Santal Calling

Ahhh...my most favorite milky iris/santal fragrance, my preeeeeeee-cious🥰 Idk how this frag keeps flying “under the radar”, but I can’t say I mind...’cause I don’t. The less people know about this jewel, the more there is for me😄 I first smelled this when I ordered the sample kit from Ex Nihilo in 2023. I loved many of the sample fragrances, but as soon as I got my nose on Santal Calling, I immediately felt my pupils expand and for a few moments, time felt completely suspended. Literally true love at first sniff. With the first wearing of this, I discovered something new about myself that I never realized before— I frickin’ LOOOOOOVE the sweet complex woodiness of nutmeg in fragrances. Upon discovering Ex Nihilo, I started to recognize just how many of my favorite scents (past and present) include this beautifully fragrant spice. Santal Calling immediately became my most treasured, ride or die “🩴🪵” scent, and while I have other lovely ones, this one has yet to be dethroned by any other—that includes Serge Luten’s Santal Majuscule AND Tom Ford’s Santal Blush. I never thought I’d find a santal fragrance that could eclipse either of those, yet here she is. Santal Calling is creamy and ethereal. It’s powdery, yet silky and sheer. Sweet, almost honeyed, but buoyant, and not cloying in the slightest. And hallelujah, can I get an amen?!— not a single sour pickle note anywhere, just smooth velvety goodness (suck it, Santal 33!). Something about the sparkling floral sweetness in the opening notes reminds me of a combination of a crisp, hoppy pale ale 🍺, a very plush rose, and rich pipe tobacco, and I was initially surprised to see nothing like those notes listed. Something about the powdery iris and nutmeg blending with the deep sweetness of the bourbon vanilla maybe🤔🤷🏻 It’s for certain I don’t know, but man, I just dig it! Plenty of milky “👡🪵” type frags abound out there. I even have some of them and I adore them all...but Santal Calling is truly unique. This scent is SO beautiful. Santal Calling is a fantastic olfactory example in balance. Nothing is overdone here. Every facet works in harmony with each other. And while flip-flop wood is obviously the star, the whole composition is so well blended, the effect is of a main note that’s cushioned and softly highlighted instead of brashly spotlighted.This is the most projective and long lasting thong-log scent I currently own. The scent trail it leaves behind me is gorgeous and the longevity is great. I get about 8 solid hours of wear (something that rarely happens with my skin) before I feel any true need to refresh. All throughout the day, whenever I walk and move a hand or arm, I get delicious whiffs of this. Even when I’m able to procure a bottle at a discounted rate, it’s pricey ($245 for a 1.7oz bottle on the company website). A full or nearly full flacon can be found for a pretty decent lower price, but when you find it, you gotta nab it immediately, because this stuff gets bought up FAST. The lowest price I have paid for a nearly full 1.7oz bottle is $185 (Mercari). So yeah, it’s expensive...but with the exceptional performance, very little is required for touch up in a day’s wear, so...it’s worth it!

Mysore sandalwood is one of my favourite notes, its rich, smooth, nutty woodiness sadly relegated to vintage scents as its use has since been forbidden. I have tried many modern sandalwood scents, and find most to be quite harsh. Australian sandalwood, the modern alternative to Mysore, is thinner and harsher, and needs "massaging" in order to smell good to my nose, not to mention javanol or other lab-created alternatives. Santal Calling achieves a smooth sandalwood accord, thanks to the inclusion of lactonic and powdery notes. SC is a sandalwood-dominant scent from initial spray, bold and woody, but pleasantly smooth. It smells undeniably like Australian sandalwood to me, but without the harshness. Nutmeg adds warm, biscuit-like spice, complementing sandalwood nicely. The milk note follows, subtle but adding creamy smoothness that succeeds in tempering the sandalwood. As it develops, some powdery iris creeps in - always a welcome inclusion for me. It is relegated to the background however - sandalwood is king here. There is a soft, musky undertone too that becomes evident as SC progresses - also keeping things soft while allowing the sandalwood to shine. SC fades to a dry, woody skin scent, with powdery vanilla adding a hint of sweetness to the drydown. Sillage is moderate and longevity is long-lasting. It is unisex in my opinion, a transeasonal daytime scent. A smooth, rounded, refined sandalwood with iris and lactonic nuances, I am very impressed with SC. A versatile, high-quality scent that exudes sophistication, this was a pleasant surprise for me. The best modern sandalwood I've tried in a very long time 4.5/5.

