Santos (1981)
by Cartier

There is a difference between old-fashioned and out-dated, and to me Santos definitely falls in the latter category..

Seriously..this smells like it belongs in a different geological era entirely..

Inexplicable to me how this may be worn today

6th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 12nd June, 2011.)

I'm not one to complain about reformulations, but Cartier really disemboweled Santos when it changed the formula. I remember this being a rich, dark and complex old school fragrance, but now we have a weak, watered down, spare and dull woody chypre with poor sillage and very little character.

Santos is certainly not terrible, and the dirty, dusty smell underlying the fragrance is still present. The problem is that there's so little "meat" to this fragrance, and it comes across as an overly simplified, lifeless wood and citrus scent with an animalic touch. It just smells flat.

I'm satisfied with most reformulations of fragrances, but Cartier has managed to suck the life right out of Santos, leaving us with a pretty boring scent. Don't waste your money on this.

MY RATING: 6/10

6th May, 2011.

Elegant and conservative this is a real epitome of 80's, an old formula of the best kind of elegance. It's dark-boise as the smell of a dark forest, it's rubbery, musky with an hint of fruity incense. The inizial whiff of earthy patchouli and fruity resins reminds a bit the original Aramis that is pungently leathery like this one but with a different kind of fruity after smell (myrtle oil plus an obscure fruity touch, spices and flowers for Aramis). Three are in my opinion the key elements of Santos: the gummy-incensey galbanum, the earthy patchouli and the pungent orangy neroli. A well dosed lavender impresses the discreet, traditional touch of virility. Nutmeg and vetiver keep a fair touch of mild earthiness till the end of development. The combination of galbanum and vetiver produces a sort of earthy but resinous incensed kind of whiff. The woodsy temperament is supported by juniper, heavy woods and green notes while an hint of dirty air is blown by cumin. The bit acid after smell of the last is barely perceivable by brave noses. The final outcome is a sort of velvety and leathery smell of forest and smoky orange with a touch of incensey dust. A pillar of classicism.

21st April, 2011. (Last Edited: 10th January, 2012.)

this is beautiful, can be used in hot weather and it is virtually inoffensive. However it doesn´t last for more than 2 hours. Be aware that santos is totally different of concentree version. Concentree is highly male scent, its drier, less smooth, much more herbal/woody and lasts for 8-12 hours swithing notes and do not just fade away. This version has a powdery drydown. Concentree has a resinous base plus the herbals that stand till the end. Antaeus is more similar to this standard version. Concentree is more in the drakkar dry way, some told me concentree smelled i little of polo green, showing me that concentree is good, bad maybe people nowadays would feel Conc. more agressive because of the marine/toilet aura that rules market today...

7th October, 2010.

Vampire Weekend - Diplomat's Son (2010):

It's not right but it's now or never
And if I wait could I ever forgive myself?
On a night when the moon glows yellow in the riptide
With the light from the TV's buzzing in the house

Cuz I'm gonna cut it where I can
And then I'm gonna duck out behind them
If I ever had a chance it's now then
But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you

To offer it to you would be cruel
When all I want to do is use, use you

He was a diplomat's son
It was '81...



10/10 for Santos

11th August, 2010.

I had it ... back in the 80's
I also was young and full of Ideas or Dreams ...
Notions of what I thought made me feel Rich,Sophisticated and Elegant...
Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme along with fave Santos Cartier...
created that illusion for me...
wow.... who knew that a long-lasting,
sweet-strong sandalwood, mix of lavender, basil, vetiver, carnation, patchouli..
with a dry down that is an exquisite mixture of ambergris in a deep-down leathery/smokey/incense-like chords
would make me long for those youthful days .. now!

7th July, 2010.