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(Many) santals enroute to my Holy Grail - reviews...

post #1 of 37
1/12/07 at 6:31pm
Thread Starter 
Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore vs MPG Santal Noble vs Tam Dao

Some of you may have seen my "Santal Comparison" thread. I started that thread at the beginning of my quest for a Holy Grail Santal. I have tried two more, and here are my reviews...

SdM opens with what I'll call a "nutty" accord, which passes quickly. What's left is, I'm assuming, pure sandalwood with no interference from other notes. SdM is dry (as opposed to sweet) compared to the other two. I find this one interesting, but would never buy a bottle.

MPG SN opens with the notorious "fecal" accord which I find disturbing. It is heavy and cloying IMO for, at least, the first half hour. It is also the sweetest of the three to my nose. I liked this one the least of the three.

Tam Dao seems lighter, and is the "freshest" of the three, although I do not find sandalwood particularly "fresh" by any means. TD is slightly sweet - somewhere between the other two on the sweetness scale. It has the additional (incense?) note which gives it a Buddhist Temple vibe. I love this and find it very calming. TD is the only santal which has inspired me to purchase a full bottle. So far I'm very happy with that choice.

If SL SdM's sandalwood is the musical note, "C", Tam Dao is its chord, played an octave higher, while MPG SN is its chord played an octave lower, and at higher volume.

I plan to try LV Sandalo (if I can find it - no luck so far) and Fresh Cannabis Santal should be arriving soon.

Based upon my reviews of these three scents, can anyone suggest any other santals, or have I found my Holy Grail Santal in Tam Dao? I am perfectly happy owning only one sandalwood-dominant frag.

Thanks to all, especially Trebor and Rach2jlc for your help along this journey. You are my santal senseis.

Paul
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post #2 of 37
1/13/07 at 12:28am
Paul, I have a feeling you may not like Cannabis Santal!

Please, let me know what you think.
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post #3 of 37
1/13/07 at 2:40am
Try lacremebeauty.com for a sample/bottle of LV Sandalo
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post #4 of 37
1/13/07 at 3:52am
Tam Dao is more cedar then sandalwood so maybe you should be looking into 'sandalwood' woody colognes with a dominant cedar note. Cedar tends to be a fresher, cleaner smooth white wood feel in a blend then the denser, heavier sandalwood.


Not pure sandalwood but how are you with Paco Rabanne XS pour homme or Guerlain Heritage?
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post #5 of 37
1/13/07 at 5:37am
Thanks, Paul.

Have you tried Etro's Sandalo? It's not in league with some of the others, but it's still a nice one and a slightly different take on the sandalwood note (it's quite a bit lighter than Cannabis santal, for example). You ought to give it a try on your Sandalwood quest.

Also, I swapped for some Lutens' Santal Blanc; I'll let you know about that one, too (it should arrive today, hopefully).

EDIT: I've been wearing the Santal Blanc now and, while I like it, nevertheless I'm having a hard time finding much sandalwood. So, I wouldn't put this at the top of the list.
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post #6 of 37
1/13/07 at 6:56am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by moondeva

Tam Dao is more cedar then sandalwood so maybe you should be looking into 'sandalwood' woody colognes with a dominant cedar note. Cedar tends to be a fresher, cleaner smooth white wood feel in a blend then the denser, heavier sandalwood.


Not pure sandalwood but how are you with Paco Rabanne XS pour homme or Guerlain Heritage?

I really like Heritage. It's similar to Zino to my nose, but somehow more versatile. I like PR XS, but I need to give it a proper wearing in warm weather. FWIW, neither one of these even remotely reminds me of Tam Dao.
Is cedar also referred to as Cedrat, and would this imply a "pure" cedar as in Eau de Cedrat? I can't imagine smelling like a cedar chest!

Thanks,

Paul
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post #7 of 37
1/13/07 at 7:35am
Cedrat isn't cedar; it's a type of citrus (I believe). So, if you buy something that is eau de Cedrat, I think you're going to be getting a light citrus fragrance, maybe with a little wood, but definitely not full-on cedar.
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post #8 of 37
1/13/07 at 8:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Giraffe

Try lacremebeauty.com for a sample/bottle of LV Sandalo

Great tip! They have a sample program (8 samples for $15) and a fine selection - many high end frags I have never heard of.

I ordered several Lutens including Santal Blanc, L'Orientaliste Santal EDP, and Yosh Omniscent perfume oil, as well as the LV Sandalo.

They are based in Seattle, so shipping should be QUICK!

Thank you!

