Santal Royal (2014)
by Guerlain

The oud is there right from the start. A soft oud note - as synthetic as possible - of medium darkness - with the nigh-obligatory rose adjoined to it like in a Janus head. Some floral notes are also present, mainly a tender greenish Jasmine with a smooth glowing neroli of some brightness.

In the drydown some fruitiness sets in, involving which peach and whiffs of apricot. The rose is still there, although a bit attenuated in strength, but the other components of this creation prevent this Guerlain from becoming another oud-rose lemming stampeding towards the edge of the cliff. The oud is still dominant at this stage.

Approaching the base a cinnamon arises that, when we proceed further towards the base, will challenge the oud and surpass it as the dominant nots in this mix eventually. The oud is still there, but it is enveloped in the rich, smooth and intense cinnamon that has just the right amount of sweetness to be never intrusive or cloying. And slightly ambery leather as well as a touch of white musks turn up on this olfactory stage towards the end.

I get moderate sillage, good projection and seven hours of longevity on my skin.

This autumn scent is another oud-centric product, but fortunately it is a bit more than that. The cinnamon as it’s main counterpart is a nice concept, but apart from the two main players the other components are quite generic at times, and this fake oud is not particularly original, albeit it lacks the shrill and scratchy side found in ouds a lot these days. Not bad, but not great either. 2.75/5.