Sensual Instinct Montale for women and men

Love at first sniff. Among all them synthetic molecular, trendy, over simplified, skin but better "creations", this gem shines bright to reset our nose and travel us back to times gone by when perfumes had presence, sophistication and character. French vintage class in a bottle, amazing dirty floral mixed with mosses, very elegant. It is described as gourmand but to me it's more of a chypre vibe which isn't just nice, it's evocative, expressive and rich, reminiscent of older formulations when base notes where solid and distinctive. It's a very balanced fragrance opening sharp and dirty but with an underlying sweetness that shines on the dry down and with wonderful projection/longevity. I also don't get the far fetched six degrees of BR540 here. To me this would be more suited to vintage French perfumery lovers. An all season absolute keeper for me.

I got this in my 5 sample kit and it’s a good fragrance but is definitely all the way feminine. It has crazy longevity, I had put it on 6pm and it was still strong the next morning at 7am. All around a good fragrance.

Such a foul perfume , my friend tried it and she loved it I was beyond confused as it’s loved online too

To me it was offensive and it smelt of alcohol

Ordered a bunch of small samples and documenting my initial impressions: Wow - initial scent is gorgeous. It's rosy, beautiful, natural. I can't wait to wear

I love the opening of this fragrance . It really is lush and beast mode . The dry down is very coffee-centric, but I must say it’s a unique addition to the collection. Idk why it’s classified as an amber vanilla when there’s no vanilla .

This must be my 4th time here. Can't say how much I love this. I have used many different perfumes during my life but never received so many compliments as this one and it comes from both women and men. I was just in Dublin with a couple of mates and got 12 compliments 7 of them from women and the others from men. This is a perfume that makes people really wonder what you are wearing because this is not a perfume you notice on many people. Best perfume I've ever used, going to buy a new bottle soon

It does have the Baccarat DNA but… it’s different somehow. I like it but I prefer the Baccarat Rouge.

Initial hit smells like a brand new pool inflatable, after about 30 mins the dry down is sweet and very pleasant but then disappears almost entirely within an hour.

First impressions.
Mossy sweet and medicinal. It smells green a bit of dirt and moss at the opening. Then medicinal after a few minutes ot stays sweet and mossy it like a green sweet but dark. I don't know. I don't get the warmth of the prailine or coffee at all.

Beastmode fragrance. I love this but in my opinion it’s polarizing. When I first got it (it was my first niche fragrance) my father smelt it and started questioning me how much painkillers did I take during the day because it’s smells quiet medicinal. I don’t share the same opinion, it’s smells pleasant and smells very feminine and bold. I don’t like rose but in this perfume I think it works. I agree about this is a poor man’s (woman’s) BR450, as in this is much cheaper (at least in my country it is) but it’s the same vibe. Definitely winter and fall fragrance. Sweet, mossy and mature.

Honestly it smells to me like roses and stale beer. The opening is definitely not great but once it dries down it gets better, but still wouldn’t be something I would wear as a man or would like my woman to smell like.

Sweet and even cloying. Smells like some sweet alcohol cocktail on me. I like it in my glass, not on my skin.

"Sensual Instinct" by Montale is an absolute gem that has captured my heart from the very first spritz. This fragrance is more than just a scent; it's an immersive experience that evokes a sense of warmth, sensuality, and timeless elegance.

From the moment I applied "Sensual Instinct," I was enveloped in a captivating aura that's hard to put into words. It's as if this fragrance knows how to awaken your innermost desires and confidence, making you feel like the best version of yourself.

The initial sweetness is beautifully balanced with a hint of earthiness and woody undertones, creating a symphony of notes that feels both inviting and intriguing. It's like stepping into a lush forest bathed in the warm embrace of the sun, with a delicate bouquet of roses in full bloom.

As the scent unfolds, there's a subtle but alluring hint of coffee and nuttiness that adds depth and complexity. It's like having a secret ingredient that keeps you coming back for more, an enchanting mystery that keeps you engaged throughout the day.

What I appreciate most about "Sensual Instinct" is its versatility. It's a fragrance that adapts to any occasion, whether it's a special evening event or a casual day out. It's a true chameleon that effortlessly complements your mood and style, making you stand out in the most delightful way.

The longevity of this fragrance is exceptional, as it lingers on my skin for hours, creating a captivating aura that draws compliments and attention wherever I go. It's a scent that leaves a lasting impression, making it perfect for those who want to make a statement without being overpowering.

The bottle design is also worth mentioning, a work of art that reflects the elegance and sensuality of the fragrance within. It's not just a container but an embodiment of the experience that "Sensual Instinct" offers.

In conclusion, "Sensual Instinct" by Montale is a masterpiece that transcends the realm of fragrances. It's an enchanting journey that speaks to your innermost desires, a scent that ignites your senses and leaves you feeling confident and alluring. If you're looking for a fragrance that exudes sophistication and warmth, look no further. "Sensual Instinct" is a must-try for anyone who appreciates the power of scent to transform and elevate every moment of life.

This fragrance has a prominent oakmoss and amber presence, hence the comparison to BR540. I don’t get rose or coffee. I’m sure those notes add to the beauty of this composition. They are not prominent. Don’t be fooled.

I prefer this fragrance,
1) because it is a more interesting scent to my nose (than BR540) and
2) because I don’t go anosmic to it. Fantastic blend & great performance.

I love this fragrance. It makes me feel sweet and sexy. Here in Austria people don't use to make compliments 😒 but I'm sure this will get some if we were in any other country. Love the rose note, the very subtle coffee note and the sweetly intoxicating praline note. A little goes a long way, it's beast mode. Longevity is "next shower and then some" mode. I don't spray my clothes, I rather wear this on my skin. Plus Montale fragrances are quite oily so keep that in mind 😉 when applying. Beautiful perfume for this stinky cat 🐈. I'll definitely repurchase.

Okay so this seems to be more robust and masculine than 540, also more complex in a way. The addition of coffee and oakmoss really darkens it up

You need to survive the harsh, heavy, repulsive opening to enjoy the perfume! :)

I love this scent so much in the opening, the sweet Jammy rose and the coffee and praline together but then the moss comes in and stops it from being cloying. In the dry down is where it smells pretty similar to BR540 on me. I don't really care for BR540 on myself because I think the resin and ambergris in that one make it smell weirdly greasy or oily on me? But I don't mind the moss and amber in this one, I just wish the syrupy sweetness in the opening would last in the dry down as well.

I'm looking for another scent that either smells like the opening of sensual instinct in the dry down or that I can layer with sensual instinct to emphasize and keep those notes. I might try ristretto intense cafe or instant crush next.

This perfume smells like Eugenol, as a dentist I recognized it instantly, it's the smell that floods our clinics, Eugenol is an aromatic oil extracted from cloves, we use it as a local anesthetic for the dental pulp🦷
this is my favorite from montale unfortunately it doesn’t last on me. 🥹

Longevity 5/10
Uniqueness 8/10
Sillage 5/10

I bought a Montale Best-Sellers Discovery Collection. Sensual Instinct smells to me like a tamer, nicer version of Amber Fever. It has its own identity, but whatever note Amber Fever and Instant Crush share, that nice, recognizable one that's like a sexy, sweet plastic scent, it has it too underneath.

I find it way too feminine even if it smells amazing on my skin. I'm a guy and am not sure if this smell on me would produce a negative reaction on others due to societal conditioning. It really is a girly fragrance in my opinion.🤪

EDIT: It's February 2024. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this fragrance ever since my sample ran out two months ago, actually feeling sadness in my heart, yearning for it like a good friend. I ordered a 100ml bottle.

I like it, don’t love it.

Thought the longevity was atrocious at first, but I was wrong. The initial spray has such massive projection and that lingers for about an hour, personally. Then it mellows out to a cozy sweetness very, very close to the skin. That remainder lasts forever.

Thankfully this doesn’t smell like cough syrup on me. Coffee and oakmoss notes are lost on my skin. Jammy rose and amber take the stage. Wouldn’t get a FB, but going to milk my decant as long as possible.

This is a beautiful fragrance, thick and sweet, feminine leaning, at least on me. If you're only gonna invest in 1 Montale perfume and are having a hard time deciding, Sensual Instinct would be my recommmodation. For me, the coffee note in Intense café and Ristretto is just to much to wear on skin, though I like both scents. Sensual Instinct has a weaker coffee note, less cloying and is more wearable, with rose and berries. Still, it's a heavy scent, thick and creamy, so if you find fragrances like LVEB or Black Opium too much, you should definetly not get this.

I can see the similarity on the DNA between this and Baccarat/baccarat dupes. Bought the full bottle on a whim, and althought it's a lovely chocolatey-mossy scent and i totally get the appeal, i don't think it suits me very much. Gifted it to my mom and love smelling it on her. It gets cloying if oversprayed, so be careful with this. Amazing sillage and longevity.

This is like BR540 plus berries! Love!

This is Fall in a bottle. Obsessed.

Good, original scent. May feel a bit invasive if you like delicate scents. It also doesn't really smell very feminine to me. It changes completely from trying in on paper vs on your skin. Dear Montale, allow people to buy sample kits from your websites so one can test them before buying, since they are all so different on the skin vs on paper.

Cheira a consultório de dentista ☺️☺️

I layered Sensual Instinct with Dark Purple and Angel Nova, just for fun. I've been receiving compliments all day! I have no idea why it works, but it does! Projection and longevity is beastly. This might be my new end-of-summer/fall combo.

Beautiful fragrance! Sweet jammy rose with an earthy note from the oakmoss that I really love! I can’t smell the coffee but I have Ristretto Intense Cafe for my coffee fix. This is just yummy!

This smells like an Arabian Mugler Angel 🍫🍨 + green & woody notes 🌱🪵 + warm, roasted arak espresso. ☕️ Yum!

I have no idea if I like this or not. The moss note is SO much stronger than you'd expect. Montale is well-known for their Rose and Oud notes, their fragrances all have a similar vibe to them. And this one doesn't fit in at all to me! It smells like a damp, mossy garden covered in fog. If this was marketed towards niche/alternative fragrance collectors they'd be obsessed with it. I could easily see a girl dressed in docs, a maxi skirt, and tons of jewelry wearing this. It smells like something a fairy living in the woods would wear. Very woody and "green" with hints of sweet, jammy rose. It's beautiful in its own way, but it's heavily misleading and can be a huge letdown if you were looking for a sweet and sexy Montale staple fragrance. I still am confused by it and I'm not sure if I want to smell like I just emerged from a mysterious forest.

I love this, but hate Baccarat Rouge and dislike Montale. Weird. This DOES smell like BR540, now that I'm seeing the comparison. But smells stronger and I'm pretty sure everyone can smell it. BR540 for those who can't smell it, perhaps.

Edit: I do still agree that it's its own composition. Very rosey, very Montale.

