Sensuous Nude

After years of learning about notes and discovering new scents I realize that the dusty stale aspect of it comes from the pink pepper, not entirely the sandalwood itself. Coconut and lily render it too powdery. I'd revisit but wouldn't own it again. My mom loved it back in the day. To me it's in the same league as Montana 80 both ended up being too obnoxious to me and I settled for the least offensive Crystal Noir Edp just to satisfy my craving for a creamy milky super woody sandalwood effect like a lumber shop sawdust scent without the overly dusty element cuz somehow I ended up loving sun tan lotion perfumes.

My first review on Fragrantica was for Sensuous EDP, some four years ago. I first wore that as my signature when I was 23 (I soon turn 41) many years before I had a collection of perfume (albeit my collection remains intentionally modest). So at that time, Sensuous was probably my only bottle. I didn't have a lot of money, and I still don't, but I recently got Sensuous Nude for a very good price on a blind buy. I am so glad I did. This is perfect for me right now. It's a powdery, woody, and musky beauty that can be worn in extreme heat. It may work quite well for most of the year in Southern California. It's not sweet. At least not relative to the perfumes of the past 5 years or so. It is not gourmand like so many are now. The vanilla isn't dessert like. The honey is far less intensive than in the original Sensuous and I think I like this iteration even more. The coconut is not tropical but sort of just adds to the dry vanillic powdery woody aspect. This is exactly what I was looking for.

(Revisiting my old bottles) Unfortunately, my bottle doesn't smell as coconutty as it used to, or maybe I was imagining it that way back then. What I'm getting now is a soft, smooth sandalwood with a little black pepper adding some life to it. The vanilla is very balanced and airy compared to today's fragrances, the powder is just right, and overall this falls firmly into the woody category. At this point I'd honestly say I'm more likely smelling the outer shell of a coconut rather than the inside, haha. Still one of the best in the sandalwood category and sadly discontinued. The drydown is still cocooning and creamy with a milky sandalwood scent, yes! Tag(s): woody, sandalwood, peppery, hint of coco

I would say this is more warm and cozy than sensuous. Soft sweetness and woods with surprisingly little coconut. I was expecting beach sunscreen and thankful that isn't the case. There is a nice powdery nuttiness like almond and creamy florals. Very casual and fuzzy, like a well-worn sweater or pajamas. Not something I would think of as an office scent. This is a Sunday day off kind of fragrance! I can see why it has such a following. A shame about the discontinuation.

This is a beautiful fragrance perfect for cozy days indoors. It’s a fluffy soft hug but has a sophisticated touch with the musky and woody base notes. It is powdery, and I don’t do powdery, but this is done beautifully and I do enjoy it! Perhaps my tastes are changing a bit! It wears pretty close to the skin making it perfect for casual wear and would be perfect for an office scent!

This is the most beautiful sensuous perfume ever, so soft musky warm sweet florals! More feminine than the original Sensuous IMHO, so Divine!

This smells like a woodier and by woody I mean a creamy sandalwood version of CdG sticky cake. Absolutely stunning and I much prefer this to sticky cake which is more powdery than sticky. I prominently smell on my skin: heliotrope, sandalwood, musk, honey and bergamot. Very fluffy and balanced. Really elegant. I only have a 15ml which is full and now I’ll need a larger bottle. This entire line is gorgeous! Sensuous is the mostly floral of the three. Nude leans gourmand/powdery and Sensuous Noir is a unique amber featuring pine. Estée Lauder would be wise to relaunch this entire line.

A like but not a love. Selling my almost full 50 ml bottle. Don’t hesitate to PM me if interested.

This has to be one of the perfumes of all time for me. At first it's any other Estée Lauder perfume, before slowly morphing into this sensuous (ha), dreamlike floral that I can't stop inhaling off of my wrists. It's at once the golden ideal of every trashy teenager with midterm angst, and the bold affirmations of a powerful woman about to give a speech in front of an audience. It's spellbinding, sweet and just complex enough to have me coming back for more without holding itself in pretension. Maybe all of this is just the nostalgia of a small child spraying way too much on without knowing what the name meant, maybe this is the genuine appreciation of someone far older and wearier, but either way, this is a fragrance I love.

