Santos Concentrée

Santos EDT Concentrée is one of the rare only male oriental perfumes. There is no sweet accord all throughout its evolution. The vanilla here is black and natural, with darker facets that recall treacle with off notes. Along with the note of coconut, it plays a secondary role. The surrounding amber exists only to soften the edges of more compelling aromas and is not identifiable by itself. Santos Concentrée is eminently a fougére but with a load of seasoning that makes it interesting, seductive and darker. The opening is a penetrating explosion of fresh resin, strongly aromatic and green herbaceous elements. It is an almost invasion of the senses by juniper and lavender with the citrus touch of verbena. Fresh Juniper has a resinous nuance and features a light, grainy sweetness not unlike a blueberry. The heart is dominated by nutmeg and chili pepper, two of the strongest elements of this fragrance. All other notes are now playing a supporting role and make the fragrance more creamy. Residual basil and verbena as well as geranium, add a bit of strength to existing greens, while vetiver and patchouli contribute to the earthy brownish sensation of chili mixed with nutmeg. Close to the dryness, the coconut and the vanilla stand out, but, along with the amber, always with a performance peripheral to the main accords of this perfume. Cedar and sandalwood now mark an heavy presence close to the end of the evolution, but, due to its magnific blending, the fragrance also has a leather like accord that only enhances its allureness and uniqueness. These notes and evolution really mark Santos Concentrée as a "noir" classy fragrance. It seems neatly aimed at a mature, confident, experienced and very elegant man. The perfume is marked by a manly aura typical of the classic perfumes from the 70s and 80s. Few of those "power houses" are still in fashion to this day and, from that period, only have survived those who demonstrate class and superior notes and blending. l mean perfumes like YSL Kouros, Boss Number One and Genvichy Gentleman. Many others were lost in the course of time, drowned in layers of musk and patchouli, forgotten in their animalistic aromas and off-putting notes. Santos gladly took the weight off the years. It is certainly not suitable for a young man, but it is a fantastic choice for a man over 30 and ready for a unique formal fragrance, or a signature perfume. Santos Concentrée is not suitable for a hot or humid environment, but given its tremendous seduction, it can be easily used in all other situations. Likewise it can be a natural choice for all formal or elegant environments. Its alluring power should not be overlooked as it is also a great choice for dating and romance. It is a fragrance with a high longevity, sillage and projection, being usually enough to apply never more than two or three sprays, under penalty of becoming cloying. How does this Cartier gentleman accepts ratings?: _________________________________________________________ Scent opening: 9.0 (One must still get used to maninka, but it's pleasant) Scent Dry Down: 10.0 (Manly, sweet, woody and leathery) Longevity (h): 9.0 (Up to 10~11 hours with 3 sprays) Sillage (ft): 8.0 (up to 7 ft sillage and 2.5 h projection with 3 sprays) Versatility: 8.0 (above average but not really for Summer) Usability: 8.0 (Everywhere except hot indoors & outdoors) Compliments: 8.5 (Attracts a lot ofcompliments but not from young people) Uniqueness: 9.5 (This fragrance is a flanker of the regular "Santos") Quality: 10.0 (quite high) Presentation: 8.5 (a matter of opinion) Price: 8.0 (€35 / 100 ml tester + taxes) _________________________________________________________ - Average:.........8.77/10.0 between 7 and 8 => above average; between 8 and 9 => recommended; equal or bigger than 9 => don't miss it; Opinion on Santos EDT Concentrée: Very good flanker and providing a higher satisfaction than the original. Value for money is above average as both Santos sell currently under 40 Euros. Always choose this version over the original. Recommended? Yes due to its looks, quality and uniqueness, but only if you are a man over 30 years old and like to dress smart. Blind buy worthy? No, you better try it first. It's not a please everybody perfume. I recommend this fragrance. It is an almost inexpensive niche quality unique fragrance. But the scent is quite strong, so do try it first.

