What is a Santal Fragrance? And what are the top 5 Santal Fragrances?

Well where better to start the quest for the origins of Santal than on Wiktionary; the oracle of everything we know and love. It describes Santal as;  “A colourless crystalline substance, isomeric with piperonal, but having weak acid properties. It is extracted from sandalwood.”

But what does Santal smell like? It smells like you are coming out of a shower,” according to Joya founder Frederick Bouchardy of Composition No. 1, which blends fresh florals with creamy scents like musk and sandalwood.

It's widely regarded that Santal 33 by Le Labo has cornered the Santal market, and naturally I have included that in the listicle. But I wanted to find some other alternatives and discover what others have said about them.

Santal Blond by Atelier Materi

In SANTAL BLOND, the perfumer Lucas Sieuzac selects an exceptional natural sandalwood from Australia and chooses to reveal its luminous facets. After a fresh and spicy opening carried by the cardamom, the perfumer pairs the sandalwood with rich floral jasmine notes and warm Tonka bean accents. A gentle and luminous sandalwood with a discreet elegance. €220. 

Some mixed reviews on Fragrantica. I think the common consensus is that it might be worth the price tag. However, I was encouraged by this review, 

The whiffs between tobacco blossoms, and the sweet woody notes are amusing and very charming indeed. Beautiful.

Santal Volcanique by Maison Crivelli

Very much interested in this one. The allure of the coffee and ginger alongside the explosive Santal essential oil make this very  woody spicy musky eau de parfum.Key raw materials: ginger essential oil, cardamom essential oil, limette essential oil, sandalwood essential oil, cedar essential oil, ylang ylang essential oil, coffee absolute, musks. £75 from Selfridges. The mixed reviews come together on the rather cartoonish nature of the name, and that the coffee is not very present. However, I was encouraged by this one description, 

I imagine myself on an ash filled street, white marble architecture on both sides of the street, white snow and a volcano in the far distance appearing. Gorgeously melancholic.

Santal 33 by Le Labo

The ambition to create an olfactive form inspired by the great American myth still a source of fantasy for the rest of the world. 
A perfume that touches the sensual universality of this icon. That would intoxicate a man as much as a woman, that introduces our use of cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox which crackle in the formula and bring to this smoking wood alloy (Australian sandalwood, cedarwood) some spicy, leathery, musky notes, and gives this perfume its unisex signature and addictive comfort. £141 for 50ml

It doesn't need me to heap any more praise as this fragrance is already had enough hype. But if you need further affirmation then I like this foot note, 

Santal 33 has been dubbed the scent of New York by many and I tend to agree. There is a reason why this cult fragrance has been a hit among the fashion crowd in New York and LA for years. 

Original Santal by Creed

Perfectly capturing the passion and grandeur of India, Original Santal is reminiscent of sultry humid evenings and horizons painted in magnificent sunset. £245 for 100ml. Obviously Creed will be better known for Viking, Aventus and Irish Tweed, which I have also reviewed on my page. 

The reviews have been very encouraging as you'd expect from a designer fragrance house. But this one particularly encouraged me,

A very intriguing opening leaves you wondering about the dry down, and the dry down is like heaven. 

Santal by Floris

A woody fougère with its origins in the timeless sandalwoods of a bygone era, Santal is a contemporary archetype of our men’s signature collection. Warm spices of black pepper, nutmeg and clove are woven with a sensual aromatic heart of lavender. The perfumes success lies in the complex woody oriental base blended perfectly with dry woods of sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver which are complimented with frankincense, musk and vanilla. 

I'm always intrigued by whatever Floris unveil. They're not like a lot of perfumeries in that they rarely release scents. And they're very reasonable, £80 for 100ml. I'm also encouraged by this review, 

I managed to get a discounted bottle online and it is worth every penny, there is nothing else in the market you can buy that smells like this.