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in defense of: Original Santal by Creed

post #1 of 51
5/14/10 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
this fragrance constantly gets trashed here. typically, the bigger the Creed fan, the more it's disliked.

I'm here to say...

Is it loud? yes.
Is it more synthetic than most Creeds? yes.
Is it a fancy Joop? yes.
Is it unsophisticated? yes.

You know what else it is?

GREAT-SMELLING!!!!

I'm sorry, I think the criticism it gets is probably deserved, but in the end, this frag just smells really really good. It's fun, it's youthful, it's sweet, it's soapy. It always puts a HUGE smile on my face. And it is a compliment magnet from the lady-folk.

If all Creeds went in this direction, yes it might be a problem. However, I think it's a great addition to the line and one I love to reach for on a weekend night.



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post #2 of 51
5/14/10 at 6:20pm
I personally like it a lot and have NEVER had a bad compliment while wearing it. People love it so take that FWIW. Reach on, it will always be in my top 10.
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post #3 of 51
5/14/10 at 6:23pm
This is actually my favorite Creed that I've sampled thus far.
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post #4 of 51
5/14/10 at 6:35pm
Everyone is entitled to their opinion on a fragrance, and that is what makes this great. Fragrance is a very personal thing, especially with Creed you usually buy it for yourself. If you like OS then wear it with pride, personally when I first sprayed it on I thought it was not bad, but the more I have sampled it the less I want it. The spice is there for sure but I feel it is lacking something like more wood ,but that's my opinion.
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post #5 of 51
5/14/10 at 6:35pm
I love it as well but can also appreciate the bad press :>)
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post #6 of 51
5/14/10 at 8:15pm
Strangely enough, I enjoy the opening blast of OS with its creamy sweetness, but I cannot stand the mid notes when the lavender and juniper kicks in. The whole thing gets soooo high strung it numbs my nose entirely. I can see why rosemary was added as a herbal note to balance the composition, but I do feel that it is still somewhat unbalanced in that its very high pitched, and its not something I would reach for every now and then. There are times I feel like I'm on the edge of a headache when I wear it, but 3-4 hours into the fragrance, I get a lovely, smoooooth creaminess that gets compliments.
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post #7 of 51
5/15/10 at 12:51am
I really admire the longevity - unbelievable for a newer Creed. Not a big fan of the smell (I'd buy a decant but not a bottle). It would probably be good in a Miami nightclub, as you're trying to talk to a girl but the music is so loud you have to shout into the other person's ear and the sweet synthetic Sandalwood wafts up. Then you find out she loves Lady Gaga, thinks Paris Hilton is "hot", and spends half the night texting her girlfriend who is 20 feet away.
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post #8 of 51
5/15/10 at 1:57am
Sampled this, very very satisfied with it. Love the smell.
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post #9 of 51
5/15/10 at 4:41am
I own it. Hate the opening but love the dry down.
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post #10 of 51
5/15/10 at 9:13am
A very well done fragrance indeed, but I can`t imagine this on a man!
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post #11 of 51
5/18/10 at 3:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis View Post

I really admire the longevity - unbelievable for a newer Creed. Not a big fan of the smell (I'd buy a decant but not a bottle). It would probably be good in a Miami nightclub, as you're trying to talk to a girl but the music is so loud you have to shout into the other person's ear and the sweet synthetic Sandalwood wafts up. Then you find out she loves Lady Gaga, thinks Paris Hilton is "hot", and spends half the night texting her girlfriend who is 20 feet away.

hahaha... A+ for creativity.
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post #12 of 51
5/18/10 at 3:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oslo-Fjord View Post

A very well done fragrance indeed, but I can`t imagine this on a man!

interesting... I do believe this (like Silver Mountain Water) CAN be worn well by both sexes, but in general is more toward the GUY side...
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post #13 of 51
6/18/10 at 10:13am
After sampling and wearing Original Santal a couple of times I have come to the following conclusion:
It's fantastic.

Longevity and quality are top-notch, now the most important variable of this equation is the scent itself which I find very satisfying and smooth. People love it, absolutely love it. May not be worth the retail price knowing taking count that there's a cheaper alternative to it (Joop! Homme) but owning a small decant of this is definitely on my to-buy-list.
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post #14 of 51
6/18/10 at 11:57am
I find it very pleasant as a chilly weather fragrance. So different from the rest of the Creed line. Strikes me as evening wear only. It's nice stuff.
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post #15 of 51
6/18/10 at 1:11pm
One of my favortie Creeds...very original and a warm and cosy fragrance. I would love to smell this on a woman!
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post #16 of 51
6/18/10 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis View Post

I really admire the longevity - unbelievable for a newer Creed. Not a big fan of the smell (I'd buy a decant but not a bottle). It would probably be good in a Miami nightclub, as you're trying to talk to a girl but the music is so loud you have to shout into the other person's ear and the sweet synthetic Sandalwood wafts up. Then you find out she loves Lady Gaga, thinks Paris Hilton is "hot", and spends half the night texting her girlfriend who is 20 feet away.

