Red Temptation Sandalwood

When I was in a Zara outlet, I don’t pay much attention to the fragrances as they tend to not last however pleasant they may be. However, I happened to look at this sleek, tall and red bottle and I tried it on paper. I took a sniff and went into a pensive state, then I had it sprayed on a friend’s wrist only to keep smelling and low key appreciating it in the back of my head thinking this has some sort of refinement or finesse. Next day, I had visited the Zara again and decided to spray it on my wrist. I let it settle on for a while and I could smell a Beautiful Sandalwood very creamy and subtly spiced along with some other spicy notes and a very non-obvious powdery quality. I knew instantly that it was a quality scent that Zara had produced and it has a good oil concentration. It is similar to BDK Gris Charnel. It is the same DNA, however BDK Gris Charnel, ESPECIALLY the Extrait de Parfum are masterfully nuanced, but for the price point I could not say no to the fragrance, it was an obvious no brainer purchase for me as I love GC. Zara has surprised me, also Sunlime Epoche by Zara was purchased by my friend which is a beautiful White floral scent very similar to Georgio Armani My Way. Very Impressed Zara.

I really like this one. I can smell it on me the first 2 or 3 hours, so I was thinking it didn't last on me very long. But one day a coworker came in my department at the end of the day and immediately asked "who smell that good?" when she entered, and my desk is not even close to the entry door, so I guess it lasts and projects very well. Maybe my nose becomes blind to it so i can't really smell it, like the perfume it's inspired by does very often to many person. Since all the Red temptation Iine has the same DNA of that "inspiration" , with some differences, I suppose it does the same thing to my nose. I also got many compliments every time I wear it. Very happy to have it in my collection.

Me obsesioné con este aroma la mitad del año, y aunque pienso que no es un perfume del día a día (porque coincido en que es fuerte y puede llegar a saturar si se abusa, además es mejor en climas fríos) es buenísimo para cualquier ocasión, proyecta y dura bastante, solo me rocío una vez y es más que suficiente. Es cálido y profundo, el sándalo es delicioso y elegante, me lo han halagado varias veces. Siento que engrandece la presencia y da un aura poética y cálida pero segura y picante, a un precio accesible. Me encanta.

NOBODY can tell me that this isn’t Valentino born in Roma Extradose DNA . I’m wearing Extradose on one wrist and Zara Red Temptation Sandalwood on the other and the similarity is striking. Except I paid over £100 for the Valentino and just £20 for the Zara. If Prada parodoxe intense and Valentino Donna Born in Roma extradose had a baby this is what it would smell like. Strong, heady, head turning compliment-getter. Let’s call it “Romeadox Intense-a-dose”. What a time to be alive. 🙌

This perfume is so good, it’s hard to describe. It definitely smells expensive and it lasts all day on me. I mixed it with oakcha viral vanilla and I got plenty of compliments. I will be purchasing this again. I took a shower and could still smell this fragrance I had to scrub hard to get this off my skin. But this is definitely not like the original DNA of red temptation which I did like and got back ups of. It’s sweet , and creamy definitely signature scent worthy.

My favorite fragrance from this new ZARA collection. It's very different from what ZARA usually does, but it's so beautifully executed. The sandalwood is very pleasant and well balanced with the violet and iris. The perfume's presence announces itself before you even enter a room. It projects very well with incredible longevity (8+ hours). I find it comparable to Jo Malone's Myrrh and Tonka, though sweeter and more wearable.

oh this is good , this is a mixture of crystal noir edp with donna born in roma extradose , it is intense and so alluring , unisex leans a little to females , but a man could definitely rock this at the right settings edit: i sprayed it at noon now it is 10pm the smell is still strong im so impressed! ( niche quality vibes ) update : after 20 hours i took a shower and it still in my wrist clinging . WOW .

