Santal Précieux (2021)

I really enjoy this and it isnt really the sort of thing I normally go for. The spicy, lactonic opening dries down to a very pleasing, rich and exotic creaminess backed by the woods in the bottom notes. It is very gentle, very refined to my nose. It leans slightly feminine because of the sweeter creaminess but is absolutely unisex because of the woodiness in the lower notes, which give it an understated, slightly smoky classiness that make it absolutely at home in formal wear as well as with more casual outfits. The top and middle reminds me oddly of a slightly sweet, very creamy rice pudding with some Middle Eastern spices in it, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg etc. I really love that as a smell and it manages to walk this line very effectively without ever going properly gourmand, even with the cumin in it. The latter accord should be jarring and out of place here but it isn't. It is a very nicely judged fragrance, as all Carons are. I don't get much pink pepper on this but the papyrus is quite pronounced. Oddly enough the floral notes take a definite back seat to the creamy spices and woody notes. I get some rose in the tops and mids but it is not cloying. I cannot get much geranium here. The leathery bottom notes and sandalwood really bring it home in a lovely, almost ambery kind of rich way. The sandalwoods are the undeniable star of the show here as the name would suggest, but it is much more understated and quiet than you would expect and they work very well with the spices and resins as opposed to sitting above them to dominate. Very impressive, refined stuff. It is funny because it should be quite feminine but it isnt. I think it would be a superb choice for layering, but you'd need to choose something floral and a bit sunnier over the top. I would suggest as a slightly oblique choice, Olibanum Gardenia by Bohoboco as a nice choice to push the florals, especially the geranium notes which will go nicely with the strong gardenia the (very underrated but quite challenging) Bohoboco frag has as its central accord. Conversely, the lactonic richness and underlying sweetness of Santal Precioux will work well with the sandalwood, labdanum and resin in the Olibanum Gardenia. As with all Carons I have tried, and the reason I have so much love for this wonderful and historic Parisian house, is that this is amazingly wearable and versatile. You look at the accords and the central DNA and it doesnt look like something very versatile. On first blast it is strident, resinous and spicy and it doesnt infer much wearability for most people but as the nose adjusts the fragrance settles a bit, it opens out and becomes very versatile indeed. You absolutely could wear this to the office. It is also a good choice for something more formal as well. Performance is 6-7 hours on my skin and the spices get stronger in the drydown, but the sandalwoods become less powerful. The woodiness in it gives it a Oud Wood sort of vibe, that means you can absolutely wear it casual with shorts, loafers and a polo shirt as well. Santal Precioux isnt the same as Oud Wood but it has the same central woody theme and slight sweetness (but in a much creamier, spicier way) that makes it attractive in the same way the classic TF always has been. It has a much wider mass appeal than it may first appear on first opening or indeed if you look down the notes. Scent - 8/10 Sillage - 7/10 Drydown - 7/10 Bottle / Packaging - 8/10 Performance - 7/10 39/50

Very easy to wear sandalwood centered scent, with resins and slight milky-leathery qualities. In the opening, for a brief moment it will remind you a little of Santal 33 (mind you, for a brief moment). After, it is mostly "dressed up" smooth a creamy sandalwood. I had Jeux de Peau Serge Lutens a while back and this is probably the closest to it, however, Serge Lutens was heavier, darker and not easy to wear, this one is much easier going. I am not a big fan of Caron brand but this one is solid (this whole new series is actually very interesting, modern but classy and very high quality). If you miss Jeux de Peau and are looking for a more versatile, lighter version - give this one a try! For others, definitely a sample worthy! PS Performance is OK: longevity is there but projection is soft but present for the entire duration (8 hours on me).

Sweet creamy sandalwood with a hint of leather. The dry down is magic, remind me of Papyrus of Maison Crivelli a little bit but deeper and sweeter. Longevity is good (5- 8 hours), silage is strong in the beginning than more discrete. Friends told me I was smelling amazing when I arrived in a park. Its sophisticate. I glad that I bought it. update: reminds me of Tuberouse Astral but SP is better blended and less sweet. Comparing to Paryrus moleculaire, I think its much more strong than Paryrus which is much more easy to wear. SP is dense with leather. It's so addicting. One of the best in my small collection. I like to layer itwith Papyrus moleculaire (Maison Crivelli) and it's fantastic

I hate Santal 33 so much that I have a fear of accidentally putting anything even close to it on my skin. However similarly this opens to the aforementioned ghastly perfume, the resemblance is surface only and doesn't last long. This perfume is subtle, complex and elegant. It's strong, but changes and evolves over time, incorporating the smokey, incensey elements as the light floral touch subsides. Where Santal 33 is relentless, linear and nauseating, this is old school fine perfumery which knows how to combine tenacity with restraint. A sandlewood-forward perfume is probably never going to make it into my favourites list, but this is great all the same.

What a marvellous fragrance! Everything from the buttery smooth sandalwood, mature rose to the added milkiness is pure perfection. The warmth and cosiness! Jean Jacques has always been one of my top perfumers - especially Love Potion and Divine by Oriflame that have been staples in my mum's life; as an individual, his creations just speak to me. This entry from Caron is no different. Its compelling! Not loud or scratchy, very subtle but felt. The balance in each note is finely crafted. A scent that everybody can rock. Absolutely sample it. Rating: 10/10;

This is a really lovely and gentle fragrance. I think "creamy sandalwood" is the best way to describe it, as the lactonic note is very well integrated. I do get a teensy bit of cumin in the middle but it's unobtrusive. The dry down leather is soft. For me, Santal Précieux is like a sun-lit library with newly-sanded shelves. As for Caron's new La Merveilleuse collection refillable O bottle, it's simply beautiful and all-too-tempting to leave out in the light!

