Santal Basmati

A very finely blended and sumptuous sandalwood study. I just needed some time to really conclude my reviews of the house of Affinessence and found it hardest to review Santal Basmati. I am an enthusiast of sandalwood as I find it the most noble and benchmark woody note in my personal opinion implemented in perfumery. Perfect for my tastes in woody fragrances along with rosewood and palo santo. To me sandalwood is the perfect woody note and ever since acquiring Costume National Homme, to me a masterful sandalwood and a masterful designer perfume in general, I have been a fan of sandalwood and its behavior in fragrances. I am habitual in seeking the woody material particularly when I want to try new brands. Sandalwood is a very nuanced and complex ingredient intriguing in its profile because its rich organic facets can suggest many things other than wood, like milk, butter, mildew, human body odors, bread, oats, powder, soap, clay, stone, dust etc. Sandalwood can have so many personalities and has been in perfumery since the origins of precious oils, incenses and alchemy. Sandalwood is a hemiparasitic meaning it partially feeds from other host plants. Its roots possess tube-like structures designed to seek other flora and "steal" nutrients from their root systems. Sandalwood's origins begin in many places in the tropics like the peninsular regions of the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia and the Mekong Peninsula, the Regions of Southern and East Africa such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, the Indonesian Archipelago and Australia and the Pacific Islands. Sandalwood has made its merry way via incense trade on the Silk Road to Arabs and Persians in the Middle East and Europeans through the trade hub of the Italian Peninsula and to the Chinese and Japanese in the north east establishing itself as a staple in precious incenses and essences in antiquity. Santal Basmati is to me an excellent sandalwood. Extremely well balanced much like Vanille Benjoin and Cedre Iris but this one is my personal favorite from the brand. It is both well designed with a complementary rice note and it satisfies my craving for my favorite material. Santal Basmati is for when I want a simple, pleasing and comforting sandalwood centric composition, nothing more and nothing less. It also has a sophistication about it that makes it wearable in professional situations. Santal Basmati starts as a dry and steamed woody embrace that has sandalwood's mildewy or animalic nuances smoothed out becoming a profile of steamed and buttered rice creating a kind of yellow-ish savory characteristic. The balance of both rice and sandalwood is perfect where through the dry down, Santal Basmati holds control of both of the complex notes and stays strictly in the middle as a sophisticated marriage of the two. Rice is not too strong and neither is the sandalwood. Upon drying down Santal Basmati becomes richer. The complexity of the Mysore sandalwood and the basmati rice accord become starchy, exposing gourmand characteristics. Santal Basmati becomes a lightly sweetened and delicate warm bowl of rice pudding or condensed milk. The profile of this smell is creamy, white, fluffed, sweet, soft and viscous. Orris and patchouli add a very much needed creamy, earthiness and density to ground the scent making it more realistic. I'm going to be honest I have no idea what cashmeran smells like but in this blend it probably does something magical. Brilliant balance and a realistic featuring of the ingredients can be found in Santal Basmati. Even though I love it more I would say this is probably equal to Vanille Benjoin for being the most well-blended in the line in my humble opinion. I have eaten basmati rice for most of my life so I'm quite familiar with its smell. I have also eaten rice pudding in Turkey a very typical Middle Eastern dessert. I learned to make it myself after having loved eating it in Turkey. I absolutely love this entry into the Affinessence line it really does smell of rice and sandalwood to me. It blossoms off of my skin well as it coccoons me in the earthy, fatty and gourmand nuances of sandalwood in an understated and smart way. The downsides I can see about this composition are that it does come across as quite simplistic and minimalist which will undoubtedly deter many people and is unconvincing of its high price. It is somewhat derivative because if you've gone through many compositions that use sandalwoods like santalum album (Indian sandalwood specifically the species found in Mysore), muhuhu (East African sandalwood), santalum spicatum (Australian sandalwood), Santalum austrocaledonicum (New Caledonian Sandalwood), synthetic javanol or creamy styled woods like, rosewood, lignum vitae, oak, palo santo or buddha wood, you may have already smelled this done with much more enticing complexity elsewhere. As it stands I am a sandalwood lover and Santal Basmati, being as simple as it is, is inspiring and finally a sandalwood without all the fluff or the bells and whistles. Although honestly speaking I'm sure this profile can still be done even better and I look forward to trying that sandalwood whatever, where ever it may be. At the moment however this remains the sandalwood centric composition I have been searching for for a long time and I am extremely eager to obtain it for my collection. This is what I wanted Vientiane from The Providence Perfume Company to smell like. It does try to resemble the smoothness of this, however that fragrance gets too dry, chemically and screechy on my skin with all of the added musks and fixatives for performance. Though, do try Vientiane, it may work for you and may seem as the better performing counter part to Santal Basmati but I'm sure you'll notice some stark differences. I do honestly find this to be the better blended sandalwood but not eventful enough a difference to warrant costing this much. I have real Mysore sandalwood oils and yes it is here, although there is obvious decoration to domesticate it and westernize its smell and improve its performance. Santal Basmati is very comforting and wispy. Unisex. A thin profile but with great lasting ability on me and great sillage as well even though many seem to find it poor performing. This is a case with soft woods as well as with the real Mysore sandalwood. For most people's smell receptors the complexities of these soft woods are quite quiet and subject to anosmia. This is similar to habits of their synthetic molecule counterparts like, javanol, firsantol, sandaxol, and iso-e super. Test Santal Basmati out! I will be keeping my eye on this house as their new "Top-notes" collection will be dropping sometime in October of this year on the writing of this. I for one am looking forward to this. Be on the lookout 👀. Great collection now and great releases, I'm sure, on the horizon. 9.5/10