DON'T blind buy this fragrance! I'm so glad I got a sample, because I love Montale fragrances and thought this was gonna be insanely sexy and addictive from what I had heard on the internet, well...this smells like the swamp Shrek lives in, literally, all I get is swampy-smelling moss and mud water, no sensuality in sight, I'm really confused as to how people perceive this as sexy, definetly smell before you buy!

This smells terrible on me, like unflavored prescription cough syrup. Definitely one of the worst perfumes I've tried. What on earth is that smell so I can avoid it??

My new pet peeve is people comparing everything to Baccarat Rouge. This smells NOTHING like BR540. It is it’s own composition. If I were to compare it to anything it would be more of a lighter, airier version of Frederic Malle’s POAL or Noir De Noir by Tom Ford. It’s a semi dark, semi sweet, earthy rose fragrance semi similar to the aforementioned. It’s very mature also, nothing about this is youthful or flirty. I’d also classify this as decidedly more feminine leaning. Not saying you can’t wear this if you’re a man, but it doesn’t suggest masculinity on any level. It’s not a bad composition but I won’t be caught wearing it unless I woke up one day and randomly decided to identify as a middle aged cougar or divorcee.

Blind bought this. It doesn’t smell like BR540 at all in my opinion. It’s very heavy and is essentially a rose and oudy kind of scent- similar to Jo Malone Velvet Rose and Oud or Fashionably London by Zara.
A lot of popular Montale perfumes have this oud or rose DNA so if you dislike those notes, you won’t enjoy this.

Sweet, rose perfume. Suitable for women, but not girls. Very powersuit by day, fur coat in the evening scent. Men can pull it off too, but for me, I layer it with woody scent to pull the sharpness down. Definitely arabian vibes, better for summer.

⚠️ I oversprayed this once and haven’t been able to wear it since. It’s a linear, nuclear bomb of metal sugar crystals and somewhere someone is smoking stale twice lit cigarettes. If the feeling of a 9v battery on your tongue had a fragrance, this would be it. iykyk.
I don’t understand what is happening here. And no, it’s not BR540 at all, although they both feel ‘cold’ to me. I can’t stand this, and because of that I keep wanting to try it again and somehow learn to like it, but I’m scared. It’s a curiosity for sure.

p.s. This has powerhouse sillage with infinite longevity. A little goes too far, so please be careful. Gosh, how I wish a fragrance that I actually adore would behave this beastly!

This shares a lot of similarities with Kayali Vanilla Royale Sugared Patchouli, which I did not enjoy.
It’s sharp with a leather-y tone to it.
Many say that this reminds them of BR540 and Mancera Instant Crush, I have to strongly disagree.

Along with sensual instinct, I purchased Arabians Tonka, which I did enjoy.

Sensual Instinct didn’t make the cut,
Arabian Tonka is staying with me.

I do get the similarity with BR540-- the sweetness has a very similar "flavour" to BR540. However, I definitely agree that it does not have the BR540 but which clone / inspired perfume has? As of now, I've never smelled anything of better worth than B540, no matter how more affordable the other alternatives were.

Back to the similarities with BR540, I actually think Sensual Instinct is even closer to Burberry Her (another BR540 inspo perfume, also made by Francis Kurkdjian at that). I get something similar to a sweet strawberry in Burberry Her, but I actually like sensual Instinct more. Burberry Her is a really pretty perfume but the more I try it, the more I think it can be overwhelming. On my skin, it doesn't show many nuances / contrasts--- it pretty much remains a sweet strawberry syrup from beginning to end. On the other hand, I get more evolution while wearing Sensual Instinct, and the sweetness is balanced with the bitter coffee notes and the earthy oakmoss. I also get a hint of woodiness but I'm not sure where I get it from.

I really like it, the projection and longevity is great (as they usually are with Montale) and it has an addictive quality for sure. I would definitely get this over the OG Burberry Her as it feels less sugary sweet and intriguing. However, I'll still try BR540 and B540 Extrait once more before committing to another inspired perfume. The OGs might be the only ones I need. In any case, Sensual Instinct perfectly stands on its own.

This one was an odd journey! When I tried the tester the longevity was meh not purchase worthy but this coworker wore it a lot and my GOD it smelt amazing on her, sweet, sexy, everything I want and more! And you could smell her before hearing or seeing her! I was reluctant but bought it. Now one good thing is that my bottle lasts ridiculously long on me yay!!!! But the one bad thing is that it doesn’t go as sweet and sexy as the coworker nooo but hey that’s fragrance for you! It is still nice and on me it goes more woody and praline like so I’ll keep it and keep wearing it.

Normally when people compare a scent to BR 540 I either don't really see it, or it's a vague comparison. This is def not BR 540....BR 540 is in it's own lane with the perfect complexity and quality of the ingredients...especially the extrait version. But this def is giving BR 540 vibes for sure.

I sprayed both on each wrist, and once dried down I can definitely tell a difference, but they do share a similarity. So on this site, it only shows they share 1 ingredient, but when I went to Luckscents, not only did I see they shared a few, but Luckscents is tracking way more ingredients for this, which I'll share:

Sensual Instinct Fragrance Notes
Bergamot, mandarin, cardamom, saffron, whisky, amberwood, jasmine, rose, tiramisu, patchouli leaves, cacao, coffee, vanilla, oakmoss, cedarwood, white musk

Which site is correct I do not know....but it would def explain the similarity between the 2 fragrances.

This has also been compared to Instant Crush which that is also compared to BR 540...each have an individuality that I think a fragrance collector like myself can appreciate. If you are not a collector and are trying to save money, then I would go with either this or Instant Crush...this one being close in price to IC, but still being the cheaper of the 3.

To me, this is very inviting, and very feminine...I don't get the unisex vibe from this like I do from the other 2. If a man were wearing this, I would not be turned on by him, but would appreciate that he smelled really good.

This is an easy everyday wear, not super strong, but still has good longevity and projection.

Honestly I loved the notes but after like half an hour you really couldn't notice the perfume on me anymore... I sprayed 5-6 times! My husband said it as well. That is a pity for a Montale

I have no idea what I'm smelling here. It's giving a similar bitterness/chemical scent as the br540 (which I can barely smell but it's chemically/dental office/bitter). And then there's some nonspecific sweetness to it which lasts about 5 minutes then nothing but bitter remains. Wholly unpleasant and nothing like the note description for me. ☹️
Dying to know what the bitter/chemical-ish smell is from so I can avoid it. Any hypotheses welcome.
Update: if I spray it on clothing directly without it touching my skin, I can smell a hint of something sweet for a few sniffs then it disappears to nothing/chemical bitter

Shame on me for not reading the full list of notes before trying this out; on me, it’s a mossy rose-chouli bomb — I couldn’t escape the smell. Very sad, because Montale lists it as a floral gourmand with notes of coffee, rose, and praline. I always find that moss/patchouli have a smell that is both fuzzy and scratchy, adding rose and coffee on top of it made it kind of a synthetic jumble. Thankfully, the rose/coffee notes work much better together in Intense Cafe and IC Ristretto.

Airy, sweet, I smell a citrus even thought it's not listed. I get the Baccarat comparisson but it's definitely not that similar. Both have a cold sweetness that flows in the air.

Horrible. Im sorry but its a big no for me. If you love it...great! But its a pass for me. On me it smells like a dusty old rose that reminded me of my great grandmothers closet. She had such rose scent bags hanging in there. I didnt got any sweet hints of praline on my skin and coffee. Just a dusty old rose ☹️

This is not my cup of tea…
The opening is a bit bitter with a sirupy citrus scent .. very lovely..very yummy..after a while can smell the florals.. but the gourmand fruity notes overwhelm the florals.. don’t get the coffe tough..for about 4/5 hours it keep is yummy honey citrusy floral scent.. but over time a medicinal note emerges stronger and stronger.. what a shame.. can’t afford this one..
Long lasting (6/8 hours) an with good silage
p.s.
Fragrantica update the note's piramyd according to Montale's list
Top Notes: Sparkling Bergamot & Sicilian Mandarin, Cardamom, Saffron, Whisky
Heart Notes: Amber, Egyptian Jasmine, Bulgarian Rose, Tiramisu, Patchouli Leaves
Base Notes: Cocoa, Coffee, Madagascar Vanilla Pods, Oakmoss, Cedarwood, White Musk.

I bought myself the vanilla sample kit and this was in it. And I’m in love. It took me to another dimension smelling it. Addictive coffee scent. New obsession.

Horrible for the first…. 10 minutes? Then on me it’s a deep rose, very sweet, with a bitter background. Surprisingly after good 6 hours it’s almost subtle - it is a beast at first. Mixed feelings, but no way it’s a BR540 dupe. No saffron or anything.

Very similar to Amber Fever (Mancera)

Sensual Instinct smells like a spicier version of Pas Ce Soir by BDK. Leans more masculine in my opinion.

I was Looking for a replacement for Ragheeb By Ajmal since they discontinued it a while ago... i came across a sample of Sensual instinct by accident... and Boom... i found what I was looking for.
This is heaven in a bottle.
I absolutely love it and will always have a bottle in my collection forever.
If anyone is looking for a Replacement for Ragheeb by Ajmal, give this a try

now I am getting that slight sweet medicinal opening, it feels very hospital like in that sense and then there is a mossy sweet rose. a syrupy, amber sweet rose, with something strong, woody and dense hanging in there - a slight hint of coffee comes through too. I had gotten just the sugary sweet rose a few months ago and now I can get the other nuances too it gets better denser stronger and deeper with time.
I love this perfume through and through, it is so addictive and deep.

smells exactly like walking into lush and taking a big whiff

DONT JUDGE THIS AT FIRST SNIFF GIVE IT 30 MINUTES - I tested this at Neimans and first sniff was like "OH HECK NO THIS AWFUL YUCK GROSS!" it was seriously disgusting I have no idea how it went from that to being FBW - but 15 minutes later I was thinking "hey wait what??... is that the same stuff?" and the rest of the drive home all I smelled was BR540. This is absolutely 1000% my replacement for that - way more juice for a fraction of the cost. If I had scrubbed it off right away I never would've known. I'm guessing the bad reviews of from peoples first reactions. Or people who cant stand BR540.

This is a compliment getter but most of the Montales are. It is hard to find a new one when you already have smelled Sensual Instict, Sweet oriental dream, Arabians Tonka, Patchouli leaves, Blue Amber, Intense Tiaré, Sweet flowers, Oudmazing and Intense so Iris. If someone has an advice… long lasting and sweet is what I go for.

This smells amazing on my skin in the dry down but the top notes are throwing me off, smelling like burnt coffee or boozy like some whiskey. After it wears off, it smells really really amazing. This scent not similar to BR540 at all but may be in the dry down this does give off a similar vibe but not the same scent. I really wanted to like it but I can't really stand the top notes.

