Blushing Sands

the first perfume that i bought with my own money, so please understand that i have a lot of sentimentality about this one. i sampled all the EL luxury collection and this one stood out best among its sweeter, often sour counterparts. this scent encapsulates everything i want to be as an adult: steadfast and at ease with who i am. the notes are exactly as listed; such clarity further reinforces my love for this scent. at the risk of sounding cliché, it really speaks for itself. fresh spray is a clarity of pepper - taking you a little by surprise, given the rather demure perfume name - but not at all offensive. picture a cup of morning coffee that someone prepares for you; the welcomed kind of unfamiliarity that makes you go, “oh! i didn’t know i needed this all along.” dries down to a perfect musk; whilst traditionally considered a warm scent, the presence of vetiver and spicy pepper brings a different kind of sensuality to the mix. i wouldn't say harsh, perhaps just a tad cold. i live in a blazing tropical country and i appreciate the kind of relief it offers. while i get whiffs of it throughout wearing, sillage is a tad weak for such a sharp scent. not a problem for me as this type of scent calls for those who can appreciate simplicity (and perhaps subtlety to some extent), but sadly performance is also subpar on my skin unless i overspray. longevity is somewhat better on fabric - on leisurely days, spraying it on my pillows puts me in a better headspace to sleep via being comforted by the musky drydown. would love to repurchase when my bottle has run out.

Blushing Sands is shockingly strong and smoky despite the whimsical romantic name. It starts off with an intense smoky vetiver that is almost green and sharp enough to curl your hair. It almost smells like a very tannic tea. The dry down relaxes into smooth, modern, champagne colored musk that balance is out the roughness of the vetiver. There's definitely some soft, minor sour- fruity nuances that I can pick up especially in the dry down that I would attribute to the pink pepper note but I don't find the pepper noticeable otherwise. Blushing Sands does capture the dry and warm impression that the name prompts you to image. It is a nice contrast between rough and gritty versus silky and plush. Despite the name, bottle color, and bottle design I would consider it to be very unisex.

Due to covid, many shops didn't allow us to test perfumes, so i hadn't tested or bought any in a long time. This was a brilliant new finding, from the bottle and on skin! Truly wonderful and truly long-lasting, perhaps longer than 12 hours! The line also has other gems, like Paradise Moon and Sensuous Stars. I hadn't been impressed by an Estee Lauder scent since Youth Dew, White Linen, Estee and Cinnabar. I smell musk, iris, vetiver, flour and pepper, though the iris and flour are not in the official notes......

I tried a tester of this at Macy’s and it’s great. such a good pink pepper scent, totally unisex. now that I’ve been wearing it for a few hours, it reminds me of my Isfarkand by Ormonde Jayne. so, if you know that fragrance, you’re pretty close to the vibe of Blushing Sands. also, not for nothing, the Estée Lauder bottles for these new perfumes are fantastic, especially the magnetic caps

The spicy pink pepper reads very gingery in this one, to my nose. It's a delicious, fresh, fizzy ginger beer at Clifton beach on a hot summer's day. Edit: been loving warming this up by layering with JM Vetiver and Golden Vanilla or freshening by layering with Kilian's Moonlight in Heaven

It smells like Autumn to me, my favorite season. Like a walk in a forest when the leaves turn yellow and orange. It is such a cozy and beautiful smell at the same time. Even though it is called Blushing Sands, I cannot connect it to sand or summer, but I really love it.

This smells like what I wanted Encre Noire to be. The slightest bit of sweetness added, along with the kick of pepper, and it brings that DNA to life. Encre Noire was just too dark, dead, and depressing for me.

This one has snuck up on me! I had pretty much decided the "woody" fragrances were not my favorite category, by a wide margin. I ordered several of the scents from this Estee Lauder line just for fun, when I found them at a reasonable price. Right off the bat I knew this one was not going to be a keeper (or so I thought). Masculine and woody at the opening, not my category. But ... something called me back to it, and I must say, this is really growing on me. The dry down, I think I almost love it! There's a warmth to it but it's a fuzzy warmth, I know that's the musk, that I am really digging. It's feminine to me, but in a clean, day-at-home, on-top-of-things way. I've reapplied several times throughout the day - so far I have not "overdone" it. Because I am home most days, this will have a place in my collection and I really am enjoying getting to know it. Always learning to give things a couple of chances - you never know what surprises you may find!

