Sensuous Noir

If Lancome Oud Bouquet and Dior Midnight Poison had a baby, it would be something very close to Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir. it has Midnight Poison's dark, almost bitter, kind of cold, spicy, earthy rose-patchouli gene but it also has Oud Bouquet's warm and sweet oriental DNA. I hate patchouli when it's too strong and I hate pine in perfumes, I'm not into very spicy or woody or earthy fragrances either. to be honest, I'm not supposed to even like Sensous Noir but here I am, loving it head to toe. fortunately I can't pick up pine in it and patchouli isn't too strong on me. it's all about rose, woods and spices in a warm, ambery base. there's a touch of something delicious here, almost similar to the deliciousness of Oud Bouquet. I can even detect saffron and it's woodyness sometimes reminds me of oud which I usually hate but I love it in Oud Bouquet and I love it here. I can't believe they discontinued this one. they should be out of their minds. this is beautiful and strong and has charisma. it's sexy in an adult, femme fetal way and can be a signature perfume for a queen. it's not my usual type(I'm mostly into gourmands) but it's so good I can't help falling in love with it. Edit: I'm not a fan of it's late drydown. after a couple of hours, it leaves a very very woody scent on my skin without much rose or sweetness.something totally unisex. I use it just on skin,not clothes because I can detect the woody scent it leaves on clothes behind for days. این عطر رو برای فروش یا تبادل دارم اصولا نباید از این عطر خوشم بیاد چون از اکثر نتهاش خوشم نمیاد بااینحال عاشقشم. اگه لانکوم عود بوکی و دیور میدنایت پویزن بچه دار میشدن، بچه شون همچین چیزی میشد. خوشبختانه برای من نه کاج غالبه نه پچولی. من بیشتر یه رز چوبی، اسپایسی تو یه بستر گرم و شیرین امبری حس میکنم. یه کوچولو از خوشمزگی عود بوکی رو داره. حتی زعفران رو حس میکنم و روایح چوبیش یکم واسم یادآور عوده. بطور معمول از عود متنفرم اما تو لانکوم عود بوکی، عود رو دوست دارم و اینجا هم دوسش دارم. خیلی مسخرست دیگه سنسوس نویر رو تولید نمیکنن چون واقعا زیباست و شخصیت و کاریزما داره و یجور بالغی سکسیه و بنظرم میتونه عطر امضای یه ملکه باشه. منتها درای داون نهایی عطر، یعنی چیزی که بعد از ساعتها ازش به جا میمونه یه رایحه کاملا چوبیه که رز و شیرینش خیلی کمرنگ شدن و تبدیل میشه به یه رایحه کاملا یونی. درکل بنظرم سنسوس نویر یه شاهکاره ولی چون درای داونش رو دوست ندارم و اینکه عود بوکی رو دارم که خیلی شبیهشه اما شیرینتره، تصمیم گرفتم سنسوس نویر رو بذارم تو لیست فروشم

I'm hooked I can't believe that finally I'm here hitting the love bottom for Sensous Noir,a perfume I used to dislike as much as I dislike TF Black Orchid! It's been about four years that I have a 5mil decant of Sensous Noir.first time that I tested it,my untrained 23,4 years old nose hated it.I thought too spicy,too woodsy,too masculine,too much dark green vibe.I couldn't understand all it's glowing reviews.after a year I came across a great deal of Sensous and purchased it in a blindbuy and liked that one.not something I often wear but whenever I do I enjoy it and that's one of rare cases in which I like dominant sandalwood and pepper Recently I saw a highly discounted 50mil bottle of Sensous Noir and was reminded of my long forgotten sample so decided to try it out of curiosity I have mixed feelings about it's opening.it's woody,spicy,dark greenish and has a bitter undertone.I don't dislike it anymore but I don't like it either.but it settles down to something which seems to be my soulmate in the perfumey form! I get tones of benzoin and I Love benzoin, specially here that it's paired with spicy,peppery,cinnamony honey,rose,vanilla and amber.it's so delicious but in a very adult,sophisticated,complex and nonfoody way.I love this warm,sweet,deep,rich,resinous base,it's really seductive and it's woody undertone doesn't put me off as it's creamy and smooth in drydown.I also pickup a hint of something smokey which makes it even more unique and edgy I love the fact that while being supersexy, it's also comforying and cozy and while being strong, it's not overwhelming.one of the rare perfumes that just with one spray,I can smell it on myself without trying hard after it dries down I can see Sensous's DNA in it but Sensous Noir us darker,more complex and more interesting.so it's somehow like a love child of Sensous and Dior Midnight Poison but much better than each of these two The sad point is that I can't afford it right now and I'm afraid that I may never find such a great deal in future.sigh