3 time here have to say its been amazing using this i have got so many compliments and every time i go out on the town girls and also men ask me what i am using its been great and now the winter is here and its just got even better tough i have to start using PD Layton which is my winter perfume tough i know i will from time to time use this its just so different that what i have using and smelling before its really is a attention grabber and a head turner people seem to get very facinated by this

I sprayed this on today and instantly loved it! Then I thought “let me look this up on Fragrantica”….ahhh YUP BR540! I KNEW it smelled familiar! Let me just say I sprayed this on about 8:45 am and here it is 11:00 pm and I STILL smell it on my skin! Longevity A+!!!!! I don’t smell the coffee bean though and now that I realize AND recognize it smells like BR540 AND Cloud (I have them both in sample forms), I realize I do not need a big bottle. Nice however :)

50% Intense Cafe + 50% Aquolina Pink Sugar = Sensual Instinct.

This is one of the nicest smelling fragrances that I have ever smelled. The thing is the performance is freakishly good too. I hate these god damned Montale bottles, though. I don't like the fact that you cannot see or feel how much juice is remaining. They should abolish this concept, and adapt to a normal glass bottle like Mancera, but obviously make it a bit distinctive from its sister brand.

I purchased this fragrance after watching a few Youtube reviews. I have always loved perfume but I'm just starting to get serious about it. I usually gravitate toward sweet white florals with a bit of spice and so I thought I would try a rose fragrance something other than Delina. Sensual Instinct is a sweet fizzy rose scent. Many have compared this to Baccarat Rouge 540, which I'm confused about because it smell nothing at all like it. Sensual Instinct is very rose forward fragrance whereas there is no rose in BR540. However, Sensual Instinct does remind me of Atomic Rose by Initio. They both open with a fizzy rose that to my nose smells like soda (Cherry coke or Dr. pepper). While I do enjoy the occasional soda, I like to drink it, not wear it. This fragrance is very feminine leaning IMO. The Longevity is fantastic it lasts around 6+ hours on my skin, the sillage is also wonderful. Unfortunately, I find this fragrance to be cloyingly sweet on my skin and will not be repurchasing.

It’s open green and dry down into spicy boozy bitter coffee (Yes, I can smell the coffee) and rose incense in the background.
It’s not sweet but not too masculine to be a unisex perfume.
A cool girl could easily rock this off.

Ps. I can understand the comments about the resemblance with BR540, specifically the dry down remind me briefly of the medicinal part of BR540. But overall they’re not a dupe in anyway.

Smells like a sticky sour cocktail spilled on a wooden table in a pub.
I don't get any coffee or praline, it just smells very sour.
The lasting power and projection are incredible, nothing unusual for Montale

Update // 11/30/22: I smelled this in-store yesterday and I could pick up a lot more sweetness and it was infinitely less challenging; I think the decant I purchased and wrote my review on may have gone off so keep that in mind.

I don’t get much sweetness from this perfume despite the listed notes; the opening in particular is boozy and incense-like, and it demands attention. I did not like this fragrance at first sniff whatsoever. The “sticky floor of a club after a long night” description shared by a previous reviewer is the exact vibe I picked up on at first, but thankfully it did change a lot on my skin to something more well rounded and agreeable. It is blended well despite the unusual combination of praline and oak moss; it seems to make the praline and coffee notes in the scent pretty indistinguishable. This leans very unisex to me, though it’s slightly more masculine. It’s a boozy rose-wood bomb with an amazing sillage and lasting power (3-4x sprays are enough). It is definitely an acquired taste and not the easiest to wear. This could likely work in any kind of weather though its profile is probably most ideally suited for night-time or lower temperatures. I grew to really enjoy this one but I have to be in the mood to experience the wild ride it takes me on. Title is accurate as far as the vibe of the scent goes; it’s edgy and unapologetic. I love to layer it with Kayali’s Vanilla 28 and UO’s Chai Épicé to add some softness.

To me it's nothing like BCR540 not even close... and its getting pretty annoying that rn every second fragrance is beeing compared to Baccarat. Despite everything I like SI,I'd say that this one might be my fav winter fragrance. On me it's well balanced not too sweet, not too mossy. I'm in love with the sillage and longevity
I would not recomend this one for blind buy tho- it changes a lot on the skin.

I love love love this one (especially when layered with Montale Dark Purple). Sexy, sweet and smoky and (to me) nothing like BR540. This will definitely be In my fall/winter rotation. It smells amazing on my husband, too. The cedar and oak moss notes really stand out on him.

Sexy sweet praline with rose in the background. Oak moss grounds this fragrance a bit. I also pick up saffron even tho it isn’t listed. I think this is a sexy and beautiful fall fragrance. I do see how it’s a cousin to br540 but this one stands on its own. I love it!

so i let this sit a few weeks right and man, now it has totally lost that br540 vibe
now its a strong oud and rose perfume with a hint of that sweetness in the back
the br540 sweetness cotton candy has taken a back seat its there
but up close its a rose oud bomb then when you step away or let it float in air, the sugary vibes come through
this is for sure lovely and im also surprised people havent made comparisons to CDNI for women? it kinda smells a little like that in the opening like right at the beginning but otherwise yeah its what i said above.
rose oud beast with sugary vibes floating around
real nice

The opening reminds me a lot of BR540. It has some of the Baccarat DNA, but Baccarat is so so much better than this one. Sensual instinct gave me a flashback to the first trime I tried to drink alcohol.. it’s strong and makes me nauseous.. Didn’t like this at all!

Smells like a sticky club floor after a long night.

Synthetic, syrupy, stinky. Its powerful too.

Out of all the amber-floral genre (BR 540 esque) that has been done by Montale and Mancera, this one is my favorite. What sets it apart for me is that it is less airy (fleeting in and out) and more of a true perfume...stays consistent and persistent in scent and performance. This is not like intense Cafe as others have said, not at all...this is just a beautifully persistent scent, and will gain you much attention.

I see it as more feminine, at least in the classical sense, however, this is any guys secret weapon. Women love this on me and go gaga for it. I highly recommend this to any guy.
9/10

Mancera/Montale Amber-Floral Ranking:
1. Sensual instinct
2. Instant Crush
3. Amber Fever
4. Precious Oud
5. Arabians tonka

hunted this down because it was difficult to get my hands on
I love this. has that sugary cotton candy vibe (comparisons with br540 for that reason I can understand now) and a nice sugary rose. this is a juicy gooey sugared rose, like the Indian desert gulkund. it is gorgeous
this is definitely playful and sensual, very flirty and sexy, this is inviting and just divine.
this was my first montale and ive always heard these girls are beasts - loud and long lasting and all that
I was imagining something stronger? its strong but not as strong or loud or as much of a projector as id have thought it would be. it performs like a lot of other sweet strong smells - its potent enough I guess and radiates close enough and lasts about 5 hours on me. definitely love love love this.

Oud Bouquet type with Amber Cedar instead of Oud. Beautiful composition, I can see the similarities to BR. I'm layering this over my Vanille Banane. Omngggg, talk about sexy! Molecule booster type fragrance! Im here for it!

Update: the oakmoss, roasted coffee chocolate vibe gives me a peanut butter nuance. Yummm definitely different than Oud Bouquet but in the same ball park. So if you like one you will probablyike the other. I don't get much saffron as I do with Haltane or Absolutio. I think the saffron adds a touch of spice here.

There is certainly Baccarat DNA in this, but it’s cousins if anything. Not immediate family - and certainly never twins.

On it’s own, I prefer this to BR. This is gorgeous. The praline, rose and amber come through mostly for my nose. Blended beautifully, it’s just sugary elegant perfection without being cloying. Might have to grab myself a bottle of this.

if i should choose only one perfume to wear for the rest of my life it will be definitely sensual instinct. Beautiful, kinda arabic, sweet strong perfume. I really can smell pralines from it, nothing disturbing, pleasant beutiful. reminds me of beautiful memories. i really dont get how someone can not love this perfume

I ordered a treasure box and choose this as one of the fragrances. I do not like the way this smells on me. There's something funky in the dry down that does not appeal to me. I'm thinking it's the oak moss, but I've smelled that note in a few other fragrances and it doesn't smell bad on me. This just don't work for me at all. It reminds me of another fragrance and that name escapes me right now, but this is not what I expected. It probably would be more suited on a man.

Just and update from my earlier post have not been testing different samples i ordered from Montale and they were all very good , strong and lastet forever. Intense Cafe was a litle to feminin for me as a guy , but a wonderful wonderful perfume

Today was the day i was going to test this one i was going for a hair cut and wanted to put this on just before i left
My good the opening was one of the best opening i have ever smelled i am pleased to say that its as good on me as it was on the girl i smelled this on in Denmark. 30 seconds after i sat in the chair at my hair dresser she said i smelled wonderful and 20 min later she said this had to be one of the best she had ever smelled and she actually picked up the nutty scent and also a distant coffe. (Gonne give her my Intense Cafe sample) I have now ordered my first Montale perfume and i cant wait and i know this will be even more amazing during the colder weather ( i am very suprised that this works so good in the heath as well) Always test first perfumes smell different on people even if you look at the notes and think they will be perfect you never now. If you are a guy who likes sweat perfumes with vanilla you have to try this its expensive but if you like it and it works on you , you will be the only guy in the street using this. Prepare for attention !!

Some months had passed since using up a sample of Sensual Instinct. There in the linen bag was the Hervé Legér, and none other than the beautifully decadent smell of Sensual Instinct.

A very rich and indulgent sweet oak moss perfume.

The opening has some chili pepper and milk chocolate notes that give way to a hot sugar haze.

The sweet and lasting oakmoss in both Sensual Instinct and BR540 Extrait is different in the same way that Apple iphone 7 and 8 or 12-14 were.

There are very few fragrances that I loathe with every fibre of my being, but this is one of them.
I cannot abide it.
Praline and oakmoss just do not fuse well and it makes me smell like stale beer.
Much prefer Roses Musk. I can kind of see the BR540 comparisons, but only in a very broad sense.
BR540 is miles ahead.
What I will say for Montale is I love the metal bottles that the fragrances are packaged in to protect them from sunlight.
Brilliant idea.

Aperitif vibe. For some reason I got a citrus, boozy opening (although that’s not what is in here at all). It shares the same rose and coffee notes with Intense Cafe, but in this fragrance they are much more in the background. The praline, moss and amber kick up and this is more understated. It’s sweet.

I want to start by saying that whoever compares this to Baccarat Rouge 540….I have no idea how they came up with this.
I am a huge fan of Montale Intense Case, Intense Cafe Ristretto, Dark Purple and couple more.
But this one, it was a blind buy for me because of hype around it.
It smells just bad to me. It smells like some cheap liquor. I don’t feel coffee or praline or rose. AT ALL. It does not get any better as it dries down. Still this cheap boozy scent…
Now I am trying to sell it. I have a full 100ml (3.4 oz) bottle. If someone wants to buy it please message me. I will make you a good deal. I just want it out of my collection.

