Strenesse

Curiosity about the milk accord made me buy this perfume blind. I’d never heard of Gabriele Strehle or her clothing line Strenesse until I stumbled on what seemed a really good bargain on UK Ebay. Let me comment first about the packaging: it is ever so chic, a black box within a white box, and there is an insert with some info about the fragrance in German. Even the protective plastic is of distinction: translucent rather than the normal throw-away transparent. The liquid inside my 50ml bottle is not milk-white as I was led to expect, but translucent and even opalescent, as I imagine the first drops of mother’s milk would be. There is an indentation about the size of a thumb, but without the lines and whorls of a print, again, different from the descriptions below. No matter. Probably just a redesign, or the design of the smaller bottle. The bottle is pure and simple, like something resting on a glass bathroom shelf alongside high end skin care serums and the like. Now about the perfume: it sprays out in huge bursts, and is VERY sweet on impact. It almost burns the nose, but I cannot stop sniffing my palm. It is like a first taste of condensed milk after a period of deprivation. It is in this initial burst that the modeling clay/Play Do note described by some reviewers appears. (It was also in this stage that my husband edged away from me on the couch and clapped his hand over HIS nose: he hates vanilla / gourmands). Shortly after, a faint jasmine note emerges and dies down. And then, the scent (not the sensation of taste) of sweet condensed milk with a dose of vanilla takes over -- and holds. It’s possible others may smell the jasmine at this stage, but my attention tends to be wholly caught by the milk. The milk element is very strong and reminds me of another perfume I own, Arrogant Cat Dawn I, minus the discordant lily and orange elements. I’ve been wearing Strenesse in copious amounts because I love it, but I’ve taken care to spray it on skin beneath two layers of clothing, because as I sit working at my computer in warm spring sunshine, it CAN be a bit much. Waking up one morning, I was disorientated to smell the dry down of Ambre de Cabochard on myself. Then I realized it was the Strenesse from the night before. The two dry-downs are virtually identical, which is a bummer, but at least I won’t be using up my Ambre de Cabochard all in one go, nor lemming for Arrogant Cat Dawn’s twin Dusk, anytime soon. Bottom line is, Strenesse is exactly as people have described: a very sweet milk bath in keeping with the sophisticated-naturals personal care trend, and a great find for vanilla freaks like myself.

bello questo liquido colloidale e opalescente, che ricorda alla vista la pietra di luna, e che partendo, da una insolita mandorla che a me sembra fruttata (di pera), restituisce una sensazione dolce e confortevole come di una tazza di latte e miele caldi. la cremosità iniziale pian piano scema fino ad approdare ad una bella vaniglia sostenuta da eliotropo e dall'ambra di fondo. anche se non è del tutto "me" mi piace molto e lo indosso con l'impressione di abbandonarmi ad una coccola. molto buono.

I've just received a generous decant of Strenesse... I expected something a little bit different, but I like it, as it's more complex that I imagined! I can smell the peach (It's not listed here) and the sandalwood with a powdery heart, so it remindes me (somehow) Tresor Lancome! But then it becomes more amber and vanillic, with a beautiful milky touch...so it becomes sweeter and gourmand and sooooooo cozier as the time goes by! I like it very much. I wish it would last longer!

After the first potent bitter almond blast it settles down to a warm milk smell with a hint of vanilla.

This one seems to be listed twice on Fragrantica - once here and once under the name "Strenesse Gabriele Strehle." Looks like most people are posting their reviews here, so I'm moving my review here as well: This is a very pleasant blind buy surprise! Citrus-almond creaminess in a simple, elegant cylindrical glass bottle with a thumbprint impression. The juice is an opaque white colour, resembling skim milk. An unusual and interesting addition to my vanity. Starts out with tangy peach, but that mellows down quickly to an almondy-musky-woodsy base - but not at all heavy or heady. There's a hint of jasmine too, but it's definitely in the background. The tart citrusy smell remains throughout the dry down, but it's more airy and light, rather than sharp. The scent is named after Gabriele Strehle's fashion line, Strenesse, which is regarded for its minimal, elegant, clean lines. This perfume is the perfect embodiment of this look and style.

