Eau de Santal

I have tested this for a week now and I can comfortably say I enjoy the scent journey and the airy, smooth, soft nature of this scent. Projection is about 1 hour and then the scent sits fairly close to the skin however, I would expect in warmer Spring / Autumn weather for it to have better sillage and projection as I am testing this is winter. The longevity on my olive skin was about 6 hours, naturally on clothes it will be a couple of hours longer, but all in all pretty good for an EDT, I would not have an issue respraying with a travel sprayer as I am not expecting longevity like most EDP fragrances. The scent is very clean, fresh and not too rich of any particular accord as the blending is just perfect, as expected from a niche house like Floris that uses high quality ingredients. The scent overall is just lovely and very pleasant, sophisticated yet calming, it made me feel good and relaxed and in no way did it smell dated. I have been looking for a nice versatile fragrance with the aforementioned characteristics to be a new signature scent, as opposed to the mainstream ISO E, ambroxian tonka bombs out there and I think I may have found it, but I will need to give this a few more wears in another season. So far I am both impressed with Santal and surprised considering how much flak it has received from some reviews on here, to me this is a highly underated fragrance and I feel its not only to do with the fragrance itself but also with the brand association some people may have with Floris who struggle to identify themselves with such an old fashioned house thats not hip and trendy let alone overly popular. I would think this fragrance would be suited for a professional man aged 26 and up looking for a subtle versatile signature scent that can be for daily use, formal lunches, interviews, the office or even just smart casual events. Anyway don't just take my word for it like all fragrances you must test this and see how it performs with your skin. Peace :)

About a month ago, I was looking for a warm spicy-vanilla fragrance for late fall/winter. I bought decants of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, Spicebomb Extreme and Herod. While I can see why people like those fragrances, to me TV was way too sweet and SE’s opening was way too harsh. Herod I liked quite a bit. The thing is I only would want to wear it when in the mood for sweet tobacco, which is rare. My search for a new winter frag continued. I saw a review for Floris Santal from Wafts from the Loft, and I ordered a bottle. After first spraying it, I wasn’t so sure I’d like it as the spices in the opening are quite bold (though not harsh like SE). After a few minutes I liked it more. After 15-20 minutes the spices settled down and I began to appreciate this gem. I soon decided Floris Santal was what I’d been looking for. The citruses nicely compliment the cardamom, nutmeg pepper and clove in the opening before the smooth lavender and vanilla become apparent. The spices are perfectly blended and balanced and not overly bold at all. Just perfect. The spices and lavender continue as the citrus fades, then vanilla and woods become more apparent in the drydown. As the drydown continues, it becomes much like what TV would be like if 90% of its über-sweetness were removed and woods were added. Tasty spices and vanilla, and the sandalwood, are what remain after a few hours. I just love this. I love the way it evolves. It’s become my signature fall/winter scent. It’s perfectly elegant. I’ll wear it until early spring before putting it away until the fall.

A lot of people like this one among sandalwood scents, but to me it's really an odd mix. Of all the sweet, vanillic sandalwoods, I recall thinking that this stuff takes the cake, going beyond the sweet concoctions of Trumpers Sandalwood and Truefitt Spanish Leather, though I'm not getting that as much this time. The opening is still reassuringly sharp, but with a very christmas-wreath sharpness and some leather underneath. There's a period in the mid notes where I find a surprisingly smooth and suave nutmeg, without its usual bite, and this fits nicely over the coniferous wreath notes. This phase is like a more refined and balanced Rocabar, with less vanilla. I thought I remembered cherry cough syrup emerging from the forest notes last time, but now I'm only getting smooth and slightly medicinal wood. Finally it hits me, though: some kind of unearthly mango or banana, the same that appears in spades in Lucky Number 6, making a sort of fruity oriental over the wood. It's much more restrained here, though, and doesn't upset the overall balance. If I didn't recognize this surprising connection, and a sudden similarity to Gucci Envy in the final base notes, I'd have just said Floris Santal is an unnaturally sweet woody oriental. Since I found those links, though, and especially the fruit component, I've warmed up to it as if I suddenly got where the scent is coming from.

Floris Santal Review: This fragrance starts of with a fairly subdued spicy opening. The spiciness comes from the cardamom mixed with a hint of pepper. Just like with everything else in this scent, the pepper never feels brash or abrasive to your senses. Sitting behind this spicy concoction is just a little bit of citrus. The opening then leads into a soft lavender mid, with a creamy sandalwood base. It amazingly accomplishes all of this with a fresh airiness to it all. It's a beautiful fragrance in it's simplicity and is one of my absolute favorites. This is one of the fragrances that gets compared to the classic Gucci Envy on occasion. From what I have tried, this is the smell that reminds me of Envy the most. It just so happens, that for my personal tastes, I actually prefer this one. It has a lighter and brighter smell to it than Gucci. This is a perfect fragrance to add to your Fall and Spring Rotations. Also, if you find the Extreme version I would definitely pick it up. It's a bit stronger than the original and would be quite a find. Best Age Group- 30+ Best Season(s)- Fall/Spring Occasions- Formal, Work, Casual Projection/Sillage- Moderate Longevity- 7 Hours Smell- 10/10 Overall- 10/10 YouTube Channel: theaveragecologneguy

I finally got my hands on a beautiful bottle of Floris Santal.. My interest in Floris Santal started when I was seeking a replacement for my beloved Gucci Envy.. Well my bottle came today and it is gorgeous.. Beautiful clear glass bottle with a light greenish colored juice.. Without hesitation I got ready to go out and I sprayed it on.. I immediately noticed not only is it similar to Envy but it smells amazing! From the initial blast, you can tell that this fragrance is very good quality and it has a lot going on.. It is far from just sandalwood like the name would suggest.. It is a gorgeous green cocktail of spices, woods, olibanum, and a hint of citrus.. Both Santal and Envy contain a lot of different notes, some are the same and some differ.. But overall they are very close to each other.. Envy is stronger, richer, and darker.. Envy contains alot of incense which gives it a darker feel.. Santal is like a lighter, brighter version of Envy.. The two are very very similar! Santal smells like an exotic love potion for men.. It smells sexy, but classy and sophisticated.. It has decent projection and longevity.. I feel great wearing this and I am happy I have found a great replacement for Envy!