LMAO

"You like it, babe? Yeah, it's the bomb!"

"What?"

"I said IT'S THE BOMB!"

"Huh?"

"I - T - B"

"Oh, yeah, it's the bomb!"
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post #17 of 51
6/18/10 at 7:32pm
if its an overpriced JOOP! Homme, idk why id even bother. i spent $14 on Joop! Homme as opposed to whatever Creeds overpricedness is...
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post #18 of 51
6/18/10 at 9:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neurosis View Post

if its an overpriced JOOP! Homme, idk why id even bother. i spent $14 on Joop! Homme as opposed to whatever Creeds overpricedness is...

If you can't tell the difference between Joop and Original Santal... or between Cool Water and Green Irish Tweed... then good for you! Lots of money saved.

Unfortunately, for many here, there is no comparison... ergo you get what you pay for..
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post #19 of 51
6/18/10 at 10:11pm
I was freaked out by the JOOP open of OS I admit. But in fairness, I was loaded with samples of it and gave it a test wear. It's not my kind of scent, but it's not horrible. It might wear a tad too youthful for me. It's quality juice.
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post #20 of 51
6/19/10 at 12:33am
OS was my first Creed, and I have to admit that it wowed me pretty big when I first got it. It has some nice complexities that I like, even though they are dwarfed by the spicy stuff in my nose. I don't know if these other aspects that I like are in JOOP!, but I tend to doubt it - especially at the price of the latter.

Bottom line - I haven't sold my OS. I still respect it, although I get the urge/balls to wear it only about once a year, if I'm lucky. About as often as I feel like going into a Miami disco.
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post #21 of 51
6/19/10 at 6:43am
Its a nice scent but for me, the tonka note gets annoying in it. Perhaps if it were a bit more muted, I could get along with it better. It has nuclear capabilities in the sillage department, no doubt. I will have to sample this again sometime.
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post #22 of 51
6/19/10 at 1:37pm
i absolutely love the opening accord of Original Santal with its biting cinnamon and sweet spicyness. I wish it had that in the base of the fragrance. There is one note in there that keeps me from loving this one and is tempting me to buy the even more expensive Reflection by Amouage. it's something I can only describe as a metallic note, something that I don't think complements its sweetness. It would be much nicer to me if it did have a more woody ending at the very least.
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post #23 of 51
7/14/10 at 5:20pm
It smells like a million dollar version of Joop that gets a lot of attention from women. Sillage and longtivity are incredible especially for a creed ( 12-15 hrs on my skin)
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post #24 of 51
7/14/10 at 6:17pm
I like this a lot too.
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post #25 of 51
7/14/10 at 10:55pm
The thing with this one is that you'll get bored with quickly. Loved it at first, now I rate it just good.
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post #26 of 51
7/14/10 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TalkingMuffin View Post

If you can't tell the difference between Joop and Original Santal... or between Cool Water and Green Irish Tweed... then good for you! Lots of money saved.

Unfortunately, for many here, there is no comparison... ergo you get what you pay for..

This is what I found when I finally got the CW / GIT comparison after hearing perfumer David Ruskin's description of CW. There are embellishments and polishings of GIT that I get and that I appreciate. I simply find them lacking in CW. It's like some sort of tweaking of the citrus fougère accord to a perfect pitch. For other people, the mileage may vary - some preferring CW - but for me, it makes a difference. I'm not a big GIT wearer, because it's just not me, but I love to smell it, either from the juice or on my friends.

That same sort of thing is in OS. This subtle harmony that makes me smile. I was decanting some samples for a friend, and before I decanted, I was thinking "Hmm - he really loves this stuff - maybe I should make him a trade." But as I was decanting, I smelled those notes again, and by the time I was done.....

"Nyaaaa. Better to keep it and admit to him that he has good taste."