Just come home for a holiday in Denmark. Our last evening we visited a restaurant. I began to smell an incredible and unique smell each time the lady served the table next to us it was just amazing so i had to ask her ( i am guy so i was hoping this was a unisex perfume ) As you now it is so i have now ordered some samples of this and some other ones from Montale but this is what i am really waiting and hoping for my god i dont think i ever has smelled something that incredible good it was strong on her but not to much (the weather was very warm) I have never heard about Montale Paris but since i changed my winter perfume to PDM Layton (which is in the colder months out of this world) i have started to look more into niche perfumes and tough i am not a person who needs more than one summer and one winter perfume i am hoping this works as good on me that it did on her so i can use it as summer perfume it was perfect i was just waiting for her to come out and serve the guest and she was so happy that i liked ut of course. I wanted to marry her on the spot :)

Ok. So I had a sample , but with no name on it all I could remember was it was a sample of a perfume I purchased and that’s why it had no name .

I love doing this because I blind smell scents , and that’s the Only true way to know if you love it .

So it gave me sweet but lipstick . But since it has an oil scent I felt it had like a rose oil base . But at the same time mixed with a creamy chapstick lipstick kind off strawberryish .

And I found it to be so lovely . But I couldn’t guess wich one . All I thought is wow this is so beautiful. Something I’m wearing on a date definitely. This rose oily lipstick scent has to be smelled of my neck 😂
Any way .., after a while I thought oh yes I think that sweet note might be intense cafe . I know intense cafe has rose and this oily thing to it . But no . So I when in to my collection . And found it was sensual instinct .
Great name too . Because all I could think of is wanting someone to smell this off my neck 😂 so yes
It’s a love 💗 . Honestly best rose lipstick sweet perfume I’ve smelled 😉

While not a fan of this scent profile, I do like to compare them as some are better than others. This one is a nicer gourmand, quite a bit more sweetness than it's clones. The mossiness isn't working amazingly for me but does give that earthy undertone to create the baccarat effect. I think this is one of the most gourmand ones of the flankers. I was hoping for a bit more of the coffee note.

No idea what it smells like to others, but this smells like "sexy candy" to me. The woody aspect pulls through on the base, but it's still sweet. I love it, and the hubby does too. Lasts a good 4 hours, but the sillage is just moderate, which is a little disappointing. This one will be in my rotation, but probably only once out of every couple of weeks.

This was a very bad fit for me. It was overpowering and I had to scrub to get it off. I'm always looking for a Baccarat Rouge 540 like perfume. This didn't hit for me.

i didn't like this at first, it smelled like nothing until an hour after. Drydown is so sweet, i get the praline which is enhanced by a sweet rose and mossiness. well blended.

Nice. Well blended and irresistible praline and mossy Autumn/Winter scent. Great for evening wear.

It baffles me that Sensual Instinct gets compared to the likes of BR540 or Instant Crush. I used to own Baccarat and I currently own Instant Crush. Sensual Instinct smells nothing like the two at all to me. Not in the opening, middle or dry down.

I definitely get the rose. It’s more of a jammy Turkish rose. I’m also surprised that there isn’t a berry note listed because I get a strawberry or raspberry accord. I can definitely pick up on the oak moss in the dry down, which I thought was patchouli. To me, it’s very reminiscent of Miss Dior Cherie (2007 version). It was a love at first sniff.

Lasting power is incredible but the sillage is more on the moderate side. Perfect for a date night or clubbing. Sensual Instinct leans more feminine so maybe not a good choice for men who aren’t adventurous in their choice of scent.

Scent 10/10
Lasting power 9/10
Sillage 6.5/10

I imagine a beautiful praline note with a vegetal, chewy damp oakmoss. Can't wait to try. I love Ristretto Intense, I'm wearing Arabians and they do smell similar. The Montale DNA is strong. Probably from using one brand of Oils, could be the alcohol they use. Arabians Tonka... chef's kiss. I definitely want to try this one before purchasing Arabians Tonka. Arabians Tonka is a great dupe for Mica d'oro btw!

Either the simplest or most confusing fragrance I own. [This is my first review. I am also new-ish to fragrances.]

I am so conflicted about this frag and constantly confused by it aha. I love it, I hate it. It's simple, it's complicated. It's developed, it's immature. It feels detailed and every note is separated, yet at the same time, it kind of smells like a piña colada with a praline chucked into the drink.

This is my first EDP and bloody hell did I pick a strong one to start with. Not only is it an EDP, but it's Montale LOL. One spray is almost too much for me. It will literally stay on my skin for 2 days, even with showers. Don't get it on metal jewellery either lol. My watch stunk of it for months. It will linger in my bedroom after spraying it on me, for 12 hours at minimum.

This is a frag that I am a little tentative to spray on my neck if I go out. 1, It's very out of my comfort zone. 2, it's so strong. It is a headache maker for sure. Longevity, very long. Sillage, a lot more than arms length. Does lean more feminine, but the muskiness kind of pulls it back towards unisex. But also, wear whatever you want.

NOTES:
--
I feel like the perfume pyramid on Fragrantica doesn't do this frag justice really, but I will go over the accurate notes and my opinions on how they present.

Praline: The centre piece for the frag. It's very sweet, very lactonic, slightly salty.
Rose: There are definitely rose notes. It is very sweet. But it has a heaviness to it in this frag.
Amber: This is strong in the frag. Slightly powder-y, very warm. Extremely musky. I reckon this could be what's making the rose feel heavier than most rose notes I have come across.
Cedar: Although it doesn't have a strong position in this frag, I'd say there is a spicy warmth at the base of this frag.
Coffee bean: There is a hint of ground coffee bean, but it is so faint I am not sure if I am just making it up lol.

Other notes I smell: coconut, mango, passionfruit, rum.

I have to say, although the notes seem VERY winter-y at glance. This frag is honestly workable in the day, but it's definitely easier suited to the evening. I do believe that the fruitiness of this frag means it works in summer. I have worn it in spring, but I am not brave enough to wear it in the dead heat, direct sunlight etc. Too big a risk aha. Definitely suitable for summers evening though, have to say.

Anyway, I do like this frag. It's just a rare wear. It's a lot and I need time with it to bond lol.

I dislike and love this fragrance.
I sprayed it on my skin and on my man's,
It turned a sweet, praline, sexy feminine scent very quickly On His Skin.
On mine, it smells like beer and takes hours when it goes away to get to the pleasant smell which I love.
I've got Montale Intense Cafe so layer on it to soften the opening and they work very well together.
Longevity by itself just ok.

I am convinced that people like to lie to themselves in order to feel better about not buying an expensive perfume. It’s like there’s a “BR540 Buyers In Denial Club”. Trust me, there is no BR540 dupe here! None, nothing, nada, just nice waxy cherry chapstick. This isn’t a dupe and neither are the other so called dupes a dupe.

This is nice ok but nothing like BR540.

I ordered a little treasure box.
I added Sensual Instinct, 20ml. Blind bought. I’m disappointed. Smells very medicinal, and rose.

I absolute loves this perfume but the sillage is weak

I love this perfume. It’s perfect for evenings during warm weather. You should NOT overspray this perfume.. it will smell medicinal.. instead pick two or three pulse points and do a short quick spray at each point… that’s it. This perfume will dry down to a lovely sweet scent. I get a lot of the praline on my skin. The longevity is forever.

This fragrance is the grown up version of Baccarat Rouge with whispers of coffee and rose dancing within it. Initial spray gives you that Baccarat Rouge feel but it quickly develops the rose and coffee notes, combined with the amber and praline that makes thus fragrance divine. I honestly don't understand the negative feedback as it not an issue on my skin or clothes. It is not a unique smell, but it is complex and delicious. A true compliment beast with great sillage and longevity. 12+ hours on skin and over 24 hours on clothes. It's lovely and a great alternative to MFK Baccarat Rouge.

I really enjoyed this perfume, although I do think it leans to be more of a masculine scent. The vanilla gives it a sweetness but it has such depth and complexity. There are too many fragrance notes in there, but unlike other reviewers I think it actually works. The coffee scent isn't what you would expect, its much darker and grittier as a top note.

Linear start to finish, smells like musk and a doctor's office/band-aids. Weird combo of medicine and sweetness. Performance is good. 3/10

For me the notes in here doesn't make any sense. Praline and oakmoss? Why? This is very subjective but I don't think that gourmands and mossy notes go well with eachother.

اذا اقتنيت هذا العطر على أساس انه يشبه بكرا غوج، ستصاب بخيبة أمل كبييييييرة جدا،
فرق كبير يا عمري

Hear me out: I think rose is unnecessary here…

I had high hopes for this one - I loved that it had roasted coffee beans and rose in the note and I was expecting a warm, woody, and kind of gourmand scent.

I was wrong. I wanted to like this so much but I think this is the first fragrance I've smelled from Montale (I've smelled over 10) that I would say I don't like.

It smells like a ton of different scents all combined into one cloud of nothing. Let me explain a bit better... there are fragrances that have a lot of notes and accords that compliment each other and combine into a phenomenal and smooth scent.

This does not do that - it combines all these notes and I feel like what stands out the most is the oak moss, which is not complimented or complimentary to the other notes. Which is why it just becomes a very underwhelming and confusing scent.

Don't look at the notes or accords or else you're going to be confused and not know how you feel about it. If you truly want to appreciate it, maybe just smell it with minimal expectation from reviews or the notes.

I personally get oak moss and a HINT of something else in the opening. After a few hours, the oak moss goes away and you're left with a synthetically sweet and slightly medicinal scent. The dry down is a lot more tolerable than the opening because you can finally explain the scent you're smelling.. sort of. I can see other people liking how strangely unique this is? Just not for me unfortunately :(

Like most if not all Montale fragrances, great longevity - couldn't stop getting whiffs of this as I moved my arms and went about my day.

I felt a bit confused by this fragrance when I first tried it, but I like it. Sensual Instinct, is sweet, deep, and sexy. Does it smell like BR540 like many claim? I am going to say no. However, I do see where there are similarities between the two. Sensual Instinct has the same spicy woody amber base to it as BR540. But from there they go in separate directions. I do not get much of the rose note when I wear this fragrance. I do get a lot of the praline and coffee. Sensual Instinct starts off very sugary sweet and then settles to a deep lightly sweetened woody fragrance that you just want to nuzzle into. This is a date night fragrance that screams for romance. The sillage and longevity live up to the incredible standards that comes with the Montale name. Sensual Instinct is a worthy purchase for the fragrance connoisseur.

This fragrance feels a bit confused, though not entirely unpleasant. It's like 8 different gourmandic montales hitting at the same time. There's citrus, salt, sugar, nuts, coffee. I tend to like more focus in my fragrances, but this produces a somewhat calming effect. It's in a genre what I would categorize as travel scent, one pioneered by Bond No. 9's I Love NY for All. It reminds me of the baked goods and coffee smells that hit you when walking through an airport, simultaneously evoking the excitement and boredom of going somewhere.

