By Dane
Most of Serge Lutens' orientals in the "export" collection smell the same to me. Obviously they have their difference, but generally they all have the same qualities - sweet, spicy, and strong.
Santal Blanc is one of those scents. It's quite lovely, and utterly unlike anything else on the wall at Sephora, but when mentioned along with something like Daim Blond, (or Datura Noir...or Douce Amere) everything gets hazy. The only way I could see this scent being supremely memorable is if you're a sandalwood lover, or a Serge fanatic.
At one point sandalwood scents flooded the market, but since sandalwood is now a protected resource in India due to over-harvesting, things have changed. I have no idea if Santal Blanc is an accurate representation, but it's rich and velvety smooth...all the things I would hope for in a sandalwood scent. Lutens adds his typical compliments - a few light spices, some apricot-like fruitiness, and a sweet, syrupy feeling to the expected wood notes.
I should clear things up and say that Santal Blanc is quite beautiful and I'd wear it if I owned it...just don't ask me to pick it out of a line-up.
I should clear things up and say that Santal Blanc is quite beautiful and I'd wear it if I owned it...just don't ask me to pick it out of a line-up.
UPDATE: I've been wearing this more and more (from the little I have), and I have to say I'm smitten. I stick with my opinion that is has much in common with the others in the line, but for what I like in a perfume, SB seems to come out on top. Good stuffs.
Year: 2001
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake
Notes: Sandalwood, Cinnamon Bark, Fenugreek, Jasmin, Benzoin, Musk, Pink Pepper, Balsam, Iris,
Santal Blanc rocks the free world! don't underestimate it, it's so good. Since I have 3 bottles, maybe we should do a split?! (that is, if you haven't bought one yet...;-)
ReplyDeleteThe main danger of sandalwood is the traditional ritual of burial, when you burn in public the corpse of an important person, it has to be done with sandalwood, and it takes many trunks.
ReplyDeleteIt is not so much about stranger stealing a national treasure to make idle perfumes.
It seems one can make sandalwood with more than one species, and I don't mean the australian replacement. I heard of sandalwood from "Nouvelle Calédonie" (a little in "Manoumalia" (LesNez)) and a vague remembrance that in French Guyana some of the prisoners could be order to cut tree, some of them could be used in perfumery (so sandalwood, I think).
I was not aware of the burial rituals...very interesting.
ReplyDelete