Serge Lutens Unisex geuren COLLECTION NOIRE Santal majusculeEau de Parfum Concentration

If you're looking for a realistic Indian sandalwood scent, this has it in spades, especially in the drydown. Rose and sandalwood perfection. Simple and very easy to wear. It has good sillage for the first hour or so, but it's not a very big perfume anyway. Like one of those people who talks only when they have something to say, they don't fill the air with nonsense.

The opening of this fragrance was rather uninteresting as it gave off a generic sandalwood scent. However, my opinion changed during the drydown as I began to detect some rose notes. The combination of rose and sandalwood transformed the initially boring scent into something more intriguing and spicy. The dryness in the fragrance also provided a nice break from the typical buttery or creamy texture often associated with sandalwood fragrances. In my experience, there aren't many fragrances similar to this one, so it's definitely worth giving it a try. It's important to note that it differs from Tom Ford's Santal Blush, which has a creamier texture, while this fragrance has a drier quality.

Almost done with my second bottle. I wear this to bed or naptime every day of my life. It is the most cozy, comforting scent I've ever experienced; so luscious, creamy, and sultry on the nose. Oddly, I happily wear it to bed, in both cool weather and warm Southern California nights. This is a must have for me.

This is a very interesting scent. I keep removing this from my wardrobe and then after a few months I put it back in. It's not a beautiful scent and I never know which notes are going to be noticeable with each wearing but my nose finds it oh so interesting to smell! Sometimes, the cocoa note is super dusty and at other times, it's more like a straight chocolate note. Sometimes, I hardly get any rose and at other times, I get a sweet rose syrup note mixed with chocolate. Sometimes, I get a strong sandalwood note but at other times, it's more of a general woody aroma. Sometimes, I wear it and love it and sometimes, I wear it and think why do I keep wearing this, I'm not enjoying this scent today!

CAPITAL SANDAL. It smells a lot like Jeux de Peau - which Lutens released in 2011 - making this another version of his oily shortbread theme. If this were a student project at the Ecole Supérieure du Parfum, I suspect the mark would be COULD DO BETTER.