White Sandalwood

i stomped determinedly into sephora and went straight for the new NEST scents. i had one thing on my mind and that was SMELLIN! i take my smellin' very seriously folks, haha. each fragrance comes in insanely gorgeous glass bottles and they all smelled divinely different and intoxicating. white sandalwood gave me pause. i seriously think i may have actually SWOONED!! it was warmth and sweet romantic whispers in your ear... it was exotic, woody and a perfect balance of sandalwood and almonds. my god i thought i was going to cry when i found out the store didn't have anymore $25 rollerballs left because (real talk) $65 for a full sized bottle is not my jam. baby girl has got to eat, am i right? after huffing them all and hogging the perfume wall for a good half hour, i actually decided i wanted small sizes of them all. so the bargain shopper in me raced home, went to sephora online and purchased all 5 in a lovely Eau de Parfum Coffret for $38, such a deal!!! YOU'RE WELCOME!!

I was very curious as to why the coffer I purchased had one "male" fragrance in it along with all the rest of the very clearly feminine scents. Dabbing this on I understand why. They may market this to men but this smells like an incense stick that has not been lit sitting in a kitchen while someone hand molds marzipan. I smell warm almond sugar dough and a hint of that incense. Its not unpleasant at all and nothing remotely says "man" about this to me. The dry down had a slight herby-spiced smell that MIGHT come off as manly but mostly this smells like a kitchen that a hippie who likes sandalwood and incense uses. I would like this much better as a home fragrance candle than a perfume.

If this were a candle or room spray I would totally buy it! Otherwise, it is a for me only scent. Allow me to explain... First we open with a shot of almond extract, sweet and creamy, followed by a delightful incense that reminds me of Chinese fans and rich embroidered silks in bold jewel tones in a tea parlor. I feel like I've had paper scented with the same smell. Great for ambiance or meditation, I'd wear this to be transported to a special place. Highly recommend for the ladies too.

Another lovely Frangrantican sent me a sample in a swap. I LOVE it! It's delicious bitter almond note strongly reminds me Hypnotic Poison, which I adore. It's Hypnotic Poison sans the heavy vanilla making it just masculine enough to pass for unisex. Mixed with the woody sandalwood and subtle hint of spice this is sheer perfection to me!

This is Hypnotic Poison without the playdough vanilla note--it's all about the sandalwood and almond. I have a hard time with the idea of it being for men, but that's OK, because he is NOT getting his hands on it. It's probably my favorite of the Nest line.