Absolutely stunning sandalwood - sweet, soft, persistent, completely classy and gloriously natural. The soft puffs of basmati aren't cereal-ish or toasty-grain like, just another layer of fluffy feathery sweetness, making the whole even more soothing and snuggly. Among the very very best of the hundreds (literally) of "santal" scents I've tried - and really one of the closest to perfection, in all honesty. Nothing fake, harsh, over-cloying or nearly-sweaty about it, no matter how far into the day it goes. The flowery notes just accentuate the wood, rather than competing with it. I don't smell any real resemblance to SL Santal Majuscule or Guerlain Santal Royal, as it has none of SM's barnstorming, really very dominant cocoa or SR's leather or the rose in both of those others. Santal Basmati is miles more discreet, yet IMHO even better, than either - always sticking to the sweeter gentler side rather than the masc-savoury facet of sandalwood, yet never ever getting sickly. Perceptibly, yet adorably, classy and elegant and a cut above. Also lasts, for an impressively long time, in the same glorious form - up to 8h (though faintly after 6 or so) on skin, and way beyond on fabrics. So it is so nearly transcendent... and yet... it's *horribly* priced, and while it's everything that's good about sandalwood, there are dozens and dozens of 'nearly like it' things at mere fractions of the price. I'd feared that this would be absolutely unique and marked out by an inimitable note of basmati which made it unmistakeable. But it's not quite as special as it thinks it is. So I end up conflicted: I truly don't know whether to feel smitten by it, or agonised that I can't afford it (hmmm, probably not - if I want to spend *that* much on a sandalwood scent I'd probably just set fire to my bank account and buy SL Santal de Mysore instead), or just pleased I got the chance to smell it once and cross it off the list. At discount, this would be a totally done deal. Aesthetically it does the business with complete aplomb. At RRP though, eeesh, it's a tiny bit too little impact for far too much money. Oh Affinessence. I love you for making this but it's out of my league. ETA: of course I did it (second hand and at discount) and it's now one of those 100% guaranteed comfort-luxury choices for hard, ugly days when I need a scent to caress and reassure me.