I will address (from my vantage point) the refrains in other reviews first... A likeness to Midnight Poison? For me, only in the smoky rose component. I do not find the patchouli remarkably strong in Sensuous Noir; it's much more noticeable in Midnight Poison. Repeated references to Fem. du Bois? Hmm...maybe in passing. I do not find it strikingly similar. However, I did think of the Serge Lutens line in general when I tested this, which has never been the case with any other Lauder fragrance. Similar to Black Orchid? Not so much to me. Black Orchid is much more complex, edgier, maybe a bit coarser in composition. Sensuous Noir is polished and velvety. I like both, in very different ways. Scary pine? Pencil shavings? Masculine? Admittedly, I like pine and do not find it off-putting, but if I hadn't seen pine in the notes, I would never have noticed it in the perfume. if anything, I wish it were more present. I don't find pencil shavings. A bit of cedar or guaic doth not a pencil shaving make...As for its masculinity, I can only say that it reads very feminine---even classically so---to me, which doesn't preclude my thinking it would smell divine on a man. What is dominant to me, on my skin at least, is benzoin and rose. A bit of wood, a bit of ambery-vanilla warmth, a subtle hint of spice. I don't find it terribly "noir", and certainly not Gothic, although it's definitely not "fresh" or sweet or insipid. I do find it sexy, in a nuanced way. In fact, I feel I have been damning it with faint praise in this review thus far; but really, I like it greatly. It's actually rather intoxicating midway through its wear time, and I could see it easily being a favorite. I'm really very pleased with it, and consider it by far the standout of the Lauder line. It is elegant and beautiful and warm, and yes, sensuous, all without a feeling of trying too hard. A woman who looks and acts the way this perfume smells would be a fine force of nature indeed...

Finally tried on my skin today....and my search to replace Feminite Du Bois is over...such a similar scent on my skin. The appearance of the top spicy notes sadly is not long, but the powdery warm, softer spice/incense mix is beyond beautiful. Have now been wearing this for several hours, and can still smell it STRONGLY. My nose hasn't become accustomed/numb to this magic. I had two sprays on one arm...and one on the other...they almost smell different scents. The single spray has softened to sweet powder, with faint spice. Almost a nuance of floral note. The double spray arm has a more prominent cedar/spice tone. The rose is discernable with two hits, but the vanilla receded, making it part of the whole, but not a vanilla perfume as such...normally my skin picks up vanilla, to the exclusion of most other notes (burberry brit...may as well be body shop vanilla on me...sigh) Fabulous either way...subtle, or more powerful. Though I do believe it could be dangerous if not applied judiciously or overused.......subtle ok for day use, if you can wear it and it doesn't wear you. A fabulous evening fume. Overall, a real surprise, as I wrote off Estee Lauder many moons ago, as old girls frags (no offense to the lovely maturer ladies...hey, I'm no spring chick either...lol) {but they are usually powerful concoctions that don't suit, and won't go away, headache inducing flash backs of crowded lifts in the 80's.}.. but because of fragrantia reviews I gave it a go, and its LOVE...I must own this soon !!! Sillage.. 10/10 Longevity 9/10 I now own this gem, and its beautiful in the evenings...even mistier rainy days (just a liiiittttle squirt daytime) Womanly and sensuous is how it makes me feel.... OK, I now realize that this doesn't replace Feminite Du Bois, but it stands on its own as a wothy member of my perfume wardrobe. Sadly its only getting outings during winter, but I do love it for what it is.

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.

I spoke with a longtime fan of SN since it's inception in 2010, and they were adamant about what a powerhouse SN is in terms of massive sillage and longevity, and that other people can smell it from almost next room. Also, in many reviews it's mentioned about SN being very potent. I don't feel that at all. It's a skin scent to me even after 5-6 spritzes. You can definitely smell it at the end of the day, but only if sticking your nose directly into your arm/sleeve/scarf. It doesn't leave noticeable scent trace on clothes either. I don't think I'm nose blind to it, since many other reviews also mention poor performance. Was SN reformulated somewhere between 2010 and 2017? My bottle is from Feb. 2017. Could it be the watering down that was the reason for sales dropping and discontinuation? In this case not worth stocking up on, unfortunately, even though the scent itself is truly beautiful. P.S. I'll have to add that I just tested a teeny-tiny sample of an old batch of this perfume (2012), and yes, it seems to be more potent than a recent batch of 2017. Makes me think twice about trusting integrity of EL when they announce that they discontinue a fragrance, but still make it for a couple of more years. And the last batches are much less potent than the old batches,,,hmmmm. Same thing seems to have happened with Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss - the potency of the juice drastically changed in the last batches after they announced discontinuation. People who love these scents start panic-buying as many bottles as they can to stock up for the future - they might not even notice they are buying inferior quality watered-down product?

