Strenesse by Gabriele Strehle (2001)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of bargain fragrance reviews, scents that may be found online or at discount stores for US $25 or less. Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Summary: A sadly discontinued chameleon of a scent developed by master perfumerMaurice Roucel for German designer Gabriele Strehle, Strenesse is an oddly compelling almond/vanilla gourmand that changes as it develops.

Perfumer: Maurice Roucel

Try this if you like: almond, vanilla, milk, sweet iris, coconut, rice steam, white chocolate, powdery scents, foody/dessert scents, biscotti, heliotrope.

Pros & Cons: Though not my favorite almond-themed scent due to its extreme sweetness and oddly medicinal edge, I keep coming back to Strenesse because the drydown after the first three hours is so incredibly soothing; kitschy presentation with a translucent, cloudy liquid; easy to find online for deeply discounted prices; sleek, simple bottle. Many have noted that the fragrance also offers aromas of glue, peach, and bleach.

Notes: “Almond, jasmine, heliotrope, lily-of-the-valley, iris, sandalwood, amber and vanilla.” Fragrantica.com  Alternatively, other sites list: Peach Blossom, Almond Flower, Bergamot, Jasmin, Heliotrope, Lily of the valley, Iris wood, Sandalwood, Amber, and Vanilla.

Reminds me of: Castelbajac (red bottle), Dior Hypnotic Poison, Serge Lutens Bas de Soie, Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Secrete Datura; L’Instant de Guerlain; Kenzo Amour.

Designer’s Description: Not available. Discontinued.

Number of times tested: 100+ times over the last 30 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: 2 sprays to the back of my hand from a vintage bottle I purchased.

Fragrance strength: Eau de Parfum

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex) Strenesse does take the wearer on a journey; although the main theme stays throughout the development, the scent unfolds over time to offer various facets of peach blossom and other white florals, warm amber, and I could swear I detect white rice steam as well.

Longevity: ((Short / Average / Long-lasting) I can get around 12+ hours; lasts forever!

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Aromatic enough to be noticed by those around me during its first few hours; might be a bit much for the office.

Note about the packaging: A simple, sleek, translucent glass cylinder with indented thumbprint on one side and translucent round plastic cap, housed in a simple, white paper box.

Where can I buy it? Found online for as little as $10 USD for a 30ml EDP spray.

The Bottom Line: I admit that though Gabriele Strehle has had some incredible accomplishments throughout her career (she designed a wardrobe for Lufthansa and uniforms for the German national football team), I had never heard of. Her colleague Jil Sander seems to have stolen the spotlight as “internationally-renowned, female, late 20th century, German minimalist designer.” But I am a HUGE fan of most thingsMaurice Roucel (the perfumer) and he seems to have been focused on gourmand and ambery/vanilla scents at the turn of the millennium: Castelbajac (2001); Bond No 9 New Haarlem (2003); Musc Ravageur (2000); L’Instant de Guerlain (2003); Lalique pour Homme (1997); Rochas Man (1999); Cavalli Oro (2004). Strenesse is right there with this bunch in terms of sweet, vanillic, ambery gourmand notes but the big difference here, compared to L’Instant for example, is that Strenesse is neither as much of a heavy hitter nor as deeply oriental or rich as some of its Roucel contemporaries.

Strenesse can be best described as a fragrance of conflicts: the floral notes of peach blossom, lily of the valley and jasmine seem to be in opposition to the gourmand notes, creating a sometimes oddly medicinal effect that many reviewers have noted (some interpret it as glue or cleaning product). The fragrance also possesses a unique sourness that relaxes in the drydown; some may find it off-putting but I find it compelling. The entire composition never relinquishes its sweet powderiness and the vanillic heliotrope is always present, much like Kenzo Amour.

I far prefer Roucel’s other release in 2001, Castelbajac, with all of its almondy and fabric softener goodness. But as that one has basically gone the way of the dinosaurs and now costs as much as a lease on a small flat, I’ll settle for another Roucel almond via Strenesse and I’ll still have enough money to pay my rent.