Paul
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post #9 of 37
1/13/07 at 11:14am
I agree with moondeva - theres more cedar than sandal in Tam Dao, and Santal Noble probably bests it when it comes to sandalwood percentage in the composition, but I find Tam Dao to be more wearable.
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post #10 of 37
1/13/07 at 3:28pm
Santal Noble is a truly excellent perfume, fecal note or not! :-). Tam Dao is going to have to jump through hoops, light itself on fire, and perform a triple-twist through 720-degrees into a thimble of water to take its place!
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post #11 of 37
1/13/07 at 3:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Santal Noble is a truly excellent perfume, fecal note or not! :-). Tam Dao is going to have to jump through hoops, light itself on fire, and perform a triple-twist through 720-degrees into a thimble of water to take its place!

May you live to eat those words. I'd be willing to wager that you'll be singing its praises by this time next week

You can have my Lutens SdM too. Tam Dao is The Grail until something better comes along!

Paul
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post #12 of 37
1/13/07 at 4:26pm
I dont think Tam Dao has cedar for an ingredient. According to the Diptyque web site, the notes of Tam Dao are:

TAM DAO Anno 2003
Rosewood, cypress and ambergris, in the heart note the sandalwood from Goa

The Tam Dao page at the Diptyque web site is:
http://www.diptyque.tm.fr/produits_c...=gb&produit=30

There is a previous Basenotes thread that has a discussion about the perceived note of cedar in Tam Dao:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=173351

Possibly, it is the cypress note in Tam Dao that is being interpreted as cedar.

I recently discovered Tam Dao, and it has already found a place in my top ten. I do believe I will buy a bottle as soon as my decant is finished.
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post #13 of 37
1/13/07 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Santal Noble is a truly excellent perfume, fecal note or not! :-). Tam Dao is going to have to jump through hoops, light itself on fire, and perform a triple-twist through 720-degrees into a thimble of water to take its place!

What he said... TD is vile
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post #14 of 37
1/13/07 at 5:17pm
Paul: Okay, it's on! ;-)
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post #15 of 37
1/13/07 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Santal Noble is a truly excellent perfume, fecal note or not! :-). Tam Dao is going to have to jump through hoops, light itself on fire, and perform a triple-twist through 720-degrees into a thimble of water to take its place!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentsibility

May you live to eat those words. I'd be willing to wager that you'll be singing its praises by this time next week

Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Paul: Okay, it's on! ;-)

What is happening? Is ifconfig going to be trying Tam Dao next week and comparing it to Santal Noble?
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post #16 of 37
1/13/07 at 7:36pm
...

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post #17 of 37
1/13/07 at 8:04pm
Santal Noble is truly the "Nectar of the Gods" as described in the directory. I went through a decant of it very fast.
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post #18 of 37
1/13/07 at 8:26pm
I generally dont like "clouded" sandalwood fragrances like Santal De Mysore, Trumpers Sandalwood Cologne and Creed Original Santal - they are good for general wear, but not when I am looking for a sandalwood fix. They have too many auxiliary ingredients which drown the sandalwood, which is what its all supposed to be about.

Santal De Mysore takes the cake (pun intended) if you are looking for a VERY rich, heavy and uber sweet sandalwood, followed by Trumpers Sandalwood Cologne, and then Original Santal (which is both sweet and spicy).

My favorite is the phenomenal and little known Creed Bois De Santal - fantastic stuff, something like Tam Dao and Santal Noble doesnt even play in the same league.
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post #19 of 37
1/13/07 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockford

What is happening? Is ifconfig going to be trying Tam Dao next week and comparing it to Santal Noble?

I've promised him a sample of Tam Dao, as well as passing along my sample of SL SdM. I already passed him Santal Noble a week or two ago. We are both on a santal kick, so I guess you could call it research in tandem...

Paul
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post #20 of 37
1/14/07 at 6:58am
Yes, Paul's a great scent enabler, for which I am very grateful! Thanks a million Paul!!
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post #21 of 37
1/14/07 at 10:42am
Thread Starter 
I'm trying several more which are coming as samples from laCreme and Luckyscent...

10 Corso Como (supposedly a feminine santal)
L'Orientaliste Santal EDP (another femme, reasonably priced)
Satellite Padparadscha (yet another femme - see a trend here?)
Profumum Santalum
LV Sandalo
SL Santal Blanc
SL Une Bois Vanille (santal base only)
SL Arabie (lots of cedar, but no santal)

I also ordered a couple of incense scents to test against the incense I detect in Tam Dao:

CdG Avignon and Kyoto

In addition, I ordered both Escentric Molecules scents. The Iso E Super in these is used in perfumery to produce (and/or magnify) a sandalwood/cedar scent I believe.