The Greatest of All Time. As a child in the 80s, after breakfast each week day before school, I watched my father knot his tie, put on his suit jacket, then disappear before emerging with a divine sillage around him, before leaving for the office. My sisters and I would stand as close to the front door as possible; captivated by his scent. He never told us what it was, save that it was from an exclusive shop in London; but my older sister found his stash, took a polaroid photo of it and dabbed some of the fragrance around it, which I kept under my pillow. Every night for months, I'd take a sniff and declare that "when I grow up, this will be the first thing I'll buy." Over a decade later, in my final year at University, I went to the same upscale store for the umpteenth time, sprayed some of this fragrance on my wrist and proudly declared that I would be back soon to purchase a couple of bottles. "No time like the present young man," the besuited attendant said. I admitted that I did not have the quoted £55 or so, to buy the fragrance but will do "by next year." As always, I ignored all the other stalls with their eager sale assistants. On the day I received my first salary, I dashed out of the office and headed straight for the Cartier counter at the department store, but could not find Santos in their line up. I enquired of the attendant who produced a bottle of the EDT from a drawer. No, I said; "the EDT is nice, but I would like the Concentrée only." "Sorry love,' she replied, 'we don't stock that anymore, it's been discontinued." I nearly fainted. I finally found the fragrance in a few places in the US, but although it bore the same name, the 2000s version had a different bottle and was only half as good as the previous iterations. Still, I bought bottle after bottle, until it seemed to completely disappear off the face of the earth. Bois du Portugal was used to scratch the Santos itch, until Creed destroyed that gem too. There is simply nothing on the market today like the 80s or even 90s distinctly dense, ambery, spicy, woody masterpiece that was Santos de Cartier Concentrée. It was the definition of vintage luxury perfumery; bold but never brash. Now, one is left to make do with combining Beloved (Amouage) and Noir Extreme (Tom Ford) to give a little bit of the thrill I experienced with the 80s/90s Santos Concentrée. Still, the itch remains. Diluted, discontinued, but never forgotten. Many thanks for the memories..

it's very important that a fragrance like santos concentree is still available. i love this and the regular version, the concentree is more spicy, the regular edt is more green(at least on my skin). the blend is well done, a mix of sandalwood, spicies, geranium, amber and lavender; very elegant, very deep, very french. i never tried a vintage version of the concetree so far, but i think the new formula has some differences. the new one is very smooth, wearable, not so aggressive but with an 80's spirit still alive. so im happy for the last formula but i would be not surprised to find the vintage version more punchy and rugged. all in all, an 80's powerhouse still wearable today, of course not the best option for the first date or for the young crowd. no complains about performance, it has a good longevity and sillage without being overwhelming. definitely for winter and fall, for people over 30, not for a sporty event. merci cartier! è bello vedere un profumo dei primi anni 80 ancora disponibile e con ancora una buona qualità di fondo. santos concentree è un blend speziato potente ed elegante al tempo stesso. non ho ancora trovato una bottiglia vintage di questo profumo ma basandomi sulla mia piccola esperienza credo che l'ultima formula sia stata ammorbidita parecchio. tuttavia è assolutamente indossabile, performante e con un fantastico odore anni 80. altamente raccomandato per le stagioni fredde e per gente over 30. scent- 9 longevity- 8 sillage-7,5 uniqueness-8 versatility-7 compliment factor-7 presentation- 7 back up bottle?maybe my vote- 8,5 in one word- dense alternative- santos cartier edt, versace l'homme, azzaro pour homme

