Roger & Gallet Santal EDT Original Formula 1978

Bergamot, Lavender, Lime, Lemon.
Aniseed, Tarragon, Caraway, Orange Blossom.
Leather, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean, Basil, Oakmoss.

As a sandalwood fan, I'm always game on picking up a bottle of something I've never owned before. That goes double for a NOS with Box.

Now, if you happen to like your sandalwood slightly spicy, dry and a tad austere, you will undoubtedly enjoy this. Personally, I like creamy sandalwood interpretations the most, but I do have days where sparser is better. In spite of this being an Eau de Toilette, it wears close. It reminds me of Compania Delle Indie's Legno di Sandalo quite a bit; not only in aroma, but how it wears.

For whatever reason, I like wearing classics like this on gloomy, overcast or rainy days. Chalk it up to personal quirks. The scent itself isn't depressing, so don't read too much into that. It happens to be one of those fragrances that seem to "fit" days such as that,

Santal has minimal development as the wearing ensues. I expected as much. Once the base accord reveals itself, it's a subtle turn of events that unveil a soft rendition of leather, basil and tonka bean on my skin. For the first 30 minutes or so however, a classic accord of edgy citrus accented with Tarragon is prevalent. The mild licorice quality hangs around into the base and drydown, which happens to be a nice touch.

All in all, Santal is a nice acquisition that has low to moderate sillage, but slightly better longevity at about 4 hours. This has a classic feel and would work well in an office or close quarters setting. Thumbs up from Aromi and as always, a sample wear is recommended.

Comments

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog