The Quest for THE Sandalwood Fragrance

[Dandydude]

I can assure you, anytime we are together, we are sniffing colognes. If you think having basenotes is an enabler, imagine having a brother that is into it as much as you are.

That's awesome man. Great to see a close family. My bro and I fish....always have. When I was in school, since he's 7 years older, a few times a year he would call pretending to be my dad with some fake excuse and have me checked out so we could go fishing.
Great memories.
Sel Marin Reminds me of Louisiana brakish Water and fishing with my big bro......good times.

 

[Diddy]

You could break out some perfume samples while you're sipping..

Yes indeed. That's actually what would happen. [emoji4]

 

[mikeperez23]

I think that I hated Bois des Iles when I first smelled it also.

Chanel scents typically feature a lot of aldehydes, which is what you smell in the top notes of BdI. I always compared it to the smell of hairspray. Or metal. It's fatty and sharp. The way that BdI has a woody note that's also made a bit creamy by the florals is very unique - but it's not for everyone. I was able to smell vintage Parfum once (which has real Mysore sandalwood) and in that one you can really enjoy the sandalwood. I own a bottle of vintage BdI Eau de Cologne - which smells a bit deeper than the EdT you sampled, it also has Mysore sandalwood and it smells like gingerbread...something a few people have mentioned in their reviews of BdI.

I met a BN member, years ago, who was visiting Miami and we'd always talked here on BN. BdI was her 'signature' scent and when I met her and gave her a hug I realized how amazing it smells on a woman...after it's been worn all day. Sexy af. After that instance I always 'saw' BdI differently.

Another thing - I really have to be in the mood to wear an aldehydic-prominent scent. I actually find that they work well in hot summer weather.

Nonetheless, if your tastes are not for aldehydic/woody/classic-French-feminine scents then there's nothing anyone can say to make you enjoy BdI.

 

[RS2AM]

Let Me Play The Lion - Les Nez

 

[Mythrol]

I agree that I could see it smelling nice on a woman. For a man I like Egoiste a lot better. I couldn't imagine me personally wearing BdI though.

 

[Mythrol]

Day #21: Fragrance - Frederic Malle Dries Van Noten
My Ratings: Scent - 5/10. Overall - 5/10.

Dries Van Noten was VERY hard for me to review. At times I thought it smelled like an absolute scrubber and ever toyed with the idea initially of rating it as Scrubber/10. But other times I smelled it and found it pleasant and even, nice, smelling. To be clear: This doesn't smell like a sandalwood fragrance to me. It's much more about Vanilla mixed with nutmeg and florals. The overall composition often times comes off smelling, for a lack of a better word, weird. High quality - absolutely. But very hard for me to pin down or pin point what I didn't like about it. I actually had to look up other reviews of this one just to try and get an idea of what was going on with it. A lot of people said cold, rainy days this is perfect. Well that's exactly the type of weather I have today and it's just not cutting it for me. This one almost feels like it's going for a slightly burnt gourmand - but if you're looking for something like that look at New Haarlem instead.

Performance I can report to be outstanding. Often times I felt myself hoping it would disappear but no, once you spray this stuff on your skin it's there for 12 hours+. Projection is solid, Sillage is solid. Like most gourmand type fragrances this stuff is POWERFUL. One thing you don't have to worry about is it running out. It will be there long after you're ready for it to go - like that ex-girlfriend you broke up with that still stares at you from her car while calling and asking if you're at home.

Overall, this has been my hardest review yet. In the end, I settled on this one just not being for me. However, I can appreciate that there's something in this one that someone might like. It's also definitely high quality and has outstanding performance so I can't knock it on that front. It feels very much a fall/winter fragrance. The colder the better. Heavy masculine leaning to my nose. I'll say this: If you can make it through the first 5 or so hours - the late drydown on this stuff is nice. The problem I have is, there's a ton of fragrances that I like from initial spray all the way through it's dry down. No need to wait hours before getting to the good part. The type of person I'd suggest this one to is someone - I don't know - I'm at a loss for this one. Maybe you want a woody scent that feels gourmand in some ways but is different from other gourmands out there. Don't go into this one thinking it's sandalwood focused though.

My Wife's Thoughts:

She hates gourmands. Her reaction was instant and near violent towards me for making her smell this one. Don't take her opinion seriously for this one. This is a genre she just can't stand.

Next Fragrance: Orlov Paris - Star of the Season

 

[HORNS]

Once again, Mythrol, you should try Comme des Garçons Blue Santal.

 

[Dandydude]

Tried it twice....scrubbed it twice
I can't stand this one

 

[Diddy]

That's awesome man. Great to see a close family. My bro and I fish....always have. When I was in school, since he's 7 years older, a few times a year he would call pretending to be my dad with some fake excuse and have me checked out so we could go fishing.
Great memories.
Sel Marin Reminds me of Louisiana brakish Water and fishing with my big bro......good times.

Sorry I'm a day late on this but I meant to say thanks for sharing this story. I can personally relate to everything you said, including Sel Marin...

 

[DanHD]

Yeah, I didn't like Dries Van Noten either. Seemed emotionally dry.