I got a sample of this when I was 12 years old. I liked it so much, that I planned to purchase a full bottle of it when I'm grown up. Sadly they discontinued it very quickly, still I was able to find an eBay seller that sold a few bottles of this scent. It made my day sniffing this scent after such a long time and still feeling so enchanted by it. Strenesse is one of the most creamy+powdery+heavenly perfumes I smelled so far. These are the notes I get from this fragrance: peach, almond blossom, vanilla blossom, sandalwood and amber. There is no sharp, bitter or sour note, at least not on my skin, just wonderful rounded and like sitting on a fluffy cloud. A really feminine skin scent. I'm really in love with it and enjoying wearing this special creation!

I have waited such a long time for presenting Strenesse here on fragrantica. It has to be listed here because it ́s a special fragrance deserves it ́s own descripton. Strenesse is an extraordinary fragrance which united almond, vanilla and even coconut in a delicious way. Yes, all the people around me are smelling coconut in it. And I got so many compliments for this scent. It ́s creamy, yummy but also elegant and feminine. It ́s hard to get by now but for all these people who have it: Congratulation! You are wearing a very special perfume!

Preschool. From the moment I opened the box. This smells like I am being a good little girl and behaving nicely. With clean hands, I drink my milk, and eat my apple slices, and admire the flower print on my dress. Play doh, crayons, and glue sticks. Baby dolls and wooden blocks. It's all very pretty, but I'm afraid I am too tall and my hair is too big for me to smell like this. This is just a little too tame for me. I don't see myself re-purchasing when I'm done with the bottle.

i have the one in this bottle but think i may have the other one Strenesse Gabriele Strehle Strenesse that someone mentioned below, though that one is in a square bottle. i feel like i am smelling fruits or florals and powder at first. i'm not really sure but the fruit makes me think it could be that perfume instead of this one. no idea. anyway i smell a milk note as well. it's a powdery milky peach scent primarily. not exactly what i was expecting but i find it to be pretty.

This perfume smells just as creamy as the milky, opalescent liquid would lead you to believe. I discovered this perfume around the same time I discovered Hypnotic Poison. They both share that creamy almond note, but Strenesse has more of a floral spin, as I can definitely smell jasmine. The drydown is probably the creamiest vanilla of any perfume I've ever smelled. I certainly don't smell glue in this perfume!

Deeply creamy, woody, at the same time sweet and sour. I like wearing it in winter time for it is a calming & cosy scent. In summer, I spray my neck only once, otherwise, it makes me a bit sick. Unique scent. As a perfume enthusiast, I can tell I have never smelled anything similar to it. Even though its notes chart is short,but the scent has a lot of depth to it. Low price, but the staying power is great.

I agree with Curly Wurly, I also smell mainly coconut.

I think this is mostly iris and heliotrope with a powdery vanilla musk in the drydown. It opens with sherbert musk, and a powdery bitter note – must be green almond, a bit like crushed paracetomol and makes me feel headachey. Reminds me of perfumes that my mum used to wear in the late 80’s, I liked it on her but it’ not for me. No milk just musk.

nannaje is correct, this smells like GLUE, with an almond note fighting it's way in and out of a medicinal cloud. Fittingly, it's color is a translucent milky opal. Glad I went for the 1€ sample before a full bottle purchase as that would have been a BIG mistake. For almond, I'll stick with Etro's Heliotrope.

I was quite shocked that this smells like glue - who would have known? Glue, it smells like glue! But after a while the glue disappears and leaves a faint hint of vanilla that stays for three hours. Regretting the blind online purchase...

This opens with almonds in a not good way. But after an hour it gets more creamy. But still the opening does this fragrance no good.