Santos Concentree is a wonderfully gentlemanly scent. It starts off with a spicy punch, almost like a strong spicy pepper, and quickly settles down to something that is very unique; dense, dark and masculine yet very sophisticated and elegant. To my nose I smell Vanilla (which is not listed as a note but I suspect is caused by the blend of Sandalwood, Nutmeg and Amber), Sandalwood, hot peppers, nutmeg and amber. I also get a hint of Basil. Although I pick up notes typically associated with sweet scents, like Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood, this scent has no sweetness in it whatsoever; none. It's similar in notion to how Vanilla extract smells like Vanilla, but with no sweetness that we often associate Vanilla with due to ice cream, cakes and lattes. The scent packs a punch; I wear 3 sprays and I get 6 feet of projection for the first 2 hours and then a few feet of projection until the 6-7 hour mark. Scent lasts about 10-12 hours on me and never fully becomes a skin scent, still has moderate projection all the way until it disappears. Santos Concentree is a phenomenal gentlemans scent that, much like their watches, is timeless. Santos Concentree is significantly less dated smelling than its contemporary 80s powerhouses and would smell great on any man over 25 looking to make a gentlemanly impression. Definitely among my favourite cold weather fragrances.

Santos Concentree is a scent from another era. It reminds me of my late grandfather- not as an old man, but as a younger, self-made “man of the world”, when he was in the prime of his powers. He owned his own eponymous real estate company, drove a Cadillac, flew Cessnas, loved to ski, had a sailboat, carried a gun, ate steak on a warmed plate, belonged to the Elks Club, and wore gold watches. I do believe he fancied himself a real-life James Bond. This scent is an hommage to this kind of man. This is great to have in my collection, not because I wear it often, but to remind me just how powerful and amazing perfumes used to be. I applied one spray to my wrist last night, showered in the morning, and 24 hours later I can still smell it on my skin. Nothing I’ve ever worn performs like this. Makes everything else I own seem like body spray in comparison. To be honest, a fragrance like this just makes me angry at all the weak, gutless, overpriced flavor water being sold by just about everyone. This is just in a different league. Powerful, rich, masculine, spicy, classic.

OK, this is going to make a lot of people go insane, but I can only speak on how Santos de Cartier Eau de Toilette Concentree smells on me! I have the newer version with the vertical ridges on the bottle. WOW; I fell in love at first spray!. Really glad something like this is still available. The dry down occurred rather quickly, and reminded me of my favorite scent, Krizia Uomo! It does "NOT SMELL LIKE" Krizia Uomo. It "REMINDS" me of Krizia Uomo. I would not say it is a sweeter version, but maybe a creamy version of Krizia Uomo? Suitable for the office. More refined! -See my review of Krizia Uomo for greater detail. It lasted about 2-4 hours on my skin, but lasted forever on my clothes. I normally spray my back, chest and abdomen, (4-5 sprays total) so I do not spray myself and head right out the door. I usually wait at least 20 minutes before leaving the house so as not to piss anyone off! A great blind buy if you like the 80's powerhouse scents. This one is for a confident man, age 30 and up. I would wear it anytime and anyplace mostly in cooler weather. (10/10)

This right here is some of the best men's frags ever conceived. Who tf cares if it's "dated", grow some balls. I got this since my dad bought a couple Cartiers: Pasha Edition Noire for me and Santos for him. I just told him: "Let's exchange the bottles, that smells awesome". Brutal herbal start, slight citruses, a good amount of spices, i note a good amount of cloves, i also get something similar to leather, slightly smoky, lingering in the base, much like in Pour Lui, One Man Show or Antaeus (Even though they almost don't share similarities) and giving it the classic aldehydes, herbal, floral, clove-y, leather, wood and earth - forward drydown typical of the 1980's powerhouses. Wearing this type of frags makes you stand out. Choose a bold statement, IMO. And rocking a frag with the right personality and being confident is a greater chick magnet than any "panty dropper." I'm biased and i will have to backup this soon. This is one of my fave scents ever. I have a Jacomo though, slightly different take on this with an amped - up smoke. A salute to all

Santos de Cartier, at it's core, is a very spicy barbershop-y scent with a tiny tinge of sweetness tucked in. It leaves an impression of class when you enter a room and when you're around other people. It lasts 6 to 8 hours on my skin depending on the weather, projecting pretty hard for an hour before mellowing out. For most people, this'll do just fine due to it being inoffensive and versatile. Hell, it's a semi-safe blind buy for folks who like spicy and aromatic fragrances. Santos de Cartier Concentrée, however, ramps up the spice 100%, tones down a bit of the sweet just enough that you can detect it from time to time, and adds in a prominent chili pepper note that lasts throughout the lifetime of the scent. It lasts a bit longer than the regular EDT, but it projects fiercely. It's mysterious and devilish in most social situations but downright cutthroat *evil* in a professional setting. You need to have a certain level of maturity and swagger to pull it off. If the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" was a cologne, this would be it.