 

[Mythrol]

Day #22: Fragrance - Orlov Paris Star of the Season
My Ratings: Scent - 9/10. Overall - 9/10.

This stuff is just beautiful. The only reason it's getting a 9/10 from me is because I think it's a feminine fragrance. Perfectly blending, wearing extremely high quality on the skin, I have no complaints about how this smells. The other thing to make clear though is: This isn't a sandalwood fragrance. I'm very happy to have tried it but this is completely about the florals and vanilla in it. I honestly don't even pick up much of a "woody" scent at all. Dominated by Rose and Iris throughout it's life, it doesn't change a ton through it's life.

Projection was moderate but keep in mind this is a Parfum Extrait. It settles closer to the skin but it lasts all day. Easily a 18+ hour fragrance. Sillage was outstanding also. It left a very pleasant scent trail wherever I moved. When you keep in mind the high concentration of stuff, I don't think anyone could be upset with the performance of this stuff at all.

Overall I think Star of the Season might be one of my favorite female fragrances I've smelled in a long time. It doesn't fit in the sandalwood quest at all because I barely detect wood much less sandalwood, but man is this stuff good. Leans heavily feminine. Could without a doubt be used year round, however in the summer go light on the trigger. I bet sprayed in long hair it would smell amazing as a person moved around. The type of person I'd suggest this to is someone looking for a feminine floral fragrance of extremely high quality. Someone looking for something that isn't a projection monster but does want something that will sit closer to the skin and last all day. It would be perfect for a night out or a date scent. I'd love to smell this while out on a date coming off the other person.

My Wife's Thoughts:

She felt it was average and wasn't moved as much as I was by it. She was smelling it off of my skin so I asked her what about if she wore it but she still didn't think it was outstanding for that either. It might have been too deep or rich for her. For me I'd love if a woman was wearing this stuff.

Next Fragrance: Surge Lutens - Santal de Mysore

 

[HORNS]

Never even heard of this brand, so thanks for this review.

 

[Mythrol]

Never even heard of this brand, so thanks for this review.

Me either. It's why I'm glad to ask Basenotes for suggestions. They are wrong a lot but sometimes you run across one that just plain hits you over the head.

Already had a few in this sandalwood quest too. Has definitely been good so far.

 

[mikeperez23]

I too hated Dries Van Noten by Frederic Malle when I first smelled it. It just smelled WEIRD. I didn't 'get' it. I also couldn't smell the sandalwood at all...so I found that hugely disappointing since from the very beginning Frederic Malle hyped this and that it had Mysore Sandalwood in it.

I love vanilla scents. And DVN is a very modern unique take on vanilla. So, it really is something that belongs in a "The Quest for THE Vanilla Fragrance" thread. But of course I can see why you included it on your list because it contains sandalwood and it definitely has it's fans here on BN.

I bought a travel bottle of this also (just like Tam Dao EDP) and I already used it all up. I found that after several wearings of this I became addicted to it. It is such a wonky gourmand...which is what appeals to me. But then again I love vanilla scents, like Shalimar and Habit Rouge, and I can see how DVN is sort of a modern oriental fragrance sort of doing the same thing that Shalimar does, just in a more angular, esoteric way.

Nonetheless, it's not more everyone.

I had never heard of the Orlov scent - so yeah, thank you for inclusing it Mythrol! :thumbsup: The bottle is pretty but boy oh boy it's expensive ($330 / 75 ml)

 

[epapsiou]

So when I went to Barneys for the first time the SA told me that I should get Dries Van Norten. She said that is what would be perfect for me. She knew her stuff and she was very attractive.
It was hard to say no. But I did reluctantly.
Maybe it was a right move.

 

[Mythrol]

@mikeperez23 - yes it's much more about being a gourmand and vanilla than it is a Sandalwood fragrance. I personally am not a very big fan of vanilla on myself (like it alright for my wife) but DVN was just a bit too weird for me. I'd rather wear New Haarlem.

You are absolutely right about Star of the Season. Absolutely beautiful but extremely expensive. It does smell very high quality though. Try a sample first. If I smelled this on a woman during a date I'd be caught hook, line, and sinker.

@epapsiou - Don't ever let a SA talk you into a fragrance. Sample, sample, sample.

 

[mikeperez23]

Dying to hear what you thought about the Serge Lutens.

I owned a bottle years ago and sold it on eBay when I realized I didn't really enjoy it.

 

[Mythrol]

Sorry this review took me a little longer. I had to do some additional testing with it compared to other stuff first. Review coming shortly.

 

[Akahina]

I too look forward to the coming review because Santal de Mysore is the first sandalwood fragrance I purchassed years ago. I can not find the reference but it supposedly had a high concentration of Mysore Sandalwood. If my old brain remembers correctly, Serge Lutens purchassed a large quantity of oil to use over time to produce this offering. I have not smelled the current version but the way things have gone over the last several years I would not be surprised if the scent has been changed.

 

[freewheelingvagabond]

I love Dries Van Noten - the only reason I won't get it is because I find the first hour crushingly sweet.