Bois de Santal et Terre

These are my first impressions about the fragrance... I was lucky to receive a set of samples from Kyse - many thanks Fragrantica! As it has been a rather chilly spring day, I decided to start with sampling this scent ouf of the four. The notes promised a warming potion of feel good chocoholic pleasure. I was not disappointed! Most prominent for my nose was a big whiff of the very finest cocoa powder on a backdrop of warm wood, and a suede jacket (or was that my imagination?). The cocoa is neither sweet nor bitter, there is no vanilla or gourmand fillers such as in "chocolate" perfumes. For a moment, I am asking myself if there is patchouli, but I think my nose is picking up on the earthy notes and mushroom plus there is a tradition of scents combining cocoa and patch (such as LIDGE or Kokorico or even Angel and its many relatives or dupes). KYSE Bois de Santal et Terre is stripping the concept way back into a perfectly unisex, warm, dry, feel good scent, perfectly cuddled between the woody and gourmand categories. As for the comparison with Stash, I wholeheartedly disagree because Stash is a woody mess (at least on me) while this beautiful fragrance creates a mysterious and unique mood elevating cloud of cocoa, it is just a feel good factor (but without the blunt sweetness where so many gourmands go wrong and on your nerves pretty quickly). The fragrance is unique enough to be in your collection, even if you already have a chocolate heavy wardrobe. I have never smelled anything quite like it, it is as if it triggers a memory from scenes of daily life, cosy moments, but really there never was a situation where I would have been tumbling around in cocoa powder and wooden furniture or inside a leather bag or so unless I was a chocolate in a past life.... This is inoffensive unless oversprayed, with discreet to moderate sillage. Lasts well over 6hrs on my skin however it doesn't project that much anymore after about 3. All in all very impressive and I look forward to sampling the other Kyse fragrances in my sample kit.

Once I caught rumor of Terri's new sandalwood in production, I stalked her site once a week waiting for its release. I ordered this blindly and with the greatest expectations. At first spray I was a bit amused. The mushroom note was so intense on my skin. I did not know what to make of it. I had never smelled mushroom in a fragrance before and wasn't so sure I wanted to smell like that. I decided to let my bottle sit and settle for a few days. New Year's day was cloudy, raining, and dreary outside. I wanted something new and interesting for the first day of 2017. So once again I tried Bois de Santal et Terre, but this time all over sprays. I wanted to meet the challenge of that mushroom and see how far it dared to tread. Not long after I began to smell this gorgeous woody smell emanating from my sweater and skin. I immediately was transported back almost 30 years in time. A cold rainy day in North Carolina forest. Outside of my grandparents home I would venture alone through the woods, kudzu, and moss covered grounds. Searching to find fairies under mushrooms. Playing in the damp earth and moss on my hands and knees. What precious memories those are to me. When life was simple and my only care was not getting my shoes too dirty and walking on MawMaw's clean floor. This perfume is absolutely gorgeous! I have never smelled anything quite like it. The aura it carries in the air is even more lovely then smelling it directly on your skin. My sweater has smelled wonderful for days. If this was bottled by a high dollar Niche perfumer it would be very pricey. But that's the other treasure of Terri's perfumes. They are affordable, personal, and supporting small business. You can send Terri a message and she will sweetly respond to you. I take pride in wearing perfume that is personal and crafted with such care. I am so pleased I began 2017 with such a beautiful inspiration. Thank you Miss Terri for sharing this unique and lovely perfume with all of us!

Wow! What a stunner. Well done Terri. Another triumph. I can see why folk see a similarity with Stash. In my humble opinion this is better. It definitely has good longevity unlike Stash. It is a woody oriental but it is also borderline gourmand. Who knew how fabulous sandalwood, fungus and chocolate would combine. It has some sweetness but just the right amount. You are definitely hit with sandalwood first but as the alcohol vanishes you become more aware of the cocoa, cedar and mushroom. It finally closes with lots of mushroom. It really is delish and very unisex, so girls try not to hog this one. Low to moderate silage but hangs around for hours.

Every sandalwood lover should smell this. It's like sandalwood extreme taking the sweet, powdery, and earthy aspects and emphasizing all of them. The end result is kind of dank and dusty with a slightly syrupy sweetness and a bitter cacao note. I joked that it was "chocolate alone in a dusty basement", but it isn't unpleasant. The sandalwood stays and makes everything make sense together. The longevity is impressive. I can still smell some the next morning.

KYSE Bois de Santal et Terre. A rich cocoa sandalwood sprinkled with a little sweet cereal note. Cradled by an aromatic mushroom and damp earth. I wish cold damp winters smelled this good...I add some rose to give it a floral and it layers well, but stands alone great. Worth a try and see if its for you. A unique base driven scent.