Is the smell of this scent revolutionary? Something you've never smelled before? No. BUT it is one of the best executions of this scent profile. I see it compared to Santal 33 here, and I see in comments people are likening it to The Noir 29, and I totally get both comparisons. It straddles somewhere in the middle, but still has distinct differences from either. On a side note, I have to say I've smelled a few scents that are frequently compared to The Noir 29 - (Ourside Dusk, Abyssae from L'Artisan, etc...) and I really love all of them. I think its a scent profile I enjoy and the iterations and nuances of new releases are different enough that I don't mind it. This is another example of that. You can see where inspiration was drawn, but it's different enough. Imagine the creamy lactonic (but distinctly sandalwood feel) of something like Milky Musk (I say Milky Musk vs Santal 33 bc to me it's much creamier than Santal), mixed with that resonant and familiar The Noir-esque aroma you can discern in The Noir, Dusk, Abyssae etc. It's in here too. TL;DR - if you like I do, enjoy describing scents like movie pitches: a milky, frothy, creamy, iris-y, sandalwood-y version the noir 29. Or a more soft floral, tealike, gently spicy Milky Musk. So wearable; so stunning. It feels periwinkle.

Woah... this is one of if not my favorite sandalwood I've smelled to date. It is my first time smelling a milk accord like this one and I find it so realistic and beautifully creamy, blows my mind how well it goes with sandalwood. It leans more feminine but as a sandalwood lover I am absolutely wearing this. The slight touches of vanilla and nutmeg reminded me of sweet condensed milk, reminds me of when I made tres leches cake. Don't get me wrong it is not gourmand at all, there is absolutely no sweetness in this in fact it's more on the powdery side it just gave me that association when I was thinking about the concept of smelling milk and if that is an appealing smell at all, and in that context and in this fragrance, it easily is. It just works. It seems so simple and effortless with how luxurious that sandalwood is, the milky take on it, and the blending I just get a truly premium experience. It feels truly special to me. I love when a fragrance feels worthwhile. I love when the quality matches the marketing. I am an Ex Nihilo fan from now on.

I ordered the 7.5ml traveler of Santal Calling just to try it out. I have many Ex Nihilo bottles and a few other travelers and decants, and I figured Santal Calling was next on my list. I sprayed it once on my wrist and damn- this fragrance was projecting off my arm like crazy for hours- off a single spray! I loved it. Whenever I moved my arm, I would get a whiff and I thought I was smelling something else, something I sprayed earlier that day, but lo and behold, it was the Santal. The scent was light, sweet, woody, and wonderful. The single spray lasted hours. It reminded me of Bond No 9 Governors Island a lot (even though they don't share the same notes) sort of like an oak or chestnut cabinet, or pencil shavings in the best way possible. The sandalwood scent, which I'm normally not a fan of (I'm looking at you Santal 33) is one of the BEST sandalwood scents I've ever come across. I can't wait to give this a full wearing so I can get that scent bubble and detect more of the notes, and I really can't wait to get a full bottle of this one.

wow; this is stunning, and i was blown away by it on first sniff. creamy, sweety, iris-sy goodness, with a dash of green spice from the nutmeg. it's beautiful - it has a cold, otherworldly, alien scent of the iris & milk, combined with a cosy, comforting, familiar hug of musk, vanilla and sandalwood. the sandalwood is gorgeous - so smooth, opulent and rich. i'd overall classify it as a very pretty and clean scent, though a lactonic, iris-forward take on clean, rather than a floral. soapy, powdery one like diptyque's fleur de peau edp (another instant love of mine). the longevity is impressive - it wraps you up in a comforting, soft hug all day long. this is exactly my type of perfume that is also beautifully crafted. i've started sampling some other fragrances from ex nihilo and have been thoroughly impressed by them as well - there's something about how their fragrances settle and develop on skin that is just so smooth, they're experiences as well as perfumes. 10/10, i went and purchased the full bottle after first wear!

