Vanille Insensée

Why is this beauty called "Insensee"? It is one of the most well thought, mature and woody vanilla I have ever tried! The lime in this is zesty and at the same time mellow, the citron too, nothing too citrusy or scratchy, probably because it is blended so well with the vanilla and the woods, and what I mistaken for olibanum (but no). The only scent until now that for me managed to create this lovely effect with the lime was Lush Zesty (or Calacas, as it was called). There is a light spiciness, and maybe some smokiness? Not sure...but what really matters here is the woody and earthy dimension. No medicinal or grassy notes, just beautiful oak moss and dry smoked vetiver dancing around warm and oily vanilla. Such a grown up kind of vanilla...so far away from gourmand or culinary ones. I imagine a true gypsy woman having this scent on her satin and lurex trimmed shawls; the earthiness given by the vetiver, the moss and the oak makes me think of all the "potions" and roots she may have in her secret trailer where she reads tarot and where she practice elemental magic! An arid oak forest full of withered herbs and musk carpets just behind this special shimmering place...in the electric air you can smell something smoky, some fresh spiciness and the aroma of velvety vanilla coming from there...even the dry woodyness of the old trunks full of gems and old jewlery. As you can see, I loved this! Performance was good too since it projected moderately and lasted for a surprising amount of time, 8 hours on me for sure. Consistency was almost oily but I had my bottle from years ago, it had enough time to concentrate itself. I have a funny anecdote about this scent: insects love this one!!!! Be carefull! I was away for three days of summer with a "friend", a bad hasty decision. We went to a very lost and forgotten sea location in the deep of Calabria, Italy, and everything that could have gone wrong did infact go wrong. The car broke, everything was closed, no uber no taxi, and many others serious disadventure that it is best to keep for myself...well, I was alone, in a place near to the beach but with lots of trees and some feeble illumination and a storm of huge big brown flying insects started to surround me, they did go directly for my neck and for my knees, where I had sprayed so much Vanilla Insensee! I don't even know how I escaped...I had to undress myself and cover those body parts with my clothes, running and screaming...my feet already bloodied from some previous incident. I shall never forget. They were those massive poisonous bugs, that made so much noise, a tragedy for someone like me that has a phobia for insects. Edit: please do not come for me about that bit of gypsy imagery, I have gypsy ancestry from my mother side, (all matrilineal by the way) and so many photos and memory about that part of that culture... I swear I do not want to stereoptype anyone.

I’m writing having revisited this scent and buying YET ANOTHER BOTTLE. I’m writing because of @SDJoans review below. I can only think she has a fake scent. This is the vanilla the works for me and men. This is a slightly dark vanilla bean icecream with a slight incense vibe. So, contradicting the review already. It’s in the name after all. It sweet but not cloying, it is original in that is simple and gender neutral without a complimentary note bias that steals the vibe. There is actually a ‘bandage’ feel to it but when you pull it apart you can account for it as the earthliness in the oakmoss and touch of coriander. The alcoholic opening is the ethos of the brand - again in the name - being a cologne (in scent design not strength) it is like all Atelier Cologne designed to have a sharp citrus opening. Another huge benefit - in contradiction - is the performance is way above average and as such in my opinion extremely good value for money. Sorry, but either someone has an incorrectly wired nose or is visiting from an alternate universe. Anyway, years ago I was on a Scandinavian flight and I could clearly smell someone wearing this - it’s so distinct and I yelled out is someone wearing strong Vanilla perfume before I sat down and a huge burly bearded Scandinavian got up with a leather satchel and looked like he was going to make an issue and I said - is it Vanille Incensee and he stopped and nodded - I gave him the thumbs up and everyone smiled - I said I was wearing it too! I got a thumbs up back, so there you go... there’s a fan club...

This is one that evolves through time as it warms up on your skin. The opening is sharp and bitter, like slicing into a juicy lime and having its juice squirt out at your face (sorry for that vivid, sexually suggestive description haha). Later on, the lime note calms down, and mellows into a soft citrus. The Oakmoss lends a slightly wet, green earthiness to this composition. But my favourite part is the dry down. Imagine a barrel of oak, made to store some sort of whiskey. Instead, this barrel stored Vanilla. Not just any vanilla, really good quality, hand picked, artisanal vanilla. And the vanilla drenched oakwood ages over time in a dark cellar, which makes sure that it is preserved the best it can be. There is no boozyness to this vanilla-oak combo, but there is an undeniable earthy balmy sweetness. The green feeling of the limey-oakmoss doesn't entirely fade away, but it becomes less and less noticeable with the passage of time. Contrary to the reviews below, this clung to my skin for hours and I was truly shocked at the performance. It does not project, but remains as a skin scent for very many hours. And I dont mind that. This is the kind of scent that is meant to be worn for your pleasure or for that special someone with the privilege of hugging you and being close to you. What an absolute marvel this is! Take your time with this, I promise you, you will come to love it !