Sounds like I have all of the bases covered except for the Creed Santal, of which, ZZ spoke so highly...
*edit* ZZ graciously offered a sample of this in the name of research for the common good. THANK YOU!


If none of these wow me, I think it's safe to say that Tam Dao is my Grail...
Thank you all for the input!

*EDIT* and update: I just tested my sample of TD vs my new pristine cello-wrapped bottle from Aedes. I definitely get the cedar on both, but it is much more evident in the bottle. The sample has more sandalwood, and less cedar, upon application compared to the bottle. It's possible that the sample aged or turned, but I actually like the cedar notes in the fresh bottle even better... So ifconfig, I will stand by my wager.

Paul
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post #22 of 37
1/19/07 at 11:01am
Thanks to Paul, I now have the ability to test Tam Dao and Santal Noble (among others, including Santal De Mysore--SDM).

Tam Dao is my SOTD today and it's been a wonderful if a bit brief experience, certainly briefer than Santal Noble anyway. There is no doubt about Tam Dao, it's Sandalwood through and through, whereas with the other Santals, there are other notes that compete for the fore, and that's very certainly the case with SDM.

In brief, SDM is at the bottom of the Sandalwood pile (no pun intended) for me. It's cloying and there's a rude cough syrup accord that announces its presence a few minutes into the experience. Like a man suddenly appearing out of a side alley and spitting on your face. Naturally, it gets a bit better with time and pleasant Sandalwood shows up once again, warm and inviting. Me, I want to call the cops, report that bastard who sprayed cough syrup on me.

The longevity factor is important for me. I dislike, somewhat intensely, paying a premium for a scent only to have it disappear like a conman sneaking out of a hotel room with your money in a hard-sided suitcase. Don't ask me how I know that, I just do!

Tam Dao's still going after about five to six hours. On my scale, that earns it a four stars for longevity, which is pretty good. It seems to change its character from a strong Sandalwood to light. Yes, light, as in the opposite of dark. A cool light, with traces of Sandalwood as a base. Imagine walking through a forest of Sandalwood trees in Fall, a somewhat cool breeze blows through as you stop to take in the scene with all your senses, that's Tam Dao: light-suffused Sandalwood.

Before I declare the Holy Grail of Sandalwood, it would be remiss not to wear Santal Noble once more to refresh my memory of its notes. I will say that if we're talking about which scent should represent Sandalwood alone--no adulteration--Tam Dao is a very good candidate because Santal Noble gives me a humid bitch slap of patchouli delivered at the hand of a midget. A surprising occurrence, you can imagine, both figuratively and literally.

By the way, Mark Birley is scrumptious, Paul. The top notes bring Pine Sol(tm) to mind rather strongly, but afterwards, sheesh! (in a very good way. )
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post #23 of 37
1/20/07 at 2:58pm
Thread Starter 
Here are some preliminary impressions, and 1-10 ratings, of the santal samples I have tried so far:

Escentric Molecule - Escentric 01
I get mostly cedar with this one (cedarwood box) - somewhat similar to Sat P., but smoother. Sat P. is "brighter" and a bit more complex. Suitable for warm and cold days or nights IMO - better longevity than Sat P. *edit* I'm changing the score from 4 to 6 - excellent (but quite linear) longevity on this one... *edit* (again) This is one sticky bitch! Awesome longevity and still good sillage after about six hours. I'm tempted to give it another point, but it is still more cedar than santal. I'm leaving it at 6, but if you're looking for a sticky, woody, soft cedar this could be your Holy Grail! The drydown is quite smooth and linear. Caveat Emptor: EM claims that their frags have quite a bit of play based on skin chemistry, so YMMV. *edit* (a third time) TEN HOURS and still very much there, more of a skin scent though... (6)

Escentric Molecule - Molecule 01
Much lighter than EM Escentric 01 - a bit similar with mostly cedar and maybe tobacco. VERY light and low longevity. (2)

Satellite Padparadscha
Mostly cedar, warmer and more complex than either EM scent, light but not particularly femme - spicy and woody. Would be good for cold AND warm days & nights IMO, fairly light, bright, and sharp. A man could easily pull off this femme frag. This is my pick (so far) for Summer. Longevity is the weak spot for this one. (6)

10 Corso Como
I think this one is mostly santal - rich, heavy, and a bit femme, even sweet maybe and a bit cloying. This is marketed as a femme scent. Decent longevity with a somewhat "Tauer-ish" drydown. (4)