I initially bought it because the scent was reminded me so much of the Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly Limited Edition Sparkling body mist that my god mother gave me one Christmas in the early 2010's. That VS body mist was my official introduction to the world of body mists and fragrances outside of just your usual cologne for school. Its scent made me feel so confidently pretty that I wore it to my first date with my now-husband. So when I found the scent of Estee Lauder's Sensuous Nude to be very similar to the VS body mist of my childhood, it triggered a memory for me and I didn't hesitate getting the Sensuous Nude for myself as an official introduction to the world of fragrances and perfumes in my adulthood. I love this perfume so much that it was what I wore to my wedding in 2020. It breaks my heart that Estee Lauder chose to discontinue such a classic everyday feminine scent. It's very rare to have been able to make something as universally flattering as the Sensuous Nude. I've smelled the regular Sensuous (which I initially heard was discontinued as well, but I assume they just reformulated it after its temporary absence?). Unfortunately, it doesn't match the elation I felt when I smell the Sensuous Nude. To this day, I have yet to find a proper dupe for it, so I'm using the one bottle I have since 2018 very sparingly. I really hope they revive it, cause it's such a classic underrated perfume staple that a lot of people can easily enjoy.

I will never get over this one 😢 This is ultra-feminine sandalwood, powder, and coconut mixed to perfection. It truly pains me to see scents like this get discontinued while the current watered-down version of Bronze Goddess continues to plague the shelves. This is clean, classy, and timeless. Innocent but somehow still grown and sexy. It’s very soft after the first hour though, so if you like strong scents this isn’t it.

No coconut, no vanilla. Great if you want a dry, woody, skin scent. The sandalwood sometimes smells soft, sometimes smells sharp/sour. Was really disappointed when I got my bottle, I was expecting something angellic, but I've grown to like it for what it is.

i like it! upon initial application, my mom said it smells like "old lady perfume". im not so sure about that it is VERY powdery at first, reminiscent of baby powder but with a mature vibe the powdery scent weakens and you're left with a more prominent woodsy floral vibe. very delicate, i don't detect much spice at all and definitely no coconut. i have been layering this perfume with other things, florals specifically. i may have bought it second hand.. have no idea how old the bottle is!

I adore this scent, very powdery makeup vibes. I searched high and low for a replacement since it is discontinued and I FOUND ONE! Unfortunately it’s not a very quiet scent as this but if you want this scent with more silage, check out Pierre Cardin pour femme l’intense. Notes are close to identical, all pc is missing is a bit of sweetness. I layered with a vanilla and game overrrrrr. I’ll miss ms. Lauder but so so glad I accomplished finding the Pierre Cardin perfume, it’s a very beautiful scent. And Estée if you’re reading this, I wouldn’t have had to replace you if you’d have never discontinued this!!!! 😡

It's a "like" from me. It used to be one of my signatures, before I was really into perfume, as it's versatile and effortless. I like to layer it now, which makes it a bit more interesting. Surprisingly, I get compliments on it from women and men, even from total strangers! So even though it's simple and understated, I guess I'll keep a little bottle around! It's not beachy, it's feminine, soft, comforting, and woodsy. Powdery sandalwood, a hint of coconut husk, a drop of rose, and musk.

I never understood what "Skin but Better" perfume smelled like until I tried my sample sized spritzer of this perfume that I have had in my closet since 2007. On first smell I couldn't even detect notes, it was just warm, slightly spicy, slightly sexy, me but better smell. This is the liquid form of the "you're my favorite person scent" - its the closest thing to what I imagine a pheromone would smell like. Once I got past the fantasy of it all, this is how it smelled on me: Opening was a bright light citrus with a woody, powdery kick. Warming up to my body chemistry brought out amber, musk, wood - but the wood soft and tropical. I personally can smell the coconut a lot on me as it develops, but if I could describe the vibe: Its less "day at the beach with palm tree wood and coconut" and more "coconut body oil and a sauna". It has a meticulous, delicate blend - it doesn't scream, it whispers sweet nothings to your senses.

i picture Miss Honey from Matilda smelling exactly like this. layers well with Lush's American Cream solid perfume if you're going for a modcloth-y retro, 90s librarian vibe with a cute mauve leather purse and heels. i'd enjoy coming across that person in the wild.

I used to wear this fragrance in 2012-2014, I went through 2 bottles of 100ml each and one 50ml one and I adored it. I forgot about it and remembered about it past year and I was broken hearted to realise not only it’s discontinued but it’s also out of stock everywhere. This is such a beautiful warm, delicate yet very sexy skin scent. It smells like warm and tanned skin that has something sweet and alluring about it. It’s a very pretty and very harmless perfume that no one would be bothered by. The sillage is quite intimate but the people that are going to be able to smell you will fall in love with you. If anyone is selling their bottle in Europe please let me know, I’ve been looking everywhere for a bottle that doesn’t cost 10x the price

A delight. Coconut creaminess coupled with the honey and the beautiful florals really make this an outstanding fragrance and very flirty. I dare anyone to be offended by this lovely fragrance. 9/10