This is a simplistic yet sublime homage to sandalwood and a delightfully delicate demonstration of how the scent of rice can be such a comforting and relaxing scent. Personally, I like to use this perfume at nighttime as a bedtime scent, or when I'm feeling fragile, to bring about a sense of serenity and security. There's just something magical about the way the notes in this perfume harmonise together that makes me feel loved and cared for. I know that sounds absurd now that I've written it... but I seriously feel at peace when I spray this about. It feels almost like I can go right the way back and remember how I felt whilst being cradled by my own mother as an infant. I sleep so well when I use this in the evening; like a baby! On one hand I do wish it lasted a lot longer and was stronger with its projection, even though I do get ongoing sporadic sweet whafts from spraying myself and bed linen. However, on the other hand, I also appreciate the quietness and meditative side of it. This is like an otherwordly or ancient chant, a primitive lullaby where each part takes a while to reach me, much like the pauses between the waves breaking on the shore, or the pause between the inhaling and exhaling of uour breath. There is silence and anticipation with this one which, in a way, is part of the perfume's character. Dare I call a perfume angelic? I would use this every night if it was cheaper and I despair at rhe thought it may one day mot be possible to own a bottle of it. I do think it's a very unique perfume that any fragrance fanatic should try at one point in their journey.

#1132 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I have almost no experience with rice as a fragrance component. Kilian "Moonlight in Heaven" is the only one I can think of, and that's a very different scent than this. Basmati is kinda like carrot seeds and papyrus notes in adding an dry quality to the scent. I'm very much sold on papyrus. Carrot seeds I'm sort of indifferent to. Not sure how I feel about basmati other than at the Indian restaurant buffet. But I definitely like the sandalwood, iris, cashmeran and patchouli here. I'm not sure the rice is adding anything I can't do without, but it's not spooling the scent either, and it's a unique scent for sure, or at least not like any of the hundreds of scents I've experienced so far. I really like this scent, as I do most Affinescence scents, but I don't really like the Affinescence pricing pf $300 for this fragrance. And in any case this isn't my favorite of all the sandalwood focused scents I've tried. You have all the usual suspects that have sandalwood scents like Le Labo, Kilian, Tom Ford, Amouage, Xerjoff that are all priced out of a lot people's comfort zone. But I think L'Orchestre's "Piano Santal" is a better sandalwood scent overall for $120 than "Santal 33", "Sacred Wood", or any of the other niche houses, and less than half the price of those scents. That said, I don't think this is a good bet for office wear, but certainly for date night. Great performance overall. But you can do better for less.

Okay. I have finally saved my money for this beauty. I've tried it like three years ago and fell in love instantly, but it was just too expensive for me. Thank god, they've started to sell 50ml bottles and I got it on discount so you can imagine how excited I was. But I am disappointed, it is SO weak. The spritzer is odd, it's so soft, like puffs of air, I had to apply like 6 times to finally feel the juice I have been longing for for so long. (don't know, maybe 100ml bottle has different spritzer) And after 30mins I almost cannot feel it anymore. I will wait and see what happens, also try it in different weather, but first impression is not good. My samples had good power and on my skin, it was really beautiful: creamy sandalwood with great basmati note. It had kind of woody milkiness that I love and it was totally unique. Without aggressive patch that some people are talking about, iris also stayed way in the back. I hope I will find a way to find that again with my full bottle. EDIT: Maybe I am just not living in a place with a suitable weather for this perfume. I was on my vacation in Canary Islands this winter and used Santal Basmati there, never smelled better. Amazing scent, at times wants to be a little artificial, but all in all very unique. The basmati note finally got to shine along with silky sandalwood...

I did not think I was going to like this, at all. What do you know? I'm obsessed. It smells like a freshly opened bag of dry dusty basmati rice, plus a creamy luxurious touch of sweetness. I guess formally it's a gourmand although I'd hesitate to call it so since the sweetness is so soft. The opening is almost slightly boozy but it dries down quickly. The rice gives it that chalky texture that I love so much, and then it gets elevated further with the iris. This iris is a lot more prominent in the drydown. What a brilliant combination (rice + iris). If you're a fan of orris (an earthier iris) notes this is almost a guaranteed love. The only sad thing to me about this fragrance is that its lifespan seems to move quickly and the projection is quite intimate. It is worth the trade-off of carrying an atomizer and refreshing a few times throughout the day. This works for any season-- it's creamy and warm enough for winter, but light enough for summer. Love. Post edit: still beautiful, a compliment magnet, BUT the performance lacks considering the price point. Definitely need an atomizer to re-apply this one throughout the day. It is still unique and lovely enough to make it worth it.

