Sandalo

In my search for the perfect sandalwood, I have accumulated some wonderful examples. Top of the heap for me would be the Lutensian masterpieces Santal Majuscule & Mysore, followed by the likes of Santal Noble by MPeG, Blue Santal by CdG and Tam Dao by Diptyque, What I have discovered is that when it comes to sandalwood, there really is no 'perfect' incarnation. All the above examples are gorgeous in their own right and suit wearing on different occasions, at different times of the year, amongst different company or indeed, just to suit your particular mood. Lorenzo Villoresi Sandalo is yet another altogether different take which yet again, illustrates this theory. Despite owning a lot of sandalwood scents, I have nothing quite like this one. It is a stunning, dry, linear sandalwood, supported by a lovely rose note and hints of patchouli. It opens with a touch of lavender (not a favourite note of mine, but well wrought in this) and some delicate spices, but the sandalwood and vetiver quickly assume centre stage and stay there. It has wonderful staying power and it's projection is actually kind of curious. It feels so subtle and personal, that I feel as if it has dried to a skin scent almost immediately, but then I find myself sniffing at these divine wafts in the air and realise it's actually me that I'm smelling! The odd random compliment is also a sign that this scent projects well too I guess! This is a really beautiful scent, well constructed and worth every penny. With only a few drops, you'll wind up thanking complete strangers for the compliments all night long! Sandalwood lovers, please don't miss this!

The most meditative fragrance I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Perhaps as close to a holy grail as I will ever come, and this quite literally: warm, comforting, tempering, fortifying, Sandalo is virtually a pocket-size religion. The spiritual dimension and ritualistic importance of several key ingredients support this bold claim. I find the sandalwood to be an immediate presence here and the oils grouped around it serve to emphasize its calmly uplifting woody sweetness rather than the harsher, pungent aspects equally latent in this mysterious Mysore wonder. You will find very different sandalwoods, but none better than Villoresi's intellectual and emotional masterpiece.

Thought I reviewed this ages ago! How could I not have expressed my utter infatuation with this unbelievably creamy sandalwood? Not sweet at all, just woods that are somehow oily and creamy. I don't really notice all the other notes. It must be well-blended because nothing distracts from the intensely creamy wood. I was expecting something a bit more cologne-like because of the lavender, but this is a heavy-hitting creamy sandalwood, kind of like sandalwood oil mixed with Nivea lotion or something like that. A breathtaking, totally addicting wood fragrance!

This smells very close to some of the creamier Mysore sandalwood incense sticks I have from Japan. It is what I hoped for from Tam Dao, but without any hint of the scratchy cedar note I get from Tam Dao. Pretty linear, with Lorenzo Villoresi's 'signature' powdery note developing later on. When I was younger I might have considered it too masculine to wear, but now I think it's just lovely.

Maybe because Lorenzo Villoresi has a background in philosophy and anthropology, there's a kind of profundity -- not just beauty -- in his perfumes. Sandalo is an example of that: It's lovely, gentle and calming, but it also brings to mind a feeling of rituals situated just outside of memory. It's as much a state of mind as a fragrance, and I love it.