Based on the fact that it smelled even better than the last time I decanted, I tend to suspect that OS will mature pretty nicely, and that vintage bottles will lose spice and gain complexity.
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post #27 of 51
7/15/10 at 4:43am
There is no defense in liking Original Santal, GUAAARRRDDDDDS EXECUTE THE PRISONER.lol
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post #28 of 51
7/29/10 at 5:32pm
I dont find this to be all that good, its due to the HUGE burst of cinnamon. Smells like Big Red Chewing Gum to me. Not something I care to smell like!
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post #29 of 51
7/29/10 at 7:52pm
I love this stuff, and always get great compliments on it. It's a sillage monster...
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post #30 of 51
7/29/10 at 8:31pm
As much as l like pleasing the ladies, I must be able to stand it myself. On me, I get a cinnamon note that is not pretty. Yankee Candle makes a better cinnamon.

This is unfortunate since Creed can apparently get their hands on some awesome sandalwood; Original Vetiver has it. All Creed had to do was let the sandalwood shine through. It's beautiful and needs few supporting notes.

Glad it works for some.
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post #31 of 51
7/29/10 at 8:32pm
As much as l like pleasing the ladies, I must be able to stand it myself. On me, I get a cinnamon note that is not pretty. Yankee Candle makes a better cinnamon.

This is unfortunate since Creed can apparently get their hands on some awesome sandalwood; Original Vetiver has it. All Creed had to do was let the sandalwood shine through. It's beautiful and needs few supporting notes.

Glad it works for some.
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post #32 of 51
7/29/10 at 8:33pm
Anyone who thinks Original Santal is a sillage monster hasn't tried the 70s and 80s mens classic colognes, the heavy orientals currently doing the rounds in niche fragrances, or even Creed's own Royal Delight, Fleurs de Bulgarie, or Jasmin Impeatrice.
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post #33 of 51
7/29/10 at 8:49pm
I do think it stacks up with those other Creeds in terms of sillage. We get sillage of both OS and FdB around these parts, and I'd say they give each other a run for the money!

OS is an interesting frag. Applied too strongly in multiple sprays, it's cloying and objectionable to me. Applied too weakly, like a mist-and-walk-through, it's dry and one-dimensional. But when I get this stuff on in a single wet spot, it's just memorable as hell. Some frags seem to work for me no matter how I apply them, but OS is not one of them.

People bitch incessantly about the need for more powerhouse frags - well, OS is a good one. Too much for everyday wear, but good when I want something that flexes some olfactory muscle.
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post #34 of 51
7/29/10 at 8:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp View Post

Anyone who thinks Original Santal is a sillage monster hasn't tried the 70s and 80s mens classic colognes, the heavy orientals currently doing the rounds in niche fragrances, or even Creed's own Royal Delight, Fleurs de Bulgarie, or Jasmin Impeatrice.

DoubleZed, I'll have to check those latter out. I have always liked Royal Delight, and I love a rose, and I love a jasmin. Time to give the latter two a visit.
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post #35 of 51
7/29/10 at 9:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DustB View Post

DoubleZed, I'll have to check those latter out. I have always liked Royal Delight, and I love a rose, and I love a jasmin. Time to give the latter two a visit.

Definitely! FdB is one of the classiest retro rose scents out there, and JIE is just a stunner. Mimi also likes Jasmal - I've always been a fan of JIE, but I want to see how I feel about Jasmal after a close comparison to JIE.
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post #36 of 51
7/29/10 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redneck Perfumisto View Post

I do think it stacks up with those other Creeds in terms of sillage. We get sillage of both OS and FdB around these parts, and I'd say they give each other a run for the money!

Do you think that OS's timid drydown of tonka and a tiny vanilla note can compare to FdBs flush, intense drydown of ambergris, musk and rose ? Either I am wearing a wrong OS version or we are getting a vastly different drydown...
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post #37 of 51
7/29/10 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp View Post

Do you think that OS's timid drydown of tonka and a tiny vanilla note can compare to FdBs flush, intense drydown of ambergris, musk and rose ? Either I am wearing a wrong OS version or we are getting a vastly different drydown...

I'll admit I'm pretty much ignoring the drydown. But on my skin, I don't get to drydown for about 12 hours with OS. I get huge sillage for about 6-8 hours, decent projection out to 12 hours, and 12 MORE hours of drydown. My wife gets sillage for 3-4 hours with FdB, and tapering off over 8 hours after that. But in the morning when we're both sillaging heavily during those first few hours, it's a horse-race (a good-smelling one, mind you).
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post #38 of 51
7/29/10 at 9:22pm
OS and Joop are like distant cousins. Joop is synthetic and nauseating where OS is more pleasant and classy. You can definitely tell the difference between the two in that CREED uses MUCH better ingredients.
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post #39 of 51
7/31/10 at 1:19pm
I love OS, in fact it's the only Creed I like enough to own, which I do.
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post #40 of 51
7/31/10 at 9:40pm
This is actually my favourite Creed. My appreciation for many of their heavy hitters has diminished over time (GIT, OV, BdP, etc), but I go back to this bottle all the time.
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post #41 of 51
7/31/10 at 10:05pm
Royal Delight is indeed a sillage monster but I also hold REL in the same regard.
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post #42 of 51
8/1/10 at 1:01am
I love OS. So did my brother, so i had to give him my first bottle (seeing i had several other Creeds). The re-emergence of this thread very recently inspired(!!!) me to replace the first OS.

