Onde Sensuelle L'Artisan Parfumeur for women and men

It opens up strongly with grapefruit, ginger and cardamom, but on my skin it doesn’t last, and rather soon everything calms down and fades away.

Grapefruit and oud. Who would have thought? A sharp opening, which is quickly softened by a swarm of oriental spices, the creamiest saffron and ginger, then a glowing amber accord. All the listed ingredients can easily sound screamingly sharp and even disturbing in combination, but instead they create a humming smooth base to contrast the remaining acidity of the grapefruit. One even starts to imagine how great this would be without it! But one also starts to find really unexpected common facets between saffron and juniper, for instance, or grapefruit and amber.. And yes, the manifested idea of this series was to be a bit quirky, exploring unexpected combinations. All in all, a greatly creative scent: much more interesting than lovable, and quite successful in that. Would buy if I come across it again.

Feminine oud!!

Once you pass the polarising opening you’re left with a gorgeous gourmand oud…

Ginger. Saffron. Jasmine. Amber. Oud. Squeeze of grapefruit. Sprinkle of spices.

This is the wildly, magical work of Bertrand Duchaufour.

I don't smell the cumin at all. I smell lots of fresh and spicy vegetables, almost like peppers and tomatoes still attached to their vines. It reminds me very much of Aedes de Venustas - the original.

Oh
NO.

It might be the cumin and musk combo that makes this smell like body odor. Like a very hairy armpit owned by someone who dosen't, "believe in commercial deodorant." And they been camping in a hot climate but they still want to hug you when saying hello. Yeah, spicy B.O.

Everyone experiences scent differently. Some love this, some hate it. It was not made for me.

This is oud and bubble gum. No if's and's or but's. It's attention getter. I LUV IT!!!!!
I've never had a complaint wearing this. Only a "What is that?" in a good way. It's such a dynamic duo. It's def. an acquired taste. Sample 1st. But, give it time to get under your skin. ohhhh so goood.

I was on the fence about buying a sample but seeing someone compare it to Vagabond Prince Enchanted Forest made me go for it.

It is not similar at all -- Enchanted Forest is blackcurrant berries to the extreme with a pine forest dry down.

Opens with a chaotic blast of everything, before I can parse out the citrus top. The driving force is juniper with a supporting cast of spices. Amber and musk are present during the entirety of it's life on skin, sticking around long after the other notes have drifted away. The musk is powdery and reminiscent of laundry detergent. Both amber and musk tend to be really persistent on my skin, and in Onde Sensuelle they last forever.

Imagine sitting at a hotel bar with a glass of top shelf gin and a side of lime. An escort in designer clothes keeps you company, and you drink her musky perfume with each sip. Later in the night, you get the experience you paid for, but it doesn't fill the cold void in your heart.

Indeed this is an interesting one. People seem to get wildly varied impressions and associations from this. (Some of which are pretty comical!) The note that really stands out for me is the piney-ness of the juniper. Next, the beautiful spice blend. What is most sensual about this fragrance for me is the warmth. I'm getting a smooth, remarkable, unique and mysterious warmth from this. When I hear a fragrance described as "warm spicy" , this is what I hope for. I very much admire the lack of obvious sweetness and overbearing amber or sandalwood that are often relied on for warmth in fragrances. I think the sweetness here seems subtle and natural, and it emerges slowly.

After a bit of time wearing this, it became familiar. It reminds me slightly of Enchanted Forest by Vagabond Prince *(I should say very very slightly and in a vague way. They are NOT similar fragrances. I think I was misleading) without the pronounced berry juiciness and slight vanilla/patchouli. This one is less elaborate than Enchanted Forest, but they both have a similar full-bodied, dense-but-not-heavy quality that I love. The notes are not similar, but I think the reason they feel similar is that they both come across piney to me. I also noticed they share the same perfumer, who seems to be known for some bold and unusual creations. I will be exploring more of his fragrances. They most definitely have a certain je ne sais quoi that I want more of.

Sooo this is a tough one, and definitely very different between warm and colder weather. I didn’t get much grapefruit either time, except for the bitterness. My notes, bare with me: (cool weather) really interesting out the gate, grape, sweet, bright, ok. A bit of Leather, sexy, sensual floral- jasmine. Musk. 2nd test (warm weather) musky, spicy, sweet, green a bit like makeup. Saffron pepper cumin cloves. Candy coated fennel seeds?
In warmer weather all of the notes seem to pop, though it fades much faster. It was like a roller coaster, quickly changing. The final scent remaining on my skin after 6hrs is slightly sweet, smooth, warm musk.
6/10 for me (because it’s so interesting). Not a safe blind buy

6/10

At first it smelled VERY sweet but it is not necessarily unpleasant... It smelled surprisingly familiar. I kept wondering what it was and then it hit me... Double Bubble Bubblegum!