A very pretty sandalwood ideal for early spring or autumn. Shines in sunny but chill days. To me it is perfectly unisex (and I tend to rate a lot of unisex fragrances as a little masculine). I can't say anything about the pickle scent, because sandalwood doesn't give that note to my nose. But it is a little peppery, earthy. It is creamy without being too sweet or lactonic (I would have love a little more pronounced lactonic profile). Smells similar to Guidance's drydown, but Santal Calling is way more toned down, more wearable, airier, lighter. It is a very pretty, elegant and calming scent. I wish it projected and lasted a little longer (taking it price into account), but it is one of the prettiest sandalwood out there. To add: The sandalwood note is similar to Santal Basmati's: clean, creamy, a little fresh too, a little smoky. So interesting.

This is my first niche fragrance and I really like it although I'm a man, the opening is very harsh alcohol smell which is awful but after a few minutes it turn into this really pleasant almost body odor scent in a good way, in the opening you can definitely smell that nutmeg alongside with the powdery milk alongside and iris with hint of the sandalwood base note, the dry down you still get that milk and iris but the sandalwood note and vanilla note is very amplify which make it almost like a vanilla milk lol.This is definitely a more refine, elegant and classy scent For me I would say that this is a more feminine leaning scent which many others would agree, but I definitely think that anyone can wear this for any occasion and you definitely be unique when wearing this. I haven't try it on skin but on paper it definitely last about 6 hours

This one holds such a special place in my heart ... not just for how beautiful it smells, but because of the memory attached to it. I was invited to the launch of Blue Talisman at Maison des Parfums, one of the most exquisite niche fragrance boutiques in India. And in the middle of all that sparkle, I was gifted Santal Calling by Mr. Benoît Verdier himself. They even engraved the bottle for me ... i still feel so happy thinking about it ... The scent? It’s like being kissed softly on the forehead by someone you trust. Nutmeg milk, iris, vanilla, sandalwood, and musk ... it’s creamy, comforting, and elegant beyond words. A perfect balance of warmth and gentleness. I feel embraced by love every time I wear it. This isn’t just perfume. It’s a memory, a feeling, a whisper of grace. – Bhavna Darira Chesan

WOW! What a beautiful floral take on sandalwood. Right off the bat I get florals, not very much nutmeg or spicy notes (which, frankly I’m glad). Then a creamy sandalwood emerges that’s smoothly blended with iris. If you’re looking for a very woody sandalwood dominant fragrance, this one might not be it. To my nose it’s almost 50/50 sandalwood/iris. I can see where some might think this is feminine leaning, as iris can come off lipsticky, but I think it’s perfectly balanced here with sandalwood and milk that it can be unisex. I really don’t see the comparison to Santal 33 at all. Santal 33 is much more mossy, leathery, musky, where Santal Calling is floral, creamy, and powdery. This is immediately going on my wishlist.

I absolutely fell in love with Santa Calling by Ex Nihilo. The scent is simply irresistible—there’s something about it that’s hard to put into words, just incredibly delicious and addictive in the most elegant way. It has that kind of aura that makes you want to keep smelling yourself throughout the day. If I had to mention one thing, I do wish the projection were a bit stronger. The fragrance is so beautiful that it deserves to be noticed more—it’s almost too good to stay so close to the skin. That said, I’m already obsessed, and I genuinely hope Ex Nihilo releases an extrait version in the future. This scent has so much potential to become something truly unforgettable with just a bit more intensity.

