular, I’ve not been so moved by a male fragrance in a long time.
The top notes are so similar to Boss No 1 but after that Tenere takes it to another dimension. The floral herbacious aroma builds and becomes sweeter with the honey. Then there’s a spectacular civet note to combine with the moss and leather. It’s strong but doesn’t shout as much as some of it’s 80s broters.
I compared this to La Nuit and there are similarities in the dry down. La Nuit is much drier and animalic while this stays sweeter and softer with more gentle sillage.
This is one of my favourite new discoveries and I’d highyl recommend picking up a cheap miniature to experience this for yourself.
cot.kostya2012 – :
My dad wore this one.
Tenere is a vastly underrated fragrance, one that was launched during the twilight years of the powerhouse era, but was never quite as dated as its contemporaries. Tenere can have two meanings: “keep” in Italian, and “to hold” in Latin. Maybe that sort of relates to the character of the scent – it’s kind of big and loud, but not intimidating or unpleasant. I would classify Tenere as a floral (!!!!) fougere, somewhere between Boss Number One and Givenchy Insense, but closer to Boss Number One. Boss Number One and Tenere were both created by Pierre Wargnye, so I understand the connection. I get a lavender-patchouli-leather-clove smell that has a “pickle” kind of odor to it, but it’s only a faint impression. This part of the fragrance is similar to Patou Pour Homme a little bit, actually. On top is a beautiful honey and carnation accord. Carnation is probably my top favorite floral, and here it’s in good character: warm and “baked”, just like in Guerlain’s Terracotta Voile D’ete, my other favorite carnation fragrance. The honey is what brings Tenere close to Boss Number One, and the carnation/florals bring it close to Insense. All comparisons aside, the combination of a good, solid fougere with sweet flowers baking in the sun is a match made in heaven, creating a handsome fragrance that even a man as picky as my dad was able to love. He eventually gave his old bottle (which was half-full) to me, and I’ve grown to love the stuff more and more over time. Oh, and of course it lasts a while and projects nicely. It also smells great on fabric.
Tenere is unfortunately discontinued, and probably wouldn’t hold up with today’s trends, but it can still be found online and deserves to be checked out. I think both men and women can enjoy this handsome fragrance.
MasterUchiha – :
I was so lucky of getting a 100 ml of this few weeks ago, good old memories from around 1991,for me this is as red and black as the box containing it, smells both tender and wild and last a lot of time…hope I,ll be able to get more items in the future
GLEMYAR – :
A potent spicy/floral scent, bit like Boss One. Staying power and projection very good. I like it. Wanna get some more but, sadly it’s been stopped.
borunov-boyko – :
I grew up in Kentucky and smelling this reminds me of standing in the middle of a barn full of horses.
lotubala – :
I guess it’s virtually a truism that a masculine floral will bomb. Sad. This one had so many things going for it, too. A bright opening that gets darker as time passes; a raspy lavender that gives it a barbershop quality; a honey/urinous note that makes it feel lived in. I really saw this categorically as a floral fougère in the Kouros mold, and to read the notes, you’d think it was a rewrite of Kouros, but there’s definitely a lot of breathing room between this and Kouros. When I read other people’s thoughts on Ténéré I realized nobody else saw it as a fougère. More as a spicy floral. There’s definitely the lavender. And the dryness of spice (turmeric/ginger? cardamom?) combined with a clove-like carnation and the dank honey note all serve not so much to smell like coumarin, but to takes its place in the fougère accord. Shouldn’t this have made it somewhat appealing to the male nose? I can only guess that the fougère market became defined as fresh and aromatic when Cool Water (same year, 1988) cornered the market and became the category’s alpha male.
I can see this one seeming too much. If overapplied, the honey notes makes it a little too dense in enclosed spaces. But in moderation, the buoyancy of the florals wins the day.
Gabrielle_fromAF – :
When it was launched, I bought a big bottle and used it often. It was a cold weather friend that was casual and formal. I always felt it a bit sweet and too floral. My school mates loved it so it became my signature in 1989.
The trend was lots of complex notes, and this one had lots of flowers. Its a moist, rich fougere that makes you want to cuddle. Its a far cry from 1 Miliion with its sticky sweet amber
I was always a Rabanne fan since the original PH and the slick, hipster Tenere was very progressive for the time. It could easily be unisex, like La Nuit. They were perfume gender benders, indeed.
They are both regrettably discontinued, with limited vintages on the web here and there. They are well worth the search.
rev786Diobtetty – :
Tenere has a dry/floral opening, accompanied by citrus notes, a typical aroma of fragrances from that time. After 30 minutes, the sweet notes appear, such as honey and star anise, accompanied by a slight cinnamon, where in the final part, we have the emergence of musk, resulting in a decrease in the dry tone in the opening, which makes the fragrance get a much more smooth and easy to please aroma.
Uttessoffib – :
I think there is nothing to be excited about in this perfume. I ordered it blind and I was expecting something similar to Insese Givenchy. Tenere for me is a very animalistic leather musk with a hit of flowers. Yes, it is an old school, but not sexy or attractive.
listname – :
A beautiful flower-amber fougere of the old school The first issue resembles the odour of acasia blossom or acasia honey
jrj088elipseskism – :
it shares some similarities with Ted Lapidus PH, maybe it’s because of the honey note?
евгений38383838 – :
I fell in love with a prevoius boyfriend when he wore Tenere. Such a beautiful fragrance! Then we couldn’t find it anymore. Instead I bought him Dolce&Gabbana Pour Homme which I also loveed the smell of. Maybe because both are aromatic fougeres and that those suited him well. If you can’t find Tenere, Give vintage DG Pour Homme a try, (I’ve heard it’s been reformulated).
Hemul – :
That a great flashback .. a real blast from the past, though, as paco common sense, it does have a soft touch on it, floral aromatic, this was real somethin when i was kid, still memories it, i would love to try it again
bbuurrllaakk – :
If you gentlemen have not tried La Nuit, the sister fragrance to Tenere, you must. Released by Rabanne 3 years earlier, in 1985, it was as trendsetting for its animalic-rose-leather as Tenere is for its unabashedly floral heart. Tenere and La Nuit are masculine and feminine mirror images of each other, but neither too far down the end of the spectrum. I wear both La Nuit, dark for a woman’s frag, and Tenere, warm and floral for a masculine, and enjoy them equally.