This beauty is made with real quality ingridients. At the opening you feel like you hold a peace of real wood and a beautiful realistic rose. After 10 minutes that wood becomes more spicy aromatic and warm, but soooo smooth and milky, no sharpnes no edges. It is subjective but this i consider for someone giving off that clean aesthetics vibes. Can't talk about sillage because i have a sample and im using it sparingly but on clothes it lasted for days.

Love this sandalwood fragrance! I’m so glad I can’t smell the cumin at all, I was worried when I blind bought it but I’m so happy I took the risk because it definitely paid off. At first this smells a little leathery or more like suede with a very faint rose but then it settles into a really creamy sandalwood 🥰

Absolutely delicious sandalwood with spicy, chocolaty and milky nuances. It literally smells like freshly baked chocolate muffins with a cup of tart black tea and some milk on the side. Sooooooo yummy! In love! Follow me on IG: scent.guide

You've probably smelled this DNA before, but this is so masterfully crafted. The magic is in the blend.

Beautifully caressing, suede-soft sweet powdery sandalwood which ripens to perfectly creamy, rich, almost-coconutty joy for a gorgeous interlude in the middle. It's delicious. All smudged together with such a light hand that even the rose and cumin - notes which can be repeat offenders in supposed 'sandalwood' scents and overwhelm that gorgeous wood - are truly just blended in and singing (almost imperceptible) backup, rather than charging to centre stage and hogging it. Impeccably textured - there's nothing dairy-cheesy-butter-fat-ish in smell about the creaminess, it's just a wonderfully intensely comforting sense of smooth, consistent aura throughout. It's impressive - but not all that original. Wears at a discreet middle sillage, but doesn't hold on long ... maybe 4-5 hours on skin, so the reverie fades fast. Its gorgeous ghost can linger up to 18h on fabric. So is it really PRECIOUS - or precious enough to justify 4 euros/ml? If you already own Santal Massoia, Santal du Pacifique or Santal Basmati, it's kind of superfluous. If the money's a major obstacle - don't bother, there are other 'nearly like its' at much lower price points. But if your budget permits, you're not expecting any wild adventures, and just want to bask in a sea of sandalwood bliss not tending to any extremes, keeping it mellow and welcoming at all times, this scent ... could certainly do that. For me the value for money overall is mediocre, but the smell itself is absolutely huggable. I want to stroke it, and have it cuddle me back.

coconut milk whipped cream Milky aromatic sandalwood very enveloping the suede-cumin and the cinnamone-papyrus accord bring a nice contrast between the soft skin like texture of the first and the dry green of the second. too light and short living for my taste Elegant

Creamy sandalwood and spicy leather. Pleasant and wearable but not really my taste.

What is this?? I smell no sandalwood..it's that fake sandalwood (javanol) found in so many self proclaimed sandalwood fragrance. Heard so many good things about this brand....disappointed

The elemi and papyrus gives this too much a weird aeromatic facet to the sandalwoods and its a turn off. You dont have to go that route to make a truly great sandalwood fragrance. If it gets reformulated without these two things I feel that ruins the wearability, Id buy it immediately. Definately masculine as it is. I think a man could pull this off great. Women, no. I wish I could report better but with exception of a few of th enew line, they are odd. This hurts me as a Caron fan to post this.

Chai tea, sweet rose, and sawdust. Ignore my initial blurb. I love this fragrance. It's addictive. It's touted as some balanced elixir of feminity and masculinity, but that doesn't mean anything. What it is, is a fragrance that lies on the border between scratchy and tender. The sandalwood is a little nose-clearing and sharp; I wonder if my old foe, Iso-E super, is hiding out here. Delicious, I love sawdust. But this element gives the composition an airy, voluminous quality and preserves a sense of structure needed to carry the creamy core of the fragrance. The heart notes are lactonic and a bit green. The lovely milk note and the papyrus create a milk tea effect, wonderfully sweetened with cinnamon. There is also a sweet syrupy rose in the fragrance, reminiscent of Saffran Troublant by L'artisan. It's more of a rose confection than an actual living rose. Like a Turkish delight, it's substantial and almost chewy. I love it, even though it's firmly part of the oversaturated milky perfume trend. Don't sleep on this one!

This perfume never disappoints! Pure Santal beauty! Every time I smell this I think how perfect this is! To me, this is the best perfume with a prominent creamy santal note. So perfectly in balance, not too loud, not too silent perfect elegant creamy sandalwood! This is just joy to wear! You may think that you smelled something similar and whatnot, but this one is just so well made, there is this perfect harmony in a sent that other Santal perfumes lack to me. This is truly mily soft, rich dense santal perfection. Everything feels smooth and silky in this scent. I just love how cozy but still attractive this is, casual but also elegant, and absolutely unisex!

This is everything that previous reviews have said. Woody, slightly lactonic, subtly spicy and warm. Sometimes the woodiness from the Sandlewood takes me by surprise in the opening and it almost has that crisp, dry pencil shavings note but later on, that nuance disappates and you are left with piney freshness from the Elemi resin and the warmth from the Labdanum, A piquant spiciness from the pink pepper and geranium tempered with rose.

Gourmand sandalwood perfection. Gentle sandalwood thickened with cream, lightly sweetened and gently spiced for a chai-like effect. This is a cozy fall and winter scent for me. So creamy and dreamy. I wanna snuggle into it foreverrrrrrrrr. Spendy but a standout amongst the many luxury sandalwood scents.

I have smelled this exact profile a lot in the past years. It is a sweet, synthetic smelling sandalwood scent. The elemi and papyrus are very present. It is slightly sweet. It smells almost like rotten coconut. I don't know why some people love this type of scents so much. I pass.

Still testing this one but the opening smells so much like Tuxedo by YSL but this one is much lighter (woody and powdery). I like this one better