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Sandalwood, what's "best?"

post #1 of 103
Thread Starter 
So, I've noticed I really like sandalwood, yet I own no sandalwood dominant fragrances. I thought I'd ask what your favorite sandalwood dominant fragrance is and why? The last thread I see specifically about this was from 2005, so I imagine things have changed since then (or not).
post #2 of 103
My favorite is MaƮtre Parfumeur et Gantier's Santal Noble - a rich, complex spicy sandalwood with a pronounced coffee note.
post #3 of 103
Tam Dao
post #4 of 103
I have yet to find a holy grail sandalwood fragrance. Tam Dao needed more notes and I felt it was more suitable as a room fragrance than a personal one. Santal Noble I'm anosmic to the scent and Santal Imperial comes across as too stuffy and conservative. I like the Santal accord in Dark Aoud but dislike the synthetic vibe of most montales, and Creeds original Santal reminds me of Joop.

Also Trumpers Sandalwood though it smells great with it's rainbow of floral notes the Sandalwood is very hidden, I can't detect it.

So I'm still hoping one day to find that creamy resinous Sandalwood fragrance that does the note justice.
post #5 of 103
I really enjoyed:

Santal 33
Art of Shaving Sandalwood
Santal Noble
Sandalo Per Teti
Bois de Santal
XJ Richwood
post #6 of 103
Sandalo-Lorenzo Villoresi.
post #7 of 103
Perhaps also 10 Corso Como.
post #8 of 103
IMO they haven't really changed since 2005 because there has been no commercially available sources of Santalum Album (Mysore Sandalwood) to speak of.

The Australian and Pacific 'Sandalwoods' are nothing like Mysore. The word is that some mysore is now coming on stream but whether from India or a successful attempt to cultivate it in Oz, I'm not sure. Given that it takes 30 odd years to grow a tree for harvest it seems about a decade early but you never know, since it was the early 90's that supplies dried up . . . dunno.

It's said that there is mysore in the new Dries van Noten par Frederic Malle - will be looking closely in a week or so when it hits the stores here.

FYI

http://www.basenotes.net/bn_search.p...&sa.x=0&sa.y=0
post #9 of 103
As mr reasonable was saying, I've started smelling perfumes too recently to know real Mysore sandalwood well. Among the current offers, I like Chanel Bois des Isles (which I am assuming is even better in parfum, though I have not smelled it).

I've heard that Amouage Sandalwood attar has some of the real stuff, but I have not smelled it.

cacio
post #10 of 103
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. reasonable View Post

IMO they haven't really changed since 2005 because there has been no commercially available sources of Santalum Album (Mysore Sandalwood) to speak of.

The Australian and Pacific 'Sandalwoods' are nothing like Mysore. The word is that some mysore is now coming on stream but whether from India or a successful attempt to cultivate it in Oz, I'm not sure. Given that it takes 30 odd years to grow a tree for harvest it seems about a decade early but you never know, since it was the early 90's that supplies dried up . . . dunno.

It's said that there is mysore in the new Dries van Noten par Frederic Malle - will be looking closely in a week or so when it hits the stores here.

FYI

http://www.basenotes.net/bn_search.p...&sa.x=0&sa.y=0

Still, most of those threads are old, and completely unhelpful. If we just didn't make threads about stuff already discussed this forum would be non-existent in a few months. Thanks for your, um...help.

I've been interested to see how the new Malle stacks up. Can't say I'm crazy about the name or the fact that it is based on the designer.
post #11 of 103
CHANEL ƈGO
post #12 of 103
Well, it's all reference material and with sandalwood there really hasn't been any news of late.

Try Sandalo (Villoresi), Tam Dao (Diptyque) and you are getting close but really these are more woods with some good synth stuff - I think it's called Santalool or something like that. Santal Noble is a lovely piece of work, one of my Desert Island Five, but not really a sandalwood per se - altho maybe there's a hint in there - it simply comes down to (a) which houses have control over the actual manufacture of their own fragrances and (b) if they have any stocks laid down. That wipes out just about everyone.

My guess is Chanel still do, not sure about Guerlain and Dior - altho Samsara still smells like mysore, albeit a bit brassy - it's way more authentic than most of the stuff being mentioned. The recent spate of 'Santals' from Ford, Ellena and Lutens are not mysore. If you want to try the real thing order the simple Santalum Album EDT from the wonderful Dominique Dubrana at La Via Profumo - he still has some.
post #13 of 103
Santal de Mysore by Montale
post #14 of 103
Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood (both vintage and reformulated)
post #15 of 103
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. reasonable View Post

Well, it's all reference material and with sandalwood there really hasn't been any news of late.

