Green Sandalwood

I haven't tried Santal Greenery, but I had a feeling that I would love this fragrance, based on the notes, and I surmised correctly. I don't have many fragrances like this in my collection, and so far, even though I haven't yet tested it on my skin, only on paper, I can tell that this is going to be an easy summer reach for me. I get sandalwood and greenery, as promised by the name, but I also discern a kind of figgy, cedary kind of accord that reminds me of an Aveda salon or a high-end furniture-and-housewares shop in an upscale mall. I find this scent perfectly unisex and appealing, despite a trace of what I think might be calone or some watery melon-like scent that gives BBW vibes ever so slightly. I do love the way the perfumers emphasize the vaguely milky quality of sandalwood, before it is overtly creamy, when it still has a bit of unripeness about it. Lovely! Update: on my skin (on full wearing) I'm getting the musk note, and it's coming off a bit "laundry detergent," but not in a bad way. I do understand why someone compared the OG to clean laundry, but I don't mind it at all. I find this a great choice for a hot, humid St. Louis summer. Update: I was trying to think what this reminds me of, and it hit me: Mancera Fig Exstasy (sic) Update: The longevity on this bad boy is no joke. I sprayed some on my not entirely consenting husband, and it has persisted after he took a shower and scrubbed with soap. Whatever musk this contains, it must be nearly nuclear in strength. That's probably why it reminds me of a Mancera.

This is most definitely DVN'S Santal Greenery evil twin. I'd say at least as close as 93% to the OG.

Earthy fig at its best, surrounded by attractive notes creating a unique fragrance. This is what I wish KKW Rare Fig smelled like. So this I could tell that it has fig before checking the notes as it reminded me of the fig in Kkw Rare Fig, but way better. Both are sour green and with unripe fig, conveying the same depth of the fig like you're in a tree's shade, slightly dry and earthy as unripe fig is. However, this is not stale dusty since there is no vetiver, also amplifying the dry quality of the fig making it dusty, while Rare Fig was so dusty and stale like perfumes that go bad in the bottle after years and so I sold it. Also Rare Fig is not a smooth scent but it is astringent, while this is a tart green yet fruity-sweet and smooth scent without screechy effects. So what I wanted was a scent like Korres Philosia as in green natural fruity smooth woody without the fir balsam piney notes, for something different, and a scent like Demeter Sawdust as in creamy fresh woody, but with some green and fruity elements, and this is exactly that scent. Sawdust has cedar and lavender so it's not a green scent, but it's very smooth, fresh, woody and nutty with the wood's warmth. Korres Philosia is a green at first then a solar anise scent (like ambrette) very creamy nutty woodsy from the guaiac wood being creamy similarly to Sawdust but too green and slightly sharp/sour like foliage/philosia is which I love, but I wanted something different in this fresh woody smooth league. This opens fresh, tart yet sweet and smooth, nothing sharp nothing obnoxious, nothing like melon /ozonic or watery since I hate such scents. It is fruity tart from the grapefruit in a playful way and slightly minty too, nothing masculine here and it becomes woody with a smooth aromatic sandalwood that is not stale, dry, dusty, smoky or like pencil shavings. I don't mind a smooth kinda dry pencil shavings nuance as in Crystal Noir/montana 80, but you don't get pencil shavings at all here; neither the smooth type nor the dreaded stale/dusty sandalwood of Sensuous Nude or DUA's Completely Santal (I dislike the sandalwood there in the opening). The violet leaf adds a heady deep green element in the mid phase which makes this slightly feminine and balsamic-floral esp at the later drydown - think Escada Fiesta Carioca's heady green violet leaf vibe, similar to BBW Daydream's heady green violet-like iris. The later drydown becomes even more woody, but the grapefruit's sour effect remains creating an attractive fresh juicy heady floral impression with the violet leaf. The violet dominates the scent at the later drydown leaning feminine. The bergamot provides the wonderful natural unisex freshness in the opening and paired with the sweet sour grapefruit and the musky woody base is a gorgeous scent - the opening and first 15 mins it smells unisex and amazing. The fig intensifies at the drydown giving the usual green kinda dry/earthy fig scent reminiscent of KKW Rare Fig minus the stale part of that vetiver-heavy perfume. The minty effect of the opening and mid phase: the grapefruit mixed with the green essence of the fig create that tart aromatic green and fruity element which combined with the green freshness of the bergamot produce a minty effect right from the opening to the drydown before the violet leaf intensifies. Grapefruit paired with green notes (fig, black currant, bergamot) creates a minty effect in perfumes as in Love Desigual a sweeter green minty scent. So my favorite part in this perfume is the minty fresh aspect paired with the sweetness and the smooth woody base but I do like the deeper violet leaf effect and how juicy it is with the grapefruit, not watery or ozonic exactly but very rich and juicy. The violet leaf is calming at first. The minty part takes a step back as the violet leaf intensifies in the later drydown. Not too crazy about the sour and more heady violet leaf effect at the later drydown reminiscent of a more sour Daydream/Fiesta Carioca, but this is not nauseating like these and the earthy aromatic earthy fig balances everything. The tart and heady violet aspect remain throughout tho. After 3 hours the violet leaf is not so loud. It is not very creamy on me or nutty since cedar and guaiac wood come off as such, not sandalwood, but it is rather a smooth rich sandalwood. The fig has a dry quality but the fruity surrounding notes and the musk prevent it from smelling stale or dusty. A complex classy scent with distinguishable notes, not an oily mess as some DUAs and no smoky weird burnt elements.

Try Rayhaan Jungle Vibe instead ($24.00 for full 3.4 oz) ; F**k tiny 1 oz. bottles !!!!!!!!!!