Will write a proper review once I put the finger on each point that is needed for a thorough evaluation. But this one is so good I need to say this: I was looking for the perfect creamy relaxing wind-downing sandalwood for a while. And this is the one When the sample got to my place and I smelled it I was so moved that was very close to be break into tears. Never had anything like this with any scent in my life. This reminds me of the sweetness of looking at my partner in bed on a weekend morning. Smells like home, Like family, like motherly love, like intimacy with your lifelong partner, like skin, In two words: Like cuddles If you want a relaxing, cuddling, soft sandalwood, look no further. This is an absolute must try Likely my absolute favourite fragrance, For now (;

So soft, so comforting. This is like a gentle hug. This is the first time I’m smelling basmati in a perfume and I think it works beautifully. It is definitely not the dominant note, but it has a way of really softening the patchouli and tying it in with the sandalwood and cashmeran. A soft off-white knit sweater would pair nicely with this fragrance. Not really an everyday perfume for me, but the more of an artwork to be admired. I choose this in moments I want to feel soothed, comforted, softened. Often while doing soothing housework like folding laundry or dusting. It has a soft dreamy quality to it. It smells like a warm, soft fluffy blanket.

Santal Basmati immediately smelt familiar to me, then I realized why, it smells like a deconstructed version of M. Micallef DesirToxic, an amazing fragrance. However, I realized that Santal Basmati came first, so I suppose DesirToxic is an altered version of it! It’s a slightly sweet, smooth, cashmeran-infused, basmati rice masterpiece. I am not usually a fan of cashmeran, but it just works here. I also get hints of saffron, with the sandalwood lining the base of the fragrance, to my nose. Santal Basmati is easily the best thing I’ve smelt this year (so far). 10/10 fragrance!

Santal Basmati is comfort and sophistication bottled. It opens with the creamy warmth of freshly cooked basmati rice — soft, milky, and nostalgic — then melts into smooth Mysore sandalwood, like the scent of chandan lingering on skin. As it settles, touches of vanilla and powdery woods create a calm, meditative aura. It’s not loud; it whispers luxury. There’s a quiet beauty in how it balances Indian familiarity with French refinement — cozy, elegant, and deeply addictive. IG/ TikTok: @wilddew_vibes

This is pretty much Amazing!. Can't believe I waited this long to try this one. Oh how I have missed out. The base is very much a sandalwood, with creaminess and slight sweetness coming from the rice. Like real sandalwood is not supposed to be creamy ok, I've smelled the real thing since I was a kid. When people tell me a sandalwood fragrance is creamy I immediately know they used javanol or some synthetics. This is one of the best sandalwood fragrance I have smelled thus far!

I’ve been on the hunt for a sandalwood scent that didn’t smell pickle-y to me and frankly it’s been white hard to find. Imagine my delight when I finally got my nose on this beauty. It’s woody and warm and buttery. I was about to impulse buy it on the spot but wised up and asked for a sample instead to test out. 2 weeks later I got the 50ml! Still gorgeous but longevity leaves something to be desired. Not sure why but it disappears on me in about 30 minutes

I really can't tell if I am placebo-ing myself into detecting the basmati, but I think it's certainly present, somehow. Sandalwood is definitely dominant. I wouldn't recommend someone blind-buy this thinking they're going to get a fluffy, steamy rice experience, because you won't find that here. To me, it's more the "essence" of basmati, on top of comforting, smooth sandalwood. Nevertheless, really pleasant and addictive. Far too expensive for me though!

Love at first sniff! Soft rounded sandalwood and rice, very nice! The opening is especially wonderful. Thankfully, it does not remind me of jeaux de peau which i despise - jeaux de peau smells like urine to my nose. The good: - the packaging, bottle and whole presentation is very luxurious; - the scent is great; The bad: - does not project or last long; after 3 hours turns into skin scent; - the price is prohibitive.