Sensual instinct was one of the most nauseating fragrances I have ever had the displeasure to smell!
Just the thought of it gives me a migraine!
Thankfully I bought a 10 ml decant only… 9 ml too much though!

I'm grateful to @piahellgren for posting the notes in her review because I was starting to think I was either going insane or that I had applied the wrong sample from Montale's set today, since the tangerine is STRONG for me and it's not on the list above. So yeah, this is definitely a tangerine bomb for me. It sort of reminds me of mead or fruit wine; a slightly alcoholic (that'll be the whiskey note), incense-y vibe. I get the bergamot, too. I like it well enough but it doesn't seem to have the same bomb-proof longevity that Montale fragrances often do for me; I had to reapply after a few hours. It fades to something sweet and generic on me. I don't really get where people are coming from with the BR540 comparison other than the sweetness in the drydown. Smelling it on my shirt right now it really seems like I spilled a shandy on it, which, human disaster that I am, isn't really a vote against it for me?

The crystallised sugar is right there, bubbling at the top as soon as you spray it.

But then it sort of softens down into an oily woody amber. It’s really gorgeous. A bit salty on the top, so I don’t get any pralines but the raw sugar is there for sure. I love this.

I adore this unique scent. It's hard for me to describe it as it's not quite like anything else I have (and very much NOT a dupe for BR540). You definitely smell the roses in a way that reminds me a bit of Intense Cafe. It's woody and green. Somehow I'm also reminded vaguely of Black Saffron (Byredo). The image this evokes for me is a spending time in a beautiful log cabin in the woods. Taylor Swift's Folklore. Cottagecore. That kind of a vibe.
I understand why the word "sensual" is in the title, though I can't quite describe why--maybe it's to do with the perfect blend of the earth and roses that clings to the skin.
Unisex and versatile. I can see this being a signature scent, a morning scent (the coffee note is definitely present) or something you slip on before bed. With that said, it's not a safe blind buy as this is far from a mainstream fragrance.

Update: Ran out of my sizable decant and now considering buying the whole bottle which says a lot as I have exactly a bajillion fragrances and I'm not trying to buy more.

8/10

It has similar vibe to Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri and sweet-woody parfumes with an oud note. But calmer. More popcultural.
Very pretty and wearable but linear. Sweet, powdery wood, sometimes with floral or slightly bitter (coffe) edge, but praline-amber-wood mainly. Quite sexy, if only it would change on the skin a bit more..

This smells so intriguing on paper, but on my skin quickly turns to iodized salt. 💔 Try before you buy!

I sprayed it on my wrist in Selfridges and gave my other half to sniff it. His reaction was: it smells like something you have, Baccarat. And I just then realized that he's right because it does have a prominent burnt sugar note.

B540 is better imo but they do have similarities, Montale is more playful and sweeter.

Smells like you have drunk really bad mojito and throw it up on a wooden table. Sour chemical scent that is almost impossible to wash away.

This perfume is SOOO GOOD! It quickly became one of my absolute favorites. It’s a massive compliment getter, every single time when I wear it someone ask me what Is the perfume that I’m wearing. It’s very very long lasting and projecting fragrance. You’ll be definitely noticed while entering the room and everyone will know that you are the one who smells that great. I would not say that it’s necessarily a baccarat dupe but they definitely share some similarities. It feels very airy just like BR but in my opinion it’s sweeter and has that Montale’s signature touch. And also I would say it leans more faminine than masculine. Just a wonderful scent!

Smells to me like a younger sister of Montale Ristretto Cafe Intense. Bright rose note in the beginning, and it dries down to a similar DNA of Ristretto, just the heavy musk is not apparent and more praline with a hint of coffee.

In case anyone from México reads this, this smells similar to whenever you´re getting close to where they bake and sell cookies in Palacio de Hierro. It´s simply amazing how gorgeous this smells. On my skin it wasn´t a strong performer at all, rather a bit over a skin scent.

This perfume is a perfect example of why you should test a perfume on your own BEFORE reading the reviews. I tested this and loved it, to me it smells like a blend of coffee, praline, roses, and oakmoss. A bit gourmand and overall a really nice fragrance. And then I come on here and see it's being compared to Baccarat Rouge 540...? It's not even close.

I don’t know if sensual instincts montale change it’s formulation but this smells like Giorgio Armani Si intense (black bottle). It smells like rum raisin. I don’t like raisins so this is not my cup of tea.

Performance : 8/10
Sillage: 8/10

Ok, let's see where to start...
Everyone around me adores this perfume. They ask me if I have used BCR540. It is so durable that even after washing my sweater, the scent of the perfume is felt from afar.
It is also quite greasy. I managed to ruin two of my T-shirts with stains on the perfume.
When I first spray on my skin, I don't like it - too much praline, it also smells like medicine that starts to irritate me. After about 1 hour the smell is already tolerable for me. I don't know ... I would only buy it because of all the compliments I get for it.

A very sweet, jammy rose, cut by oak moss. I am getting honey too.

I usually need wood to temper my sweeter scents but the oakmoss elegantly does the job here. I could not stop smelling myself.

sami bag pulan voi

It would be nice if people would stop comparing Sensual Instinct to BR540 as if they came up with the comparison themselves.

Be honest. You heard that on youtube and ran with it.
Try developing your own thoughts on this godlike fragrance.

After seeing reviews on Youtube I ordered the sample box a year ago.
My 5 perfumes were Sensual Instinct, Honey Aoud, Starry Nights, Intense Cafe, and Oriental Dreams.

Sensual Instinct is my second favorite Montale.

The opening is very rum raisins with the very interesting moss. Within few minutes, you get Manuka honeycomb and moss. I like the smell , just not to wear for myself. I would say its unisex

I love this one and although its unisex, it leans just a little bit towards the feminine side in my opinion. However, my nose finds this one addicting. If Montale's Intense Cafe and Mancera's Instant Crush has a baby, this would be it (I also read that these two perfume houses are siblings). I could understand why some folks compared this to MFK BR540 but probably just the vibe. Instant Crush has a more BR540 vibe I guess. Best for cold weather especially when spending a cozy chilly evening at home with the wifey.

I'll give this wonderful juice a 9/10

“Let us spread the scents of peace and kindness. The two most beautiful fragrance in the world that will cost you nothing and will get you a totally different kind of compliments” 🙏

This has that specific Baccarat sugary vibe, but deffinitely isn't any similar. Is is a different scent, pleople. What are you smelling?

It smells very gourmand on me. I wished this was more potent with better sillage. I can detect a little bit of cofde, the pralines and a very little bit of rose. Longevity 10+hours. I do not recommend Montale as a blind-buy. Maybe only Intense Cafe wich is already overly hyped.

After the first spray I was deeply disappointed - a juicy rose soaked in syrup blasted at me. I found the start too fruity and liqueurish. Sadly I feel this aroma so cheap!

Disappointed by this one, I love praline, rose and amber notes but to me this just smells medicinal.

Not everything smells like bk540. This is no exception. Gourmand with oakmoss dry down, same goes for instant crush.

When I first sprayed it, my thought was "this is weird, what am I smelling" but after 15 min I kept smelling it and could not stop. It's like nothing I've ever smelled before. I definitely get strong coffee and roses. I'm truly addicted to this. I would not compare this to Baccarat Rouge 540 at all. I cannot stand BR540 and this smells nothing like it. If I were to compare it to anything, it would be MFK Gentle Fluidity.

With the first spray I get strong coffee shot mixed with presents of Montale DNA.After rose gets to the show with little bit of mossy smell.I understand why people compare this one to BR540(Not dupe at all)as on the dry down there is something simmilar to it.In general it is very nice,warm rosy scent with little bit of sweetness added to it.Definitely a unisex fragrance and good for all occasions. For this price tag you can't go wrong .
Update: It is extremely long lasting.I could still smell it on my hair 3 days later (and I wash my hair every day ).

I love this. I definitely see the similarities to BR540. The coffee in this is just lovely. Makes it a touch deeper. Really sexy fragrance for a night out. Doesn’t have that medicinal/iodine note in br540, and I don’t become nose blind too it. It’s strong and last all night, so less is more so you don’t suffocate those around you. Not an exact dupe, but a good alternative to br540 thats not juvenile like Burberry her.

I decided to try a sample of Sensual Instinct at bedtime. I was annoyed because it smelled like a rosier version of Ristretto Intense Café (rose was my least favorite note in Ristretto Intense Café). Not only that, one spray and my husband thought it was overwhelming. He cuddled up with me but rolled to his side of the bed after 10 minutes because the perfume was too much. So, I guess Sensual Instinct didn’t exactly live up to its name for us.

Fast forward to the morning and Sensual Instinct turned into a caramel-sweet, lovely fragrance. I initially thought the people who compared it to Baccarat Rouge 540 were nuts; however, nine hours later I can see where they are coming from. Sensual Instinct isn’t an exact match but they have similarities.

Now the question: will I endure the initial smell of Sensual Instinct just to enjoy it’s beauty hours later? No, I don’t think so. There are other, more pleasant, fragrances out there with a similar scent profile - fragrances that won’t force me to sleep alone at night.

I almost bought it blind and luckily didn't, I would be very disappointed, it's not the smell I imagined by reading reviews.
It is good perfume, strong, not for summer, good projection but if you have Intense Cafe - don't buy it.
They are not the same but very close, this is more warm spicy compared to intense cafe more sweet.
I have intense cafe, which is marvelous and there is not a big difference between these 2.
I stick with intense cafe.
*******
I read comparisons to Baccarat Rouge 540.
I didn't smell BR but I do have Ariana Grande Cloud (which I read dupe to BR540) and they don't remind each other at all, different smell.

I really love it, it smells really posh and has an expensive vibe to it. I do get a crystalized sugar vibes through out the composition (Baccarat 540 style) and I can smell the rose clearly (something you find in almost all Montales). I don't know why I find it as better than Intense Cafe by Montale IMO. I think it can work in many scenarios and will get you noticed. Performance is nuclear and can smell it after shower even and on clothes, for dayssss projecting. Got several compliments in literally one day. Deserves the hype in my opinion.

Edit: Its been two days on my jeans blazer and still projecting. This is a BEAST.

it's a sweet fragrance nothing like BR540. This has a menthol smell to it which doesnt make this fragrance smell any better .

Unfortunately, I cannot stand this smell. It reminds me of something cheap and pink that I drunk one night and threw up around 3am cause it was too sweet and sickly.
I wouldve worn this scent when I was 18/19/20. This is like Victoria Secret extra sweet. But for a 25 year old, nah not for me. I really wanted to like it, but it's just me perhaps!