I agree with those reporting that this scent pyramid needs to be corrected. It's much closer to the standard Santos EDT in my experience wearing the concentree and reviewing the EDT pyramid. It opens up with a rich, masculine softly-animalic piney blast (the basil?) and very quickly begins to mature into something far woodier, spicier, and sweeter than this uber-macho opening would suggest. I am at a loss to explain where the warm muskiness is coming from, but it's definitely reminiscent of so many of the classic 80's chest-pounders. It's incredible - truly a timeless classic, and one of my favorite winter scents for a wide variety of uses - office, casual, date night, relaxing at home.

I am so happy that I blind bought it and this time was not a meh. So nicely blended fragrance and I already put my order for a backup bottle. For the price it is awesome. It has some hint of the past but I don't care because it is so nice. Accidentally discovered that if you layer it with Dunhill Icon it becomes next level crazy. If you got that one try it. It reminds me Lalique Pour Homme and Jazz by YSL although they are different. If you like gents scents then this is one of the nicest ones still alive so grab a bottle while it is still around.

Santos Concentree does have that dark, earthy, brutish 80s powerhouse feel but it's polished and classy at the same time. I mainly get sandalwood, nutmeg, patchouli and lavender from this. I'm not sure about the chili pepper. I have the current formulation with the bottle that has vertical lined grooves and a cap. I'm new to Cartier scents but so far they seem classy and high quality. I like this a lot. Others are complaining about longevity but I get 8-12 hours.

This frag smells like Yatagan and Polo Green got drunk together, started fooling around and then 9 months later had a beautiful baby with all their best traits. I wear it at work, and spray it on when I need to focus and when I need to summon my inner Gordon Gekko. Best blind buy bar none, go buy this if you don't own it already. If you have any tast you won't be disappointed.

Beautifully sharp. I can detect the notes listed in this one, where as I usually have difficulty detecting over 50% of notes in other colognes. Very little sweetness or playfulness with this one. I don't imagine anyone under the age of 25 being able to pull this off. To me this is "I mean business." in a bottle.

I’m torn on this one. This is a spicy, herbal, and ambery masculine fragrance. Reminds me of a more wearable Enrico Coveri. Santos is better suited for cold weather. Santos Concentree was lunched in 1982, and it smells like it was lunched in 1982. I think this stuff is good but is too dated for my taste.

I have an older formulation of this masterpiece. Good gracious it is delightful. Sharp, but takes you in and makes you want to stay. Masculine, formal, full of spice and musk and unforgettable. Well worth a try. 10/10

A kind BNer gave me his 5 ml bottle and I have a 100 ml bottle of the OG. I think I like this one a little more as it has a little less nutmeg (less spice racky) and notes that make it lighter and fresher. Recommend.

Divine exotic sensual masculine cologne - absolutely wonderful! Fantastic! Classic perfection. Sublime!

j'adore cette version renforcé , il tient beaucoup mieux et est encore fidel a l'original vintage 80.

probably my favourite fragrance of all time, how can a brand discontinue such a masterpiece...

