Santal Austral

I knew this would be a top 5 scent for me from notes alone and I wasn’t wrong. Iris (duh!) and tonka bean are some of my absolute favourites. This is a sweet (but definitely not too sweet), creamy and comforting sandalwood. There’s something vanilla-ish about this as well that many have mentioned but more a vanilla bean than generic or baked, most likely the powdery goodness of iris and sweetness of tonka together. A warm blanket of fragrance on a rainy day and definitely one to go for if your all about skin scents (as in the actual type of scent) but not about the weak projection and longevity that usually comes with them. I wouldn’t say the projection of this one is as good as some MP fragrances (not nuclear) but definitely much better than the average fragrance for sure. HOWEVER THE LONGEVITY holy smokes! I have washed a jumper 3 times and I can still smell this! However unlike say, vanilla powder (which I do still love), I don’t mind this as much as the scent is so comforting and inoffensive. This might be second only to Encens Suave for me in all time favourite fragrances in my collection, not just MP. It is my favourite go-to when I do not know what to wear in the day and just need to throw something on quickly. You can wear this for anything: work, errands, committing an unsolvable murder, lunch, breaking up with your bum boyfriend, etc and just be mildly comforted by the scent and be told you smell great all day. I have two small gripes though. I hate the first 30mins of this, smells like urine, I don’t know why - so i never ever wear this right before going somewhere but i can definitely compromise. Second, i do also agree that at the end of the day, it’s just a sweet sandalwood. I’m sure there are similar ones out there for a fraction of the cost but for me it’s worth it when I consider the longevity and projection. I have dermatitis so finding something as comforting and skin-scent-but-not as this that ACTUALLY LASTS AND PROJECTS is a 1 million chance and means I will continue to buy it for as long as I can.

Sprayed one spray of this on my wrist testing it at Saks and kept getting the most divine whiffs of the most creamy vanilla sandalwood scent. Came onto fragrantica to see what other people thought and was genuinely shocked it seems so many people don't like this one. For me, this fragrance was a love at first sniff. I will say sandalwood is a tricky note for me, I enjoy the scent but it has to be done in a certain way as I am one of those people who is prone to smelling pickles (looking at you santal 33). The only sandalwood I have actually enjoyed thus far is santal complet from fragrance du bois but unfortunately, the longevity of that one is severely lacking. This fragrance is an absolute beast. I sprayed one spray on my wrist and it was radiating on the train ride home, such that my boyfriend was asking me what I sprayed. The tonka bean and almond milk (which is not listed on fragrantica but is on Matiere Premiere's website) absolutely shine in the dry down, but the fact that this is a sandalwood scent prevents this from becoming a boring lactonic vanilla scent. I actually find this scent to be incredibly interesting, I have never smelled a sandalwood that is so creamy and milky, and it complements the tonka and almond milk so well, I really would not think these notes would play so well together. I get a very creamy and sweet scent from this fragrance and I absolutely love it. Clearly, this is not everyone's experience however so definitely try before you buy this one. edit: I had to buy a full bottle and I do not regret it for a second. I could not stop thinking about this scent since I first smelled it on the way home from Saks. I have had to refrain from wearing this every single day to show love to my other scents as I am simply enamored by this scent, and it is perfect for the cooler weather. This may be one of my favorite fragrances of all time

Santal Austral is a fantastic fragrance, very pleasant and well constructed. It perfectly mixes natural and synthetic raw materials creating a great contemporary concoction. For me, it has 2 distinctive phases: 1. Creamy Sandalwood/iris: the opening and first 1h/2h are an absolute delight. The sandalwood is creamy and slightly powdery. It has a soothing, slightly medicinal quality to it. Don’t get me wrong, the projection is strong at that stage, so I recommend letting it air for a few minutes before entering an enclosed space. 2. Resinous/synthetic dry-down: after a couple of hours, the iris goes away and the sandalwood start getting a bit more harsh and the synthetics start playing an important role alongside de benzoin/ambery base. I absolutely love it, but I understand why some people find it too sharp. It surely has a great deal of javanol and anbroxan in it, so If you have a hard time with those, I’d stay clear of this fragrance. Performance-wise, I consider this to be perfect for me. It has good projection, and it gets moderate as it dries down. For that reason it’s not overwhelming or too intrusive. Longevity is insane. It lasts 12+ on skin and literally forever on clothes (like +months if you don’t wash it)

I tried a few from the brand at Scent Bar and loved Encens Suave, Santal Austral and Parisian Musc instantly but I didn’t get them all. I got the full bottle of Parisian Musc immediately because I thought it’s more usable for the warm climate in L.A. but I took the samples of both Santal Austral and Encens Sauve home. I then tried it twice at home from the sample that I’d got. Oh dear, I just cannot forget the delicious smell of it and I had to went back to Scent Bar to get a full bottle of it within 2 weeks. It is totally a different take of sandalwood (I have Santal 33 and it is so different). This is slightly gourmand, creamy lactonic and fluffy take of sandalwood with a modern twist. Very delicious! Performance is very good but not monstrous. Lasts about 9+ hours on skin and moderate projection. It stays closer to skin and very airy so I thought I will try wearing it in summer time and see if it will works but definitely suitable for spring, fall, and winter. I already fell in love with this house because I love the modern and chic style of their scents, not very perfumery. They also have very decent performing fragrances.