I love this scent. I got it because I heard that it was a dupe for Baccarat Rouge 540. It's definitely not the same scent at all but it's a similar vibe. I would say that it is BR 540's cousin. It's a very warm, inviting scent. I actually think I like this better than BR 540. There's an extra floral note somewhere in there that just does it for me. I love everything about it from the initial spray to the dry down. I can't stop smelling my wrist when I wear it.

Beautiful fragrance but poor longevity and not as strong as my first impression. Reapplied 6-8 sprays after 4 hours because I couldn't smell it as much. Wondering if I became anosmic to it or if it's performed poorly for others too.

It's actually sweeter more than MFK540 but this smell way more plastic or medical gloves for me

5/10 in my opinion, I don't like this

To me this starts as super sweet, almost too sweet. Like By Killian Love and MFK BR540 parfume had a baby. As it dries down the sugary sweetness fades a bit and the scent becomes more palatable. Small bits of saffron, coffee, cedar and maybe some pepper start breaking through the sugar. Not so much amber, or it is playing hide and seek (mostly hiding) with the more dominant sweet notes.

I get the sense that this will smell different, particularly the “sweet” level depending on the wearer. Some frags do this more than others. Could b great on masculine peeps? On the fence on if this is a like or love for me. If u love all things BR540, this might b a nice rotation to add. Go easy on the trigger to start. This is a big frag that can wear u when over-sprayed.

This isn’t a close dupe of BR540 but it is a similar vibe. If Instant Crush and BR540 had a baby this would be it. I had the most beautiful scent bubble all day but the sweetness can get overwhelming.

Anyone can wear any scent but due to how sweet it is, it is feminine leaning

Yes it smells like MFK 540 but the cotton candy here leans more what is in satin mood but of course without the overload of violet and nauseating sweetness in satin ( yes this is sweet too and i do like violet but this is just refined, toned back and doesn't smell like a 5yo girl ) However This does overall seem like a more dense more mossy take on 540

Alright, I got a sample of this early this year, I sprayed it on me about 2 months ago, today, the scent is still in the jacket I wore back then. That's just amazing longevity.

Love the smell too, definitely unisex, it's just so alluring, I had to order a full bottle.

All i get is whiskey and oak moss

This just smells weird... so weird that I'm at a loss for words to describe it. I cannot come up w anything more useful to pinpoint the scent. Could it be because of that oakmoss note? I've never smelled moss so I have no idea. On me, this is by no means an "oriental vanilla" fragrance. Not a tiny bit. It is straight up a bizarre scent since it leaves the nozzle till it completely fades.

All the positive comments of this being "gourmand, sweet, juicy, smooth" by other lovely reviewers for a moment make me contemplate the possibility of Montale putting a wrong juice in the container (I tested this from the vial in their discovery gift set, and yes, Montale TWICE mixed up the juice and the vial container in my 3 discovery sets and 1 customized set) till I read the comment by Byrd813 below. Unfortunately, the perfume does not grow on me like it did on her / him. Nor did I receive any compliments like him / her. My husband was like, "WOW, U SMELL HARSH AND WEIRD."

I would recommend a decant / sampler first. Not a safe blind buy.
This stays a long time and radiates like crazy.

Sensual Instinct is powerful and more complex than the notes pyramid would indicate.

Opens fresh, airy, with coffee being carried through shortly. Subtle, sugary sweetness begins.

A deep, dark and silky smooth rose grows from the coffee beans, remaining in place for hours.
Coffee remains in the background, providing a black screen to showcase the Montale rose.
The warm sugar note marries the coffee and rose.

The rose grows darker, more vegetal and wild in the dry down, rounded by soft sweetness. A deeper take on the weedy rose of Toy Boy.

For me, Sensual Instinct smells rose focused, with secondary gourmand notes supporting the flower. It is comfortably unisex.

Easily recognised as a Montale scent, Sensual Instinct will appeal to rose lovers and fans of quirky gourmands. Worth a sample at least. Recommended!

Just FYI, Fragrantica:
Head Notes: bergamot, cardamom, Sicilian tangerine, whiskey, saffron

Heart Notes: amber, Egyptian jasmine, Sumatra patchouli, Bulgarian rose, tiramisù

Base Notes: cocoa, coffee, cedar wood, white musk, oak moss, vanilla from Madagascar

So i received my blind buy in the post today ie belated Christmas present.
I have to say im completely overjoyed, for someone who has a real problem with anything sticking to my skin, with the exception of coco chanel, ive been surrounded by a gorgeous sweet milky cloud around me all day, i can see it has reminiscence of intense cafe which i also own and love but this is more gourmand and less linear, the dry down in particular is something i just cant stop sniffing.
I cant wait to test out the sillage among family and friends 😁.
Ps i have dark purple waiting to arrive tomorrow , im hoping its as much as a love, fingers crossed.

Edit: sold it on after a few weeks, meh and projection is abysmal.

I can't believe that people actually compare this to Baccarat Rouge 540. To my nose they smell nothing alike. Baccarat Rouge 540 is a sweet, delicious fragrance and Sensual Instinct is more intense, seductive and sexy. They have literally nothing in common!

Montale Sensual Instinct EDP opens with a strong projection of very sweet, milk-chocolate, and floral notes. The opening is intense, projecting, delectable, fresh, elegant, gourmand, and very pleasant. The praline and rose are the most noticeable accords; the praline is a sweet, dense, milk-chocolate-dessert-like note, delicious, and inviting. The rose is also noticeable, this note is closer to the scent of pink roses as opposed to red or white that would be stronger and softer respectively. The rose note isn’t pungent but prominent. The oakmoss is behind the praline and rose, it is a mildly bitter and spice note, it works as sharpening and projecting accord, it intensifies the notes, making them crisp and bright. The oakmoss in this fragrance is very refined, it feels elegant and high-quality. The coffee beans are also a noticeable accord, this note seat behind the praline, roses, and oakmoss, its mission is to support and enhance the fragrance, but it isn’t prominent. The amber and cedar are the softest of all notes, just a whiff in the background, the amber adds a resinous sweet touch that makes the fragrance feel slightly denser. The fragrance is relatively linear, all featured notes come up once the fragrance is applied and continue into the dry down. Once Montale Sensual Instinct EDP has reached its full dry down, it can be summarized as a strong projection, very sweet, praline, rose, and mossy fragrance with coffee and ambery accords. The fragrance feels bold, casual, comforting, commanding, cozy, creamy, delectable, delicious, dense, elegant, energizing, exotic, more feminine than masculine, floral, fresh, heavy, high-quality, imposing, intense, intimate, invigorating, inviting, long-lasting, mature, slightly milky, modern, mildly bitter/mossy, nicely-blended, natural, resinous, refined, rich, seductive, very sweet, versatile, zesty and very pleasant.

BATCH REVIEWED: 2020 (#G0465 100386-87).
WOW RATING: 10/10. A high-quality, intense, and delicious fragrance.
DISLIKE RATING: 3/10. The fragrance is very sweet, the rose note is noticeable (evocative of pink roses).
UNIQUENESS: 10/10. The notes are relatively common, but the resulting scent is unique.
MASS APPEAL: 8/10. This is a fragrance that most people will enjoy.
PROJECTION: 7/10. Strong, 7 feet and over around the wearer.
SILLAGE: 10/10. Outstanding, 10 feet and beyond behind the wearer.
APPLICATION: 2-4 atomizations.
LONGEVITY: 10/10. 10 hours and beyond, it projects for 4 hours.
SEASONS: Winter, spring, fall, colder days, daytime, nighttime, and climate-controlled environments.
OCCASIONS: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, office, casual, holidays, vacations, romantic, dating, clubbing. This is an office-friendly fragrance.
VERSATILITY: 8/10. The fragrance is ideal for any occasion and any time of the year except summer.
GENDER: Unisex but leaned to the feminine side because of the rose note. The rose in this fragrance is evocative of pink roses, a floral accord, sweet but not as bold as the scent of red roses. The oakmoss and coffee beans notes, counterbalance its feminine nature making it more appealing to male wearers.
AGES: 25 and above.
RECOMMENDATION: Montale Sensual Instinct EDP can be found for about $100. Those that enjoy intense and projecting gourmand, rose and high-quality mossy fragrance, will find in this fragrance nothing less than fantastic. This is great to have.
BLIND-BUY: No, sample it first.
SIMILAR: These are examples of fragrances in the same genre. Alt Fragrances Crystal Intense No 32 is a clone of MFK Baccarat Rough 540 Extrait; Alt Fragrances Crystal No 23 is a clone of MFK Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP; Dua Fragrances Casino Royale Nights is a clone of MFK Baccarat Rough 540 Extrait; MFK Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP is a very sweet, resinous, woody, floral, and musky; MFK Baccarat Rough 540 Extrait is a sweet ambery, almond, musky, woody, and spicy fragrance; AllSaints Sunset Riot is a very sweet, amber, orange blossom, and pink pepper fragrance; Bond No 9 Greenwich Village EDP is a fantastic, very sweet gourmand vanilla, praline, musk, ambroxan, white floral peony, water lily, jasmine, and litchi fragrance.
SUMMARY: a strong projection, very sweet, praline, rose, and mossy fragrance with coffee and ambery accords. The fragrance feels bold, casual, comforting, commanding, cozy, creamy, delectable, delicious, dense, elegant, energizing, exotic, more feminine than masculine, floral, fresh, heavy, high-quality, imposing, intense, intimate, invigorating, inviting, long-lasting, mature, slightly milky, modern, mildly bitter/mossy, nicely-blended, natural, resinous, refined, rich, seductive, very sweet, versatile, zesty and very pleasant.

I've never smelled BR540. So I can't make that comparison. But all I can say is this, in the beginning, it smells weird. Almost a sweet, diet spearmint gum, weird. But at its final dry down. It's intriguing. This scent smells great in the air. Not hand to nose. There's a reference that the oakmoss kills the fragrance...it kind of does in the beginning, but it tones down and rounds the fragrance out to something really unique. Small whiffs in little doses is where it's at. As with all Montales, it's a beast. Be careful.

Update: I put the scent away to come back to it. When I do that, I begin to notice certain notes that I may have been anosmic to while testing it out. I'm beginning to think the notes here on Fragrantica aren't complete. There's a booziness to this scent that I hadn't noticed before. It doesn't scream at you but it kind of forms this halo with the oakmoss, that's rounded out with the sweetness of the praline, while the roasted coffee notes dance around, coming and going. This fragrance is very unique in that every time I wear it, I notice something new. Not all fragrances do that.

It's not everyone's cup of tea. I almost returned this when I bought it. Tested it out for a week and I got compliments galore. As mentioned before, this smells better in the air. Don't smell this directly, or you won't "understand" the fragrance.

This smells almost exactly like BR540 on me but a bit stronger. I did not like BR540, and I don't like this either. Both end up weirdly salt water musky on me. And don't get me wrong - I love a good musk perfume, but something in both of these just smells off with my body chemistry.

