Allure Sensuelle by Chanel, 2005

I don't do flowery scents. But I'll make an exception for Allure Sensuelle. This is a wonderful, dynamic, attention-grabbing scent that's classy but takes confidence to pull off. Allure Sensuelle has excellent silage and longevity and in my opinion is very different from, and much better than, the original Allure. In fact, they're so different I wish this wasn't marketed as a flanker. The original Allure is overly powdery and floral on me and is the only scent I've come across yet that feels too 'old.' It has a nice drydown of amber/sandalwood but I won't sit through the *long* blast of boring powdery flowers just for that. Allure Sensuelle is another animal. The short version: flowers->carnal flowers->musky/spicy/sandalwood sexiness. The long version: It opens with a BLAST of sharp green geranium - I get no fruit. An explosion of flowers follows and blends immediately into the geranium. My impression is white flowers - fleshy, heavy, sweet but very slightly musky - so probably jasmine. I don't get much rose. There's also a slight spicy edge to the flowers, perhaps pink pepper. After a while the flowers change; they're still very much present but I detect the barest edge of something dark and faintly animalistic, almost *rank* which I think may be another facet of the jasmine. This flowery stage has VERY strong silage. After this, once the flowers begin to quiet down, the scent gets closer to the skin. It's as if the flowers shout 'pay attention!' and once you're looking, the smell beckons you closer. Once the animalistic-flower note fades, I get hints of chocolate and something deliciously like hazelnuts. I wish this stage had better silage because it's so yummy! It then blends into a simultaneously sharp and creamy sandalwood, with hints of something cool and powdery I'm attributing to iris. At this stage I occasionally get whiffs of spice and sweetness...but it's mostly a cool sheen of iris over woods. And Allure Sensuelle is STILL not done changing! At its drydown I get a lot of sandalwood, which is like catnip for me: musky, spicy, creamy, and sweet. I wish the sandalwood was a *little* sweeter and less sharp...if Chanel had added amber to warm and sweeten the drydown it would *perfect* but even so, it's pretty heavenly as it is! These ending stages are my favorite, when Allure Sensuelle morphs from creamy/nutty/mocha (wood and chocolate touched with coffee) to a spicy/musky sandalwood that makes my eyes roll back. It's never gourmand or overly sweet; it's very smooth and well blended. It really is, as its name suggests, *sensual*. This is bite-your-lip sexy: confident, feminine, and bold. A smell for a woman who knows what she wants.

When it comes to Chanel fragrances it is either a hit or miss with me. While I quite enjoyed the spicy Coco, the powdery and soft Allure and the fresh and exciting No.5 eau Premiere, other Chanels like No.19, Cristalle and the highly renowned No.5 left me dissatisfied. However along came Allure Sensuelle which restored my respect for Chanel fragrances. The scent is unique, stylish, rich and spicy. A scent that will certainly rouse up the men and awaken your animalistic desires. Do not be turned off by the opening which tends to be rather strong and alcoholic. Once you wait it out for a few minutes, a gorgeous dusty yet sexy spice warms the skin. In reality Allure Sensuelle is a combination of a variety of smells; spices, woods, musk, fruits and flowers. Somehow all these notes blend together successfully. I'm still in awe of this fragrance. The patchouli note is dominant, so I'll admit that this won't appeal to some. The vanilla note also lingers in the background creating a slight sweetness and comforting warmth. The sillage and lasting strength is unbelievably good, so good that you would find it quite overbearing in the warmer months, so it is best worn at night or during Winter. Overall, Allure Sensuelle is indeed very sensual. Chanel never fails in producing elegant and sophisticated scents.

Chanel Allure Sensuelle EDP

Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Jasmine, Rose, Iris, Candied Fruit, Vetiver, French Vanilla, Amber Patchouli, Frankincense, Sensual Note (from OsMoz.com)

When I first apply Allure Sensuelle, I detect aldehydes, vanilla, labdanum, peach, melon, patchouli, rose and a fresh ozone-like note. The watery melon and ozone notes begin to change relatively quickly, and the mid notes reveal the woods to be cedar, or perhaps a cedar and sandalwood blend, along with an amber accord and mixed rich florals. The floral heart is quite classic, and has the refinement that is typical of Chanel. The rose gives a bit of a nod to Coco, however, the context within Allure Sensuelle is far more woody and substantially less loud. The middle development is lovely in a classic way -- woody oriental with luxurious floral notes, not terribly spicy, but nectar-like in the same sense as a rich dessert. The base is very nice, woody and resinous, with an interesting smoky note which could be from incense and vetiver. It sounds great on paper, so I am not sure why I never seem to find any sense of comfort when I first spray Allure Sensuelle. It is as if the perfumer took the head from one fragrance and the body from a different, completely incongruous one. I find the top and early middle to be quite confusing because the top notes simply don't fit with the base. If I am having an off day, this sweet, wet, ozonic top mixed with a rich oriental base can be positively sickening. On the plus side, AS is not terribly linear as its character changes throughout. This one is all about the drydown, in my opinion. AS is pleasant enough, but certainly not one of Chanel's best.