Wow what a chameleon this one is! Sampling this with one too many sprays, for me it was an immediate no. I almost exclusively wear unisex fragrances, and am partial to a spritz of male-marketed fragrances, but this to me was TOO masculine. Super sharp, spicy and a little peppery. But I persevered and it was well worth it. Within 30 minutes it mellowed out to a beautiful warm, cozy and sophisticated scent and truly unisex. As someone who usually leans towards fresh, green and sometimes light floral fragrances, I have been struggling to find a cold weather scent that doesn’t contain the typical suspects which tend too sweet or heady - oud, vanilla, bourbon etc. My search might just be over! It is warm and inviting with more of a creaminess, not a sweetness. Comforting and hearty like a fresh hot loaf of bread, not decadent like a fresh baked brownie. Close to the skin, but not a skin scent. Singular but very intriguing. Absolute love.

Very cozy and clean smelling sandalwood scent. Perfectly unisex and easy reach for casual outings and office wear. This is a pretty good likeness to a real sandalwood log. The gentle sweetness from Tonka adds gorgeous depth and coziness to the dry down. The evolution of the scent was different on my skin vs my blouse. It blooms on skin and smells much more natural. This wears drier than Samsara, it’s less vanillic, and has a chalky talc-like smell that feels clean and fresh. I don’t mean soapy or citrusy. I mean like after baby’s had a bath and you’re smelling its soft, sleepy, head with your spouse. I’ve smelled my share of sandalwood classics, and this holds its own because of the reachable price point. I can easily see this being a good summer scent because of that. PS did they make a bad batch or did people get their decants mixed up? The negative reviews can’t possibly be smelling the same beautiful scent I am experiencing 😂

I love this fragrance. Reminds me of the carved sandalwood pieces that I have from my travels. Very unisex. I experience a very warm, powdery, woody opening and a beautiful cardamom that reminds me of a middle eastern dessert. One of the few scents my husband’s fairly blunt nose also picks up and appreciates. I didn’t care for some of the frags from this house, but this one smells wonderful to me. One of those that lasts the whole day and I wake up still smelling a gorgeous cozy scent the next morning. I don’t get any of the burnt plastic stuff some reviews are mentioning. I bought my bottle from fragrancenet and have nothing but good things to say. If I reviewed per my own taste, I would have loved a bit of amber added to it, but I believe the line was created to focus on a single note. If the goal is a sandalwood-focused fragrance, this one gets full points for smell, projection, longevity - 10/10

So .. this is interesting. Got a small decant and was enchanted. Soft, creamy, very slightly sweet but in a fresh way. Clean, comforting, intimate - your skin but better, but w/o the musk that's so prevalent in those scents, which doesn't work on me. Ordered a larger decant from another company (better travel size containers), and while I was waiting for that, found a FB to order. When I received the larger decant, it was synthetic, harsh, acrid, stale. Foul Play-Doh, or burnt rubber. Received my order of the FB, and was beyond relieved that it was like the initial sample. Those two were the same pale color, the travel size decant was a darker yellow. Not sure if the larger decant was from a bottle that had turned, or there is a bad batch out there, but it would explain the polarized reviews. *also great to layer, elevates both fragrances, can't think of a note with which it wouldn't work work.

On paper, it smells almost too dense and thick, but on skin, it's GLORIOUS. The opening is loud (like all the others in the line), with a huge hit of syrupy benzoin and tonka. It quickly starts to mellow and there's a powdery and woody dustiness the appears for about 20 minutes. Then everything melts together. This fragrance is all about the silage! The sent bubble is an incredible clould of into the creamiest, dreamiest sandalwood, but when you put your nose to you skin, you get the powdery iris and woods. This is the perfect mix of naturals and aroma chemicals because the heavier naturals are given lift and feel magical. The performance is stellar. As a woman, I would wear this, but I'm hoping my husband falls in love with Santal Austral because this is sexy as hell.

Santal Austral is one whereby I expect, hope, in fact, to be changing, updating my impressions. This "sandalwood " fragrance came highly recommended. Perhaps my chest cold is to blame, but it seems rather composed of santal-like aroma compounds, rather than any smooth, Samsaraesque qualities. Heard too many good things. Refuse to give up on it so soon. Hoping this will grow to be a love 🤞🤞🤞🤞 ETA: Here we are more than a year later & I am beginning to get it. Finally the iris is poking through. It's becoming less & less of a molecular perfume. It felt quite 'chemically' for the longest times. Now the individual notes/accords are discernible. So glad I did not declutter this one. Be prepared to wait. It takes a looonng time to develop & become worth the cost.