I just received this and oh, it's SO delicious! Both Intense Café and Roses Vanille has that sharp, weird Montale/Mancera-thingie going on, whatever it is, must be the white musk because I smell it in Roses Greedy and Roses Musc too, but in these I quite enjoy it... Anyhow, this one is truly sexy heaven, isn't it? The balance of ultra sweet praline and bitter oak moss is perfect! Lovely Motale rose, smooth, strong amber and gourmand style coffee tied together with woods. This is also completely genderless, the way lots of niche perfumes are and also the way many powerhouse 80ies- early 90ies were. It smells slightly, slightly medicinal, but even more so, a bit boozy, like aged rum. Very gourmand in a way that's not juvenile. I am looking forward to wearing it among people and see if it garners compliments.Edit: Someone above writes that the initial stage kind of smells like some type of spearmint gum and its true! Very interesting- it is a cool, herbal, minty aspect that fades for smooth coffee and then the rest as mentioned.

Nice scent, smells rich and subtile
But it’s not nucleair on me like the fragrances of Montale’s daughter Mancera. Maybe they reformulated it and added water or something?
Sensual instinct is a good and safe scent, but it doesn’t do any magic on me somehow. Maybe because this one is missing musk (which makes fragrances stronger), not sure. But it’s nice though, very safe buy. Crowd pleaser , hard to hate fragrance, very unisex

8/10

Unsurprisingly this smells just like a Montale version of BR540. To my nose it has the same dentist vibe, saffron note, caramelized sugar and unlisted strawberry jam on a metal spoon accord as the original. If you think "What is she talking about, that's not what BR540 smells like at all!" at this moment, I think Sensual Instinct will smell different to you, too. If you have never smelled either of these, well, that's what they both smell like to me.
The difference is that Sensual Instinct is much more bitter and a little less medicinal. I usually like coffee notes in fragrances, so I was excited for this addition, but in this scent it reminds me of cold filter coffee you would find in an office kitchenette in the afternoon. Another difference is the addition of rose, which wasn't needed in my opinion. I don't really get the oakmoss, but maybe that's what makes the coffee note extra bitter and less gourmand.
In the drydown the bitterness slows down and the praline aka cotton candy aka caramelized sweetness comes out. I can't say that it smells like a real praline made of chocolate and nuts, but I guess it's a little creamier than pure spun sugar. At this stage I finally enjoy the fragrance.

So, this is not my favorite out of the BR540 dupe family. Call me cheap and pedestrian, but the one that works best for me is Cloud by Ariana Grande.
Performance-wise I can't complain about Sensual Instinct, like most Montales it's almost a little too much.
I'm sorry that I referenced BR540 so often, I sometimes find it difficult to review a fragrance that is so obviously inspired by something else on its own merits. Hope it's still helpful to some.

Just got this and absolutely LOVE IT! I think it's more feminine than masculine. I wish it also came in a body lotion to layer.

At first sniff, it's all boozy whiskey/rum smelling which I absolutely love!! Then the slight coffee and praline kicks in and it settles down on me really soft and romantic. It's not the sexual beast I thought it would be on me, but maybe that's for the best.
My sons also love this and ask for sprays so I think it's Unisex although I feel it's perfectly feminine on me.
This is my new favourite and perhaps a signature. I think if you like gourmands, coffee, boozy, not too floral mature fragrances, you will love this. To my nose, this is very similar to 1270 Frapin which I adore. I can't comment on the similarities to BR540 as I had no interest in buying a fragrance that is way too popular here in Melbourne, Australia.

It was a semi blind buy for me and i can tell I’m very happy and satisfied although it’s quite different from what I expected. It’s more similar to Burberry her intense than the original Burberry her but definitely less synthetic and higher quality smelling. Surprisingly to my nose it does not smell like instant crush at all. They both share similarities with baccarat but they’re not similar to each other if that makes sense. Although this and instant crush are both marketed as unisex, I cannot imagine a guy wearing sensual instinct, It’s definitely more feminine while IC is completely unisex.
A nice substitute for guys can be Arabians Tonka from Montale. You’re welcome 😉

This is a younger sister of B540 - for me it doesn't have longer longevity, it's just more sensitive.

Mancera Instant Crush is better. Oakmoss destroyed everything in this one.

It's always interesting how different notes work with each other. I didn't expect praline and oakmoss to go well together, but they do. The praline gives the composition a slight gourmand flare while the oakmoss adds an earthiness that balances the sweetness perfectly. Rose supports throughout while amber and coffee swirl in the deep background. While not listed, there is a whisky opening note that fades away in about an hour. Longevity is outstanding. This is one of my favorites from Montale!

fyi... If you're looking for something similar, Mancera Amber Fever has a similar vibe but the composition is less sweet, the amber is more resinous, the whisky note is more prominent, and it has a touch of floral that SI lacks.

I found this a bit too sweet, but I got many compliments wearing this fragrance!
It is a gorgeous praline and rose mix. The amber makes it very warm.
Good for the colder days. Also amazing sillage and longevity!!!

Definitely a sexy date night fragrance.

Happy with this blind buy!

I think it's safe for me to say that I officially do not like Montale frags, thus far... This gives me the kind of stomach turn from something you used when you are sick with the flu and then you go and use that said "thing" at another time and it makes you feel revolted and sick all over again.
Original cherry chapstick is what I'm getting, thru and thru.

I REALLY don't get the BR540 connection - but then again, BR540 just doesn't seem to work with my nose and/or body chemistry! These two perfumes have absolutely zero in common, to me.

This one is great. It's not as praline-heavy as I hoped, but it is more or less what I imagined. Recently I got a rose & praline scented candle from Olivia Blake and absolutely loved the scent, and was hoping this would be the perfume version of that - and it's pretty close.

What stuck out to me, like other people have mentioned, that this is a very jammy rose - sour-sweet and syrupy. Not necessarily the type of rose I would've picked in a praline perfume - why not a more velvety one? Despite that, they still blend well.

I find it interesting that people here are calling it a primarily praline perfume with rose, because to me it's the opposite. The praline rounds the perfume out and gives it some richness and smoothness. I can't say I notice any of the other notes - the rose really dominates here.

Performance is as expected of a Montale - high projection, very high longevity. I can catch whiffs of it from my skin even 10-12 hours later, and my skin normally hoovers up fragrances within 30-60 minutes.

I wouldn't buy a full bottle because I already have My Burberry Black Elixir for a jammy rose perfume and this doesn't set itself apart far enough, but if you have a jammy rose-shaped hole in your fragrance wardrobe, this could be a good one!

Beautiful! I can see the connection to BR540. Although it also smells like oud bouquet without the oud. Jammy rose with praline and amber. Give it a few minutes and you’ll be in heaven. It’s definitely one of Montales’ best! I’m in love!

I can see where people get the BR reference, but it is definitely a different fragrance. It just has the sweet opening with oakmoss dry down. This BR-type DNA is already becoming very common. I think this is unique still due to the coffee opening and the rose also dominates. It is along the same vein as Intense Café, except this one is more centered around the rose, praline, and oakmoss. In the typical Montale fashion, this should last hours and project like a beast.

The first time I smelled this I did notice similarity to BR540 which I love. There are some similarities, it has that vibe - but it is unique in it’s own right. I purchased it recently and find it continues to evolve into something really provocative and inviting. It’s delicious and modern. The rose is very subtle and cuts the sweetness in such a clever way. Projection and longevity is impressive. This could be my signature scent......who am I trying to kid? IMO this has no limits - day or night - any season. I absolutely love it!

Does anyone else get something that smells fizzy? I don't know what it is, or how to describe it exactly, but with Sensual Instinct on one wrist and Baccarat on the other, Sensual Instinct has a fizziness to it that I can't quite put my finger on. I believe it may be the way my nose reads the combination of praline and boozy rose. While I do agree that Sensual Instinct shares some similarities to Baccarat, I would say it is only a 50% dupe at best, and even that is a stretch- Sensual instinct is much sweeter. Out of the crop of Baccarat and co (Cloud, Sensual Instinct & Instant Crush), this is my favorite and the most unlike the others. A gorgeous fragrance, sensual indeed and perfectly unisex. The performance is good. Around 4-5 hours of longevity, which is good on my difficult skin. Also this turned me into an oakmoss lover.

Oakmoss gourmand! As much as I dislike oakmoss I absolutely love this combination with notes of burnt nuts and chocolatey coffee. We've had loads and loads of patchouli gourmands in the past 10 years while oakmoss seem to have been stayed away from... probably evocative of old-school chypres! This new trend of sweet oakmoss is really incredible. Sensual Instinct is a bit medicinal, a bit earthy, very sweet and lasts for ages.

Yes I see the similarity with baccarat - I guess the notes of rose oak moss and praline combine to give a “saffron-like” effect with sweetness.

To me, smells more like Oud For Greatness + coffee. Coffee is consistent throughout the fragrance on my skin.

projection and longevity great as always with Montales.
Not as far projection as Bacarrat or Oud for Greatness though

It starts off very medicinal and a bit harsh, I can't smell the mellow sweetness of praline, more like a clinical cleanliness. But once it evaporates a little it becomes rounder and the harsh chemical sweetness turns into smokiness which I prefer. Only after 15 mins or so it goes smooth and very pleasant settling gorgeously nutty. Vaguely reminds me of some of BR 540 extrait notes, far from a dupe but still interesting and full of twists from spray to complete dry down.

Too much smoky, earthy patchouli for me. It’s like BR540 got mixed with headshop patchouli oil. The patchouli ruins the light hearted sweetness of the recent grouping of similar scents like BR540 and Cloud. I personally do not think patchouli works well in the genre.

Interesting how gourmand notes have come to replace almost completely the animalic notes from the past.
Does anyone remember Animale, Parfum de Peau, La Nuit, and Paloma Picasso from the 80s? They were voluptuous, carnal creatures, at least I thought so.
Nowadays sensual/sexual means: cotton candy, praline, fruit syrup, chocolate, ice-cream, meringue, etc... Hopefully they'll never decide to replace the -already synthetic- civet and deer musk in Chanel No5 with ethyl maltol or strawberry furanone... Yikes!

As other reviewers have mentioned, Sensual Instinct shares a resemblance to BR540 extrait in that it carries a strong brunt praline/almond note with a similar vibe to the MFK counterpart. The similarity stops here however, making this a far cry from a clone.

Sensual Instinct is carried by a voluptuous boozy rose note as well as underpinnings of woods and coffee. It is overall not as transparent or fresh as BR540, offering instead a richer and thicker scent. I would classify this one as a "semi-gourmand" as the association to food is not immediately apparent. The scent is also fairly linear and sports monstrous performance (12+ hours longevity, with a tiny spray of my sample projecting more than most scents in my collection).