I recently discovered that my local department store carries Estée Lauder's luxury perfume line. While they all have seemingly randomly generated, meaningless names, the scents are decent - high-quality, simple and wearable. Blushing Sands is an aromatic, grassy scent; subtle, restorative and pleasant. It is perfectly unisex. BS opens with a green, aromatic accord, grassy and forest-y, slightly juniper-like with a hint of fresh tea to my nose. I get a little peppery spice as it develops, complementing the aromatic opening beautifully. Soft woody notes emerge as it progresses, culminating in a softly musky ambroxan drydown. Sillage and longevity are moderate, but it is on the subtle side. Best worn on warm days. Nicely composed, but familiar, BS is nothing original. Still, an uplifting, effortless everyday scent that is good-quality and comforting. 3/5.

Without looking any information here nor reviews I imagine this scent as only one thing: this is "sand" as a note in the bottle. Of course sand doesn't smell or if it does, barely like that, but the feeling of this is like golden dry dust like sand. I also recalled that this smell has been in some scents that have tried to describe it as "salt" (and has always been a good note). There is something here that slightly reminds me sea-rotten stuff but seeing the notes I realised this is vetiver. I don't consider this a vetiver scent though: I should have noted it before looking for detailed information here but I didn't. Definitely an interesting experience, something different with vetiver.

Blushing sands is a very nice musky vetiver fragrance w/ a hint of spice. This isn't super peppery; the pepper is very light and not overwhelming like it can be in many masculine leaning fragrances. The musk in here is very clean, not animalic in the slightest and not cloying. I do like this one, but it will be going to my husband since I think it is to masculine for me to wear but I will enjoy smelling this clean musky vetiver on him.

Instantly identified pink pepper in the opening, which is one of my beloved notes. The vetiver seeps in as it dries down, then its all musk from there, yes it’s not very sweet! Absolutely unisex. I really like it though, it mixed well with my skin chemistry. I would consider a full bottle, but if you want this, I’d say don’t blind buy and try the mini wonders sample set.

Not bad, but not as good as Encre Noire (OG version for men). I salute EL for putting out something so androgynous and woody, with such a sharp and aromatic vetiver note right in the forefront. Still, if I want to smell like a clean woodshop or a forest sprite, I can just swipe a spray or two of my husband's Encre Noir (which was a gift from me, so I'm entitled).

It's about as interesting as the pyramid here shows: vetiver, pepper, musk. Straightforward, smooth, nice vetiver perfume. Not complex at all. Unisex if you're a woman who likes woody perfumes, as I do. Just nothing new or especially memorable here. If you were a fan of the Sensuous perfumes, this would be the closest thing to those out of this new range.

A very soft skin scent. I do so love the velvety vetiver. the musk in this perfume is a cold silvery metallic musk, reminiscent of a softer TF Metallique or the dupe Dossier Powdery Hawthorne, which I love them both. It doesn't have the performance for the price. So for me, it's a pass.

its a very straight forward fragrance , very clean indeed not very impressed with the performance (average), it fades into a very greenish , vitiverish perfume however, its beautiful but not very impressive Over all 6/10

I like this perfume. Only thing is, it's not strong or lasting on me, with low sillage. I'm interested to read others find it very strong. On me, it's almost a skin scent. But a nice skin scent.

A good example of vetiver.. This is elegant.

If you’re looking for a decent musky, vetiver dominant scent with the tinniest bit of spice, Blushing Sands might be the perfect choice. It’s a very simple, light, generic, straight forward vetiver scent with a musky base and a skin scent type of performance. So don’t expect to get something memorable or intense if you purchase this perfume, because it’s not. It’s something to ease your way into vetiver, if you’re new to perfumery and you want a clean vetiver scent, that highlights in a minimalistic way the note. Could be worn by both genders because it’s mostly musk and pink pepper when it dries down, only in the opening leans more masculine in my experience. I would wear it personally, there’s nothing that bothers me in Blushing Sands per se, but I wouldn’t buy it, it’s not my preferred scent profile and it’s soo soft and subdued. From the entire Luxury Collection of Estee Lauder, I find Blushing Sands as the most plain and uninspired! I have three full bottles and tested now almost all of them, besides the two iris dominant ones, and from all I have tried, this is my least favourite!

I'm confused, because I swear there are some serious aldehydes in this, at least when first sprayed. As it dries down, it becomes a very clean musk on me. But what is interesting is the herbal aspect of the vetiver that makes it more than just a typical clean musk. Again, I must be imagining things, but I also think there is some juniper in here as well. I get a little of the pink pepper after dry down, but it isn't too much for me, as I'm fairly sensitive to pepper of any variety. There is a slight powder note to my nose as well, but I hate powder passionately, so it isn't significant enough for me to therefore dislike this fragrance. Weirdly, this is like a muskier, more herbal version of White Linen on me once it matures. However, after wearing it a few times, I think it's a little too musky for me personally. There's a slightly sour note that I just can't quite jive with. I do recommend others to get a sample or decant of this one. If you love musks, this might be worthwhile for you.