At the opening and mid, this smells like arroz con leche complete with the raisins. So delicious! The dry down is more of a true woody fragrance, slightly dusty but still vanillic and smooth. Sandalwood is my least favorite note in perfumery because it almost always goes sour/pickle-y/sweaty and is often harsh and abrasive on me if it’s a dominant note in a fragrance, but this is done so well. I want a full bottle.

A really gorgeous fragrance. Subtle, sophisticated, rich, deep. I love how realistic the basmati rice smells. Just like when you cook up a pot of the nutty delicious stuff and the aroma fills your home. Sandalwood is a fan fav...and Mysore is the Queen. Expensive and luxurious...a pinch of pachouli. drop of Iris and who doesn't love a glossy Cashmeran finish. Wish it had a bit more longevity for the price.

I was looking for a feminine woody perfume and found it in this. It has the beautiful lemony undertone of mysore sandalwood, lasts long and I could get little wiffs for about 5 to 6 hours. I could not smell the strong basmati note that many other reviewers do, but no complaints there. Had ordered the Affinesence discovery set and ordered a full bottle of this one.

I have been searching for the best non offending and not very common perfume. I have 2 backups. Other affinessence from base note collection are not as interesting for me. Story time: I went into a jewelry shop and two women asked me the name of the perfume. As an obsessed person with perfume I FINALLY got my first : what perfume are you wearing?

So beautiful, I could cry. Gorgeous perfume, which could last longer and have better projection. Thank god there exists Santal Majuscule, which is basically the same, but I can afford it. Either way, I wouldn't complain having this one in my collection as well. So, I think Santal Basmati is going to my "I know never is going to happen" wishlist.

This is quite a masterpiece. I think the longevity is moderate but I think it is worth the price. I recently sample Another 13 by Le Labo and it doesn’t come close to this! I can’t agree with the price for Another 13 but this one I’ll pay over and over again. Smells like rice pudding served on a wooden dish. Beautiful!

i'm in LOVE with santal basmati! it's smoky wood chips, it's lightly toasted long grain rice, it's a beautiful iris that encapsulates the ULTIMATE skin scent. it's super subtle and catches you by surprise, which is maybe why i love it- it sits close to the skin and has a very "rich person" feel tbh.

I really didn’t like this at first but now I can’t remember why, I love this! Smells like delicious rice with a woody background. Not sweet, but very sophisticated and sleek. I can imagine myself wearing this a lot at university when I go for my masters and I’m studying in the library.

This smells comforting and delicious. A creamy, milky, warm sandalwood. Similar in style to Gris Charnel. The scent is sensational but the longevity and sillage leave much to be desired. Such a shame, it would be full bottle worthy for me if it weren't for the dismal performance.

Stricks from the first sniff, well engineered perfume, just added it to my collection. I still can't smell Santal over here, but the rice notes are obvious noticed. in my opinion its a good start for fall/winter collection. let us see how will it be once it dry down.

That beauty on his way to me I got it with dreamy price oh my god guys Yes we smell the basmati rise which is amazing and dose not stop here one of the best creamy smooth sexy sandal wood amazing It’s like cashmere scarf like warm huge

One of the few fragrances in my collection that I needed to get a backup of. I LOVE this fragrance, I like it more than my beloved Santal Majuscule and I think it has replaced Santal Du Pacifique as my favorite Sandalwood fragrance 🥰

If you're a rice lover (like me), DUDE... this hits the rice smell at first is soooo good, and it actually works! I never though I would tell people that I smell of rice. But our world works in strange ways...

Love the long lasting sillage and original basmati rice scent At the very beginning I thought it was better for women but first time I smelled on man skin I realised it was incredibly refined for men!

This ephemeral beauty is currently holding me like a cashmere sweater- makes me feel like a silkworm! The most delicate, non overpoweringly. The smell of lightly sweetened basmati rice in a teahouse.