If you're looking for a vanilla but gourmands make you gag, this is one to try. For reference, I've sampled other non-gourmand vanillas like Eau Duelle, Ani, Silky Woods, and the Sylvaine Delacourte vanillas, and did not care for any of them. But somehow this one managed to worm its way into my vanilla-hating heart. It's very dry, subtly sweet, and woody throughout. There's a bit of citrus in the opening, but it doesn't stick around. It dries down to a pleasant, non-bakery vanilla supported by oak and a little vetiver - I don't get much jasmine or coriander (caveat: I'm not certain what oakmoss smells like, so it could be there too). There's a slight powderiness/dustiness in the drydown, but it's minimal, thankfully - I don't like powdery scents either. The reviewer below suggests that it has a smoky element, but I can't detect anything of the sort. Aged-smelling, maybe? Like an old kitchen cabinet, perhaps. The performance is pretty good for my tastes. It stays solidly on my skin 5+ hours and doesn't project bigly. I got it for fall/winter, but it's unsweet enough to wear in late summer. It leans just femme of unisex. Atelier Cologne's prices are a bit high imo, but they're popular/widespread enough that you can find them on places like ebay or mercari for nearly half the cost.

so boring it nearly brought me to tears. i understand the appeal of vanillas that aren't dense or syrupy, so they can be worn outside of colder seasons. however the citrus addition to this threw me for a loop bc i can't place when i'd comfortably wear this and have faith that it would add anything to my overall presence. can't imagine any situation in which i'd wear the 10ml that i own-- outside of testing it for the 4th time to see if maybe just maybe i changed my perception on how boring this is. will keep this in my purse, during early fall, for the days i'm rushing and inevitably leave the house w/ zero fragrance on bc it's forgettable enough to throw on and go abt my day. i can't even bring myself to care abt longevity or silage tbh i'm still stuck on the fact that, for an atelier product, this has absolutely nothing going for it, for me. it's actually less than 'okay' and there are too many other more interesting vanillas on the market for me to spend anymore time on mediocrity. ETA: cosmically evil that after 2 years of being neutral on this scent, the appreciation-switch flipped in my head and in searching for a bottle to purchase i've realised Atelier pulled the plug on sales of its entire fragrance line. is this punishment for my hubris?

Located in US. Sell me your bottle. Size don’t matter, use doesn’t matter, I just ask the bottle and label are in excellent condition. lol. So, many years ago I was in a large, sophisticated FB fragrance group. I mean the members had to have manners and show that they had class. An admin or the team were able to get a representative of Atelier to host a Zoom class on how they create their scents! It was really great. I signed up and was sent a box of products. Unfortunately work called me in, and letting an admin know I couldn’t make it was not on my mind. I obviously did not have the manners they desired, so they booted and blocked me without notice. I’m not even sure if the group exists anymore, I never see anyone talk about it. Well anyway, they included a bunch of dabber samples with cards containing info all about the fragrance. Vanille Insensée hands down is my favorite. I didn’t open this package for years. At some point I had found out that Atelier would no longer be selling their products in the US so I figured why tease myself... I was bored one day and finally opened everything up. *Bummed is an understatement. I don’t love *everything I received samples for but the ones I do love, man oh man, are they unique and amazing.

I remember sampling this at Sephora about a year ago and loving it thinking I would get a bottle. Fast forward to now, it’s kinda falling flat to me. Its a nice scent, I like the smooth vanilla but I had a hard time really making out what notes I could smell because the projection so weak so I had to spray it a couple times. That's when the woodiness started to come out which I was looking forward to and I do like the vanilla + woody combo. Not getting too much citrus. Sadly the projection is still weak, my body chemistry just eats it up. Update: After about an hour on my skin, I oddly like this fragrance more. It now reminds me of how I felt about it when I first sampled it and loved it. I thought due to the weak performance at the beginning that it would dissipate away but it actually hasn't, instead it became a beautiful skin scent; warm, cuddly woody vanilla like how I remembered it. I'm going to keep this for sure. Final verdict of this fragrance is that I love it! I am back to appreciate it in its fullest. Its the exact type of vanilla I was looking for because I dont like wearing gourmand scents especially vanilla ones.

