24 rue de l'Université

Picture an outrageously expensive, too-beautiful-to-wear-often, buttery-soft suede drape jacket in some light-neutral colour so pale it would get stained almost the moment you look at it. You'd almost never dare to put it on - but you'd still want it. It's kind of too good for this world: not practical for real life, far too expensive for what it is, not sparked with wild original inspiration but still with a rather stand-offish, haute-luxe, high-fashion attitude. If it didn't smell like heaven you could just walk right past and forget about it. But ohmigosh it's just SO insanely smooth, lulling, reassuring, and gorgeous. Sweet, powdery, linear, unadventurous and ... dammit, I have to spit it out: pretty much nearly perfect. As a true sandalwood fanatic, and a big fan of the YSL exclusives, I'd been hunting this for many many months and felt lucky to gamble just a few ££££ on a kindly decanted 2ml sample. This tactic has backfired. Almost wish I hadn't tried it, as now I am riven with indecision: this is exactly the sort of overpriced, too-rare scent I should just walk on by and ignore with confidence. But I caaaaan't! because it's so attractive - despite the unreasonable price. It isn't the One True, transcendent, definitive sandalwood (Lutens Santal de Mysore will always occupy that niche for me) but it comes so so close. It's got an incredible, non-cloying, natural or natural-esque creaminess that just doesn't quit. That creaminess also found in fellow beautiful sandalwood-beasts like Cartier Oud et Santal or Caron Santal Precieux: the kind that feels like a virtual lotion, all unctuous and plump without ever feeling greasy. It lasts beautifully (performing like a champion for up to 12-16h) and has no obnoxious pickle, sweat or banana overtones (and both synthetic and natural sandalwood scents have gone off-piste in all those directions on me in the past.) It's totally unisex. It can earn compliments from complete strangers (!). Even the closing clunk of the (classy, minimal, heavy) bottle's magnetic cap is gorgeously solid. So much to love - but also to be frustrated by. Only you can decide. If you already own luxe-creamy-high-end sandalwoods like Affinessence Santal Basmati or Hermes Santal Massoia (or at a pinch Perris Santal du Pacifique) then adding 24 Rue de l'U would be ... not the best use of money. But arguably not crazy, because 24 really does have its own special charm. If it's impossible to find or afford, then don't be broken-hearted. But I'll be pining after it for a while yet, I'm afraid. Hard to express why this craving is so intense, because it's so smooth and middle-of-the-road - but it really does have strong, if whispered, charisma. A full or partial bottle at any discount would be an instant YES. Smells of luxury, in a totally low-key way: not vulgar and gold-plated nor spicy and opulent, but undeniably rich. If ever found at an affordable price there would be only one right action: to buy it on the spot.

I have been wearing it in and out for half a year so i feel i can add details to the reviews below. I don’t think it is worth the retail price; eventually i took a risk when having stumbled upon a lower-priced bottle. Then its lack of ‘performance’ has become increasingly clear over the last months - as if having finished 2 samples in no time wasn’t a warning enough. Sometimes when travelling this summer x autumn I sprayed from bottles with and without batch-codes (like mine), as well as from a bottle with the brand-name engraved on the lower side. To no good use, as I have registered only the opening as being more amped up. So if being at the same time subtle and assertive should fit it into the masculine (cologne) tradition, here it is translated as low-projection but noticeable sillage in a 4 to 6 feet area. As time flies moving perfumed body-parts might cause surprises for those around. Nevertheless I can only think of the analogy between the very first fashion shows orchestrated by YSL (which lasted for 3 hours according to literary sources) and the 20-minute catwalk shows of today...guess where I am putting it. The dress-connection could be more elaborate but I will spare you...suffice to say that it helps sticking other soft woody- and leather fragrances. So i have been applying 4-5 sprays repeatedly at around the interval observed above. Or, when feeling annoyed by sophisticated fashion aesthetics, overspraying (some 9 generous sprays) carries almost until the already mentioned 3-hour mark, the minor loss being that the careful initial and very contemporary balance appears off. Speaking of evolution in the case of a sandalwood-centered fragrance is somewhat irrelevant. For me it is still a remarkable scent because whenever I get the wafts of its drydrown i am able to evoke its burning opening faithfully...eventhough it is surely not there anymore. So there’s a nebulous relay between my memory of the scent and what I can actually smell. As a final note, if its online scarcity should mean anything, that would be success; an intertwining of these 2 factors is being exploited also by the fragrance cloning-realm.