A few minutes later it still smelled just as familiar but it was less sweet and didn't remind me of bubblegum. It smelled like home in a oddly comforting way but it certainly wasn't a smell I wished to wear. What was it? Dishsoap!

I scrubbed it off after realizing that. Maybe I'll try it another time, it certainly is an intriguing fragrance but I do not find it sensual whatsoever.

When I first tried this I absolutely loathed it. It smelled awful. I'm far from the most descriptive person on this website, but my private note said "smells like burnt toothpaste". Hopefully you find that funny.

A couple months have passed since I first tried this and my nose has somewhat adjusted to the cumin. I don't *love* it but I no longer hate it.

Cumin is still a challenging note but I'm learning to appreciate it. Hopefully in another few months I'll enjoy this for the complex, citrusy-spicy composition that it is. Needless to say, unless you're an experienced cumin lover, test first, don't blindly purchase... Not that you should ever blindly purchase.

Onde Sensuelle is the weirdest almost-gourmand. It makes my mouth water. Delicious, freshly sliced ginger, juicy grapefruit, tart juniper berries, and just a touch of saffron on the side. Here and there, I can catch a brush of cardamom and lime. I second the sensation of warm/cool conflict in Onde Sensuelle. The ginger is aggressively spicy, as is the saffron, and the berry, lime, and grapefruit offer a refreshing, cooling sensation. The effect is of a light-hearted, scintillating citrus-spice scent, that is never Christmas-y or dull.

The overall scent is quite lively and charismatic. I cannot help but feel happy wearing Onde Sensuelle. I think it works wonderfully as a high-heat scent, and it is far more interesting that your standard citrus and spice perfume. It reminds me of a more perfumed and animated version of Olympic Orchids Gujarat, which is a more literal spicy food and fruit scent.

Structurally, Onde Sensuelle brings to mind other creations by Duchaufour (Oud Shamash, Baume du Doge, Dzongkha and Jubilation XXV, to name just a few), with the stress put on spiced-up citruses. The overall effect here is that of sth that screams "Eat me!" (a very well-done, natural-smelling, juicy grapefruit accord), but poses a danger of poisoning anyone tempted enough to try it (the odd, plasticky, bubble-gummy aftertaste). I like the tension displayed in the opening and the way it rubs me up the wrong way. Sadly, the structure collapses quite fast into a nondescript mess that is neither pleasant, nor particularly interesting.

Edit: I find it work better when layered with some milky sandalwood. I chose SJP Stash in the perfume oil concentration.

Just dived across the room and sprayed this so I can defend it, it doesn't seem popular!

Ok so I will admit I was unsure what to make of it to start but I've been reaching for it a lot lately when I am thirsty before bed (we all know several glasses of water are a bad idea but one is never enough suddenly..) This I find just hits the spot that's refreshing and interesting, it's not a date night perfume.

Grapefruit spiced with saffron,ginger and a hint of cumin with a slightly cold feel (presumably the juniper) just comes across as juicy and revitalising. A far more interesting citrus than usual! Longevity and sillage is moderate.

Update: I'd reviewed this pretty favorably but, since then, I wasn't finding myself reaching for it. I've tried it again a few times since then and I'm sorry to say that this is going to be a no-go for me; that shampoo note is just too much for me. Too headache-y. Which is unfortunate because it's otherwise a really interesting and unique fragrance. I'm going to have to give up on this one. :/

I acquired a full bottle in a swap last December. I've worn this twice and one thing I know for certain: the opening of Onde is really polarizing. You'll either adore it or not, and unfortunately I fall into the latter group.

This smells exactly like the disenfectant used in my dentist's office.

I really like citrus forward scents, and have many grapefruit dominant perfumes. But something about Onde smells unnatural on me. Or it could be that there's an ingredient that's off, and I'm going to place some of that blame on cumin.

Oud is hardly detectable in this composition, but I'm sure it's what gives Onde it's legs. Drydown last several hours, I just wished the first phase worked better. Back into the swap pile it goes.

