Essence No. 8 Santal

Wonderful fragrance. I love not only the sandalwood note but the vetiver as well, the very slight mustiness of the vetiver really underlines and brings out the "clean" facet of the sandalwood, gives it dimension. Longevity is great, the morning after first trying it I could still smell it faintly on my skin and very clearly on clothing. Funny thing: Usually when I (a woman) like a men's fragrance I can almost guarantee that my brother will like it too (I can blind buy him fragrances). The only difference seem to be vetiver scents. Encre Noir and this Saab Essence are heavy on vetiver and as much as I like them, my brother finds them almost offensive. In any case, this is a really great scent and I am looking forward to using it frequently.

+ Another stunner from Elie Saab created by MFK. The top opens with a fresh blast of vetiver. The real magic happens when the fragrance has dried and becomes blended with skin. It's divine. Powdery, dry sandalwood with a touch of apricot/osmanthus to bring a bit of sweetness and interest to this scent. This is an excellent perfume if you're into sandalwood and I certainly am! I'm impressed and enamoured by this essences line. I'm so happy the price has become more affordable because I wouldn't have bothered at the original asking price. Beware this line is for people who enjoy modest scents. Sillage and longevity are both low to moderate. EDIT: I love this perfume the more I wear it. It's one of my favorites in my collection. 🤗

Just beautiful in my opinion... Like the other fragrances of this line, it's not groundbreaking, but tailored to perfection. Apricot and Osmanthus are perfect original twists to the sandalwood. The drydown shares some similarities with Oud n.4 of the same line, but it's tamer, and the burnt wood is replaced by a very strong earthy/nutty vetiver (similar to Givenchy's) and a subtle balsamic wood note (cedar/osmanthus). The only downside is its modest projection, but that makes it a luxurious fragrance for closed environment. Exceptional longevity as a skin scent. Very soothing/relaxing drydown. Again, an excellent creation signed Francis Kurkdjian, perfect for colder days or milder evenings.

On my skin this just lasts and lasts. The apricot, sandalwood and vetiver I detect right away and last the entire life of the spray. I recommend going very light with initial sprays until you get a feel for it. It is very strong to my nose. It smells really high quality and you might even say "niche" If possible I would say sample first as it is very strong. My first and only Elie Saab but based on this experience I have ordered Essence No. 3 Ambre A great fragrance, a great bottle and presentation. Fragrance 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Bottle Design 10/10 If I were to nitpick anything, maybe the vetiver could be a little less prominent but that's really just being picky ;)

I love sandalwood fragrances in general and this is definitely a high quality, well blended fragrance. I think its Mysore Sandalwood that has been used. Not surprisingly it dominates this fragrance. You get the delicate osmanthus and apricot in the opening but this wains quickly. After half an hour its all about the sandalwood, vetiver and cardamom. Its more masculine at this point. The sandalwood lasts for many hours be it largely as a skin scent. Ive got to say I dont think I would pay for a fb even if I had the spare cash. SLs Santal Majascule and Santal de Mysore are still my faves.