Overall, an interesting and sensual blend that will have no difficulty finding its fanbase. I would like to stress that Sensual Instinct is perhaps not as redundant to BR540/Ariana Grande Cloud as some may make you believe, in spite of sharing some of the perfectly unisex burnt sugar DNA. Ultimately though, this one receives a "like", not a love from me given the slight cloyingness and the linear scent profile, one which will hopefully be revisited with a different twist by Montale.

Scent: 7.5/10
Longevity: 10/10
Projection: 10/10
Originality: 7/10
Overall (not an average): 7.5/10

I just did a side by side of this with a few of the ones it’s been compared to. It does not smell similar to Baccarat OR Noir de Noir at all to my nose. What it DOES smell like is Ariana Grande Cloud...which is also supposedly a dupe for Baccarat...but I don’t think Cloud smells like baccarat either. Baccarat and Noir de Noir are smooth...Sensual Instinct and Cloud are scratchy/synthetic smelling to me, So i don’t get these comparisons. Hope this helps.

I feel like I'm being punked, so many reviews claiming this also smells identical to BR540...this smells almost nothing like it 😂 seriously I will NEVER trust Fragrantica reviews. It does bear a very slight resemblance to the BR Extrait version with what smells like bitter almond but that's probably the praline

I can definitely agree with it having some similarity to Noir de Noir, but for me this is much more wearable, and unlike your usual Montales that can be very in your face this one is extremely smooth once it settles.

I would say a very smooth mix of Noir de Noir, with hints of both Intense Cafe & Starry Night all mixed with the scent of a freshly made Turkish delight

As it dries down it starts to also bear some similarity to Liwa by Widian

This is without hesitation, 100% my favourite Montale

Sensual Instinct by Montale.

I went to a Montale boutique and I have smelled the ceramic thing. I didn't get the Baccarat Rouge 540 vibe. So I try it on my skin and I understood. This fragrance is like an "airy" version of BR540. It is like empty and also very present at the same time. It performs well but it can't substitute to BR540.

I do not believe it! Lately BR540 is tracking me everywhere.
Ok it is not all along the timeline. Its largely the opening. Uber sweet!
It's pretty good on the dry down and rather unique imho. Its Valentine's day in a scent.
Lush roses and chocolate.
The oak moss and coffee add an interesting and essential twist. They stop the scent leaping into candy land. A nice dollop of amber.
It's a warm, sweet yet grown up scent. Its just a bit too sweet for me and artificial smelling.
Perfectly unisex.
I think it's time I stop testing Montales and Mancera scents and admit defeat. My nose seems to be too sensitive to handle all the chemistry.
I get average sillage and longevity.

I sniffed my wrist today and thought I had accidentally sprayed on my fancy Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait. What?? No?? It's Montale Sensual Instinct. Whoa! There's a bit more earthiness in the Sensual Instinct, and the BR540 is beast mode longevity, but for the price difference I know what I'll be buying when I run out of BR540!!

So I tried this in Harrods on a paper strip but I couldnt appreciate it then because I had tried other things but when I got home, the scent filled up my room and I was in love. It does smell similar to BCR but I prefer this. I always wanted BCR but I am so glad I stumbled across sensual instinct. £106 for 100ml is so worth it. Like the other user said this is sweeter and has more depth (definitely the woody note) than BCR, the projection is amazing and the longevity is ridiculous cause my pillow cases smell like this perfume for days. I have received compliments every time I have worn this and it is easily my favourite. The name is apt and it is sexy and seductive. It has the montale dna as it has a similar vibe to Intense cafe. The opening is a nice rose sweetness like most floral gourmands and the pralines give it that syrupy scent and the amber gives it a nice warmth. It comes off a bit smoky and sensual and I envision this to be what Rihanna smells like. This is easily my favourite montale!

The opening is very similar to Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, but with a bit more sweetness and depth. After an hour into the dry-down, it becomes very different to Baccarat Rouge 540, and turns into a creamy milk chocolate kind of smell.

I think this perfume is aptly named, as it starts off quite sexy and then dries down to become something quite comforting and sensual.


Odd comparison but does anyone else think that the Baccarat Rouge 540 smell smells a bit like semen?

I found this similar with baccarat rouge from MFK on the dry-down but this is more linear where baccarat rouge has more depths and projection.

The performances are underwhelming too for a Montale, it turns to a skin scent pretty quick and more suitable for ladies.

Disappointing albeit popular reviewer on youtube promote this one.

Sensual Instinct is one of Montale’s newest offerings and is an aptly-named semi-gourmand made up of coffee, praline, rose, amber, cedar, and oakmoss. I’m not sure about “instinct” but it’s certainly sensual and sweet.

The gentleman who sold me a decant described it as a cross between Montale Intense Café and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, and I think that’s an apt comparison, as it has the coffee and rose of Intense Café and the sweet woody/nutty mix that many (like myself) describe BR540 as.

As usual, it has the signature Montale performance—strong, but not overwhelming—and will probably be a great value when it eventually lands on the secondary market. I prefer the separate advantages of Intense Café and BR540, both of which are better fragrances on their own, to Sensual Instinct, which takes some elements from both.

Still, it’s a very nice fragrance and a nod to those like me who enjoy sweet fragrances.

7 out of 10

Got a sample of this recently so I am using it sparingly.

First impressions:

Since sprayed this on both hands and I immediately get hit with the coffee and the rose with maybe a little chocolate. I guess this could be the sister fragrance to Intense Cafe. But to me I am reminded of a box chocolates in a way this could lead into the gourmands.

Will see how this fares once I've done more tests , hoping to have a review sooner rather then once I get a 20ml of this.

There's something bitter; no praline or cafè detected.
Cedar and oakmoss to the nth degree...
Smells like Espressioni Olfattive Jasmine Amber.

This juice is insane, 😊😊😊 i sprayed it on my wrist at 3:30pm and the following day, early in the morning, i could still smell it, Godly !!!!
I pick up coffee and dark chocolate notes. It is SIMILAR to BR540 but i prefer SIM because of its longevity !!

Longevity = 11/10 😂😂
Sillage = 11/10 😂😂

The opening smells like root beer lol that slowly develop into a sweet woody fragrance with a hint of rose. Sexy, perfect for nigh-time wear. Absolutely love it!

Very long lasting & moderate sillage

This has nothing to do with BR540 other than they share a note or two. There is nothing in common regarding the scent profile with BR540. However, this has monstrous longevity and projection with Typical montale DNA.

First impression - A creamier smoother version of A Men. So far so good but nothing original here. There's an interesting aspect that gives me a chocolate minty feel that in combination leads me to believe that there's some patchouli here (ref A Men) despite being unlisted.

I do see a slight similarity with Noir de Noir with this perhaps being less dark and earthy.

TBC

This smells almost NOTHING like Baccarat Rouge 540, it's maybe 5 to 10% BR540. This smells more like Noir de Noir and More Than Words by Xerjoff. My wife found it repulsive. I kinda liked it.

Ordered mines and vanilla cake can’t wait to smell both

Upon first application Sensual Instinct does slightly remind me of Baccarat Rouge. Once the praline comes through, the similarity vanishes in my opinion. Baccarat Rouge reminds me of a dentist office and Sensual Instinct 100% does not. I love the burst of roses and mix of smooth, sweet chocolatey praline. I get the oakmoss but not the cedar and definitely not the coffee. I never noticed coffee at all. Regardless, I love this fragrance and it has awesome longevity and sillage.

Montale Sensual Instinct as it dries down reminds me of Tom Ford Nior De Nior. I get that dark chocolate rose. Regarding the Baccarat Rouge 540 similarity I will say a little inside the opening, but the dry-down on my skin is dark chocolate rose. This will be an excellent winter/fall night out fragrance in my humble opinion. I will keep testing and decide if it becomes a bottle worthy or not.

Edit : After days of testing ended up buying a bottle. Please don't sleep on this one.

I was so curious about sensual instinct ! i needed it and now i own it ! The scent guys wauww amazing love it BUT it really doesn't last that long...i'm really upset cause I'm used to the Montale longevity and this one is missing it.

Update: i had a 20ml sample that was not just doing it for me mainly cause it was summer too, i now have several backups of this one it's one of my signature scents! And it's definitely potent worn in winter ! BIG LOVE !

A recent trend in perfumery is the genre “floral gourmands” where the perfumer combines rose with dessert notes such as chocolate, caramel, cacao, pralines, almonds (or other nuts), cream or coffee notes. I find myself attracted to many offerings in this vein, including, much to my surprise, Sensual Instinct.

I have owned several Montale perfumes in the past, and even paid full retail on a few occasions. Then, found that I never wore them. Never. I blame it on nasal fatigue due to the strength of the synthetics used. I either gave away or sold the perfume. I’m not saying Sensual Instinct is void of that familiar Montale DNA, because it’s clearly loaded with synthetics, but this is enjoyable.

Also, I was curious with the comments made equating this to Baccarat 540. The comparisons are valid but only after the top notes burn off. Then in typical Montale fashion, it’s a loud and on steroids comparison, but I think they are similar. (I don’t own it and I’m only going off memory of my decant).

Sensual Instinct opens on top notes of a spicy rose and the sticky sweet, slightly burned topping of caramel pudding. This is followed by a hint of synthetic oud and chocolate. And here is where most modern floral gourmands would dissipate; but this composition never loses its gourmand notes, they just get softer. Drydown is a lighter rose and caramel pudding scent. I don’t pick up cedar or coffee.

I find myself in the most unlikely place; I like it after I pretty much swore off this brand. I keep smothering my face into my wrist. I’ll need to test this on a cold winter day, but Sensual Instinct is worthy of consideration if you are a floral gourmand fan like I am.

A heavenly dream I'm sure come winter, but rn smelling it while it's hot I wasn't completely captivated, true when they say weather plays a factor with diff. scents. Don't get me wrong this is a fantastic scent though, starts off a bit in your face..I detect a slight oud in the opening..but on me it quickly softens up & that magical dry down emerges. I don't detect a lot of coffee, get more of a sweet jammy rose/ praline combo..I haven't smelled BR540 so I can't concur the similarity I will say though I get a faint reminiscence of it's cousin.. Intense Café.. only not as sweet & rosy, longevity is beast no doubt, will have to deff. look into this again come winter. :)

What a great beauty. This is a phenomenal scent. Has greater longevity than 540 that's for sure.


Longevity is 10/10.
Silliage is 10/10.

Definitely worth it!

This opens with a bang - juicy and sweet, a really fresh rose mixed with a slight gourmand pastry note. The coffee is echoing in the distance. It's been a minute since I had Baccarat Rouge but it feels like it could be deeply related. Not as crystalline as BR 540 - and not as robotic. I have the same relationship to it, which is I don't really love it, but I can't stop going back, its strange one. 24hrs in and it smells just as strong on my shirt. Which reminds me, I need to change my shirt.