Try Sandalo (Villoresi), Tam Dao (Diptyque) and you are getting close but really these are more woods with some good synth stuff - I think it's called Santalool or something like that. Santal Noble is a lovely piece of work, one of my Desert Island Five, but not really a sandalwood per se - altho maybe there's a hint in there - it simply comes down to (a) which houses have control over the actual manufacture of their own fragrances and (b) if they have any stocks laid down. That wipes out just about everyone.

My guess is Chanel still do, not sure about Guerlain and Dior - altho Samsara still smells like mysore, albeit a bit brassy - it's way more authentic than most of the stuff being mentioned. The recent spate of 'Santals' from Ford, Ellena and Lutens are not mysore. If you want to try the real thing order the simple Santalum Album EDT from Dimonique Dubrana at La Via Profumo - he still has some.

Good point. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll have to poke my nose around and see what I can find. I may order a sample of Santal Noble (new formulation) from Aedes in my sample pack and give that a sniff regardless (along with Ambre).
post #16 of 103
CJ Scents makes a very good Sandalwood edp. I really like it and I have Amouage Sandalwood to compare it to.
post #17 of 103
Tam Dao is good, but it has a faint note of sandalwood. What I did and recommend you to do is to buy a 200ml bottle of Tam Dao, a tiny bottle of pure mysore sandalwood oil (4ml or so) and then mix the oil into the bottle. The result is a very smooth and creamy perfume, with calming properties and a long lasting basenote. Some people will say I altered the balance of the fragrance, but I don't care. I love my Tam Dao with extra sandalwood.
post #18 of 103
I like the first 15 minutes of Santal Noble but then it disappears and I smell practically nothing. Santal 33 is supposed to contain Australian Sandalwood and it is very good, one of my favourite wood fragrances. Though, I have not smelled pure sandalwood or mysore so I don't know how much it actually smells like sandalwood.
post #19 of 103
My favourites have already been mentioned, so I'll +1 on Crabtree and Evelyn, Villoresi Sandalo and MPG Santal Noble. I also like Creed's Santal Imperial and the discontinued Bois de Santal. And Egoiste of course.
post #20 of 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanielPlainview View Post

Tam Dao is good, but it has a faint note of sandalwood. What I did and recommend you to do is to buy a 200ml bottle of Tam Dao, a tiny bottle of pure mysore sandalwood oil (4ml or so) and then mix the oil into the bottle. The result is a very smooth and creamy perfume, with calming properties and a long lasting basenote. Some people will say I altered the balance of the fragrance, but I don't care. I love my Tam Dao with extra sandalwood.

Good plan. I sometimes add a bit of pure Santalum Album or a dab of Amouage Sandalwood Attar to Santal Noble and the Bois des Iles EDT & Extrait work together fine. Samsara, even in it's current state, is a pretty good all rounder.

Here's the current line-up, hopefully to be joined by the new Malle in a week or so:



I still have a few bottles of late 80's Crabtree & Evelyn, which has to be the best Mysore EDT ever, and I managed to pick up a small bottle of the DSH Sandalo Inspiritu, which is wonderful stuff. The Amouage Attar is great - mysore with a deftly handled 'boost' from what I guess is a good synthetic and maybe some of their Al Andalus base, or something along those lines - like the oil you used to be able to get in the 70's but given a nudge to shine a bit. Honestly the two Sandalos from Villoresi and Etro don't do it for me and I never got around to buying Tam Dao as the cedar / woods was a bit too much. Funnily enough Santal Noble is my most go to of the lot, I keep a spare bottle at work for evenings - fantastic piece of work.

P.S. Will check out the CJ Scents mentioned - don't know them?

P.P.S i believe the Montale hednic mentioned is supposed to be very good, and I would also be interested to hear more about Xerjoff Richwood but the pricing and the mention of patchouli as more of a lead note aren't promising.
post #21 of 103
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. reasonable View Post

Good plan. I sometimes add a bit of pure Santalum Album or a dab of Amouage Sandalwood Attar to Santal Noble and the Bois des Iles EDT & Extrait work together fine. Samsara, even in it's current state, is a pretty good all rounder.