As much I love and admire L'Artisan this one was a big mistake for me. It smells too sweet and feminine. Not unisex to me at all, sorry. Smells like pomelo syrup.

in shiva-woman's defence, i totally agree, this does massively smell of cherry almond taxi air freshener for the first 10 minutes. guided only by the supplied list of notes, one might not agree. Juniper and grapefruit. perhaps. maybe even a touch of sweaty cumin. then a colossal dollop of sweet something over an underlying sniff of dried wee, next to a freshly cut grapefruit.
i just asked my daughter to smell my wrist and she balked, before sticking her nose closer and running away, face scrunched. then she said "it's horrible, but it's actually quite nice".
my review of Skin on Skin mentions a similar back of a cab whiff.
definitely from Bertrand.

@shiva-woman: it's strange, this perfume is all about grapefruit, fresh spices and a sea-salted vibe fron the juniper, no cherry or tonka at all, I've got the 125ml old bottle and last 6-8 hours before being a skin scent for other 4 hours; maybe you've got a reformulated version? ...or a mismatch in the carded sample?

I received this as a carded sample and tried three times, and every time this was blech. I rarely scrub, but this would have been a scrubber if it weren't for the poor longevity. Unfortunately,I also sprayed my clothes and hair so got occasional wafts for a few hours.
I immediately smelled:cherry, almond, Tonka, none of which would be bad, but also a bitter and sweet powder smell. After going to Fragrantica, and seeing the notes, I was quite surprised, tried again, again same. The problem was that the almond-cherry-Tonka-bitter-sweet is super synthetic and smells (to me) like an incredibly cheap car air-freshener or an equally bad gas station rest-room deoderizer. Super synthetic awful.
Rarely do I really dislike a perfume. Sure, I have my favorites, but if I don't love something, I can often appreciate it. I do respect and enjoy L'artisan, but on my skin, this perfume is a big pass.

Edit: Just tried Amouage Blossom Love: Go there! Go there! Awesome frag.

A complex grapefruit fragrance; who would have ever thought that grapefruit could be complex! Zingy but with depth in the base. A bit sharp, even bitter - grapefruit and juniper, accentuated by the oud - but it's not loud. The sharpness may make it difficult to love (I'm not having any problems myself, though). I'm also getting touch of a shampoo-y quality but I'm not sure where this is coming from. As it dries down it becomes softer but still remains light and upbeat, with an almost floral quality. This was a blind buy because I got an amazing price for it, the reviews were positive, and it sounded intriguing. Also, I love Bertrand Duchaufour, and Onde Sensuelle definitely has that Duchaufour transparency that I love. Bright but sophisticated, with slightly subversive twist. Unusual and lovely!

I just almost bought this as it was on mega sale in tkmaxx. Very nice spicy, gingery notes, very intense. The ginger note however is probably not really for me, it makes the fragrance a bit sickly in my opinion. Doesn't really last, by the time I was on my way home it had gone.

I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe - updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile, get in touch!

Damn, I do like the drydown but the beginning...I'm happy I've only got a sample of this. The beginning smells just like the harsh chemical stuff we clean our oven with(or maybe a toilet). So much grapefruit - I can not stand it. If you'd switch the grapefruit to say apple or orange rind, it would be amazing. But no. "A scrubber" for me :(

A blind buy for me that I wasn't sure I could love.
First of all, I adore grapefruit scents and anything related ( qumquat, pomelo, bergamot , etc ) however, based on reviews, I was expecting this to be a citrus based perfume. On my skin, it is not.
Onde Sensuelle opens with the most gorgeous pomelo you could dream of ... Juicy, realistic , fresh, fruit and zesty skin together. No cat pee or armpits associated sometimes with citrus scents. Unfortunately , the citrus is very short lived. The perfume transforms first into a cool, almost mentholated musc and amber concoction . I suspect it is the jumper berries that give this impression . A spicy ginger note is not hot enough to change the coolness into hotter notes,even with all the. black and white pepper. The musc ( which is definitely not the clean type , quote the opposite ) ,continues to intensify and becomes woody with some spices, probsbly cardamom and cloves, luckily no detectable cumin. I hate cumin so I am happy to report I cannot smell any. And then the oud takes over, smoky, raw, burnt, almost like burning Insense, without sweetness. I am surprised people don't feel the oud here, as I find it very dominant, at least for a while , along with musc and Ambre, I definitely don't smell any flowers or Jasmine .
Lasting power and projection are average, but surely not bad, this is an edp after all.
The scent is rather unisex, I believe it is leaning more towards masculine than feminine , strange how we all perceive different things.
Since I feel it needs some sweetness and more juicyness I layered it with Allegoria Pamplelune. It becomes better .
Still, having owned it for one day, I am no convinced at all I will keep it. But then, that's what I said about Deliria, and I still have it.
Edit : Having worn this fo a full day, I must add: it has something very addictive, the more I spray the more I like it. The top notes are to die for. There is something of contrast in this composition that is both attractive and slightly repulsive . But it is getting better , and turning to love. A very original creation , smells like nothing else I tried.