Blind testing this I got almost nothing in the opening when I sprayed it on my arm. My first thought was neat vodka that maybe had a slice of lemon dipped in it for 30 seconds. Eventually a very light, transparent vetiver emerges, clean and almost shorn of all grassiness, rootiness or smokiness. Hunting for the other notes, the pink pepper and musk are barely present, more like aspects of the vetiver than identifiable on their own. To be sure, the vetiver grows stronger after 30 minutes: a faint, aerated, woody smokiness. And I wonder about this quietness: as a bit of a vetiver-head this may be what my own skin smells like once regular perfumes have burned off. I alternate sniffing my sprayed and unsprayed arm. Perhaps that's why Estée Lauder's gossamer, wispy, refined take on vetiver — and I'll admit I like it despite the quietness — smells almost like dry nothingness on me: it's my personal scent. Time to change my profile name to BlushingSands?

Not very impressed, the vetiver is too proeminent not warm at all,too sharp. Needed something more creamier to soften the sharpish/ woody note of the vetiver. I layer it with a vanilla perfume and then works for me,otherwise too masculin!

Thus smells almost identical to something else in my collection. I just can’t pinpoint it. It’s none of the suggested similar fragrances. Hmm. TJ Maxx has the small bottle of this for $24.

Definitely unisex. Subtle and not overtly in your face. Would work in an office situation. So more intimate than most of Lauder fragrances.

From 8th MINI WONDERS: I have tested this perfume several times with samme result; no, this is not my cup of tea... It smells nice on my clothes, but not on my skin, it's kinda soapy, very unisex, but more maskuline than feminin, and, l think it's very vetiver, and if you love vetiver, this perfume is made for you!

Encre Noire plus Ambroxan. That's just about it. There is nothing sweet about it, rather harsh in fact. I find it misleading that a lot of perfumers now (or their marketing teams) say musk but it's in fact mostly ambroxan. it's an old trick, and getting older. Let's call a spade a spade.

Tested this a few times so far and the result is always the same. It is gone within 15 minutes. Nice and pleasant, office safe, but if your collection is above 100 bottles, i am sure you already have something that smells similar to Blushing Sands.

Very strong and not delicate at all

Not for me. Reminds me of Sensuous, which is not a scent I care for. Almost like its Sensuous, with an incense note, and somehow dries down to smell pee-like on my skin. I wear indolic scents all the time, they usually smell like pure florals to me, I only ever got a bathroom/toilet smell in the past from one other scent that was heavy on the animal musks. Very confused, I guess it wasn't meant to be. I own Infusion d'iris and baccarat 540 and neither of those smell anything like this, I'm not even getting a single similar note from Blushing Sands to either of those suggestions. This is much closer to Sensuous and Tom Fords Santal Blush.

I’ve posted some pretty lengthy reviews on a number of the 2021 EL Reserve Line offerings and they continue to keep impressing me as I go back to certain ones that I couldn’t or didn’t appreciate initially. This Blushing Sands is an example of such. Just wow. Definitely the most masculine of the entire line to my nose edging out Desert Eden which was my favorite along with Tender Light, but Blushing Sands is legit something a male could 100% wear and nobody think twice. It has officially become my favorite EL fragrance by a landslide and it astounds me that it didn’t catch my attention sooner when smelling it a few times prior going through the Reserve Line. I’ve found it can be all about timing and how receptive you are at a particular moment when it comes to fragrances and which ones make an impression. Blushing Sands boasts an amazingly layered and stout woodiness immediately upon spraying with an earthy touch, my coworker just told me I smell amazing while writing this review! She said it smelled rather dusty/sandy (perfectly fitting the name) and a little like cannabis too, demanding a sample. I can definitely detect some terpenic nuances bolstered by the pink pepper and earthy dusty vetiver into the dry down collaborating with a musky dry sawdusty woodiness that smells like overdosed cedar or iso-e super. I get distinct similarities to Le Labo’s Another 13 with its woody/musky facets which surprised me and for lovers of woody DNAs like Dior Homme 2020 you will be in for a treat with this one 🪵