I think this is very similar to Blanche Bete by Liquides Imaginaires

If I only had one choice of a perfume for the rest of my life it would be this. Nothing comes close to this beauty. It’s the best skin scent in the world. It somehow smells natural to you, yet has all kinds of other sexy tones. It’s musky and sensual and warm all at the same time. Great lasting power as well. Such a shame Estée Lauder discontinued this perfume. It was the best. And now cost literally 300-500$ for a new 3.4oz if you can find it. Glad I still have over half a bottle left. But I won’t lie…. This perfume and Stella McCartney “Stella” I might cave in to purchase. Most iconic two fragrances that are now both discontinued 🥹

After receiving a sample of Sensuous, I was highly intrigued and curious to get my hands on SN. It may have been the appeal of its discontinuation and others' high praise that kept me searching for one. Finally purchased from a previous owner who was moving and was happy to see their bottle re-homed. It's in great condition and still nearly full. Now that I own both fragrances, it's fun to compare them. I'm personally in love with the pink champagne tint of the bottle. It speaks cleverly to the truest skin scent I have ever smelled. Every time I spritz SN, I'm embraced by the warmest honeyed wood and amber scent-- one I feel compliments my evenings alone, left to unwind with some music. I don't detect any pepper or mandarin throughout this composition in the slightest, but I feel they would be distracting if made more apparent. An incredibly calming feeling from this one, especially after a long day. Leans just a bit more feminine from the sweeter notes-- but I could also see this as a unisex scent. Incredibly intimate sillage, but understandably so. Nothing else I've tried or owned before has ever truly given me a 'my skin but better' presence. I'm genuinely surprised at the turnout of votes for those who feel this one to be a daytime scent. There's something about it where I feel SN cannot be shared, regardless of the season. I think it may be how unique the composition is for myself, as it evokes a sense of comfort and innocence, yet remains mature and fades elegantly, with enough warmth in the traces of sandalwood and honey to welcome a pampering sleep. Definitely worth it to snag a genuine bottle for savoring modestly.

I like this one better than OG. It has that pencil shaving undertone, but I think it keeps the creaminess of the coconut in check. I am not a fan of strong coconut note. This is very nice. Effortless chic.

Some sandalwood and lots of powder. Plus some animalic musk that I’m not enjoying.

I had it, and I loved it untill empty. It's very cozy, sweet and warm like the best fluffy warm alpaca sweater. Worn over a silk t-shirt. Although I tend not to like vanilla (it's everywhere, can you just stop), in some compositions it's fitting. I'd like to find something as cozy, but different. The perfume I bought instead of this one was Dsquared2 She wood (it's warm cozy woody violet), but it's not exactly that, and they are both very expensive now. The cozyness is there with She Wood (and it's rather unisex, and my ex LOVED it as he found a shower gel version I got when he babysat my cat), but it's too different to say it's a replacement.

This is one of my all time favorites and I wore this when I got married. It's beautiful, strong and happy but definitely not overly sweet. It's perfect because although it wears like a second skin, This has great longevity. I personally think it can be worn at anytime in any season and is great for a date night.

I loved it... So, seems like they always discontinue the really good stuff. This was great for everyday wear, or Sunday church. Soft, feminine and warm.

This was my wedding scent back in 2009. So sad it was discontinued

For me I really tried to like and have as a skin scent. I just couldn’t get over the Wood shavings from beginning till the end. I tried a few times but couldn’t get into it, so I sold my bottle. I just didn’t get coconut and citrus or whatever everyone else was getting from it. To me this is not blind but safe, it’s very heavy on the woody side. It’s likely I will try Sensuous and see if that works better for me. Edit: omdzzzzz I prefer Sensuous 100 times better. For those of you that do not like sensuous nude please try sensuous it’s so what I expected sensuous nude to be is like a skin scent that can be used all year round it’s lovely. This is what I can imagine a mother or a wife to smell like it’s so inoffensive it’s tame and beautiful. It’s a shame it’s discontinued. However I did see it in the perfume shop in the UK (but there was no test available, hence why I bought a half used bottle online from a reseller). I might just get myself a full bottle.(P.S. I did :))

I bought a few bottles of this in 2021 when i figured out it was discontinued. It’s a shame because it’s a lovely scent and i genuinely haven’t been able to find anything quite like it. It’s cozy woody, creamy, but the citrus on top lights it up. I do get pencil shavings from the sandalwood, but in a way i absolutely love! it’s not dry, somehow. I read someone said it smelled like a scented cosmetic and that’s kind of true. I haven’t smelled anything else that quite captures powder and wood, juicy citrus, and cozy creaminess. Ridiculous it’s been discontinued, but EL is big enough that i believe it’s still findable on ebay or discounters. Not for everyone, but I’m glad to see that others have a big fat soft spot for it like i do!