Here's the current line-up, hopefully to be joined by the new Malle in a week or so:



I still have a few bottles of late 80's Crabtree & Evelyn, which has to be the best Mysore EDT ever, and I managed to pick up a small bottle of the DSH Sandalo Inspiritu, which is wonderful stuff. The Amouage Attar is great - mysore with a deftly handled 'boost' from what I guess is a good synthetic and maybe some of their Al Andalus base, or something along those lines - like the oil you used to be able to get in the 70's but given a nudge to shine a bit. Honestly the two Sandalos from Villoresi and Etro don't do it for me and I never got around to buying Tam Dao as the cedar / woods was a bit too much. Funnily enough Santal Noble is my most go to of the lot, I keep a spare bottle at work for evenings - fantastic piece of work.

P.S. Will check out the CJ Scents mentioned - don't know them?

P.P.S i believe the Montale hednic mentioned is supposed to be very good, and I would also be interested to hear more about Xerjoff Richwood but the pricing and the mention of patchouli as more of a lead note aren't promising.

Yeah, I'm interested in the CJ Scents thing that was mentioned. Sounds good and at $25 for 17mL that's not a bad deal just to try it out.

Also, beautiful picture! I can only hope to own one of those at some point...
post #22 of 103
For a shaving soap sandalwood, I think Art of Shaving is rather nice. As some have mentioned, Tam Dao is nice if you just want the scent of raw resinous wood. However, one that shouldn't be overlooked is Kerosene's Santalum Slivers, which has only been available for about a year now. I detect that resinous sandalwood in the base, but it also has other notes like orange, cucumber, and florals to round it out into a really nice overall scent.
post #23 of 103
I have the discontinued Amouage Sandal Attar, and it is not the holy grail that I hoped it would be. I did some sampling based on an earlier thread and really enjoyed MPG Santal Noble.
post #24 of 103
+1 for Santal Noble

Im suprised no one mentioned Bois des Iles by Chanel.
post #25 of 103
+2 for Santal Noble
post #26 of 103
Art of Shaving doesn't smell much like good S. album to me at all -- truly "nothing" juice. Apparently the vintage is better.

The only stuff that smells like the real thing on the market today are Amouage attars.

Vintage Shiseido Basala has a terrific sandalwood accord, which is a star player but perhaps not "dominant." I just tried Satellite Padparadscha again (which I liked at first) but was disappointed. The drydown felt synthetic and covered up with cheap musk. I'm with Jack Hunter in that I'm still after something that really captures the feel of Mysore. Perhaps we'll just have to spring for some of the real stuff and wear that. It's still available on the market at super high prices.
post #27 of 103
Agree most all current sandalwoods are simulacra of Mysore sandalwood.
Villoresi's is probably the closest I know, but it is heavy on the rosewood, too.
Tam Dao for me is more about cedar.
The new Malle was a let down in my book.
Santalum Album is being grown in Indonesia (IIRC), but it will be decades before it is ready.
post #28 of 103
Yes as Gandhajala, and many others have said.....don't look for real sandalwood note, whatever you will find now is fake, simulation:-)

New Samsara is terrible:-) , but if you know the real smell then you can guess how its close to it if you deduct that metalic note in the background,but unpleasant for wearing at all, also it is just 180 % feminine frag:-) you will not like it its just too floral sweet

Try ordering real mysore from profumo.it, if you are curious about it...Amouge Sandal i am suspicious if you buy it now, never tried it but.......just sounds like an illusion someone will sell you mysore sandalwood today for small money....

Australian sandalwood, is not that bad at all....in new Lush line frags....check that out...its def not creamy thing, but more woody spicy.....

And try the above recommendations, but don't try the real thing then:-) .......it can spoil the party
post #29 of 103
Creed's Bois de Santal was one of the best sandalwoods ever, IMO. But it is discontinued and very difficult to find now.

I like Creed's Santal Imperial for a softer offering of sandalwood. It's still an excellent, high quality sandalwood, but it doesn't pound you over the head with it like Bois de Santal does.

I also enjoy Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche for my sandalwood fragrances.
post #30 of 103
Top 5 in order:

Maitre Santal Noble
Villoresi Sandalo
Creed Bois De Santal
Vintage Santalum
Vintage Egoiste

Tam Dao is a nice fragrance, especially for those liking dry woods or dry Cambodian Oud (no Oud but it is very refined, classy and dry like good Cambodian. But it has as much if not more cedar than it does sandalwood.
post #31 of 103
Creed's Himalaya has my favorite sandalwood note.
post #32 of 103
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdrakkar View Post

Creed's Himalaya has my favorite sandalwood note.