Very creamy sandalwood that does resemble Gris Charnel a lot, but it also has that metallic sharpness that Red Temptation (and all BR540 dupes) have, which I personally really enjoy. Put together it gives a clean and fresh yet sweet and creamy vibe. Plus the longevity is great with it being an extrait, I have Red Temptation & Vanilla but I'll be getting this one as well since they're quite different.

I am so in love who d ever thought Zara would release such masterpiece at a convenient price tag? Creaminess and deepness, while being feminine and performing. The scent profile is an absolute perfection. I usually don’t care for Zara fragrance, being so weak (even the last summer of Hypnotic Vanilla extrait released versions) but this one, wow. Reminds me of Crystal Noir « parfum », but better

AS A SANDALWOOD LOVER WITH A SANDALWOOD SIGNATURE SCENT THIS IS ABSOLUTE HEAVEN TO ME!!!!!!!! ZARA I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE THIS GOOD???????????????????????????????????????????????????? Probably their best scent ever ever after amber linen!!!!!! This is strong!!!!! Long lasting! Beast mode! Beautiful! Sandalwood at its peak! I am so in love!

I've never been so surprised after trying a perfume. Zara does have a good scents, but nothing groundbreaking. This is a decent masterpiece. I don't know if Zara even knew this would be such a bomb, I'm telling you, it's a masterpiece. Every aspect of this is incredibly good, creamy and soft, everything is in place.

I'd describe this as rich, warm, and spicy. A little goes a long way. Can feel cloying in summer. Longevity is great. I could smell it on myself after 12 hours, and on my clothes for a couple of days. A gorgeous fragrance.

I wore it on Christmas, sprayed on skin and my turtleneck sweater (5-6 sprays). On Easter I put the same sweater on and didn't have to reapply but I did anyway 😅

This is very good, it's also beast mode, lasts forever and projects. Very unisex spicy sandalwood with just the right amount of florals

Yep, smells basically identical to Lattafa Liam Grey, this is just slightly fresher and less dense

A successful blind buy although I hate the OG Red Tempation. I was on the hunt for a stronger Liam (I loved that one but had to reapply every hour, it was just sooo weak on me :( I sadly sold that one) and reading the positive reviews made me do the jump. First off: This is luckily not like the OG RT. The only resemblance is through the saffron but it is not headache inducing in this Sandalwood flanker. This is a perfume that smells much more expensive than it is. I could easily imagine this going out on a fancy dinner (more business than romantic). I like feminine leaning fragrances but this is perfectly unisex. I can still wear it but I have to be in the mood for it. Not an easy grab. Did it manage to become a better Liam? No. To my nose, Energetically New York is more like Liam Grey. ENY is softer and sweeter, more fruity on my skin. Red Temptation Sandalwood smells like Liam for maybe 20 mins, but then the saffron kicks in. Yes, I get the metallic vibe others mentioned as well, but it is not overpowering to my nose. If you want to smell like a strong, independent woman, this is a great fragrance. If you want the more cosy vibes, better go for Energetically New York.

The saffron makes it slightly sharp and medicinal at first giving it a bit of a mature flair, but it's subdued by the other notes that eventually prevail. So its heart reminds me of Bbw lost in Santal or other similar earthy woody cardamom perfumes in this range, including Le Labo Santal 33, kkw nude Soleil (cardamom, vetiver,pink pepper,vetiver) and Le Monde Gourmand Santal Supreme which smells like the usual woody, somewhat herbal cardamom concoction, yet it has no cardamom, but mainly sandalwood, violet and vetiver. I notice there's violet in this too. It is very strong and projects well. Like Nude Soleil features pink pepper, this plays around white pepper and paired with the saffron, it has some oriental spice to it as opposed to the others. The tonka adds depth and balsamic creaminess. It's also much warmer from the ambergris whereas the others are more cool-toned and fresh. Its warmth makes it ideal for winter imo. I tried it on while at the Zara register and then I walked into the store I work at McArthur Glen and my coworker noticed it right away even tho I had tested a bunch of others but this stuff is so potent it overpowers everything. I'm impressed.