Beautiful Sandalwood Alert 📣 Santal Calling aims to modernize the Santal 33 domain. The Ex Nihilo is much more elegant in the opening, and evolves into a creamy sandalwood. The experience feels very soft and luxurious. There's moderate sillage, and definite trail, well past the 3-4 hour mark. Highly recommend, but I wouldn't spend this dough if I already had Santal 33, which I do. They're barely similar. no “dill"/leather in the in Santal Calling. the milkiness instead is still so, so good as a replacement, and it's definitely the more modern option. however, may not have the same legs and complexity as Santal 33 🤤 this is definitely a must try! 8.5 or 9/10+

Creamy, very lightly sweetened and spiced, beautiful sandalwood fragrance. Love at first sniff! I love that it's warmed up with vanilla rather than amber, since I sometimes feel like amber just takes over a perfume. I got a tester of this, put two healthy sprays on my hand to check it out, then about 20 minutes later I went outside to meet the UPS guy who was about to bring a package up to my house. It was a windy day, and as he was handing me the package he said, "oh man, you smell SO GOOD! What are you wearing?!" Then he wrote down the name for his girlfriend. And that after just two sprays on my hand on a windy day. I'm gonna need a full bottle.

Very nice. Smooth, sweet, milky and elegant. Opens with a beautiful lightly sweet, sandalwood and real milk note. Leans feminine for sure. It's in the midtone area. So not light and airy but not deep and heavy. The iris is very light and well blended. You have to really close your eyes and smell to notice it. It has good projection and longevity, it's pretty unique. How a niche should be. Only slight negative is it's linear. if you like milky lactonic Frags- this is great. I personally don't like this DNA....but that said; this is bottle worthy. Ex Nihlo is a great niche brand. I find their quality to be top tier.

This is a very balanced and incredibly precisely composed sandalwood scent. I don't see vetiver anywhere in the fragrance notes, but I smell it very dominantly, which gives it a refreshing character. Not harsh, just softly enveloping you like a light muslin scarf. I read that someone called it Intelligent Chic, which, whatever that means, I can absolutely agree with. I don't get many compliments on it, but I've noticed that when I wear it, people like to sit closer or lean close to me. (Which is typically my reaction too when someone else smells good. :) Sillage is great, and two sprays last the entire day on me.

This is one of the best perfumes I Have ever smelled. It is like a warm hug which is sexy and mysterious at the same time. It has a very slight smokeness to it when sprayed that disappeared afterwards to leave a sweet but classic smell lingering. I cannot stop smelling it, truly addicted to it. I also get so many compliments with it. It is a more intimate smell in that sense since the projection is not amazing, which happens sometimes with very sandalwood centered scents. It is classic and elegant, I could see myself wearing this for the rest of my life. So in love with it.

This fragrance is a true masterpiece. The nutmeg, milk, and iris exist in remarkable harmony, blending together with effortless elegance. I can hardly recall such a naturally beautiful woody scent that feels so authentic and never synthetic. It has excellent longevity, yet its sillage remains refined. By the way, I don’t keep many sandalwood fragrances in my collection, most of them feel a bit boring to me. For me, this fragrance isn’t particularly beautiful because of the sandalwood, but rather because of the other ingredients.

Gorgeous sandalwood perfume that immediately goes on my want list! I get strong and beautiful sandalwood right from the beginning. Smells milky and like iris, reminding me of Iris Porcelana with more pronounced wood. Certainly a good dose of musk, but I don’t notice any nutmeg or vanilla. Reminds me of many sandalwood fragrances I love like Milky Musk, Radio Bombay, Santal 33, Molecule 4. All of those have subtle differences, but a similar sandalwood profile. Sillage is great. One spray to the wrists last the entire day on me.

For me Santal Calling is the scent of a luxurious woman ✨ It has a beautiful woody-milky and slightly powdery sandalwood note, delicately sweetened with vanilla, which adds softness to the fragrance. 🥂 The spice of nutmeg is beautifully woven into it, giving the scent a sensation similar to champagne bubbles that slightly tickle the nose. As for the projection, the fragrance has a strong sillage, especially in autumn when it’s humid and cool. On my warm skin, the scent lasts for 7-8 hours, 🕰️ which is quite impressive!

