Al Sandal

OK, my bottle from Areej came in. First impressions: The coumarin and saffron are the highest quality. They play an important part in highlighting the Sandalwood, which is the star of the show. I always liked woody fragrances since I started collecting heavily 10 years ago. Sandalwood is in many basenotes of fragrances. But often poor quality. This fragrance is linier and may be a bit boring for some. But I got what I wanted and expected, a great Sandalwood fragrance. It's quite smoky in a burning wood way, not like ashen incense, East Indian Sandalwood has that smoky quality. The saffron and coumarin give it spicy, nutty, leathery, earthy tones. This reminds me of LeLabo's "Tonka". It's a great smell of Tonka, but also very linier. 3 Purely woody fragrances I like more, Tam Dao by Diptyque, Benjoin Boheme by Diptyque, and Bois du Portugal by Creed. The next morning I was still smelling the Sandalwood alone in the late dry down. So very good longevity. I was glad to finally smell the Sandalwood alone, as the saffron and coumarin faded. Rating: 8.25/10 Merry Christmas, Emanuel 🎄

This is a strange one! Simple composition, and each ingredient really shines through. I get a healthy amount of saffron and, well, sandalwood! No sweeping transitions, fairly linear. The wood is somehow a paradox. Dusty, but.. wet. The color of the juice actually does a great job conveying the smell. Smell is reminiscent of a clay pot collecting rainwater. I can't say I've smelled anything like this, but I'm not certain if I love it. Smells wonderful, just maybe not my style. We'll see if I open up more to it (or vice versa)

Al Sandal ? More like Al Soothing, Al Sumptuous, Al Splendid, Al Serenity, Al Seamless, Al Silken. That's what this really is.

I really enjoy it. Was surprised how much this reminds me of maple syrup. My date said I smelled like honey 🤷🏻

The most wearable/least animalic & harmonious of the 3 & my personal favorite ! Starts off really sharp & spicy with the authentic saffron. But not only the saffron, the sandalwood which dominates the scent starts really spicy as well ! It’s spiciness ranges from marzipan & cinnamon to even curry. A light gourmandish facet, with a sweet & buttery creaminess, possibly the santalol compound found in sandalwoods, starts to lay itself on top of everything, resembling the experience of smelling pure mysore woods. Some woodiness as well in the background. I can‘t detect any clear hints of synthetics used in here. Not only me, but Frederic, artisanal perfumer from Nebiru Parvms as well. He even went out of his way to smell Jinx mentioned “Cashmeran & Sylvamber“ side by side with Al Sandal. According to him, they have nothing in common with the perfume, for me neither. All in all it’s a really well done natural sandalwood perfume that shows the different facets of the wood for a much more reasonable price than the competition (Ensar, Jinx) ! 7/10. If I could criticize anything, it would be the strong focus on indian spices ! Cinnamon is fine, but curry I only want in my food, even if it isn‘t really dominant here ! It prevented me from giving a 7.5. Had the same curry problem with Ensars Santal Sultan 2024. Sadly this collection, like almost always with ALD, wasn’t really mine. Other houses styles & qualities suit me more. But what I will say is, it was very well done, meaning it portrayed the theme & notes authentically.

#sotd Al Sandal by Areej Le Dore - Sandalwood Symphony Al Sandal, Areej Le Dore's latest creation, harmoniously blends oriental spices and creamy woods. This fragrance showcases saffron's versatility and the playful nuances of sandalwood. Al Sandal begins with a rich, perfumer-crafted saffron note, featuring sweet, honey-like undertones tempered by musky nuances. This earthy realism prevents the scent from becoming overly floral or dominant. After 30 minutes, vanilla and cocoa aromas mingle with creamy sandalwood, crafting a subtle, refined fragrance thanks to Coumarin. Despite its sweetness, Al Sandal avoids gourmand territory. The dry down reveals sandalwood's full splendor, unleashing a deep, sweet, woody aroma. Russian Adam's restraint on fixatives allows the sandalwood to shine authentically. Al Sandal lasts about 6 hours on skin (4 sprays) and linear sillage. While projection may be minimal, the scent's authenticity and quality compensate. Considering its price point, Al Sandal is an attractive choice for sandalwood enthusiasts. This subtle, base-heavy fragrance showcases sandalwood's beauty without chemical undertones. PS - Initially, I detected hints of Crème de la Crème and Santal Galore, but these similarities were fleeting. For most of its life, Al Sandal charts its own unique course. IG-loveforfragrance

A purist's sandalwood, it stuns with its sheer radiance. I get a prominent saffron in the opening, soon to unveil a very very dry sandalwood of minimal sweetness. The sandalwood is not creamy or lactonic at all, but imagine the wood of a sandalwood tree, cut fresh with a saw & you are sniffing it. Completely without any floral distraction, this is marvelous, bringing in a calming aura. IG : @scentclouds YouTube : @scentclouds

Al Sandal opens with a metallic and almost gasoline like saffron. Leathery, tobacco, metallic, spicy, saffron has always been an intriguing note and material and this is equally as intriguing. The sandalwood is very much true sandalwood. Not your typical creamy woody sandalwood. But true to what real sandalwood is. Did i write sandalwood enough times?

Can't wait.... The blend is very opulent, smooth, creamy kinda like. However, it still gives me sawdust vibe though but in good way..

The natural and exotic scent of sandalwood dominates the fragrance from beginning to end.