Gorgeous! Added to my wishlist. Reminds me of Creative Inspiration by State of Mind. My nose detects tea (which is not listed), rice, sandalwood. Very cute and cozy

A beautifully addictive scent...just divine.

Very expensive but wonderful !

Santal Basmati is sweet and wheaty. The “woodiness” here leans hazelnut to me. This perfume feels refined— not distinguished but processed. I think of those Bueno candy bars. They would actually be a great treat on the regular but there’s just like 10% too much sugar in them. It’s kind of a bummer that the steamy basmati is accompanied by a warm-spiciness — it’s quite a pleasant and realistic rice smell. Does your mom ever put cinnamon in your coffee without asking to do something special because she misses you? It’s nothing distasteful or unpleasant, just disarming when you’re looking for something simple and straightforward. That's what Santal Basmati feels like. The depth of the rice accord in this fragrance is lost to the spice field. Santal Basmati evokes the feeling of a flirty friendship that doesn’t go anywhere because they feel too much like family. There is the superficial impulse of the sensual and seductive, but a familial association keeps things platonic. I feel like a Caribbean hostess decked out in Baby Phat and knockoff Prada wears this. She’s studying to become a bioengineer but currently works at an anachronistic Calypso Hut in Scarborough or Mississauga. She’s friendly and connects quickly with children and knows how to compliment a man in a way that makes his wife feel special. She’s full of chats but never sticks around long. You forget everything about her except how she made you feel. This fragrance is wonderful to experience, but I won’t be adding to my regular rotation. It leans too boisterous for work and it isn’t extravagant enough to wear out. This might be good to keep in the car or in a gym bag for a little evening re-up between locations — but given the price and precariousness of EDPs, there’s probably more meaningful alternatives out there. The ideal place to wear this is on the subway or at a bookstore when you’re looking to get attention for the coy pleasure of turning away.

The creamy, milky Mysore sandalwood is front and center, paired with a patisserie-like gourmand note, soft powder, and plenty of patchouli. Yes; patchouli is undeniably present here. This scent is addicting: a sandalwood this soft and natural-feeling, yet evocative of something edible, creates a profile I’d genuinely call unique. Sweet? Yes but not in a cloying, syrupy way. It’s a warm, comforting sweetness, like gently sugared warm milk. I couldn’t find any note officially listed that explains this sweetness; had coumarin or tonka been there, I wouldn’t have been surprised. To me, it smells less like rice pudding and more like a buttery brioche. In the end, powder and patchouli remain; a combination I love. The gourmand facets fade away quietly. As for comparisons: I own SL Santal Majuscule and wear it often in winter. There’s a kinship here, sharing that pastry-like aura, though the two scents are quite different; SL is darker, with rose and cocoa more pronounced. With Gris Charnel (also owned), the only common ground is the warm, sensual sandalwood. This one gives me that “I’ve smelled this somewhere” feeling, yet by the end of the wear I’m convinced it’s unique. Utterly lovable; this one went from sample to full bottle for me. Tag(s): warm milk, pastry, gourmand, sweet, patchouli

At first sniff, Santal Basmati smelled like generic perfume or alcohol to me. I might have judged it too quickly, as it began to dry down into a subtly sweet rice scent—just the right amount of sweetness for my taste. I also detected a lot of spice, which reminded me of a less gourmand version of Ginger Biscuit by Jo Malone. It has an airy, sweet, and spicy fragrance. As it settled further, the scent of patchouli became very prominent, which I assume provided that spicy note I was picking up. It’s powdery and has a very clean smell as well. My dad used to buy packs of Irish Spring and Dial Gold soap bars when I was a kid, and while I can’t pinpoint exactly which one it resembles, that might be why it reads as clean to me. Santal Basmati is unisex but could lean a bit masculine for me. It’s a beautiful scent—perfectly balanced between sweet and clean. The patchouli may give it a more mature vibe, but the sweetness keeps it feeling modern. It’s not for me, but I recognize that it’s a beautifully crafted fragrance.

