Santa Fe for Men (1988)
by Aladdin Fragrances

Alcohol laden opening quickly cools into a vanilla, cinnamon spiced nutmeg fragrance that relies heavily on the vanilla. Certainly does take liberal inspiration from Caron's Third Man and lesser so from Calvin Klein's Obsession but it does seem to dig deeper into 1970's mandarin, powder and spice giants like Lagerfeld for its inspiration.
Santa Fe is certainly not a head-turner and is dangerously close to cloying and may not work for some skin chemistries. I wouldn't suggest it for a night out or a clutch evening when an impression can go a long way. It lacks the complexity of its influences but it is a decent, casual scent with excellent value given the somewhat organic smelling elements and low price. Still, the blending itself does imply a certain cheapness but that can easily be overlooked given Santa Fe's lack of pretension.
Santa Fe doesn't evolve too dramatically, moving towards a linear vanilla and powder bomb five minutes into the initial application. It sticks around fairly long for its price, with 4-6 hours not uncommon. Projection is not overwhelming, but it certainly is detectable and doesn't seem to slip into the realm of skin scent until midway through the drydown.
A pleasing enough scent for those who enjoy vanilla and a little bit of spice that should only be used sporadically, as this one can be very cloying. For the price fairly enjoyable and worth the investment as a change-up in an already loaded arsenal. Nothing exceptional, but for those on a budget a tremendous bargain. Simple and a bit too powdery to work as a signature scent.

2nd January, 2012.

I wouldn't so much consider Santa Fe for Men a clone of The Third Man. It's more like a cruder Obsession for Men/Tiffany for Men with its powdery florals, cinnamon and vanilla. For under 10 dollars, and even under 5 at some big-name discounters here in the U.S., it's not bad. As an Eau de Cologne, it lasts 4 to 5 hours on my skin. The bottle is awkward and has an uncomfortable texture like pottery made in art class before it's been glazed.

5th January, 2011.

I remember sampling Santa Fe back when it was first available, and it struck me as an imitation of Obsession For Men more than Caron's Third Man (or Troxieme Homme, to be more precise). Not bad for a drugstore fragrance, but not nearly as good as Obsession, as it only captured the more obvious notes. The packaging and design was quite good, but I think somebody just decided that because Southwestern design motifs were fashionable, they would use the name and design. It doesn't really conjure up the Southwest for me at all --- a true "Santa Fe" fragrance ought to have some pinon, juniper and smoky notes in it, as well as spicy and wood notes. I'll give it a thumbs up because the fragrance itself is nicely balanced for what it is.

11th March, 2010.

Vanilla. Powder and Vanilla. I put this on, and this is absolutely all I get out of this one on my skin. Lots of Vanilla with a tad of powder on the drydown. Someone mentioned Sandalwood? Can't smell it on my skin. I don't mind Vanilla or Powder. Just seems overly simple.

8th March, 2010.

Smells somewhat like body odor mixed with cinnamon. Sante Fe is a good choice if you can't afford Desire, they're in the same category.

1st March, 2010. (Last Edited: 26th December, 2010.)

Where better to buy Santa Fe (for $3!) than the Big Lots in Santa Fe? I couldn't resist, having remembered good reviews. I'm glad I did though...it's one of the best cheapies I've ever gotten. I'll agree with comparisons to the 3rd Man, Obsession, or maybe Egoiste...a sweet spicy scent with medium-dark creamy woods. Plus cinammon and cloves (?) without the sharpness. They call it a Cologne but it lasts easily as well as any EdT. Philosophically, the main thing I notice about it is that there's nothing obtrusively bad about it...not too much sweetness (though it is sweet!), sourness, metal, smoke, or anything in particular, which in and of itself is a victory, even if the scent isn't revolutionary. A lack of these conspicuous excesses is something that I value even in a very dull, standard scent, and can be especially hard to find in a cheapie. The cap is awkward though: the hole-plugging rod is a second plastic piece attached into the bay of the cap, like the old version of Chaps. It's very loose when you pull it out, and the second piece can start to slide out from the main piece. Time will tell how well it seals, but it's a low-risk investment! Go get some!

17th January, 2010.