It is very, very good. Resembles Gris Charnel with the creamy woods and iris, but also it is different with it's sweetness and lack of the tea aspect. Also not powerful on iris-violet, at least not as Gris Charnel. It has the metallic saffron vibes like others from the red temptation line, but saffron here is sweeter and less metallic compared to the others from the line. Ambergris is very strong and sweet, kind of ruins the woody vibe. Don't get me wrong, it is still a very good fragrance but it could be better with less sweetness. Being an extrait, offers exceptional longevity; talking about 8+ hours. I didn't had the chance to check the projection, but I expect it is also good. Accessible Gris Charnel with a sweet twist, smells much more expensive than what it is sold for.

Very similar to Zara Nuit. This is sweater and deeper. I was a big fan of Nuit and RT Sandalwood is better. First 30 min. a little bit unbalanced and plasticy but after 30 min so beautiful, sweat almonds and baby powder... can’t stop smelling myself so I spray on my wrists... because I don’t want to look weird when trying to smell myself. And it’s like eternal in my skin. Edit - Jan,2025: It really is very long lasting and sometimes it can be suffocating. It is a very dry and powdery perfume anyway. Although I sprayed it during the day, the scent spread more and more as my body warmed up while I was sleeping at night and I woke up in the morning overwhelmed by this scent. The scent character is very nice but I feel the need to stay away from it for a while now.

Red Temptation Sandalwood starts off sharp and punchy, with a peppery, medicinal blast of saffron and black pepper. Give it a few seconds and the sandalwood begins to rise through the sharpness. Soon enough, the sandalwood overtakes the opening and becomes the star of the show. As it develops, the scent softens and turns sweeter, creamier, and warmer — likely thanks to the tonka and ambergris adding a cozy glow underneath. The result is a surprisingly deep, well-rounded sandalwood fragrance that feels far more sophisticated than its price suggests. The performance is excellent, easily lasting the whole day. If you enjoy creamy, comforting sandalwood scents and want something affordable that still smells refined, this very good value for the price.

Love this, so sexy! Creamy, warm, sandalwood, the saffron is soft here, nothing like the original Red Temptation, it has a slight chocolate note, maybe from the tonka. It is bold, smells almost like Gris Charnel by BDK but slightly sharper and thick.This perfume has depth and amazing lasting power coming from Zara. HOWEVER, my only problem is that the spray of the bottle is quite terrible. I'm sure it wasnt just a bad batch since all the testers in Zara for Red Temptation had this similar spray. The atomizer wasn't fine enough, resulting in a huge dent so easily after just a couple of sprays. It spritzes the juice in these thick clumps, which also doesn't let the perfume to spread when being sprayed. Would love if they could fix this!!!

I dislike sandalwood but this smells so calming and elegant 😆. I smelled it at Zara and I had to get it. I smell a little tea in here but when I checked the notes there is no tea Edit: it’s actually potent. I will probably wear it in cold weather or evenings only. My mom was like who smells this strong? I was like that’s me and she said it is a bad scent 😂😂 It is good in my opinion but not an easy reach. Don’t blind buy

Wow it’s very strong and long lasting. Lasts days and days on clothes. Smells nicer from a distance which is fine as it projects so well. I need to be in the right mood to wear this. Only a couple of sprays is needed and I wouldn’t say it is office safe. I prefer the new nectar version for every day wear as it’s lighter and sweeter and a little less intense.

Edit: I got this one too and did not disappoint, perfect for fall! This is very interesting, at first I didn’t like it, but the drydown is beautiful, doesn’t smell like the original RT. it leans more masculine but it’s unisex. Wears good and pojects nice. I only got the tobacco one form this line so far, but this is the second best to me.