The notes listed here are way off; consult the pyramid for the original instead. There is a very strong clove and leather note here that is not mentioned. It immediately recalls Jacomo de Jacomo in its intensity; its almost rubbery (how Jacomo almost smells like the rubber interlocking floor tiles gyms line their floors with). It is one of the rare fully masculine orientals; there is pretty much nothing in the way of sweetness here. Creamy vanilla lies in the middle, and perhaps some coconut somewhere in the back. If amber is around, it is only to soften the edges of the otherwise piercing aromatics; it is not discernible on its own. Santos Concentree is so imminently enjoyable because it retains the powerhouse green aromatics you would normally see in stronger fougeres and chypres, but dumps a load of spice on them and takes the tone through a decidedly darker turn. The opening is a piercing blast of resinous woods and aromatic herbs: juniper, rosemary, and cedar, all accompanying a powerhouse clove note. If you have ever had the pleasure of actually eating a juniper berry from the plant itself, you know that it carries with it a light, grainy sweetness (not unlike that of a blueberry). Coupled with just a few, lightly applied sweet elements (coconut and vanilla), the entire composition has its edges smoothed out, but never glazed. Basil, geranium, and verbena add some juice to the green, and vetiver and patchouli contribute to the brown, "earthy" feel of the clove-studded leather. The middle is dominated by clove and leather, the two loudest elements in this fragrance. Everything else plays a supporting role, to soften the leather, round out the cloves, and make it all just a little creamier. Towards the drydown, coconut and vanilla get turned up a little bit, but are still largely an echo in the face of the powerhouse aromatics. This, more than so many others, really feels like a "black" fragrance. It is high class; the immediate mental image is of an impeccably dressed, well heeled man of experience and confidence. There are elements of the 80s macho legends here, but whereas most of those have fallen to the wayside, sandbagged by their musks, animalics, and off-putting notes, Santos has shrugged off the years like they were nothing. Probably not suitable for the high school crowd, but this would be a fantastic choice for an adult man (mid 20s) ready for a unique formal fragrance or a signature to make his own. This will easily hang with 1 million and all the other syrupy garbage clubland wears today. Perhaps not suitable on the hottest/most humid of days, Santos can easily be worn in all other situations. It is definitely on the stronger side; 3 sprays carried me 12 hours with moderate to heavy projection. In closer quarters or more reserved environments, 1 or 2 sprays would be enough. An excellent value and highly recommended.

05 Jan 2022 UPDATE! My experience with today's wearing is drastically different than my assessment described almost 2 years ago, 27 Mar 2020 (see paragraphs below). I am getting very good longevity & sillage today; still going strong after 9 hours! Maybe 21 months of in-bottle maceration since I've had it has increased its longevity & sillage. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I agree with all of the prior reviewers attesting to the wonderful note attributes. HOWEVER, the sillage and longevity suck! My version is the one with the vertical striations on the bottle. There are about 10 or so in my collection that combine wonderful blended & evolving notes with pitiful longevity and sillage. The last 4 or so blind-buys of mine are of such combination. So frustrating.

There are several glowing reviews below, but this review is not. In my novice frag-head opinion, this smells every bit of the 80's. I get a dark, almost peppery vibe and nothing sweet from this one. It smells like a $10 fragrance at the start. At least when it dries down, it does become more pleasant. Today, there are several fragrances that would be a better fit than this one. Is it classy and elegant? Perhaps, but these days, I'd imagine it would be cloying to most people. Try before you buy. I blind bought it cheaply ($18/100ml). I'll end up giving this away to someone that likes it more.

this just came in today (22 feb 18). it was a blind buy, I remember testing this sometime in the past but after reading the reviews here, I finally decided to buy the concentree version. my first impression was "damn it, it's the same as with Antaeus or M5- wish I would have tried older formulation for all three of them, as the current ones are very disappointing ! For this one - the longevity is 4 out of 10 (a couple of hours tops) and silage also 4 out of 10. After just a couple of hours, you could sense it only at neck level. The scent is not bad, but I can immediately think of at least 10 other perfumes I could have bought instead, way better than this one (another heritage,van gils or kouros, who knows how long it will be until l'oreal fucks it up, or maybe narciso rodriguez for him which I plan to purchase in the near future anyways). So, bottom line - very poor longevity, average scent, poor silage - wish I would have had the chance of trying the original formulation as it has a lot of positive reviews.