Tam Dao
Rich wet heavy cedar and santal with a touch of exotic incense - the standard by which all others are measured. Near full-day longevity on me. (9)

Profumum Santalum
Warm and rich - smells like an oil frag - mostly santal & myrrh but not cloying - more "woody" and masculine, heavier than Sat P and not as "bright" or dry - has a hint of sweet and spice. If Sat P is fresh wood, PS smells a bit aged. Sat P is probably more versatile, but PS is a smooth and creamy high-quality frag! ...but is it REALLY worth $195 for 100ml? That would buy A LOT of pure Mysore oil! *edit* changing this one from a 7 to a 5 based on sillage and longevity. it smells great when first applied, but for that much money, I expect to be floored... (5)

MPG Santal Noble
Very heavy and cloying, with a disturbing fecal opening. This is the heaviest one I have tried so far. (4)

Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore
A very dry and pungent santal, with a "nutty" opening. I liked it, but too heavy for everyday wear. (5)

Paul
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post #24 of 37
1/20/07 at 3:23pm
Creed Santal Imperial is currently my favorite sandalwood fragrance. Not many people seem to know it, and upon first sniff years back, it wasn't my favorite from the line. But then something happened and it quickly became my favorite Creed period.

The new Original Santal, however - I'm not a fan.
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post #25 of 37
1/20/07 at 3:47pm
Paul,

I can't wait for you to get to SL Santal Blanc... I was so excited to try it and WHEW... it's awful!

Anyway, you may love it, but I'm interested to hear your reaction. I had trouble finding any sandalwood in it at all, just cumin.
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post #26 of 37
1/20/07 at 4:24pm
Well gentlemen, I have to give it to Tam Dao! For a santal, there's nothing I've tested so far that has beaten it on the sandalwood scale. But, here's the thing: it's longevity beats it up so that for example, on a numerical scale, Santal Noble was at a 9.5 and Tam Dao is at 10 but gets knocked down to SN's 9.5 because no one closer than a few inches from me can smell it after 4 hours. I can still smell this one for another hour, but that's it. It's still a four star for longevity, but SN's five star lasting power inches it ahead of TD.

Inn the final analysis, it's close! Very, very close for me. I judge a frag by first the smell, obviously. Do I like it, etc. Then, by the complexity of it. In this case, I was going for a Sandalwood theme so that doesn't play as big a part. Finally, by longevity and sillage. Based on all these criteria, Santal Noble wins by a nose! No pun intended. Santal Noble is definitely my Holy Grail for Sandalwood. Never you mind though, I'm buying both!!

On another topic, if I may, I just got a bottle of Patchouli Patch by L'Artisan in a swap with phantagarow for NY. Woah, mama! Love it, love it, love it! Anyone else smell this one? This is a definite 10!
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post #27 of 37
1/20/07 at 4:24pm
Viewing all this info (great thread by the way) has me doing a search for some of these fragrances to test out. There is a Diptyque shop in San Francisco which I stopped by today and did a skin sample of Tam Dao. I guess I am really not sure what sandalwood smells like, but for me I am getting a strong cedar note. The SA's at the shop said that the drydown note is actually cypress (mentioned on an above post). To me I still think cedar. I find it not overpowering, but it has lasted about 5 hours up to now. A very nice scent. Still need to test others before I make this a buy.
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post #28 of 37
1/20/07 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

On another topic, if I may, I just got a bottle of Patchouli Patch by L'Artisan in a swap with phantagarow for NY. Woah, mama! Love it, love it, love it! Anyone else smell this one? This is a definite 10!

Sandalwood in Patchouli Patch ? Uh, no.
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post #29 of 37
1/20/07 at 9:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrekker

The SA's at the shop said that the drydown note is actually cypress (mentioned on an above post). To me I still think cedar.

So all of the educated SA's are working for Diptyque now... That explains A LOT!!!

P
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post #30 of 37
1/20/07 at 10:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp

Sandalwood in Patchouli Patch ? Uh, no.

Heya zztop, allow me to re-quote my earlier statement with some emphases to clarify my question:

Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

On another topic, if I may, I just got a bottle of Patchouli Patch by L'Artisan in a swap with phantagarow for NY. Woah, mama! Love it, love it, love it! Anyone else smell this one? This is a definite 10!