Normally I really don’t like Zara perfumes, but lately they stepped up their game and I‘m here for it. On me it smells very much like gris charnel. It smells expensive, strong and elegant. Zara perfumes usually smell quite cheap, but this one and the vanilla ones, they don’t smell cheap at all, they smell expensive. Big fan

I bought it again lol. I like this more than the other similar scents I had(Liam Lattafa, irreplaceable Iris by massimo). This one is expensive smelling and I smell more black tea in this even though tea is not in the notes. Not too sweet and sandalwood is very calm and not like pickles or cucumber lol. Love it very much

Just in case anyone has questions about this one's longevity, I tested it in Zara more than 3 weeks ago by spraying it on my winter glove, and this morning I noticed that there is STILL noticeable sillage coming off it, so much so that wearing this glove downs out whatever scent I happen to be wearing on my body!

A mix between Baccarat Rouge and Santal 33! If you love sandalwood scents, this is for you. What I truly appreciate on this red bottles from zara is the longevity. Eternal!!! Unissex fragrance but I think this suits better in women. Also a good choice for men.

I did a test of this on one hand and Gris Charnel on the other, and it's amazing how similar they are. I asked my husband to smell each hand after I'd had them on about half an hour and he couldn't tell the difference.

Similar to BDK Gris Charnel but this is more long lasting with great projection, its smoother and more sandalwood forward than the OG. I prefer this one and for the price it’s a no brainer. IG/Tiktok: @wilddew_vibes

The sandalwood in this is the first note to announce itself and the last note to leave. And it is good. It's kind of synthetic but also has a beautiful depth. The other elements of the perfume I like less, it's quite sweet and almost a little fruity to me, something of a faint synthetic cherry in the background. It's also a very very strong, tenacious smell.

Definitely smells better when it dries down.

I don't have this (yet) however, I met this new woman at work, she was sitting like 1 meter away from me (right side) and I started smelling that sweet-airy woody smell around and I thought it was pineapple first then I asked her if she is was the one smelling like that, she get closer and said yes, I asked her what she was wearing, she told me the name ans I was shocked because wow what a quality, I will try to buy this, use this only in cold cold weather, it seems it is very feminine, I'll layer this with something very very woody to calm down the sweetness, probably JPG le male le parfum.

A girl at work was wearing this and I had to teams her to ask what she was wearing because the scent trail she left was amazing, she told me it was this and I bought it and hated it on me because I found it to be too masculine leaning. However I’ve kept giving it a chance and now I love it so much it’s so creamy and expensive smelling and lasts all day I love catching a smell of it it’s so yummy!!!

i loved it at first but now there’s something bothering me. not bad just not an everyday scent. as it drys down leans more masculine. 6/10 edit: this was sitting in my closet and i got a sniff AND I WAS SHOCKED the smell has changed in a good way. now it has less alcohol. such a good night out parfume.

Lors que j'ai senti ce parfum, dès les premiers secondes j'ai fait le rapprochement avec versace crystal noir parfum . Franchement 85% identique . Un super parfum, ça sent parfum, bon sillage et longévité moyenne. Rapport qualité prix excellent.

There's an odd coldness in the opening amidst the sweet smoke. Reminiscent of Ariana Grande offerings such as R.E.M albeit more intense and with a way more obvious menthol note. Lasting power seems slightly lesser compared to those, ironically.

Smells very close to ambre Samar absolus alegoria I have both ambre is much richer with deep Tonka and amber this one’s good I like it a lot after washing my hand I realised the dry down ain’t that awesome smell like a hospital no joke

i never thought I would like a Zara perfume but oh my god???? this is SO good, the sandalwood is the star of the show here but I can smell the violet & saffron quite prominently. going straight to my favs.

In case you’re wondering what this reminds you of; Gris Charnel by BDK. Might be one of the best ones I’ve smelled from Zara in a while.

Gris Charnel copy but without the sparkling backbone the og has. Smells meh, late drydown is a little candy like.

This is identical to gris charnel