Embarking on an olfactory journey with this, drawn by my fondness for Santal 33 (in its sublime perfume oil iteration). Now, utterly captivated, Santal Calling ascends to the throne of my signature scent. A curious phenomenon: it seems to grace the senses of all around me, yet eludes my own perception. But perhaps this is the way of new fragrances, a gradual awakening of the senses. If Santal 33 embodies edgy modernity, then Santal Calling evokes the timeless elegance of Grace Kelly at her most refined.

One of my favorites. I love it from the opening to the deep notes. Smells like a warm hug from someone you love and admire. Someone down to earth and supportive. It’s quite woody but with a floral touch to it. It holds really well and has great sillage. I always get compliments when I wear this, no matter how many hours have passed. Down side; after a while I became allergic to something in this perfume. I have to work around it to be able to wear it now.

Absolutely beautiful. This is the scent ive been looking for forever. To me its smells quite similar to creeds silver mountain water but creamier and sweeter, as opposed to the freshness of SMW, but its elegant and powdery to me this can go year round aside from high heats I wouldnt wear this but this is going to be one of my gatekeeper fragrances. Some people say its too feminine some say its too masculine but I think its perfectly unisex.

I was sent a sample of this by my sales associate and it was love at first sniff! It’s so creamy and soft. Not soft in projection, but there are no harsh notes. It reminds me of a much better and more refined version of Santal 33. I get a slight powderyness but that’s more in the background (not prominent like shown in the main accords here). It’s just beautiful. I will be buying a full bottle.

Simply gorgeous. The fragrance community would do well to stop comparing every sandalwood perfume to Santal 33, everything with saffron to BR540, etc. This is a totally different take on sandalwood than Santal 33, which has been overdone to death. Santal Calling is a beautifully soft, round, warm, slightly milky, irisy sandalwood. One of the very best sandalwoods in my book.

Samples of Santal Calling were sold out almost everywhere I looked and that was about 70% of the reason I sprung for the discovery kit from Ex Nihilo. It is just what I hoped it would be. Another reviewer said it’s like Fugazzi Angel Dust with sandalwood and I think that’s about right. I’ve been doing an exploration of sandalwood and this is absolutely a winner.

Must test on skin. The strip will not do it justice. My skin pulls this bright, sweet milky woody. It almost has a tarte opening that pulls citrusy without being furniture polish like. It’s STUNNING 😍 today I layered it with mimosa and cardamom by Jo Malone and I smell a-freaking-mazing

The sandalwood is there but it's not the star of the show. I get more floral notes than I expected. The sandalwood is creamy but overall I'd say the composition is quite uplifting. Very balanced. Not too woody, sweet, creamy or floral. I can see this scent being extremely versatile.

Musky, powdery, warm, and a bit creamy—a delicate and refined take on sandalwood, with all rough edges smoothed out. I can see how some would consider this feminine leaning. In the case of true woodsy fragrance lovers, this will likely smell watered down. To me, it's perfect.

This is gorgeous 😍 and I started to purchase a fb, but it reminded me of Memo Paris Sherwood mixed with L'Orchestre Piano Santal..Santal Calling is a smooth, uplifting, creamy scent. Ex nihilo is a fragrance house that gets it right every time!! The quality is there!

Stunning. On the wrist smells like dilute WD40 but you will be surrounded be an ineffable smell of confidence and assuredness. Smell the wrist again and it’s like there is nothing there. Walk from indoors to outdoors and once again be surrounded by a magical scent.

soft, pretty, silky! this is a really beautiful perfume. it projects so well and is long lasting. when i sprayed it on, i kept envisioning a girl with beautiful, dark long hair as well as a horse's mane. this reminds me of jo malone's scarlet poppy

I think one of the top Santal perfumes out there. Smells fresh but deep at the same time.. Perfect for any occasion in my opinion.. The milk gives depth and warmth but somehow it shines in warm weather .. probably the musk! Lovely!

What the actual f*** I have never been so immediately in love with a fragrance before. This is soooo good, creamy and addictive, sandalwood done the right way without any pickly sourness. I want to douse myself on this.

Perfectly balanced and never overpowering. The most beautiful take on santal I’ve ever smelled. Soft, elegant, and quietly sensual. Smells like the kind of woman who’s both brilliant and sexy without trying.

