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.

My favourite scent of all time. Smells beautiful and relaxing to me. Incredibly enjoyable and soothing. To me it smells like a place. Almost church like perhaps. I really just wear it for me because it's so calming and peaceful. A masterpiece!

Sandalo is a bold, balsamic amber-woody scent. Initially sweet and heavy, like overripe fruit, its dry, woody base takes centre-stage as it progresses. A creamy floral undertone smooths things out somewhat, but it is not the most cohesive scent despite its best efforts. It is an example of a sweet masculine scent due to its lavender top note and boozy woods. Sandalo has a strong, boozy opening, its balsamic amber accord evident from initial spray and remaining until final fade. It is rounded out by ripe fruitiness, and a strong, aromatic lavender note holds court for a little while, but doesn't quite meld well with the balsamic opening. The woodiness is subtle here, but develops alongside the scent as a whole. As it develops, it settles, and the dry woodiness comes to the fore. The rosewood is initially the most dominant woody note, but the dry sandalwood slowly takes precedence. It is not the beautiful Mysore sandalwood of vintage perfumes, but is instead the harsher Australian variety. Still, some powdery rose adds some smoothness to it here, complementing it beautifully. As it dries down, the amber accord becomes leathery and musky, marrying nicely with the dry woods. The patchouli adds some earthiness, and it fades to a dry musky, woody skin scent. Sillage and longevity are moderate - it fades surprisingly quickly after its opening blast of balsamic booziness. It is masculine-leaning in my opinion, and is best worn in cold weather. A balsamic-woody scent with some points of interest, I'm not wholly convinced by Sandalo, but it is a reasonably decent masculine based around an Australian sandalwood note that shows some creativity on the part of its perfumer. 3/5.

After a lot of looking a round and much sampling, I finally managed to pick up a bottle Villoresi's iconic Sandalo. And what a creation this one is!! Not your average drug store scent but neither is it your average niche scent - the whole concept of sandalwood, the rarest and most expensive Sandalwood from Mysore is captured in this juice. The accompaniments are by no means anything over the top but they are put together in absolute perfect harmony. Dry Vetiver, opoponax (sweet myrrh) and further up the pyramid rosewood, lavender (of course) and some rose all work together very smoothly to produce the final product. Quite like how a car is comprised of multiple components working together to turn the wheels, brake, change gears, etc. The sandalwood is indeed creamy yet light and subdued. On my skin at least it is quite faint - it doesn't knock with its fist on the front door so as to break it down; instead, it taps lightly and expects you to open. Carefully apply in small doses and the sandalwood is there in all its glory. Great bottle too Mr Villoresi. Now, if only they had this stuff in stock in all sizes...!!

Gorgeous and elegant sandalwood and flowers combination. Very versatile especially during spring and fall. A hint of sweetness makes it comforting and good for colder seasons, but its fresh and flowery notes make it very suitable for those days when the cold is gone but the heat isn't too strong. I've even used it on summer nights during my holidays and it was perfectly enjoyable. I've received great female reactions to this. I think Villoresi is a little bit underrated as they make wonderful fragrances. Their idea is that a fragrance shouldn't be related to a season, an occasion or gender, just on your mood and preferences and Sandalo does exactly that for me.

Looking for a sandalwood aroma today, this juice certainly gives me that with a herbal vib with oakmoss and a tint of lavender. After awhile a spicy/balsamic blast with a hint of citrusy blend settles making it a very unique juice. The sandalwood/woodsy blend with the peppery aroma is still going strong. Vetiver helps to balance the spicy/woodsy notes. Longevity and Silage is very high lasting well past 8hrs Overall, Definitely a fall /winter fragrance perfect during the evening and not to be taken as a low key fragrance. This juice certainly packs a punch. If that's what you want, this juice is for you!! 8.5/10 well made.

I like sandalwood and there are very few sandalwood based fragrances I dislike. SANDALO by Lorenzo Villoresi is a pretty, dry and mostly masculine sandalwood fragrance. Note-wise I got sandalwood of course and very dry woody notes, it was also a bit spicy, a bit warm and a bit old school. As someone already mentioned - this would work much better on a male skin as this have a very masculine vibe. For me SANDALO lacks that little "oomph" that would make me love this, it is a nice sandalwood scent, but it also feels that there is something missing. Longevity is good - 6 hours and a bit more, silage is rather low.

It starts out honest, vintage, a fat, stalactic wire. I have above all bitter lavender, citrus and spicy rosewood in the first place, soiled with vetiver and opoponax. Soap with rose and warmed by amber all the way. Never sweet sandal. At times harsh, dark, dense and sticky, on the skin with an Italian colonial trail. More suitable in cold seasons. Old school masculine but still, honest.

Very old school western take on sandalwood without any spiritual vibes that come with Mysore Sandalwood. Woody masculine and fresh scent profile. Overall an above average performer for a more mature audience. Safe for office wear but doubt will get compliments.

55)what a delightful surprise, the reincarnation of Rush Men by Gucci. Sandalwood + rose on a bed of amber and spice up by some citrus. The result is elegant and quite compelling.

Reflection BY Lucian Freud 1985 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Stevens ( Anthony Hopkins ) in The Remains of the Day by James Ivory

A very sober. gentlemanly fatherly sandalwood. Good stuff.

Interesting fragrance.... starts off very very loud, harsh on the dry woods... and on the vetiver. then a blast of Lavender, very fresh. Luckily it calms down rapidly to reveal some soft rose notes and, finally! a deep round note of sandalwood. I like its complexity and the fact that the notes develop gradually in a floating motion. I see it on a man, even if it is marketed as unisex. A refined Gentleman, that is. A very classy & refined fragrance, but I am not sure I could personally wear it.

It smells of old wood, slightly musty, with that soft, warm resinous side of sandalwood and the dry bite of aged cedar. It almost brings to mind antique furniture, freshly waxed, with a trace of cedar oil that feels warm, a little rancid, and grows more peppery as it dries. It’s that hot, slightly rancid edge I struggle with, not the wood itself, which I actually like.

my sample is from the vintage collection but it's not on fragrantica unfortunately. this starts with woods and something that smells like very realistic coconut. then i get a heavy dose of musk as it fades. i don't get any florals or citruses here...just sandalwood and coconut. interesting, not terrible, but not for me.

As much as I love Lorenzo Villoresi perfumes, especially Wild Lavender, Vetiver, Colonia, Dilmun and Atman Xaman, I really do not like this one. To me it smells like the fireworks you use for New Years; like old gun powder smoke. I also get animalic notes almost like urine. There is also a warmer boozy note, but it doesn't compensate for the sharp smoky burnt smell. If sandalwood is supposed to smell like this it is not for me.