I’m putting this fragrance on my Swap list on my profile page. SO UNFORTUNATE! My skin chemistry just doesn’t agree with something in it and it turns “beige” and powdery on me after a short while, reminiscent of an old makeup bag, albeit a spicy one. What is this mysterious thing that is doing this with fragrances I should love, like TF Vert Incens? It happens to me sometimes, but I love every note listed and the patchouli isn’t too strong....? I have fragrances I love that are strong with myrrh, and lots of wood, so I don’t get it. At first, it’s so wonderful. Resiny pine and spices, surrounded by a cloud of amber, and jammy rose and jasmine with a touch of vanilla. It is quite a mature and heady scent, for sure, but I don’t care! When I first tried it, I went outside in the cold and it was lovely, and I called it “chestnut créme brûlée at Christmastime”. But alas, this phase doesn’t last, and it’s makeup scent on me. My boyfriend hates it. He said it smells too mature. I saw some reviews that call it masculine, but I don’t find it masculine at all, in fact it is quite feminine in a womanly way, just not a young feminine. If it works for you, this scent lasts forever and it projects! EDIT 11/28/19: After trading away two bottles and gaining two more, I’ve found a way with Sensuous Noir. If I do not spray near my face or neck, and just spray a very light spritz on each wrist, I can enjoy this beauty and all its conifer and gourmand notes and spices without my senses being overwhelmed by powder. I’m thrilled that I can now wear this gorgeous perfume.

I should say that the quality of perfumery under the brand "Estee Lauder" has never disappointed me. EL's significant style isn't exactly my thing, but I have to admit that every EL perfume I've tried so far was of a very high quality - well mastered, well rounded, well balanced sillage killers that last all day. I love it. Now concerning Sensuous Noir. I think it is an amazing perfume. It is very modern - the composition of this fragrance is quite typical for our time. It is somehow similar to a number of successful contemporary fragrances, but Sensuous Noir is surprisingly better. I also feel a classy old-school vibe in it, which is obviously great. I love the fact it is strong and expressive, but not "edgy" like Angel, for instance (I'm an Angel girl but I don't need this edginess every day). The pine note is fantastically natural on my skin, and I know what I'm talking about since in the past I used to live in Jerusalem, where the air is full of this intoxicating aroma... When I tested SN I suddenly woke up there. SN certainly fulfills the main aim of perfumery - it stimulates your imagination as a true piece of art should be able to do.

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 .

Wish I had come across Sensuous Noir in October when I was looking for a deep, rich, warm scent for fall and winter. I wore Boyfriend this winter and enjoyed it. But one sniff of SN told me what I was missing. SN has the woody richness of Boyfriend, but in comparison Boyfriend seems like an amorphous blob, all rounded edges and creamy smoothness. What distinguishes SN is the pine. It makes this fragrance interesting. If SN and Boyfriend were lines, SN would be diagonal and Boyfriend would be horizontal, if that makes any sense at all. You'll look at a diagonal line because it's an unexpected juxtaposition with the horizon. The pine note is what makes you take that second sniff-what's that? Not expecting that! Want more! kind of feeling. I rarely save fragrances for evening wear; if I enjoy the heavier scent I'm going to wear it with a light hand in the daytime too. SN works, whatever hour you choose to wear it. This is a well-crafted gem. Edit: Caress body wash in the Scarlet Blossom Red Lychee and Patchouli scent perfectly preps your skin for Sensuous Noir. Layering increases the lasting power!

I unexpectedly found a bottle of this and it is indeed amazingly beautiful. There aren’t many similar fragrances on the market right now (at any price point.) I was surprised that it resembled Evros by Olfattology, also possibly discontinued and hard to find. However, Evros strongly resembles Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle...so there is one, somewhat similar, perfume available for slightly less cost than the prices for Sensuous Noir on eBay. It is not entirely similar, (the roses are a bit different), but the vibe is similar. Until I smelled Sensuous Noir I did not understand just how much it could be missed; now I do. Wow. Edit: a few days later I wore Charlotte Tilburry Cosmic Power and I had to change my opinion on that. They are surprisingly similar because of the cinnamon note also the overall composition has some similarities, the wear in the middle notes especially. The openings are different and the eventual dry downs are different, but for several hours in the middle Cosmic Power could be the daytime version of Sensuous Noir, more so than the original Sensuous.