One of the most underrated classiest fragrances for men ever made... designer or niche. It's a classic scent but yet modern because it's timeless in its composition. When my wife smells Santos she says it's undeniably masculine. Although it's unique, at the same time it's crowd pleasing. It's pure class in a bottle. If you can try to find the Santos Concentrée with gold plated front and one piece bottle (not removable cap). It's much better than the newer formulation. P.S. I got my vintage bottle when I bought my 2003 Lincoln Towncar Cartier brand new. The clever Lincoln salesman put a never opened bottle of Concentrée in the center console when I came to pickup my ride. Both Cartier's (the car and the cologne) are legends.

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 181 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased November 2020 Was quite close to Aramis, what with the coconut note that I loathe in that one n all, but it's stabilised now and yet I still prefer the original because it's simply refined making this quite redundant but it does deliver its promise of being an uber masculine leather aromatic so I'm happy to have it. The bottle in the picture above looks the same as my normal Santos bottle, and the bottle on the normal page looks like my Concentree bottle instead. Quite confusing, unless they have sold both in each packaging before. Who cares, this one's for men only just like the original.

An awesomely old-school woodsy masterpiece straight out of a Florida drug baron's medicine cabinet in a scene from Miami Vice (the white Testarossa years). Oozes 80s sophistication, masculinity and pure $$$. As per usual, the 'brains' at the fragrance houses have decided in their 'wisdom' that this should now be discontinued. After 20+ years of fragrance collecting, I have learnt that it is never a bad thing to bulk buy your favourite fragrances, lest they be deleted from sale. Simply wonderful, if you like Antaeus, Xeryus, and Tsar by Van Cleef and Arpel, you will most likely appreciate this masterpiece in concentrated form.

The original Santos is great, but this is even better. This is one complex scent, because though I can tell there are are a lot of different notes in this, I can't identify most of them. "Herbal and warm" are the two words that best describe this. Lots of dry, bitter herbs on top, smoothed out by sandalwood, musk and amber; this is not a sweet fragrance, so the amber is just there to add smoothness. It's like a big warm blanket of masculine scent. It is VERY strong, in both longevity and projection, but it is not brash or dated like some 80s power scents. Wonderful fragrance here.

Retrying a decant I had stashed away. This is an elegant, spicy, green and slightly herbal aromatic. A damn good one too. The pimento here is what makes the entire thing elegant and different amongst other aromatics. I absolutely love the lavender and basil note combo as well. At one point I'm reminded of Bois du Portugal here, but these are two completely different scents. The dry down is an elegant dry and warm take on sandalwood, with some patch and geranium thrown in to the mix. A joy.

About the current version with channels/striations on the bottle: Dirty animalic opening, unequivocally so. Dark aromatic spices slowly dry down into semi elegance. Not what it once was, no longer superclass 80s in any way. But if you can find a good price on it buy it on the spot if you like masculines as in the era of reformulations and across the board cheaper ingredients Santos concentree holds its own against the competition and many reformulated scents don't at all.

Cartier Santos!... I don't even know where I should start from. First time I smelled this heavenly smell I was 10 as my father was the sole distributor of cartier in dubai. So I grew up on Santos, Aramis, Kouros etc. Santos is the only one till day (45 now) I can wear it almost every other day. Only men's cologne that will stay on ur clothes and you all day all night. Very dark erotic exotic smell. Must have for every male human.

Pure class! A perfect masculine blend that lets the aroma of sophistication and "joy de vivre" linger around you! The performance is stunning, the ingredients of highest quality. This juice makes todays niche fragrances look like a fool. LOVE!

To the "men" here commenting they enjoy the smell but won't wear it because it's "dated." What kind of man worries what other people think of their cologne? Seriously, just cut off your nuts and be done with it. F*ck what people think.

Wow!! what a great smell very masculine, pure class but you have to get the vintage bottles with the removable cap or else the overall performance with the latest bottles is a joke it puts to shame this wonderful scent. 8/10.

@richmilton and @sattogoesdeep, can you share which type of bottle you own? There's talk about certain reformulations to stay away from and others that are legit.

Completely different from the new formulation .so rich and deep than the new one.