On the noted difference in power between the top and base, I must admire Creed's marketing, knock it as many are prone to do. Shoppers (potential revenue contributors) are getting younger and have more choice. Many of them are not aficionados but have disposable cash. If they came across the overwhelming range of Creed offerings and sniffed as much as olfactorily possible, i would bet that OS would be familiar-ground (of much better quality) to most. The powerful top is, IMO, a magnet of sorts. People will take notice.

This will be my SotD tomorrow. I cant wait............
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post #43 of 51
11/14/10 at 7:05pm
I was sent a sample of this to try from my Creed product specialist and wore it for the first time today. In the beginning the top notes were refreshing with a bit of the juniper berry with subtle cinnamon overtones and finally the coriander. I did not get the strong cinnamon gum wave people mentioned previously. I find the middle notes of sandalwood, lavender, rosemary, ginger and orange tree to be a little less appealing. I love sandalwood but somehow the combination of notes seems to be a little too sweet and perfume like. I do like a little of the base notes of Tonka beans and vanilla but feel the residual sandalwood notes muddies this and the hole fragrance move more toward the sweet side. I personally, am not a sweet sent lover. I will try this a second time and I'm warming up to Original Santal but not sure this would ever be in my top pics.
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post #44 of 51
11/14/10 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by perfaddict View Post

I love OS. So did my brother, so i had to give him my first bottle (seeing i had several other Creeds). The re-emergence of this thread very recently inspired(!!!) me to replace the first OS.

On the noted difference in power between the top and base, I must admire Creed's marketing, knock it as many are prone to do. Shoppers (potential revenue contributors) are getting younger and have more choice. Many of them are not aficionados but have disposable cash. If they came across the overwhelming range of Creed offerings and sniffed as much as olfactorily possible, i would bet that OS would be familiar-ground (of much better quality) to most. The powerful top is, IMO, a magnet of sorts. People will take notice.

This will be my SotD tomorrow. I cant wait............

I agree completely - OS stands out of the lineup, and is something of a magnet. In fact, I was initially attracted to it exactly as you describe. The lineup was overwhelming and not sorting itself out for me. OS jumped out while testing - and BAM - I bought it. It wasn't until later that the quiet Creeds got a hold of me.
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post #45 of 51
11/16/10 at 2:22pm
My final note about Original Santal. I wore this today and someone said that the scent reminded them of hairspray.
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post #46 of 51
11/16/10 at 2:34pm
Hairspray?? Really??

Although it's not the best Creed, it's far from the worst. It's biggest crime will always be that it's mistaken for Joop (albeit a far more subtle variant).
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post #47 of 51
11/16/10 at 2:35pm
I liked OS but I'm finding that frags with too much cinnamon in it tickles my nose to the point of making me want to sneeze. It's better for me in the dry down with the nose tickle but I can't wait all that time for it to come. I like it though.

It's not all cinnamon, like in tea or food, just in frags. Must be the synthetic variety not the natural kind.
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post #48 of 51
11/16/10 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcusInKensington View Post

Hairspray?? Really??

Although it's not the best Creed, it's far from the worst. It's biggest crime will always be that it's mistaken for Joop (albeit a far more subtle variant).

They thought OS was O.K. early in the day but felt that it just resembled hairspray after many hours.

It's about 12 hours after application of Original Santal and i can still get a strong scent. After this amount of time it has a great deal of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. I detect absolutely no hairspray.
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post #49 of 51
11/16/10 at 4:41pm
Wich is more closely?

Green Irish Tweed -> Cool Water
Original Santal -> Joop
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post #50 of 51
11/16/10 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by d4N13L View Post

Wich is more closely?

Green Irish Tweed -> Cool Water
Original Santal -> Joop

Original Santal to Joop.....far closer.....both compositionally and qualitatively.
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post #51 of 51
11/17/10 at 1:10am
Wow, if OS is more close to Joop than GIT to CW, so its exactly the same!!
Dont know if i will buy OS anymore, i have Joop, and i think nothing will last more than Joop.
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