Eau de Santal (2002)
by Floris

This is not a "toned down" version of Gucci Envy but rather a more refined one.

The sweetness of the heart is beautifully balanced by the peppery spice. Masterfully balanced this one is for the self assured gentleman who feels no need to scream.

It is a good fresh spicy woody fragrance. Light, natural and for sure very well made (In its own right). Smells classy and distinguished straight from the bottle. It developes into a very subtle yet rich blend of woods and light musk. Quite long lasting but wears extremely close to the skin.

Not bad, but eventually not my personal style at all. Way too quiet and refined for my tastes – kind of usual problem for me with these aristocratic British creations.

It instantly became one of my all time favourites. You can't get much better than Floris Santal... This is a glaringly beautiful, utterly refined and highly elegant fragrance. Its warmth and softness, combined with the depth and complexity of its development, place this magnificent cologne in the very restrained world of monumental fragrances.

The bright, invigorating opening burst of bergamot, although absolutely fabulous, doesn't really prefigures the magical follow-up. After a few minutes, the soft, almost delicate mid notes break through. The experience is one in a million... a pure, yet complex sensation of joy, uplift and sophistication enshrouds you in an almost magical mix of emotions. A delicate touch of spices prevent it from becoming cloying. Nothing is too much, nothing is too little, everything is perfectly balanced.

After about two hours, Santal turns into a woody, mossy, ambery, but still creamy and mellow scent. Even at this stage of the development, the fragrance conserves its soft, warm, calming nature. From start to finish, this is mere perfection.

The iconic house of Floris has fulfilled its grandiose reputation... again!

I was annoyed with Floris that they discontinued Sandalwood, and because of that I was ready to dislike Santal… Didn’t work. I like it… not nearly as much as I like Sandalwood, but it is still a very good fragrance.

A sophisticated bergamot / green / spice accord opens up Eau de Santal – It’s an excellent opening rich and grounded: The opening immediately turns subtle and eventually moves to a spicy demeanor – pepper, nutmeg, clove, back grounded by a light lavender – I haven’t yet found the cardamom through several testings. The sandalwood is immediately apparent. I believe that it is more the creamy variety sandalwood than the aromatic, but and it is strongly supported by an aromatic cedarwood and frankincense that give it more body, breadth, and effusion. I didn’t think I would meet an accord this nice in Santal, so this is a pleasant surprise. The spices deliver but the wood takes precedence. I also love the richness and masculinity of the drydown… it is woody, incensy, musky, and a tad ambery: wood with a resinous tinge and a touch of sweetness. I think that I can see this as an Envy for Men that is more refined and subtle. It doesn’t have the Envy signature note in very much strength, but the supporting notes are quite similar to the background in Envy. Eau de Santal has limited sillage from my skin and marginal longevity so I won’t be purchasing it.

It does smell a bit like sandalwood, though there's none in the pyramid. Basically, it's the spices and the patchouli-oakmoss that make this scent. Bergamot is always a nice touch... I suppose this is technically not a chypre, because there's tree moss rather than oakmoss in it, but it kind of qualifies. I like this for cooler (but not cold) weather. It does seem to project a bit, but not excessively. It's warm and slightly spicy because of the clove bud oil and cardamom. Like many Floris masculines, it's "safe" for office wear, so I'll go with that for a casual Friday.

Nice scent. Like Creed's Original Santal but lighter which in turn means it a very, very light version of Joop! Homme. Also reminds me a bit of Cool Water/Green Irish Tweed (which also smells like JF). Overall, it's nice.