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.

Woodsy, earthy, and a faint hint of sweetness. A dry and dusty aspect too. My favorite of the four Kyse fragrances in my sample pack. It reminds me of exploring old abandoned barns. Definitely a memory scent. I smell it and think "oh, I've been there before".

Beautiful earthy, woodsy scent that reminds me of zoning out in German saunas. I normally don't reach for unisex scents just because I like smelling feminine but I can imagine reaching for this one, maybe to layer with?

This is great, almost dusty in way. The dust isn't like dirt though, more like cocoa powder. The chocolate mushroom combo was suprisingly great. This would be a perfect addition to any fall wardrobe.

So happy to try the remainder of Terri's current fragrances with Kyse, the first this week being Bois de Santal et Terre, which I believe translates to "sandalwood and earth" and it that respect, its name is very accurate. Sandalwood and cedar factor in significantly, and I have a slightly difficult time detecting the earthy notes, though maybe patchouli and vetiver each factor in a little bit. The cocoa adds some sweetness, mostly to prevent the mix from being too dirty, but not really making it all that sweet, especially compared various to other Kyse offerings that range from somewhat sweet to very sweet. Overall, a versatile fragrance as far as gender, occasion, and temperature, though I'd personally be more inclined to wear this in cooler weather. And with the standard $52 for 60ml, BDSET has the same great pricing as the rest of the line. 7 out of 10

Smells like a carpet of pine needles. It reminds me also of furniture and dry woods. This isn't damp at all.

mexican hot chocolate with an earthy, soil-like undertone. did not get mushroom specifically, but it definitely has a damp earth/woody heart that carries through. not an everyday wear, but very fun and cozy.

It was bound to happen. After testing a dozen or more Kyse samples—and liking all of them—I found one I do not like. First, I’m a sandalwood fan. It’s a note that is easy to like, in part, because it has a creamy depth that makes it easy to wear. But Bois de Santal et Terre is not easy going, the opening smells like cheap men’s aftershave. I’m getting too much earth and a dusty synthetic note I can’t place. I don’t think my dislike can be attributed to one singular note, but most likely due to the combination or accords. I realize that I’m an outlier in my opinion, but I have to be honest. I like a wide variety of scents—masculine, unisex and feminine— but this is a pass. Edit: My husband loves it, came into the room I sprayed about an hour ago and starting swooning. He can’t believe my reaction, so I’m definitely in the minority.

I love the way this smells, but I don't want to smell like it. Does that make sense? The opening is a blast of cacao powder and dried mushrooms. The scent of wet earth is there as well. It's a nice smell. I love to garden and soil smells great - again, not something I want to smell like. I find this scent to be very unique and I love it for that. There is nothing gourmand in this scent which is different for the Kyse line. I think the problem I have with the scent is that after the dry down there is sandalwood, earth, and mushrooms. It lacks any sweet/creaminess that I enjoy with sandalwood. The earth and mushroom notes are quite realistic. Overall, I actually like how it smells and I appreciate it's uniqueness, but I do not want to smell like it.

I recently obtained some samples form their site. I have to say I really wish it were early December instead of mid-march, with spring officially starting in 4 days. This is most certainly a top notch winter scent that would never disappoint, especially if you enjoy that earthy woody vibe. Earthy/soil smells can be tough to take in, but this one is done just perfect. There's a warmth and coziness that doesn't overwhelm you because the gourmand element is not overpowering. I'll be enjoying the sample and probably getting a full bottle even if it's no longer cold. The smell just makes me wanna' keep smelling my wrist, so i already know I'll miss it.

The opening was all mushrooms and mold spores, and right after spraying a ton of it on myself I was like GOB Bluth, "I've made a huge mistake." Luckily, that did not last! After about five minutes, it has become a lovely wood fragrance. I'm getting mostly sandalwood; I agree with anyone who's saying it reminds them of Sarah Jessica Parker Stash. If you hate that, though, you'll definitely hate this.

My God! Terri hit one out of the park with this scent. This puts most of my other fragrances to shame. And you can’t beat the price for such a high quality niche fragrance. Dusty chocolate surrounded by woods. Perfect! 10/10