Santal Blanc (2001)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

After trying the excellent Santal de Mysore, I was expecting great things from this one. However, the sandalwood note isn’t at all prominent in Santal Blanc. Instead, this is more of a floral scent with sandalwood deep in the background. The overall composition is okay but there is a strange chemical note in there that annoys me.

It's definitely one of the least interesting releases by Serge Lutens and its longevity is above average.

[Original submission date: 30 October 2006]

Lasted all day and with good sillage on my skin, but ultimately this powdery sweet sandal wasn't masculine enough IMHO. Nice, but not my style.

Didn't like this at all on myself. A heavy sweet carmely or brown sugar base is always lurking. I agree with the flour some have mentioned.The sandalwood is just clinging and monodimensional. It is hard to get out of your nose. If it could only be sampled in very brief doses as it is worn it could be a very intimate and exciting smell on a woman, exotic and musky. Her companion certainly wouldn't forget it. All the associations of that evening would surely come rushing back if smelled again; hopefully heated ones, because it is the farthest thing from a light or cool fragrance that may be suggested by the name.

What a weird, interesting smell this is. One of the biggest oddballs in a whole Lutens line. To me it is very near to being just a cozy, almost dull woody fragrance....but then, that foody (almost bread-, flour-like) nuance makes it very twisted, and although I basically admire this and it`s bold originality, I always seem to end up gagging when I smell this one. Can`t help it, it`s really offputting in the end.

Neutral just because it`s that impressive.

Btw, like with all fragrances, by any means do not judge this by the first sniff.

This has a really, really woody opening! It got my attention. The various woods combine to suggest cedar, a real pencil-shavings tone. In the opening, it is a cool-spicy wood scent, and I like it. I don’t mind the fenugreek. I think we see a good, naturalistic rendition of this seed/spice. Yes, it is bitter, medicinal, woody… and it adds an interesting aspect to the scent. It is not out of balance with the other elements. I don’t find this to be sweet or foody-gourmand. I also don’t find anything curry-ish here. My overall impression is one of wood. Eventually the cedar tone is replaced by the promised sandalwood, here done in a mild style. Several hours later, I’m still smelling it. Now it has a somewhat sweet, powdery-balsamic aspect. Here I lose interest, and will not move from sample to purchase.

OK- I am going to *try* and be fairly objective at first. To my nose, Santal Blanc is gourmand/semi-leather fragrance with pungent top notes of sweet cinnamon and coffee. If you compared its first 15 minutes of life to other perfumes, you'd think it would be a kissing cousin to Neil Morris' Izmir, Bond New Haarlem and to an extent, Ava Luxe Silk and Milk. After the 15 minutes are up, the leather notes arrive but the cloying sweetness of the spices and Serge Lutens' candy-like base stays firmly put, and those odors end up defining Santal Blanc.

Emotionally speaking, I DETESTED Santal Blanc (along with SL's Louve, Rousse, 5 o'clock Ginger, Iris Silver Mist, Borneo 1834, et al)! It is difficult to imagine who would want to smell like the kind of flavored coffee beans you buy at Safeway. I am going to thump myself if I haven't learned my lesson by now to just leave the Serge Lutens line alone!

Per The Perfumed Court, here are the notes: Sandalwood, cinnamon, bark, benzoin, balsam, musk, rose, copaiba, jasmine and pink pepper.