All I was doing was to ask if, by any chance, temporarily switching topics for a second, anyone else had smelled Patchouli Patch? I'm not implying there's Sandalwood in PP, I'm asking if anyone had smelled it, period.
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post #31 of 37
1/20/07 at 11:05pm
LV Sandalo has a significant rosewood note, which I like.
Tam Dao is great, though. You could stop there and do just fine.
You might find Art of Shaving Sandalwood interesting, also.
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post #32 of 37
1/21/07 at 6:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Heya zztop, allow me to re-quote my earlier statement with some emphases to clarify my question:



All I was doing was to ask if, by any chance, temporarily switching topics for a second, anyone else had smelled Patchouli Patch? I'm not implying there's Sandalwood in PP, I'm asking if anyone had smelled it, period.

Hi Fred,

PP has come up quite a bit around here in the past few weeks. There was a whole thread about it a while back, and PP gets a lot of mixed reactions. I like it a lot, but I think many like their pathouli in the fully-unadulterated Woodstock Hippy variety and so are turned off by the sweeter elements. That and it lasts on the skin less time than it takes to say "L'artisan Parfumeur Patchouli Patch."

Nevertheless, it's still a neat take on Patchouli, I think. You also ought to try L'eau d'ambre sometime; they are very different, but it is also an interesting take on amber and not completely unrelated.
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post #33 of 37
1/21/07 at 7:45am
Thanks for the input, John! Sorry to the side alley trip into Patch land there.

I've heard some terribly nice things about 10 Corso Como. Don't you think Paul, that Sandalwood, by definition, has to be heavy and cloying in order to be Sandalwood. Apart from the initial kaka smell in the top notes, one would think Santal Noble would be the king fo the Santals.
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post #34 of 37
1/21/07 at 7:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Don't you think Paul, that Sandalwood, by definition, has to be heavy and cloying in order to be Sandalwood. Apart from the initial kaka smell in the top notes, one would think Santal Noble would be the king fo the Santals.

I don't think sandalwood has to be heavy and cloying. When it is done right, it's actually quite soft and pleasant. Cloying is related to excessiveness (especially of sweetness), of which many sandalwood fragrances have by virtue of their other elements.

LV Sandalo, for example, isn't particularly sweet. Etro Sandalo is sweet, but very light. Creed Bois de Santal is also quite light. Cannabis Santal is certainly sweet... ALMOST cloying, but mostly because of the chocolate and plum.
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post #35 of 37
1/21/07 at 11:07am
Talking about patchouli, do I smell a lot of it in Etro Sandalo's drydown ?
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post #36 of 37
1/21/07 at 3:03pm
I need to come up with enough adjectives in my stable of descriptors for perfume. I'm fast running out!
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post #37 of 37
1/21/07 at 4:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifconfig

Thanks for the input, John! Sorry to the side alley trip into Patch land there.

I've heard some terribly nice things about 10 Corso Como. Don't you think Paul, that Sandalwood, by definition, has to be heavy and cloying in order to be Sandalwood. Apart from the initial kaka smell in the top notes, one would think Santal Noble would be the king fo the Santals.

There's no disputing Santal Noble, but it is very strong and cloying to my nose. Cloying, I believe, means something that is normally pleasant, but is disgusting in excess - especially sweet things. Perhaps suffocating is a better term for what Santal Noble does to me, although it IS very sweet.

Profumum Santalum, while very strong, is not particularly sweet or cloying. I would say the same applies to SL SdM. 10 Corso Como is very sweet and comes off as feminine to me. It is also VERY strong, so I would call that one cloying.

I haven't tried them all yet, but I don't think sandalwood has to be heavy or cloying by definition. It is, after all, just another wood scent. I was in Macy's a few weeks ago, and an SA tried to push some Hugo Boss frag on me (Elements maybe). I took one sniff and said, "is that sandalwood I smell?"
She agreed with great enthusiasm. Now maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't. Hell, I never got the cedar in Tam Dao until someone pointed it out.
But I'm learning... (and having a blast in the process!)

*edit* I wouldn't exactly call it my grail, but one fantasy scent I'm hoping to find is a fragrance that does, for sandalwood, what Terre D'Hermes did for citrus. It would be a lighter linear interpretation of the santal note and would last ALL DAY.
How the hell they get the citrus to be so sticky in Terre, I will never know... Citrus is usually a topnote, and is fleeting. I recently tested several citrus frags and TdH just whipped 'em all with its staying power. Since I already own Tam Dao, and I consider this to be a pretty heavy scent, I'd like to have a lighter version with some "sparkle" if you know what I mean. Satellite Padparadscha has some sparkle, but as I stated earlier, it's more cedar than santal.

P
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