Atelier Clementine California is my signature summer scent and I was really excited to try this one when I saw Coriander listed as a note. Every time I get street tacos I'm like "I wish I could wear cilantro & lime perfume" and then I found this. Unfortunately, I don't smell the coriander/cilantro at all. It's very vanilla heavy with slightly detectable lime and a liiiiittle bit of wood/amber at the base. It's nice, but a little boring. It layers well, though! Layer it with Clementine California if you want to smell like an expensive creamsicle :) It lasts all day on me and the dry down is pretty linear. EDIT: I ignored this on my shelf for a while after writing it off as "boring straight vanilla," but returned to it after developing my nose a bit, and now I really detect and appreciate the woody notes and the soft, fresh, slight spiciness of the coriander in this. It's a mature, beautiful, unisex vanilla. I'm glad I didn't sell this; upgrading my Like to a Love.

I ADORE my Vanille insensee. The opening is unexpected with lime and cilantro, giving it somewhat of a soapy/zesty start. From the heart to the drydown things change a bit and it gradually gets warmer and more cloud-like. It's a crisp vanilla, not a bakery gourmand one. It lasts incredibly and gives a medium to soft projection. I own quite a few vanillas but none of them quite like this. It's definitely unique in my collection. I find it to be a chameleon. It's warm and grounding when I'm feeling cold and absent, uplifting when I need a pick-me-up, cool and chic when I've done my makeup and have a cute outfit on. It just always works! I can wear it anywhere, anytime and it somehow molds to every situation as well as it does my mood. Given how much I wear it I've considered getting a backup, preferably the 200 ml size. I'm such a fan of this interesting, cool vanilla! Drydown smells like soft vanillic root-beer with a twist of lime. 😎👌

It’s a dry, simple and I would say high class vanilla, I personally do not get any citrus from it. I got a sample with purchase last winter and I love it, it smells cozy, comforting, spicy and sweet. To me it leans more to the feminine side. I didn’t buy a full bottle right the way because I was very into non sweet / bitter smells after using super sweet perfumes for several years. Recently I take the sample out and try again and I finally decided to buy a full bottle. Actually two full bottles coz I got a set of 3 of the 30ml from their website and I picked two vanillas, I mean I like it that much. I live in a quite hot climate and it’s a little too sweet for now, I put on just a little bit on my wrist and I can smell that very well. To me it smells the best in cooler / colder weather, it can be worn all year around if you like sweet perfumes.

This is delightful. It is a powdery vanilla that almost smells dusty but in the best way. I know that the citrus on top is hit or miss in term of popularity but I find that it never steals the show. Honestly, I forgot it even had a citrus note the very first time I smelled it and I was looking at the box after purchasing and saw the limes and was like "Oh yeah. I guess that is there!" From first spray its always vanilla forward and I get loads of compliments when I wear it. Its very simple and likeable. Not too sweet and very fresh considering its a vanilla (fresh and dusty in the same review, I know sue me). I think I wear this more than any other fragrance in my collection at the moment. It's not what I was looking for this season (think Angels' Share) but I'm so glad I have it!

I normally go for very sweet fragrances, so when I first got a sample at sephora I hated it. Tried it again, same result. Third time, I started to enjoy it and now it's a love. It's a very cold, unsweet, woody vanilla to me. Don't buy this if you're expecting a sweet gourmand. When I had an untrained nose I actually didn't get any citrus at all from this. Now that my nose is more developed and I've seen the notes I get it a bit, but still less than everyone else it seems. Mostly just the coriander. I find it perfectly unisex. This is not a blind buy, definitely try it first. I wish they would come back to Canada Update I picked up a decant in a spray bottle as opposed to the dab on I had before, and i'm finding this one is more semi-sweet than the older unsweet version I have

This is all I ever want to smell like. It is a huge compliment getter. People sniff the air and ask what smells so good. I’ve had a few incidents where people sniff my neck. This is not a sweet, foodie vanilla. It smells of citrus, jasmine and a rich creamy vanilla on me. Not overly sweet, but absolutely beautiful. It stays pretty close to my skin, but lasts a long long time. While I could gush about this fragrance all day, it is very, VERY dependent on body chemistry. You definitely need to try it before you commit. My sister, for example can’t wear this because it mixes poorly with her body chemistry. I wear this year round. It replaced all of my other perfumes. I collect bottles of this because I can’t imagine my life without it.

