Sandalwood
by Caswell-Massey

One of my favorites. Well worth the money

I don't know what pure sandalwood smells like (or Tam Dao, etc.) but this smelled so totally unlike the "classic" men's colognes that I've come to expect from Caswell-Massey that I wasn't even sure if the decant I got was the right stuff. It was more perfumey and perhaps white-musky than I expected, with seemingly little spice and too much sweetness within the creamy wood (really too bad, because otherwise I love creamy wood smells). It seemed entirely feminine, smelling like a middle-aged woman's well-appointed bathroom, which is a nice smell, but not on me. I incidentally gave it to my mom to spray in her bathroom, so hopefully it will fulfill the niche to which I have so harshly relegated it.

Not bad for its reasonable price, but a little too dry and bitter to hold its own against sandalwood fragrances such as Lutens Santal de Mysore, LV Sandalo, Etro Sandalo, or even AOS Sandalwood. Worth a try and good for an everyday summer sandalwood fragrance (at 100mls for about $30, you can wear it anytime).

Very nice. Caswell-Massey Sandalwood starts with a bright and lively spicy opening. There’s certainly an element of sharpness—a better lemon note—in the opening that gave me pause for a moment. It seems to conflict with something in the accord, but after a while I decided that I like the conflict—it’s a bit of rawness that pushes to the margins of acceptability in the fragrance but never crosses the line. I get such a warm rich feeling from this fragrance—even in the opening where my olfaction is challenged. When that bitter lemon note is gone, the sandalwood shines through with good clarity and balance. The particular sandalwood in this fragrance is the kind I find especially attractive—it is earthy and creamy and a bit resinous. C-M Sandalwood holds the sandalwood note in the drydown for an impressive amount of time—excellent longevity. Its very good quality coupled with its reasonable cost make this is a quite desirable fragrance.

Lovely stuff -- great for men or women. Very reasonable, too -- unlike its overrated Crabtree & Evelyn cousin.

Caswell-Massey produces this fine fragrance in a wide array of products - each one as lovely as the next! I particularly enjoy the soap or shower gel in the summer months, and recommend the lotion too! This makes a fantastic vacationers scent - perfect on a man OR woman ~ or even a little tyke! Takes the heat well, and is suprisingly refreshing.