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AOS Sandalwood vs. MPG Santal Noble

post #1 of 17
12/31/12 at 10:12am
Thread Starter 
I'm interested in trying these, as I enjoy a good sandalwood frag, not quite sure if I want to buy both.

I own Tam Dao (which I enjoy), but looking for something a bit different.

Also considering Egoiste since it seems to be mentioned in many of the sandalwood threads.
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post #2 of 17
12/31/12 at 11:17am
The big difference for me between both is AOS Sandalwood is not powdery, Santal Noble is super powdery. I'm not a fan of powder in the slightest so Santal Noble was a big turn off to me. AOS Sandalwood is slightly medicinal but in a good way.
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post #3 of 17
12/31/12 at 12:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kybid View Post

The big difference for me between both is AOS Sandalwood is not powdery, Santal Noble is super powdery. I'm not a fan of powder in the slightest so Santal Noble was a big turn off to me. AOS Sandalwood is slightly medicinal but in a good way.

I really don't find Santal Noble powdery, and although I've also seen Egoiste pop up on sandalwood threads, I really don't think of it as a sandalwood-dominated fragrance. Sorry to just be negating what other people have said without bringing anything new to the table, but that's what I've got!
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post #4 of 17
12/31/12 at 3:32pm
MPG Santal Noble is much better IMO.
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post #5 of 17
12/31/12 at 4:28pm
Santal Noble
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post #6 of 17
12/31/12 at 4:32pm
The Art Of Shaving Sandlewood by default. I haven't tried Santal Noble.
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post #7 of 17
1/1/13 at 2:58am
Santal Noble really isn't powdery.
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post #8 of 17
1/1/13 at 3:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by insomniac View Post

I'm interested in trying these, as I enjoy a good sandalwood frag, not quite sure if I want to buy both.

I own Tam Dao (which I enjoy), but looking for something a bit different.

Also considering Egoiste since it seems to be mentioned in many of the sandalwood threads.

I much prefer Santal Noble to AOS. Egoiste is another great choice but far from a simple sandalwood scent.
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post #9 of 17
1/1/13 at 2:52pm
I don't find Santal Noble powdery either....
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post #10 of 17
1/1/13 at 8:24pm
I haven't tried the AoS but Santal Noble is not powdery.
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post #11 of 17
1/1/13 at 9:17pm
Hmmm...maybe I got a bad sample or something but what I have is definitely a fragrance that I would describe as powdery...it's a dusty powdery sort of scent...but I think that's what comes with the territory for most sandalwood frags, at least according to fragrantica and many people's descriptions of sandalwood based frags. I'm not trying to mislead, it's just my opinion and if you dislike powder then I don't think you're going to like Santal Noble.
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post #12 of 17
1/1/13 at 11:26pm
They are about as far apart on the sandalwood spectrum as you can get. AoS is clean, sheer, a little balmy, and reminds me of a nice spa with wood paneling. The base is nothing special. If you want a fresh and sheer sandalwood you could do a lot worse, but IMO Tam Dao does a much better job and filling this role.

Santal Noble is thick, rich, toasty, and bit sweet, and becomes more sandalwoody and perfect over time. It's one of my all time favorites (I am referring to the old formula...cannot comment on the new).

I own both Tam Dao and Santal Noble and do not feel the need for any other sandalwoods, if that counts for anything.
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post #13 of 17
1/1/13 at 11:27pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice! Buying a bottle of MPG from a member, and a decant of AOS Sandalwood to see how it wears.
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post #14 of 17
1/2/13 at 2:32am
Santal Noble is a step up from Tam Dao IMO.

Tam Dao is a competent enough Cedar based piece of work and if you squint a bit you can see a sort of Sandalwood thing happening. Santal Noble is in a different league as far as a composition is concerned - more complex and even though it's on about it's third major incarnation (and there's no Mysore Sandalwood to be had pretty much anywhere these days) it still just shines. A contemporary masterpiece IMO. I don't get the 'powdery' thing from the guy above - it certainly has a warmth as it settles down, though, maybe that's what he means.
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post #15 of 17
1/2/13 at 6:49pm
I am a big fan of sandalwood prominent scents and yet of these two I prefer the AOS, mostly because it's a bone-dry, scratchy, non-sweet, medicinal sandalwood and it lasts forever. Nonetheless, I don't own a bottle of the AOS, having found other sandalwoods that I appreciate much more so.

And since you mention Egoiste, I must say I love it to pieces. Highly recommended. But it is NOTHING like SN or AOS.
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post #16 of 17
1/7/13 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiveJazz View Post

They are about as far apart on the sandalwood spectrum as you can get. AoS is clean, sheer, a little balmy, and reminds me of a nice spa with wood paneling. The base is nothing special. If you want a fresh and sheer sandalwood you could do a lot worse, but IMO Tam Dao does a much better job and filling this role.

Santal Noble is thick, rich, toasty, and bit sweet, and becomes more sandalwoody and perfect over time. It's one of my all time favorites (I am referring to the old formula...cannot comment on the new).

I own both Tam Dao and Santal Noble and do not feel the need for any other sandalwoods, if that counts for anything.

Agree that these two are very far apart.

AOS always struck me as spare and clear and as the quote above puts it, reminiscent of spa surroundings.

The MPG Santal Noble on the other hand is one of the busiest sandalwoods I've ever come across. Note after note in a cascade, sometimes blurring the main player. The toastiness and coffee note in this one kind of turned me off personally, but I do think it's one of MPG's best.
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post #17 of 17
1/7/13 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

I haven't tried the AoS but Santal Noble is not powdery.


Same here.
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