I agree. So far it is the only truly noticeable sandalwood that I've gotten in a fragrance. Own it and love it.
post #33 of 103
Real sandalwood is soothing and relaxing. It is a delicious note. It smells totally natural, like creamy wood, it is very soft and tender and lasts for a very long time. I don't find this in most of the fragrances that were mentioned here. I think they use artificial sandalwood, some chemical equivalent.
post #34 of 103
Egoiste for me.
post #35 of 103
Santal 33
Bois des Iles


the dry down of Decenial - Santal Sacre is a reminiscence of the Australian sandalwood
post #36 of 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanielPlainview View Post

Real sandalwood is soothing and relaxing. It is a delicious note. It smells totally natural, like creamy wood, it is very soft and tender and lasts for a very long time. I don't find this in most of the fragrances that were mentioned here. I think they use artificial sandalwood, some chemical equivalent.

The Creed sandalwoods I mentioned use Mysore sandalwood, and it is quite apparent. Some even think that Bois de Santal may have actually had some Mysore oil in it. From the smell of it, I would not be surprised, as it is quite potent.

If the main fragrance of sandalwood is what you're wanting, I would encourage you to seek the Creeds I mentioned out, as they meet your description. Santal Imperial is often described as the "creamy" sandalwood that you mentioned.

Other than these, probably any Mysore sandalwoods are what you're looking for. You might just Google that or do a search here. I know I've read plenty of other threads about the "best" sandalwoods.
post #37 of 103
Nothing smells like mysore sandalwood essential oil. I used to own it. If only I'd known it would become so rare.
post #38 of 103
+1 on Chanel's Bois des Iles. It's gorgeous!
post #39 of 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fragmeister View Post

Nothing smells like mysore sandalwood essential oil. I used to own it. If only I'd known it would become so rare.

I bought two tiny bottles of mysore oil, 5 years ago. The first one was dilluted in 6.7 oz of Tam Dao, with excellent results. The other bottle I am keeping in a safe dark cool place, and I do intend to make it last.
post #40 of 103
Try Abdessalaam's Chillum.
post #41 of 103
Santal 33
post #42 of 103
Egoiste
post #43 of 103
CDG Wonderwood , Gucci Rush, Viloresi Sandolo, do the mysore sandalwood accord very well.
post #44 of 103
Big sandalwood fan here too. I have spent YEARS sampling sandalwood fragrances to find out which ones I like, it would have been impossible to read reviews and know which one worked for me. Case in point: mostly everyone has wonderful things to say about Santal Noble by MPG and I just found that one really yucky. Just rubs me the wrong way. I've sampled vintage juice vs new juice - same thing. Not For Me. Also, I absolutely abhorred Santal de Mysore by Serge Lutens and now I love it and own a full bottle. My opinion: Just jump in there & start sampling.

Have you read my re-done sandalwood thread from last year (with a lot more relevant/recent posts underneath it) here: http://www.basenotes.net/threads/284...d-re-formatted

My personal 'best', as of today, is a tie between the Crabtree & Evelyn vintage juice that mr. reasonable mentions above (I also own 2 bottles and I protect them with my life!!) and the Montale that hednic mentioned above - which smells JUST LIKE vintage Mysore sandalwood...so who cares if it really is or not, it smells like the real deal. Wish I could get more, I ran out a year ago or so.
post #45 of 103
Best available is probably Villoresi's Sandalo (though it uses synthetic sandalwood woven with natural rosewood). Bois de Santal is best if you can find it. Also, Chanel's Bois des Iles extrait is also quite nice.
post #46 of 103
Another one for Crabtree & Evelyn, especially the vintage.

Although Black Afgano has a rather good sandalwood note in it after everything settles down. Or is that my imagination?
post #47 of 103
Creed Original Santal
post #48 of 103
OctaVariuM, I noticed recently that Surrender to Chance carries an unreleased Slumberhouse fragrance called Kere (which they emphasize is not the same Kere that was released in 2011), and it apparently contains notes of Mysore sandalwood among others. In their words:

Quote:
This is a completely new scent that features notes of Mysore sandalwood, styrax absolute, cumin aldehyde, fenugreek lactone, rose damask absolute, cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg and cardamom.

http://surrendertochance.com/slumberhouse-kere/

It sounds potentially intriguing to me although StC's observation that "somehow the combination of notes produces a kind of curried maple syrup note that's very gourmand" worries me a little.