I’m being stalked by this fragrance. Haunted by it. The smell wafts and follows me wherever I go. 3 weeks ago I sampled two spritzes of this fragrance on a card. 3 weeks later the smell is still lingering on my coat, my clothes, my wallet and it keeps getting better. I put the sample card in a coat pocket with my wallet, the scent permeated everything in my wallet and transferred into everything in my wallet and everything the cards inside touched. The performance and persistence is unlike anything else I’ve encountered. Clean warm wood, golden sandalwood with no traces of sour “vinegar” or “pickle” notes common to other more popular sandalwood fragrances. The sandalwood oil is supported by accords of warm new leather and a whiff of expensive incense. The whole scent reclines on a bed of warm inviting cedar notes. The result is a fragrance that is potent, smells ritualistic, spiritual, holy and at the same time luxurious, old world and expensive. As I mentioned this one will linger, it will follow you. Once tried it won’t let go until you go back for more. Yves Saint Laurent will not be satisfied until I give in and purchase this fragrance. Sadly it appears this particular bottle has been discontinued. When I finally broke down, sandalwood scent infused credit card in hand to order a $300 bottle. It was suddenly sold out Everywhere. To tide myself over I order a 30ml decant and if the sample I had is anything to go by, it should hold me over until I can find a full bottle. To summarize: there aren’t a lot of perfumes out there with this kind of performance and longevity and addictive quality. It is well worth seeking out. They don’t make them like this anymore.

This is an overlooked gem. I originally went for no.9 in this exclusive YSL range as I’m a sucker for a good amber and my partner went with no.24 after falling instantly in love with it. My love for no.9 wained after deciding I didn’t particularly like the vanilla in it (I’m not a sweet fan). Only after smelling him mysteriously wafting around the house like a smouldering but zen Japanese temple did I too fall for the charms of no.24. It’s the smoothest, creamy sandalwood with a gentle smokiness that keeps it wearable for all occasions. It has a creamed fig type of smoothness (I know fig isn’t a note but this smooth sandalwood is somehow figgy and incensy). It does remind me of the “divine odor” of Japanese temples where they burn wood as a sensory experience to evoke the presence of Buddhist divinities. For me, YSL’s no.24 evokes a similar sensory way of sanctifying the space you wear it in, whilst also encouraging behaviours of mindfulness and awareness. This is what Santal 33 should have been without the pickles, pretence and pantomime. Excellent craftsmanship and superb longevity, I can’t fault it. Not sure why Gucci Rush is even mentioned. My favourite straight-up sandalwood is Biblioteca de Babel by Fueguia 1833 but 24 rue de l'Université is certainly my favourite smoky sandalwood and has much better longevity, so you never know, this may take over as ultimate favourite.

First encountered this some years ago, worn by an acquaintance and it's been on my radar ever since. It can be hard to find, but I recently got a tester in Dubai. 24 rue de l'Université is elegant, versatile and totally unisex - a fusion of sandalwood, cedar, suède, and incense. Very sandalwoody, supported by a resinous incense note, and with a warm, velvety, leathery depth and resonance imparted by the suède. The sandalwood-cedar reminds me of one of those ancient temples in Kyoto, as the composition has a seductive, mysterious and meditative aura. Smells (tastefully) sexy on both men and women yet remains dignified enough to wear to a premiere or a funeral. Sillage is discreet and longevity is average in warm weather, moderate in cold. Fairly linear, the woods are the star throughout, yet this is not your typical sandalwood-centric fragrance: absolutely nothing like Rush for Men, Sacred Wood or Tam Dao - the only fragrance 24 rue de l'U (vaguely) reminds me of is Korloff Rouge Santal. Agree with the guy below who describes this as a "dry sandalwood". Probably not safe for a blind buy unless you collect high end designer frags, or are a sandalwood fanatic.