To me this is very masculine as the pine and resinous notes are so predominate, at least on me. This is rich, bold and full bodied, anyone not looking for this kind of scent be warned. For those of us that like to be noticed, this is good stuff. Kind of reminds me of some of Tom Ford, i.e Vert D'Encens with maybe a speck of Cafe Rose. Nothing sweet or flowery here, this is spicy, woody and piney and very much in your face. On one hand I can see why this didn't sell well when launched as a stereotypical Estee Lauder customer probably had a stroke when they unknowingly encountered this at the mall. I found this on a fluke when I saw it on clearance at Marshalls. It was marked down twice and the box was opened, so I took a sniff and immediately knew this was special. I paid like $24 for a 1.6 bottle. I see now it sells for over 5 times that, and I can see why. Worth the investment, this is one of a kind juice.

I do get the similarities between this and Bombshell Oud. And it’s funny because I think I got the two of these around the same time because I usually go for discontinued frags as I love so many that aren’t around anymore. I had been wanting to try VSBO for a long time and finally I bought both of these at a great price. It did kind of dawn on me that they smelled alike but I didn’t really think dupe. Sensuous Noir is Definitely sharper but I don’t think it’s as deep and dark as VSBO. Sensuous Noir is very spicy and strong so it’s definitely not for everyone but I love the spicy scents. This is definitely one of my favorite Estee Lauder scents. Right up there with Tuscany Per Donna and Youth Dew. I grew up with my mom and my aunt wearing those two along with poison and The original Opium (which I still like), something about these spicy scents that are just so special to me! 🥹😍

Sensuous Noir by Estée Lauder is not a ground breaking fragrance by any stretch of the imagination; however, when compared to other designer fragrances, SN is a breath of fresh air. Basically, it is a sweet, woody oriental with a crowd pleasing pine/patchouli/vanilla-dessert note combo. Do yourself a favor during your next visit to your local department store: walk past Coco Noir and continue straight to SN—you will not be disappointed. Actually, stay at the EL counter and continue sniffing your way through the entire line. Be sure to stop at Cinnabar and Private Collection. If you find the two aforementioned fragrances too “vintage” for your taste, check out Bronze Goddess and Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia; there should be something for everyone. Longevity and Projection: Good Overall 3.5/5

45 year old MALE here. I visited my mother, and she was about to toss a 30ml brand new in box, 2010 batchcode formulation of this fragrance, that had been sitting in her basement. I opened the box, sprayed it on my wrist and...WOW. This smells amazing. It's sweet, spicy, amber and dries down to a beautiful patchouli woody honey scent. It's very unisex. I'd suggest wearing it in the evening for a special event or date. Probably best worn in cooler weather. It's a very mysterious scent. Projects nicely, and the longevity is fantastic. Its discontinued, and apparently quite difficult to find (unless on eBay, where I've seen the 50ml being sold for $150 to $350 USD). If you can find it at a decent price, please purchase it...man or woman...doesn't matter. It's a masterclass fragrance.

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.

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.

I've had this for 2 years now, since it first came out, and I haven't worn it much. It's one of those perfumes that are too special, so they are worn sparingly. My nose: Smooth white flowers, smooth licorice, dark patchouli, rich/spicy vanilla, and wood notes. The far drydown is a pleasant musky vanilla. A very, very warm perfume good for colder weather, incredibly creamy, spicy but NOT peppery like the original Sensuous. The votes suggest that this is a 'piney' perfume, but the pine stage only lasts through the very top notes, along with a rough masculine edge, and then quickly disappears. 2 sprays will do you all day, with good but not overwhelming sillage. It's nice to have a perfume that does this. This smells classy, unique, grown up. A great one from EL.

I am still exploring this but first impression is so so good. I enjoy rose as a note only when it is deep and rich ("jammy") and this rose reminded me of Oud bouquet by Lancome, which I love and haven't quite found rose done so well elsewhere. The rest is wonderful, too. I love resin and spice! Will probably come back to edit once I have worn it a bit longer! I'm back for an update: I LOOOOVE wearing this under my pjs for bed. It has indeed grown on me. I wear it more for me... I do understand why it comes across as masculine to some people's nose. I go more for the sweet florals for dates with my husband because thats what he likes. but this is really so good. I'm really glad that I got it! It was a blind buy and those don't always go well.

Just received this in the mail last night and was thrilled with this blind buy! Upon first spray I was hit with one of my favorite notes, guaiac wood, mixed with pepper and spices. Beautiful! The amber and sweet benzoin quickly surface to make this a creamy, woody scent. I get none of the pine note at all but lots of patchouli. I knew immediately that this reminded me of some other perfume, but it was only after spraying it again this morning that I recognize it as YSL Elle. It also reminds me a bit of Midnight Poison or a spicier version of Nanette Lepore Nanette as suggested by WeeGee's review. I accidentally bid on and won 2 bottles of this on Ebay and am quite happy knowing I will have a backup bottle of this beautiful perfume