I bought this, Infinite Sky and Sensuous Stars on Black Friday as I got 25% off on Estée Lauder’s website. Many moons ago I used to enjoy their range of Pleasures flankers such as Delight and Exotic which are no longer with us - unfortunately. I really do not jive with most of their fragrances - it’s old granny’s knickers or strident vulgar oddities - sorry, sounding like a snob here, so let’s get in with my review... clears throat. Blushing Sands sounds like it should be the name of a 1970’s romantic novel and the bottles look like branding from the 1990’s. Cliched names apart (and they are all dreadful and don’t relate to the actual smells!), these newish additions the Estée Lauder mid life perfume cabinet, are not half bad. Back to Blushing sands. In summary, it’s a gentle vetivert. Not particularly intriguing, but less aggressive than some. It’s like a gentler Vetivert Extraordinaire but without the price tag. I’m going to get abuse for that reference, I know, but I can smell the association. I’m a woody fragrance lover and will enjoy this on days when I want to be in a small copse rather than visiting my granny with red riding hood in the middle of the dark wood. This shy vetivert will not be around long I suspect - try this range before Estée Lauder move onto more loud, sharp sweet people pleasers with 1970’s names!

Of the eight fragrances in this collection, Blushing Sands is my favourite followed closely by Desert Eden. While the rest are a jumbled mess, Blushing Sands and Desert Eden completely nail the brief. Blushing Sands is warm and airy, reminding me of the OG Terracotta by Guerlain. Not the more recent one with coconut, vanilla and sweet florals. The Terracotta that smelled of warm, sun baked earth on a summer day while you sit in the shade by the pool was one of my all time favourite perfumes and I miss it terribly. Blushing Sands is not a dead ringer for Terracotta, but I imagine (because I no longer have OG Terracotta to verify my hypothesis, sadly) that if you layer Blushing Sands and Chanel 1957, it might be a close match. At least that’s how I like to wear it and I can see myself layer Blushing Sands with with a lot of different perfumes in my collection. As a stand alone it’s great, but Blushing Sands has so much potential for fragrance pairing, making it the true standout of this range, in my opinion.

When I first purchased this fragrance, I thought, "This is too masculine for me"! I got a lot of ginger and vetiver. I wore it a couple of times to get a feel for it, and was not that impressed, so it went in the back of the closet. However, every now and then, I thought about it because something about it reminded me of the light on desert sand, and that is what I wanted to experience. Fast forward three years later, I took it out and sprayed it on my skin, and yes the ginger is still potent, but now a little softer. Immediately, the vetiver presents, softer. I get a little bit of patchouli as well. Blushing Sands to me is a gingery, vetiver perfume that makes me feel the light of the Summer sands is with me wherever I am walking.

This is a beautiful second skin type of fragrance. The Vetiver, pink pepper and musk are so smooth. You get mostly a very clean Vetiver. It’s not earthy or grassy it’s just barely there and ever so slightly smoky. I layered this with Soleil Brulant and that has a fairly prominent Vetiver so they pair so well together. Very nice fragrance to layer with basically anything else. I don’t think this one is very feminine compared to the rest of the line, leans more masculine but ithey all seem like soft and delicate scents. They can be found quite cheap so don’t pay overs. This one’s a keeper. A shame they discontinued the whole line.

The Fragrantica author mentioned to smell almost a copy of Guerlain's Vetiver. So I was curious. To my nose there is nothing to discover from Guerlain. Blushing Sands is a cosy, warm & comforting musky scent with creamy and powdery facets, flanked by the green woods of Vetiver that recall a hint of smoke in distance. Pink pepper brings a soft spiciness to it. The absence of flowers brings it towards the unisex territory. A nice and modern fragrance with good longevity and projection.

Not so much a sand scent. More like sun baked clay. At times it almost smells like the Wonder Bubbles solution. There’s iris in the top notes to tone down the pepper and perhaps a little patchouli in the middle. It’s a pleasant scent, but not a must-have for me anyway.

This is a very straightforward pink pepper and vetiver scent with a musky base. Totally in line with the listed notes. It smells high quality. It's peppery and earthy but also clean. Unisex, leaning slightly to the masculine side in my opinion. This line is well done.

had no idea what to expect but boy do i love this so far. musky and sexy! she's a bisexual copenhagen girlie, wears her hair loose with a short fringe, expensive shoes but thrifted outfit. I wanna be her.

I think this is a completely unisex fragrance, sour and clean pink pepper, a proper vetiver smokiness, somewhat salicylate, also amber(I guess it is an Ambroxan) and musk for a skin scent but better.

As another reviewer suggested, this does smells like hot baked clay. I haven’t had it for a while but it reminds me of Vanille Insensée but without the vanilla/sweetness.

Very nice parfum reminds me of something tom ford would do with a parfum nice.. Men could wear this easily.. EL good job it smells very expensive and made well