Scent #1

First of all, I'd like to mention that i'm a huge fan of "santal" / sandalwood fragrances. from Le labo's santal 33 and Kierin NYC's Santal sky to Atelier cologne's Santal carmin. and I appreciate that those companies are plant-based and don't test on animals or contribute to under-waged labour. So when i found out Zara has a clone of Le labo's Santal 33 for $20 I needed to get my hands on it, even though I don't buy Zara's clothes because they are a fast fashion and an unethical brand. I had to put my ethics aside lol because I love Santal fragrances so much, so i pulled the trigger and purchases Scent #1 And it smells almost exactly like Le labo's Santal 33! the sandalwood is heavy but it also has that spicy green background, just like Santal 33. It's 95% similar to Santal 33. I honestly didn't expect much performance from a $20 fragrance, but I was proven wrong. Scent #1 lasts 12+ hours, with very good projection for the first few hours. when my brother came back home, he said "the house smells like tarragon or something green" and that he hates it and I told him it was the fragrance I was wearing. but a friend of mine said it smells amazing. so yes it projects very well, but it's also polarizing just like Santal 33. If you are a fan of Santal fragrances, then you should definitely check Scent #1 out. highly recommend

I own Santal 33 by Le Labo, and one of my favorites in the collection. I can definetely tell you that for its price the Zara Scent#1 is a no brainer. It naturally lacks many, i mean "many" dimensions Santal 33 has, but it manages to capture DNA of Santal 33 in a linear way. I also find Scent#1 more smokey (maybe the reason why tobacco note was asked below) and chemical. It's like "paper" scent from a magazine, or newspaper with hints of ink chemicals scent. Again, the price..I mean it is dirt cheap and actually smells great. Some people will find it too medicinal, like my friend explained: It smells like a pharmacy depot or clothes in a retail store, like that unworn straight-from-the-factory clothing smell. No objections, but if you like Santal 33, you should give this a try. Performance ? You won't regret at all. This comes from myself who likes long lasting projecting scents. It really lasts longer than many other so-called quality designer perfumes! And moreover with this price you can be generous on the spray. It is by no means a replacement for Santal 33, but a watered down, similar DNA version that you can carry in your bag at work and use on a more daily basis.

A round of applause to whomever is the nose for Zara, as they’ve created a very close dupe for La Labo’s Santal 33 with their greatest creation to date: Scent #1. It’s actually easier to outline the subtle differences between them. Santal 33 lasts a whole lot longer, as the quality is vastly superior for £180 (100ml). That said, Zara’s ‘Scent #1’ performs surprisingly well for only £9.99. It’s certainly the longest lasting Zara fragrance yet invented, lasting most of the day on skin (and hair) and into the next day on clothes. It’s definitely the subtle nuances which make Santal 33’s notes perform like a royal symphonic orchestra, compared to Zara’s version like an impressive X Factor audition gone viral. The dry-down on both is almost identical, it’s the opening which is the only difference. Santal 33 has a slightly smoky, richer opening alongside the mesmerising woods, Zara’s begins exactly how it intends to continue throughout. I’d argue that this shouldn’t be just a man’s fragrance - Santal 33 is unisex so Scent #1 is equally unisex. I’m female and love both. What’s not to love for £9.99? I’m getting a few back-up bottles. In Europe it’s even cheaper at €9.99.

Finaly scored a bottle of this, for an affordable $125 on ebay, to check it out. Certainly a Santal 33 knock off. Really good job. Smells more like a wood plank, leather, a little less sweet. But just as good. Reminds me of Profile Amber 18, but stronger, longer lasting. Commodity Book may be my favorite of all, then Santal, then this. Checking out Maison Marie Louise 4 soon, but this is absolutley worth what I paid. The question is - why did Zara discontiune this? Imagine this for sale in their store for $15 a bottle, which I'm guessing is what it once went for. I'd think they could make a ton of money re-releasing it.

I'm so lucky to have snagged a bottle of this Zara Scent #1 bcos not to mention that it's discontinued, it is almost if not the exact clone of Le Labo Santal 33, and almost exactly the same strength & potency if not a lot stronger that Santal 33 for a fraction of the latter's price. If you love LLS33 & spotted ZS#1 anywhere then clean out the shelf because you don't need to shell out ridic hundreds of $$ just to own a bottle of the former for the rest of your life, which i think was a total rip-off in the 1st place. Better bottle design than the OG as well. Thank god for Zara...long live Zara dupes!🥳✊✊✊