I have a sample of this lovely fume and have been wearing it a few days in a row now. The opening with white grapefruit and ginger is invigorating and addictive. The dry down is a beautiful warm woody amber, and I can actually sense some oud in there. I detect no cardamom or gloves. I really appreciate this perfume for its combination of elegance and youthful energy, that is a rare combo imo.

Edit # I first thought it has a lousy longevity but now that I actually went for a bottle I realise that it hasn't. It has a good 6 hrs stamina and heck, I don't mind reapplying then and again. I do love the opening!

If there is such a thing as "love at first sniff", then this scent just knocked me silly with love! It only took me about five minutes after first application to complete my online purchase of a full bottle.

I am normally not an impulse buyer, but this is one of those " I've got to have a BIG bottle of this! " perfumes.

I am terrible at picking out individual notes and apologize for that. But if PERFUME was a boy, then this PERFUME, Timbuktu by the same house AND the same nose, plus Mitsouko would all be "brothers by a different mother" in my view! Spicy done absotively right!!!

Great scent for you if:
you like Duchaufour's sense of perception
you like Duchaufour's Seville A l'Aube
you like sharp grapefruit scent and ginger with cardamom
It startles you exactly like Seville does, - loud, harmonically dissonant, it's literally grabs you by neck and pulls your head and senses towards itself. It's often like that with Duchaufour, isn't?.
Then it melts, lingers, self-contradictory,yet warm and spicy in heart. That bitter juiciness of grapefruit turns more into juniper with saffron and amber, but base is musky big time. Very nice when you are moving, walking, turning, I feel like a fox, playing with my own tail, while wearing it. Entertaining and definitely winter holidays feel in it. Not sure about sensuality, more like energetic overdose, just what I personally need from January to March.
Don't get ppl's complains on longevity, at least 10 hours on me, which for Artisans is very potent.

-Oh my...! Did you see that? A grapefruit the size of Mount Everest just fell from the sky!
-Yeah. It seems it was hunted down by this even bigger jasmine that's following...
-Do you think we should run?
-Probably, but having just eaten this delicious exotic dish with its slight dose of cummin and all this pepper, I don't think I'll be able to...
-Yeah, me too...The damn dessert was so loaded with cinnamon and cloves, that my stomach debars any thoughts of running.
-So what shall we do?
-I don't know. How about play nonchalant and go pick some juniper berries? I think I can smell some nearby...
-Agreed! They would make a fantastic finale for such a surreal day!

This is a really difficult scent to describe. Framorena did an incredible job of describing the feeling of Onde Sensuelle. It is oddly fresh, fresh but with all of these mysterious qualities that you can't really pinpoint and that give it more heft and warmth. It is oddly delightful! But it does have a carefree sexiness to it and it does seem more suitable for women but I really feel it could be unisex. I absolutely LOVE the grapefruit note in this and the way it is mixed with notes that usually do not go with grapefruit! This may be my grapefruit perfume holy grail. This is a very original creation and smells like nothing else I have ever tried. But do not expect any sort of classic oud type scent because this isn't it. This smells like a vacation to a warm semi exotic location in the middle of winter if that makes any sense. It isn't summery but has a summer in winter kind of vibe going on. As usual, a very unique and slightly bizarre combination from Duchaufour that somehow works and screams L'Artisan.

An unusual fresh scent.
Starts with citric juniper note. I can smell this mixture during the whole drydown. This pleasant freshness is accompanied by some spicy woody (slightly bitter) notes which are very soft and tender. But these spices do a really great job by giving a warm and sensual - as the name of the perfume suggests - tint to the whole scent.

I had the impression of smelling something new, unusual and innovative. Compliments to the perfumer!

sexy animalic musk behind the all notes ...

IT. Desiderio insaziabile, sembra di nascere sotto la pelle e poi, questa ondata di sensualità ti solleva alle stelle. Questo profumo è pieno di contrasti. Caldo e speziato bouquet di zenzero, zafferano e cumino. Freschezza di bacche di ginepro e cardamomo... Onde Sensuelle crea una aria di passione e di fantasia, del desiderio di raggiungere l'obiettivo.

EN. Insatiable desire, it seems to be born under the skin and then this wave of sensuality lifts you to the stars. This perfume is full of contrasts. Hot and spicy bouquet of ginger, saffron and cumin. Freshness of juniper berries and cardamom... Onde Sensuelle creates air of passion and imagination, the desire to achieve the goal.