@aur4ora I just came here to write about this phenomenon. Upon initial application I didn't care for it, far too spicy and weirdly soapy. Strange because the notes wouldn't suggest such a smell. An hour later I noticed a beautiful tonka aroma, almost almond-y radiating off of me. Smelled my arm again and the spice is completely gone, it's now a pleasant, slightly vanillic, creamy sandalwood. Drydown reminds me a lot of BDK Velvet Tonka, one of my all-time favourite perfumes. Santal Austral is challenging for me as the beginning and end are drastically different. You'll need to try it on your skin a couple of times, for the entire wear time, before making up your mind. I like the dry-down but I have to test the scent more to form judgment.

i can't justify purchasing this at the moment, but it's been in my head ever since it was recommended to me at a perfume shop in Versailles, after i told the clerk i loved sandalwood. such a warm, cozy, and smooth sandalwood. it's really creamy, with a hint of powder and a little vanillic. the performance on this is insane- lasts days on skin and survived a shower. you can really smell the quality of this scent. strangely, i find the powdery element of this perfume quite similar to the one found in vanilla powder, just dialled back and minus the screechy, dusty, overwhelming dryness that makes me dislike VP. i guess you could layer them if you wanted to create a powder bomb that would last weeks and knock out anyone in a 10 metre radius

Such a beautiful and well blended scent ! From this house I tried Parisian Musc, French Flower, Bois d'Ebene (my least favorite) and Crystal Saffron. It’s creamy, slightly lactonic and slightly spicy sandalwood. Opening is probably my favorite part since my nose pick up something green and minty combined with the creamy sandalwood which is looovely. It’s really weird since there is absolutely no green notes in this perfume. Of course it’s beautiful all the way to drydown. I think it's very versatile scent for every occasion and every outfit. Probably it wont be suitable for summer heat but any other season will be great. Also I think it’s a safe blind bought since it really inoffensive fragrance.

It’s a divine sandalwood, almost like a velvety embrace. The projection and strength feel medium, and to me it’s incredibly versatile a fragrance you can wear to the office or to an event. I even get the vibe of an everyday cologne you can reach for without thinking. The iris definitely adds a slightly vintage touch, but in a very modern, polished way that feels unmistakably Matière Première. It has that velvety, refined sandalwood and the brand’s signature DNA. I’ve been loving it; I even wear it to the gym. Very versatile, very modern — a truly modern take on sandalwood. I really like it. It’s not a masterpiece or a fragrance I couldn’t live without, but I’m enjoying it a lot .

Even though this fragrance has un undeniable chemical vibe its creaminess and sweetness plus the combination with my beloved iris makes it addictive to me. Bordering on being a gourmand even though the scent doesn't evoke something one would eat. Longevity, projection and sillage are great. This is my favourite from the house as a lot of my favourite notes are combined. It isn't a natural smelling sandalwood when comparing S.A. to others but I truly don't care. Only for cold weather, it can be dressed down or up and people around seem to really like it. It is powdery but I wouldn't describe it as a powder bomb.

I really enjoy this - - on me, it's like a female version of Givenchy's Pi, even down to the light bubble-bath aspect (though without the herbs); or it also smells like a more sandalwoody Mon Guerlain, but without the sugar and lavender. The former is more obvious in the dry-down - the latter is more of an impression rather than anything properly tangible. This is much milkier and less sweet - better blended and smooth, and of course it revolves around that creamy sandalwood. A lovely skinscent. Like sandalwood and rice pudding. I don't find it synthetic and harsh in the least - - those comments surprised me.

Almost gourmand sandalwood This is just magical,so smooth yet powerful, can't imagine anyone not liking it. Every note dancing like little fairyes around you, creating the most beautiful imagery and cozy feeling. I get buttery sandalwood, dipped in vanilla almond milk with a touch of iris, it's just superb, longevity is excellent,I can smell it on myself for hours and hours, projection is not too strong but with every move it gives wafts of deliciousness. This is how I imagined This is her from Zadig would smell,but didn't deliver, it's that,elevated by 1000 if you like

I’m obsessed with Santal Austral. Woody fragrances are usually too dry, sharp or green for me, but this is warm, soft, smooth and creamy. I only need one or two sprays and I can smell it on myself all day. Although the longevity is impressive, I find it sits quite close to the skin (I was feeling self-conscious about wearing it at work, but my partner and a colleague both said they could only smell it up close which is my preference). Be wary of spraying on clothes - I could still get whiffs of it on a dress even after it had been through the wash twice!

I love Santal Austral, especially on days when I want something cozy. It’s even perfect at night when I want a calming scent to relax with. The scent has a nice sweetness, and sometimes I use it for layering to add warmth and softness to other perfumes. I do switch it up with other scents so I don’t get tired of it, but Santal Austral is definitely a favorite. Other favorites from Matiere Premiere are Parisian Musc and French Flower, but Santal Austral is the one I reach for the most.

Sandalwood syrup, Unctuous Tonka, Middle eastern ambers and benzoin which last forever. Vanillic without the use of vanilla, an absolute piece of genius, despite the slightly imperfect opening. If you are looking for a comforting and velvety sandalwood butter look no further: Santal austral has a grounding cocooning feeling that gives me warm shivers at the end of every workday. The most mind taming fragrance I own.