The patchouli here is citrusy, it avoids the perfume to be the lactonic sandalwood type, and keeps it brighter. Reminds me of some other sandalwood perfumes as Loewe's 001, but the performance is better in this one. It opens with a powdery and savory rice that fades away after a while (sadly, because the rice note is very pretty here, and makes the perfume outstand), and turns into a sandalwood-y perfume more bright than cozy thanks to the iris and the patchouli. The cashmere note makes it cozy enough even when the rice is long gone. I don't usually enjoy patchouli in perfumes and, while I can detect it here, I wouldn't label it as the typical patchouli, but a bright note that balances the woods. I managed to get this very cheap, but, despite being a very well done and quite long lasting fragrance for that profile, I would not purchase it full price since there are other sandalwood fragrances out there very similar and a lot cheaper.

This is lovely. Quite soft for what I gravitate towards but I'd absolutely reach for this as an everyday fragrance. It's just so comforting and the creamy, slightly sweet scent just hugs you. It's perfect for the transitional seasons Spring and Fall when the air is not extremely dry/cold or heavily humid and hot. It's perfect for those "perfect weather" days where the sun is out, but there's a pretty and fresh breeze, and cooling evenings at the end of the day. I detect a sweetness that isn't necessarily gourmand, but it compliments the rice and as the scent develops, in comes a soft musk. It's like being snuggled up in a plush bath robe, with some softly scented candles around while you lay on a warm couch, your hair is still slightly damp and smells of rice from the products you put in it. Give this a try is what I'm saying ,you may love it.

This is comforting and simultaneously frustrating. True to the name it’s a very light clean sandalwood with uncooked rice and a touch of sweet warmth; it’s more sandalwood than rice. As nice as the profile is it drops off too quickly to the point where I have to put my wrist right up my nose and strain to smell anything after an hour. This doesn’t need to be beast mode, but this leaves too much wanting especially at the retail price. I was hoping for a cozy bedtime scent but it might even be too soft for that. Glad I got a decant instead of a FB. There are also better similar sandalwoods out there (Santal Blush, Radio Bombay etc.) and stronger rice scents (Taipei, Dirty Rice, white rice). Maybe I’ll just layer those.

Yesterday I was wearing Je ne sais quoi by Teo Cabanel and the rice note stood out to me a lot, I wanted to explore more fragrances with this note. Today I got my decant of Santal Basmati and, 20 minutes after spraying it I get no rice. I get an indistintc creamy sandalwood, sweet not dry (no pickles here even though I enjoy that kind of smell in my sandalwood too), a bit of patchouli and dusty iris. It reminds me of Santal Austral but way less obnoxious as it has the iris + sweet woods combo. I wanted this for the rice but oh well... will update if my opinion changes. This is totally my scent profile so I give it an 8 but as I said I wanted the savory aspect to stood out and that is not the case at all.

Did a little exploration of rice notes comparing Santal Basmati, Dirty Rice, and Moonlight in Heaven. Santal Basmati smells spot on like Basmati Rice in the best of ways. A tiny bit sweet, a little woody, very creamy. I think the sandalwood comes more to the forefront in the dry down. Sillage is more intimate on my skin. I think this is a like, but not a love for me. Im intrigued by the scent, but not sure if I actually want to smell of basmati IRL. Of the three perfumes I compared this one was the only one that smelled exactly like rice for what it’s worth. I think I’ll use the rest of my sample to try layering this one with another perfume so it doesn’t feel like straight up rice.

Copped a sample since I'm having a moment with rice fragrances, and gasped the moment I sniffed it on the blotter. It smelled exactly like one of my most well-loved fragrances: Sandalwood Temple by Sana Jardin. So much so that I broke out my bottle to spray a parallel strip. Virtually indistinguishable in that first hour, but Sandalwood Temple is more linear with the fluffy sandalwood, while Santal Basmati veers off after an hour or so towards a slight musky rice note. As someone who's sampled a lot of rice fragrances, I'm not sure I would've even picked up on that note here were it not in the name. If it's the fluffy opening you love, I'd get Sandalwood Temple for half the price.

smooth woody powdery puffed rice. I do get some almost bright like feeling in the background. I think its the patchouli, but not a hippy style it is more of a green leafy style. I do not get a lot of sweetness, just a hint. For me the puffed rice fades and I am left with a smooth, woody, powdery, slightly green slightly sweet fragrance. It is so very cozy and something maybe I do not want to smell like but I want a cashmere blanket to smell like. Or a candle smelling like this while bundled up in a cashmere blanket. Perfectly unisex. the downside is it is very expensive.