I cannot believe these notes are correct. Almond, heliotrope, iris & vanilla are almost a guarantee that I will love a scent. But all I’m getting is a weirdly sour stone fruit scent- peach or apricot? And a lactonic note that is old and spoiled. I could have sworn this perfume had expired, so I bought a second decant and it smells the exact same. This is one of the biggest perfume disappointments ever for me. The notes looked so promising- I just can’t get over how “off” this smells! If you are looking for heliotrope and almond, I don’t consider this a safe blind buy.

For such an inexpensive scent, the presentation of Strenesse is really beautiful. The packaging has a repeated visual motif of jet black layered underneath hazy, translucent white. The black atomizer sprayer is semi-visible underneath the cloudiness of the cap, and the white outer box holds inner packing cardboard that is black. The onset of Strenesse is all heliotrope and almond. I actually don't enjoy the first 2-3 minutes of this scent, as it is overly sweet and syrupy with a weird bitter tinge from the almond. The drydown is much nicer, once the heliotrope softens and allows the vanilla to come to the forefront. I never really get a definite milky accord -- maybe the overall composition just has a creamy tone to it. The fragrance is very simple and speaks in soft tones. Strenesse smells fine, but I'm not really blown away by it. It is neutral and soft enough that I imagine most women would enjoy wearing it. The presentation is so nice that it would actually make a good gift for a woman who wears perfume but is not really a perfumista. Just make sure you're not gifting it to the type of person who will google it and see that you only paid $15 for it!

I bought this for a ridiculous cheap price, simply because it is signed by Maurice Roucel, one of my perfumery demigods because of Iris Silver Mist and L Instant. Not to mention Musc Rav and even the strangely annoying Dans Te Bras.... What a fascinating thing! It goes on with an almost sour sort of to me unidentifiable top note of wet tobacco, that slowly morphs to,a,dry yet warm vanilla with a nagging musky affect but I am I think a little anosmic to musks now, very natural. Looking at the date, this predates I think the sugar overload that I personally have come to identify with vanilla and candy and don't get me wrong I revel in! Yet it is quite sweet, almost subversive. The secretion magnificent appearance of the juice in my bottle, a creamy milky look, makes me wonder about M Roucel having a little personal joke about skin etc.

Whenever I stayed at my grandmother's house growing up, she would make me a mug of warm milk with honey at bedtime, "to help me sleep." Something about this perfume brings back that warm, comfy feeling. I love wearing it to sleep at night, especially during the colder months. It has that sweet, milky, enveloping sense to it, but there are very faint floral notes that peek through as well. I don't get any of the "glue/play-dough" scents that others have noted - for me it's just so creamy and soothing, perhaps because of the special sense-memories it creates for me. I would describe it as a lovely, warm hug.

I am glad it is not popular or easily recognizable. Such a unique, beautiful, nostalgic smell. People sniff the air behind me and ask me what I am wearing... every time. It's one of those fragrances that has "je ne sais quoi" - it evokes feelings and memories of something loved but forgotten. I adore almond and milk notes - lactonic one is not listed but come onnn, it smells like cold, frothy, low calorie, skim milk almond milkshake!!

Guess it's all skin chemistry's fault. on me, it smells nothing almond or whatever the notes list above, but like the butter plum candy, sour & salty sweet with a creamy butter feeling, which I used to eat in my childhood and still love a lot today. So i was disappointed on one hand, but find it's hard to hate this scent on the other. but advise strongly to other people try before purchase.

On me, the first sniff is totally artificial, even clinical. Then arrives the almond which is not warm, creamy and cosy enough. Then I have the heliotrope and iris but the fragrance disappears on my skin before I could get enough sandalwood. No amber whatsoever. Not a bad fragrance but nothing special. I will use it up by mixing it with scents with more depth.

Just tried mixing this with Paul & Joe Blanc, and the two milky almond scents blend lovely together. Very soothing, especially at bedtime on a chilly night like tonight!