Do you happen to have tried this one? I wonder how prominent its sandalwood is.
post #49 of 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by sjg3839 View Post

Creed Original Santal

I love this frangrance but has this really a prominent santal note?
post #50 of 103
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rowan- View Post

OctaVariuM, I noticed recently that Surrender to Chance carries an unreleased Slumberhouse fragrance called Kere (which they emphasize is not the same Kere that was released in 2011), and it apparently contains notes of Mysore sandalwood among others. In their words:



It sounds potentially intriguing to me although StC's observation that "somehow the combination of notes produces a kind of curried maple syrup note that's very gourmand" worries me a little.

Do you happen to have tried this one? I wonder how prominent its sandalwood is.

I have indeed tried Kere! I've worn it once, and while marketed toward women it seems perfectly unisex to me. To be honest though, I falls along the territory of how "Ambre Narguille" doesn't really have any amber, Kere doesn't really have much in the way of sandalwood, at least from first impressions. There is some, and what is there is very, very nice, but the whole fragrance is based more on caramel and apples (and pralines, etc.), that the sandalwood seems to be used more as a binder than anything else. Granted, I'll have to wear it more. Still, it is a seriously excellent fragrance and worth a sniff for anyone who likes sweet fragrances (especially those who like apples and cinnamon/caramel).
post #51 of 103
Bois des Iles. Majestic juice. I wear it often.
post #52 of 103
It has a prominent sandalwood note. Along with a big dose of cinnamon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TLS View Post

I love this frangrance but has this really a prominent santal note?
post #53 of 103
Amouage Reflection Man, hands down in my view.
post #54 of 103
Quote:
Originally Posted by TLS View Post

I love this fragrance (Original Santal), but has this really a prominent santal note?

No, it doesn't. I can't smell any sandalwood at all in OS.
post #55 of 103
I really like the sandalwood from Chanel's Bois des Iles.
Strangely, though, I get days of sandalwood smelling pleasure from it when I spray a paper test strip and smell that.

Before I bought Bois des Iles I got a paper test strip from Neiman Marcus that the SA had liberally sprayed with the EDT. I kept the test strip on the breakfast table and smelled the sandalwood every morning on the test strip for over a week. The sandalwood was amazing even at the end of 7 days. That was more than enough to persuade me to purchase Bois des Iles!

I've read that Chanel's sandalwood is an 'illusion' of sandalwood - but if so who cares? It's a really good holographic illusion if that's the case.
post #56 of 103
Give this stuff a try if you want to know what mysore sandalwood smells like

Attachment 19937
LL
post #57 of 103
I totally agree on Tam Dao, I like it but not a great sandalwood. Personally, I would suggest Chanel Bois des Iles or Egoiste. Bang Bang from Marc Jacobs (as stupid as the name sounds) ain't too shabby either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

I have yet to find a holy grail sandalwood fragrance. Tam Dao needed more notes and I felt it was more suitable as a room fragrance than a personal one. Santal Noble I'm anosmic to the scent and Santal Imperial comes across as too stuffy and conservative. I like the Santal accord in Dark Aoud but dislike the synthetic vibe of most montales, and Creeds original Santal reminds me of Joop.

Also Trumpers Sandalwood though it smells great with it's rainbow of floral notes the Sandalwood is very hidden, I can't detect it.

So I'm still hoping one day to find that creamy resinous Sandalwood fragrance that does the note justice.
post #58 of 103
Winner: Odin 01
Runner up: tam dao
Wild card: og santal although not a true santal wood

I have also tried santal 33, santal noble, and cadjmere.. None of which were impressive to me
post #59 of 103
Tam Dao can easily fullfil my sandalwood cravings, but at the same time it lacks depth and it falls apart as cedar + coconut. It does smell like pieces of sandalwood tho.

L'instant de Guerlain's EDT has a more pronounced sandalwood than the EDP thats more chocolate heavy.

For deep and complex sandalwood i hinge on to the drydown of Mouchoir de Monsieur and Chanel Pour Monsieur. The sandalwood in them is gorgeous, but its only in the drydown.
post #60 of 103
I have the current Chanel Bois des Iles EdT, and the sandalwood in it smells smells VERY much like the Mysore sandalwood EO I have. My guess is that they still use it to some extent(limited to the Les Exclusifs?), and perhaps extends the lifetime of their supply by careful blending with good synthetics, and perhaps some of the island subspecies of sandalwood(Vanuatu & New Caledonia).
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