Wow! Just got this today and I came home sprayed it on a blotter and immediately smelled Amouage Guidance. Albeit, much more toned down. I love Guidance so I’m not mad at it!

I really love it but the IRIS made it smells like kind of PLASTIC to me .. like a new baby doll head .. i wish there is no IRIS in it . It would have been better

A safe blind buy if you like Santal 33. This is more subtle and creamy version of Santal 33, wears nicely in hot humid weather. Could be a signature scent.

I love this soooo much. Not pickle-y at all, it’s creamy and soft and comforting. An easy reach. Bought a travel size but will need a full size asap!

If you love sandalwood, but hate santal33. Then it gonna be best fragrance ever. First, it feels js like honey. And then sandalwood gets out.

If the perfect scent exists, this is it. Truly the best perfume I have ever smelled in my entire life.

milky iris is very present under sandal. beautifully crafted in its simplicity. a one to remember.

Very similar to piano santal. This is a lovely scent but lacks longevity unfortunately

There is a Rose note in it and i wish that wasnt in there

Santal 33 Women's Version Woody 50%, Milky 50%

This is it. Nothing beats this.

I am head over heels for this fragrance! Our relationship started when I was given a test strip by one of the guys in a perfume store. He also handed me a couple others, including Green Viper, another from Ex Nihilo. None of them blew me away at first sniff and I tucked them away in my bag. When I got home, I left the test strips on my desk and got along with my day. Upon coming home ~8 hours later I was greeted with the most beautiful, soft, woodsy, lilac-coloured smell that I've ever experienced. I knew it was humming from one of the test strips, and upon edging closer to my desk, it was clear that Santal Calling was the not-so-guilty culprit. It smelt so divine - a creamy, deep, thick sandalwood, with all the edges totally smoothed out. Not a hint of pencil shavings or anything that might suggest a roughly finished piece of carpentry. I bought a 2ml sample and the love story continued. The notes mention nutmeg, but I don't get this too strongly. There is a sharpness to the opening, but certainly not what I would describe as spicy, or even vaguely like a dessert one would encounter nutmeg on. There seems to be a sweetness that attempts to surface, but never quite makes it - perhaps this is the nutmeg: neutralising any of that aforementioned sweetness that the iris and rose may emanate. What I do get is a silky smooth, creamy, pale-purple coloured sandalwood which stays fairly linear throughout the duration of the fragrance, which is enormous! I feel truly sad for those which complain about the performance of this perfume because on my skin it's approaching the realm of beast. I get a solid 5-6 hours of projection, which never feels cloying or too in-your-face, but rather provides a gentle hum of silky sandalwood, which I see as being totally inoffensive to anyone who catches a whiff. I gave the back of my hand 2 spritzes (sample sized so much less liquid than would come out of a regular bottle) at 8pm and I could still smell it projecting strongly as I was falling asleep at 2am. The next morning at 8am, I could still smell it hovering around me. Fast forward to 3pm after a 4km cycle to work, 3 hours of teaching, a 2km cycle to the gym, 2 hours of training, I can STILL smell this stuff on my hand. It's obviously no longer projecting, but I don't need to touch my nose all the way to my hand to be able to smell it. It's now 7pm as I'm writing this review - I've prepared some food, cleaned my apartment and taken a shower. At this time I need to touch my nose to my hand, but the faintest smell of creamy sandalwood is (almost unbelievably) still there. It comes as no surprise that I ordered a full bottle in 100ml. It doesn't come cheap, but I found a bottle for under £200, and considering how this is certainly a 2 spray max kind of perfume, I have no qualms with paying so much. I guess Santal Calling does lean slightly feminine, the smooth, creamy, lilac-coloured (at least to my senses) facets of the sandalwood are not what I would call 'masculine' - there is no vintage heaviness as one may find in Serge's Santal Majuscule - no bitter, sharp edges as one may detect in Dunhill's Indian Sandalwood (which I thoroughly detest by the way - that carrot note is sickening), and none of the vinegar-esque, pickle-like greenery which Santal 33 has become synonymous with. Yet, I'm a man and I absolutely adore SC, and I'm sure many of you would too.