Definitely a rice scent but not as warm / realistic as one could hope...something about it is a little off. Lovely and warm, rice pudding and milk, without the sour lactonic notes. A bit synthetic, which keeps it at a like (not a love), and not a safe blind by for those hoping for an ultra-realistic rice scent. I'd be curious to find a more 'pure rice' scent, but that may be hard considering how subtle it would have to be - is it too much to want to smell like pure steamed rice? Fun and subtle (good for the office), interesting and niche, but not perfection.

Nice creamy sandal with basmati and a light sweet and dusty trail of iris and patch. Not a complex but chic and wearable fragrance for both sexes. I guess the reference to Sacred Wood is given by the sweet and somewhat drunk tone typical of Killian's fragrances. I have this atmosphere especially at the beginning. Personally I find it really nice and although staying close to the skin and the same until the end does not remain bored! Needless to say that my wallet would have liked a 50ml format and therefore more accessible. Anyway ... i like it. 8/10

Sandalwood and creamy rice—that's it. And it makes for a really lovely scent. The rice in the dry-down is immaculate—it is like breathing in perfectly fluffed basmati. The only reason why this isn't on my to-purchase list is that I think it takes a little bit too long to get to the rice—at least on my skin. The sandalwood and patchouli are pretty but very standard, and I wish it was a little more rice-forward to counter the headiness. This is perfect if you are a sandalwood lover and want a little unique twist on it.

I was hoping for a some Basmati rice but instead I only smell a very good quality sandalwood. Waited for the drydown and still no rice, instead I’m picking up an incense vibe. There’s also something earthy and dirty in that stage. I would also classify this as easy to wear. Santal Basmati has soft projection and moderate performance. I like it a lot but overall I’m not blown away. Looks like I’ll be eating something other than top ramen for the next month as I have no desire to cough up the money for a purchase.

The smooth, warm sandalwood/rice/iris combo in here is sooo nice. I thought it was going to be a love, but there is something in here that I swear is fruity-- mango? Something slightly tropical. It's still an elevated and sophisticated scent, nothing juvenile here. But it's rare that I like fruit in my fragrances, even though it's subtle here (it's not in the notes but I swear I smell it!) It was a lovely scent experience but I won't wear a full bottle, so onto the swap shelf it goes.

This is very pretty, warm and inviting, the iris is a mildly powdery figure underneath the sandalwood and rice. There’s a flat, lightly “plastic” element to a note in the middle that I think is the basmati rice, which I’m not crazy about. Overall, though, this is a lovely woody-floral musk of a fragrance that I think most people would find pleasant. However, at $375 for a 100 mL bottle, this is incredibly overpriced for what it is. Not FBW for me, but I would enjoy it on someone else.

I put this on the back burner because all I got during the first waft was sandalwood. Eventually I tried it on and was surprised to find that the rice was the most prominent note. I’ve never tried a rice perfume, this was captivating. It was very comforting and helped cut the sandalwood smell, which I find can have a sharp brightness to it. I don’t know that it’s for me but I think everyone should atleast sample this fragrance. Pleasantly warm and familiar sweet rice smell

The unexpected affair between the milky creaminess of sandalwood and nutty dryness of basmati rice with an iris note that could’ve been skipped and a bunch of other things I can’t name that make up for a pretty decent fragrance. There’s something in this that bothers me- not sure if it’s just the iris or the combination of other notes but I will admit that overall it is a nice scent. Slightly masculine leaning, I’d much prefer smelling this on a man than myself.