WHAT I SMELL: Santal Blond opens with a warmed cardamom infused bergamot that quickly moves to a putty like chewy jasmine with a deep undertow of sandalwood. The chewiness seems to last but for a minute as it moves more to a puffy cotton ball cloud of a dream. Mixed within the cloud is just a hint of bourbon which has a lightly caramel sugared feel to it. Overall, the perfume is full of projection but in a very soft and light manner as if it’s drifting off the air in the breeze. As the perfume continues to develop it really begins to move to the woody and become linear in the most wonderful of ways. What I mean is that it seems to lessen in it’s complexity to create this very intimate sheen of warm and soft sandalwood without any harsh edges.
From the Atelier Materi website:
Sacred tree, sandalwood is a peculiar exotic wood. Once distilled, powerful velvety, creamy notes with smoky undertones are unleashed.
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.
Notes –
Top: Bergamot, Cardamom
Heart: Jasmine, Sandalwood
Base: Hinoki Bourbon, Tonka Bean
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Moonlit woods.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SANTAL BLOND: soft, serene, mysterious
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SANTAL BLOND: CaFleureBon
BOTTOM LINE: Santal Blond isn’t a perfume that I find to be incredibly unique, but I do find that it’s calming and very easy to wear. Plus, I do think it’s a perfume that could be a shapeshifter depending on your mood or the occasion you’re wearing it for.
- Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Amber Woody
- Nose: Lucas Sieuzac
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $260 for 100ml eau de parfum
* Sample provided by Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.
WHAT I SMELL: Oh my; Hera opens up with a sweet orange blossom that quickly moves to a warmed jasmine and ylang, ylang. It’s thick, rich, intoxicating and absolutely breathtaking. From the beginning, Hera is beautifully all woman and has a persona that feels all-knowing with its golden glowing countenance. As the perfume develops, the florals become more creamy as the Rose de Mai begins to bloom from the center. The rose is rapturous without dominating and it helps to create a dream like aura in its wake. After some more time, a hint of incense whispers in, but I am guessing its the narcissus that I am smelling vs. incense, but in any case it adds a dimension of mystery to this rapturous beauty. In slow and graceful development, Hera begins to powder and dry and a wonderful oakmoss note appears. And a bit later, the perfume once again becomes a bit more creamy with what seems to be a hint of violet. Here, the perfume is so soft and enticing and lyrical in nature. It’s strange, because Hera seems to quietly move, meld and morph at every slow turn so it’s quite hard to pinpoint any development in a chronological order. And as a result, every time it’s worn it feels completely different, but no less beautiful. Hera is a gift from the gods of which this mere mortal is not giving it justice in my description, because it’s just to hard to put rapturous beauty into adequate words.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Perfectly named, Hera is indeed “Queen of the Gods.”
WHAT I SMELL: Tears opens with pink pepper and warmed orris and a light buzzing neroli and olibanum. It feels like it’s wrapped up in a opaque greenish gauze that seems to wrap around ones self as a whole. As the perfume continues to develop, the lightest of lilac appears within the gauze and it’s encompassed within the faintest of incense. So in other words, the perfume is layered with the flowers in the center, followed by the gauze and then surrounded by the incense. And to me, it’s heavenly. After a bit more, what smells to me like sandalwood (though not listed within the official notes) begins to rest under the layers. As such, it brings perfume to the ground and provides a beautiful aura of earthiness. After quite some time, the lilac and rose break out and the perfume begins to powder and become lightly sweet. This was unexpected as the perfume was really beginning to settle down. But the breakout of the florals is pure joy. After some more time, Tears once again settles quietly, but the florals remain as the centerpiece of this rather ethereal perfume.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Content kitty.
The Scented Hound 