This is my second comment here, but after revisiting the reviews - especially the most recent one - I felt compelled to chime in again. I fully agree with the description of this as a soft, creamy blend of iris and sandalwood. It stays cool and musky for quite some time, with the sandalwood coming through in a sheer, almost translucent form, tinted by that lilac, powdery hue of iris. I'm sure the nutmeg contributes the throat tickle during the strong blast of musky powderiness of the opening, but I can't single it out until around an hour has passed. It doesn’t shout “spicy,” but if you’ve ever grated fresh nutmeg, you’ll instantly recognise that woody, bark-like nuance it lends to desserts, and to this fragrance. The vanilla is also there, never cake-like or overtly sweet, but gently rounding off the sandalwood in the base and adding a subtle warmth to what is otherwise a cool composition. The performance, however, is the real reason I wanted to leave another comment. I’ve sampled close to 500 fragrances at this point, and Santal Calling is one of the very few that gives me true all-day longevity. Two sprays on the neck explode on my skin - I notice it every time I move my head from the moment I apply it until 12+ hours later. It survives sweaty gym sessions, outdoor work, and even showers with ease. I’m a stickler for performance, and this outshines even the most widely acclaimed powerhouses from Amouage, Xerjoff, Frederic Malle, and others. I’m not disputing anyone else’s experience, but I do think this is one you must try on your own skin. Whatever musks they’ve used here just agree with me in a way that only a handful of perfumes ever have. My one caveat: it becomes completely overbearing in the heat. Anything above 25°C feels suffocating. But on the coldest of days, it's one of my top 5.

Really lovely creamy-milky sandalwood; fine in its class but I've already been spoiled for it by 24 Rue de L'Universite, Santal Basmati and L'Artisan Venenum - and they're all just a tiny tad more interesting to me by bringing tiny tangs of spice, tea, or rice to the table, which this one lacks. Santal Calling does offer lovely pink-powdery softness, absolutely no raspy, herbal or sweaty tangs (not like Santal 33 at all then IMHO) and basically neutral character. So: it's absolutely fine and some will love it. But it's too middle-of-the-road to truly stop traffic. It's whispering softly, rather than really CALLING to me. Worth trying - it will probably be someone's ultimate sandalwood sweet spot - but don't expect transcendence. Not exactly as friendly in price as in its mellow, welcoming aura, either. For slimmer budget alternatives in nearly the same space, try Perris Santal du Pacifique or even, yes, Yves Rocher's underrated Voile d'Ocre.

I'm shocked that the main accord here is powdery― I don't get powdery notes at all! Thank goodness, because I'm not into that. What I get instead is a perfectly blended sandalwood floral that smells like nothing else I've ever smelled. It's lush. I've been pouring through my collection looking for good fragrances to wear during this heat wave, and this came to mind. I wore it to an intimate dinner party on a very hot evening, and I felt like I imagine Zendaya does during her "Odyssey" press tour― glowing, effortless, so chic. I hadn't picked this one up in a while, but I think it might re-enter the rotation. I see other people don't rank this as a summer fragrance, but I think I beg to differ. It feels perfect for summer days at a flea market or a wine bar during happy hour, sitting outside and watching the sunset with friends.

When I first sniffed this fragrance, I was obsessed. I thought― if this has good projection, it’s going to become my signature scent. It smells so good. It’s just so pretty. Then I sprayed it on paper and let it dry― it smelled so stunning. Like a supermodel, like the prettiest girl I’e ever seen. I said “oh my god” out loud it was so good. Then I tried it on my skin. For context, I’m on the hunt for my new signature scent, something unisex and warm and creamy. On me, tragically, it smelled too Jo Malone-y. It’s so light and floral and nice, but not quite for me. Ultimately it’s just a little too feminine for me. But, it lasts all day and is absolutely stunning. Please someone make this your signature scent. It’s a perfect floral sandalwood that is one of a kind and smells expensive.