Sandalo

I recently read somewhere on Instagram the following quote: "All of the language around fragrance is kind of like wine. That's why short-form video and online shopping are so great, because you can strip away all of that jargon and just talk about how it makes you feel - which is what people buy fragrances for." I found it to be so utterly depressing. It suggests a near contempt for any intellectual examination, a resolute dismissal of any emotional expression in written or spoken form. That pesky jargon—mucking up my 'feels,' just give me easy words and easy dopamine hits. No, it isn't like wine. And feelings surely aren't the only reason why buy fragrances, at least if we are looking from outside the parameters of market research (it was an apparent business firm that shared the quote). Yet it also isn't some revelation that mood and emotion is what sells fragrance—it's been like that since time immemorial. So why not acknowledge the cerebral and the visceral of scent. Hell, blend it all together seamlessly, whether through short-form video or long-form writing. I will opt for medium-form writing with Etro Sandalo, as my vintage bottle that I scored in a recent perfume swap fires all the feeling and thinking neurons. It has integrity, delivering on its promise as a sandalwood of the Mysore sort. It starts with an invigoratingly pungent punch, smoothing over to a soft and buttery veil of comfort. There is a rosy highlight, but it is subtle, and at its core there is that bygone well-groomed, fougère-adjacent muskiness that reminds me of the great Arden Men Sandalwood. Did I use enough jargon? Maybe I should get into how much of the sesquiterpene santalol I smell here, or will that lose you? Perhaps I can just talk about how it makes me feel? I could create an accompanying mood board. Well, to put it plainly, Sandalo makes me feel happy, as most fragrances that I enjoy do. But language and poetry and musing and analysis make me happy, too.

Interesting to see such an array of reviews here... everything from simple to complex, light to heavy, soft/soapy to strong incense. I have to wonder if there have been changes to the formulation over time. I bought the older gold cap version. In short, this is a very nice moderately light wearing sandalwood based fragrance. The patchouli isn't harsh or dirty (unless my nose is biased!). A bit linear, not evolving much over time. It's a little spicy with incense, and a touch powdery, but it's so easy going. Alas, it's also a bit fleeting. I've found longevity to be below average. But that's OK. Not every fragrance needs to be a bomb that lasts for over half a day. There is a certain "Etro vibe" to this, akin to other fragrances like Shaal Nur and Ambra. It's a finely blended fragrance using quality ingredients. Etro bottles are terrific too (smallest feeling 100ml bottles I've seen yet). Etro isn't talked about much around here, but it's a remarkably good brand. Rather overpriced in retail stores, but easy to find discounted on-line. And a wide range of fragrances that are sure to please. Rating: 7.9/10

Sandalo is a staple in my collection, although if you ask me I wouldn't be even excited about it. It's creamy, a bit sour, a little bit smoky, quite inoffensive, but present, even though its silage is minimal. But I keep reaching for Sandalo more often than many scents I consider favorites. Turns out that I need this milky-woody cuddliness more often than I realize, even though there's not much to say about it. A familiar scent: not because it's so common, it's been just... familiar from the very beginning. It has this old world serenity, as opposed to the anxious burnt atmosphere of Santal 33 or Black Afgano. I like both styles: they're like day and night, routine and adventure. I guess one needs both in their life, it's just that the quiet ones employ a different kind of mastery: not so obvious, yet undeniably there, crafted under a different set of rules. Here, my humble praise for Sandalo.

There’s a type of fragrance that feels like have a linear scent but actually gives you a journey through their existence in your skin. And this one is one of them. This is maybe the most sandalwoodish santal fragrance in my collection. Opened with such pungent woody sandalwood with an Etro DNA that gives you a herbacious nuance. After several minutes it become slightly boozy and smoky. The journey continue, and after 30 minutes it’s evolved to a powdery warm scent. The sillage is may moderate but the longevity is amazing. First released in 1989 but mine is younger with silver cap.

Topnotes: Interesting, bordering on weird! Sour, dusty, woods. Intensely powdery and a little animalic. A little milky or latex-like. Slightly green, a little like fresh-split logs. Addictive. Heart & Base: Warm, very musky, dry, extremely woody. Herbal, slightly spicy. The faintest echos of something "barbershop." Subtle patchouli. Not at all sweet. "Vintage smelling." "your skin but better" smelling. Unisex. Understated, simple, mysterious, natural, musky... this sort of thing is my bag, baby.