I love this fragrance it’s in my top 5 fragrances ever! Such a well blended vanilla musk. Not childish or sweet this one is more mature and vintage. Yet modern and unlike anything I have smelled before. I don’t get the hate on this fragrance. I think it smells divine and whenever I wear it the compliments are endless. It has a sexy, classy sophistication to it that is unlike any other regular run of the mill vanilla scent I own. I heard this is being discontinued and I’m sad because I love this scent! I love my vanilla fragrances and out of all of them this one is amazing and unique. It goes with my skin chemistry really well. I feel like if you like vanilla woody scents that aren’t cloyingly sweet you should check it out! :)

And as I was proud of myself for not wanting any more perfume bottles in my collection I encounter a sample of this beauty and boom...here I am wanting another one. I feel like licking my hand as if there is a vanilla cream with lemon zest added in it not a perfume. Pure deliciousness. I get the vanilla so strongly but the citruses pull out their sword and cut the sweetness in 2. Both vanilla and the citruses fight for supremacy however vanilla is on the merge to win. Eventually, they decide to burry the sword of war and dance together in perfect harmony. They want to make the world a more beautiful place and they succeed. Such a playful, uplifting, smoothy blended of a perfume. I want a 200 ml bottle and I want it now!

I am swept away to a place of well being w/this fragrance. I bought it unsniffed, it showed up today and I already know that I need a backup bottle. It reminds me a bit of a less sweet Barbara Bui. It's what I would call an "aura" scent. I can smell the feeling of it around me. As it warms on my skin it feels like it literally melds and becomes part of my molecular structure. It starts off as a beautiful dry vanille that is now tranforming into the softest most delicious incense that I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. This is distinct and at the same time I can't imagine it being offensive. This is perfect for so many situations. Air travel,work,dinner,kid's school activities, gatherings.....endless possibilities.

I LOVE this fragrance. And that is saying something since i normally hate vanilla fragrances, like i really do not like vanilla. What i hate is something sickeningly sweet and gourmand-y. but this scent is def the opposite. It warm and also citrus and aromatic. its so lovely, i can't explain it but it just feels so delicious. I love love love citrus (which is why i love atelier cologne) so this frag is def for me. especially since i have been looking for a warmer, more wintery frag. I also think this def has a better lasting time than most Atelier Cologne frags. I would say it lasts abt 6-7 hours on my skin, overall id say this is one of my favorites of the brand.

It is creamy lightly sweet vanilla scent. I do not see the comparisons to Eau Duelle as there is no medicinal/herbal overpowering undertone to it. Upon first whiff in the first 10 minutes, the vanilla is in the background and the lemony/oakmossy tones take over to the extent that it reminds me of AHA/BHA skincare. This seems to be gradually diminishing and getting into warm, very elegant not overly sweet vanilla I can see this as warm weather perfume, it lingers but is not overpowering in any way. Update: An hour in and this is quickly turning into a skin scent. Only worth it if your skin ph can hold this and project this more, otherwise not full bottle worthy.

This has quickly become one of my most favorite fragrances! On me, this smells like earl grey tea on a cold, wintery day that dries down into an earthy, bitter (?) vanilla. I tend to stay away from more gourmand-y, edible-smelling vanilla scents, but this one is woody enough to strike my fancy. I appreciate the unisex aspect of it, and I'm sure this would smell wonderful on a man or otherwise masculine-presenting person. (To me, it's fairly androgynous). I'm not sure how good the sillage is, in truth; I can smell it on myself throughout the day, but I have never once received a comment on it (good or bad). I can't wait to wear this throughout the wintertime!

This is one of my favorite go-to vanillas. I love vanilla of all variety and love finding the perfect vanillas for all moods and seasons. For me, this one works in all seasons and most all moods. This is not your standard sweet vanilla scent, the coriander and woods give it something so special - grounded, a bit spicy, never boring. I don't have anything else that smells like it. For me, this is an easy, feel-good, reach. I have no issues with longevity or sillage - but I'm not expecting or even wanting this to be a beast. Can be found at a good price at discounters now and then, which is great since it's no longer available in the U.S. otherwise. Love!