Santal 33

When I sprayed this on the test strip, I got some sort of a clean, dewy and dusty scent lingering there. I think I was mostly getting the violet. But when I sniffed my skin, it smelled like I was putting my nose up to a wooden table or a leather couch right off the bat. I guess this description does not make it sound very appealing, but it did feel cozy the more it warmed up with my skin temperature. It took a quite while for that sweet dusty freshness from the test strip to show up on my skin. The dry down remains quite clean, which I enjoyed. There is some sourness that I can't quite place but no pickles or dill here. I can see why this fragrance has become so popular because there are not that many clean woody options if you don't want something floral/citrusy/aquatic/gourmand/spicy. I won't say anything about longevity because to me, it was already quite faint to begin with, but I have to say that the projection is much poorer than I expected. I really have to bring my arm right up to my nose to smell anything, and it doesn't really perform any better when I spray it on clothes. I would have to douse myself in it to get a moderate scent bubble, which is not really the way to go at this price point. People seem to think this one has beast mode performance, so I am not sure what is going on here.

I’ve heard this is a polarizing scent and smells bad with some skin chemistries but I figured for the price I got it ($26 for 10ml) I didn’t have much to lose. Luckily on me it smells gorgeous. It’s got echoes of Faqqua Iris by Rook or Nosferatu by Heretic in the opening, in the sense that there’s Iris and violet as notes. Here they are much more airy and accompany the woody and leather notes beautifully. The wood is dry and feels more like an incense or bonfire preparation. I’m not usually a fan of leather but this one I cannot deny is really well blended and compliments the overall fragrance quite well. I definitely get the Santal but I was surprised at how much the cedar showed up. IMO this one can be worn all year round, day or night. If it works for you it could work in almost any setting. Honestly I’m so mad at how much I love such an expensive perfume. I would happily buy a full bottle if it weren’t so overpriced.

As a 40yo woman..this was just amazing. From the first spray I did get the alcohol chemical hit which for me turned smokey and reminded me of drinking Laphroaig wearing a Driza Bone playing poker in an old country pub. I do live in rural Aus so I haven't smelt this on anyone, let alone everyone 😆 The dry down has softened the smokiness I personally was getting and the woodiness and cardamom are coming through beautifully, but as I'm only an hour in I hope it doesn't soften much more. This is a powerful scent and I hope it doesn't become too warm. I hope it stays quite unusual and a little dangerous. Not pretty at all. Something I couldnt wear often, but at the right occasion..like a high stakes poker game..this is really amazing.

Santal 33 hype is real for better or for worse, I got a decant of it and I had mixed opinions about it.. Finally pulled the trigger and decided to spent the full $350 (almost $400 including taxes) for a 100ml bottle. It is this spicy-woody-powdery-leathery combination that can be good to some and bad to some. Sandalwood, cedar and powdery notes dominate the fragrance for most of the time. I do get the "dill pickle-like" smell sometimes but it does not bother me. It's a bit hard to describe this fragrance but it is easily recognisable if you smell it on somebody else out in the wild. it's very unique but not in New York because apparently the whole city smells like it lol.

Definitely a victim of its own success. Nearly impossible to dissociate with the current clientele but there's a reason it permeated through every strata of social climbers since 2011. Every single facet is perfectly calibrated into weightless perfection. Every single note that could turn it heavy has its treble maxed out, using australian sandalwood and cedar to enhance the papyrus facet, which is by far the most obvious aspect to my nose. The cardamom, violet leaf and ionones are aptly judged, and the whole thing is slathered over this Iso-E-Super/Ambroxan skeleton. It's diffusive, obvious but not empowering.