To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
vov6837 – :
At risk of sounding sacrilegious, I find this one to be quite similar to Adam Levine for Women. They’re both sandalwood dominant with a spicy middle. They’re both light and creamy, appropriate for everyday wear. This one is more refined and understated than AL, though.
(In a similar way, Rihanna’s Rogue is similar to Bottega Veneta eau de parfum, and BV is more understated and more refined in this comparison as well.)
I neither like nor dislike sandalwood, so I’m unlikely to have a strong opinion on most sandalwood perfumes. This is no exception. I wouldn’t buy it, and if it were given to me, I’d probably reach for it only rarely.
That being said, it’s a quiet, but solid perfume, and though I don’t find it spectacular, it does smell of high quality. Strongly recommended for sandalwood fans.
vovanug – :
Pleasant and simple. The same way Serge has his wood collection with various scents all springing from the same base, Santal Blanc seems like it should be sampled with Daim Blond, Miel de Bois, Jeaux de Peau and probably a few others because they are all similar in base (that kind of nutty, sweet, diet-oriental base) that makes choosing the one you like best a matter of personal preference over certain added notes. The cinnamon in Santal Blanc (atleast in the formula I am sampling) is atleast as prominent as the sandalwood however neither note is particularly strong throughout its’ wear so what you have is a muted, kind of muddy impression of spicy sandalwood heavily diluted and softened by iris, musk and that familiar Serge Lutens base. I can’t say that I expected anything different than this from the name Santal Blanc, but having enjoyed some of the other scents mentioned above, I don’t see this grabbing too many people’s attention compared to others from SL.
msm – :
1.7 vintage palais bottle
The reviews for santal blanc are all over the place. It occurs to me that either at one point its been reformulated or this is a very chemistry driven scent.
Fenugreek opens this lutens giving it a unique opening. Pink pepper gives it texture . A flash of rose, powdery iris softens the blonde woods. Musk gives this a soft light sophisticated style along the lines of the idea of daim blond.
I personally find santal blanc very relaxing and comforting and the sandalwood in this first formula is the same found in guerlains samsara extrait. Both layered together work very well. Its understated in nature and a comforting whisper.
Wobeltybat – :
Cosmetable, hot and delicious smell, warm creamy sandal, well mixed with the pink pepper and the subtle cinnamon burning slowly. Adorable.
I evaluate this:
Smell: 8.5/10
Projection: 6.5/10
Longevity: 8/10
slavik-7 – :
Pink pepper, some sweetness, sandalwood and musk. These are the order of the notes as they reveal themselves to me. Thankfully the pepper and cinnamon soften quickly and then its all about musk and sandalwood. Its a musk and sandalwood skin scent for most of its duration. Very pleasant but not fb worthy. Its definitely unisex.
A skin scent with moderate duration.
I love sandalwood and since Santal Blanc was not fb worthy I bought 4160 Tuesday’s Sleep Knot which has similarities but better performance. I think actually the 4160 T is even better
SHOOGSENCANIA – :
Turned into melted butter and brown sugar with a faint woodiness and spice on my skin. Not bad, but pretty forgettable and uneventful for me. If you’re looking for a sandalwood bomb as I was, look elsewhere. This is clouded by too many other things.
ann777 – :
I keep wondering if any of us are actually smelling/reviewing the same perfume. Personally, I think the notes listed on fragrantica aren’t accurate. It’s also missing a lot of notes e.g. Cedar, benzoin, vanilla and guiac?
First off, I’m a HUGE sandalwood fan and in addition I tend to dislike cedar notes in fragrances. Especially when combined with sandalwood (I feel like it’s only used because Cedar oil is so cheap to produce. Feels like a cop-out to me. Ceases to be about the art for arts sake and becomes about purely about money).
That said, I found sandalwood to be in the extreme far backround if any at all was present (I suspect not). I think many smell the other combinations of wood with a high quality cedar and think they’re smelling sandalwood. But they’re not. The vanilla and iris in this soften, warm, and powder the wood notes enough to make it somewhat resemble a bastard-sandalwood-wannabee. Now, it’s not a BAD frag. It is absolutely linear with very little development. But it was just kind of boring and smelled generically perfume-y and inoffensive/not interesting. It didn’t smell synthetic, thank God. But it also didn’t resemble sandalwood in any way. Which is ironic for something with sandalwood in the name. It’s a good non-santal sandalwood. If that’s what you’re into. But I’m not. I want something breathtaking and not to be misled. So very tired of sandalwood frags not using sandalwood. Majuscule definitely contained an excellent heart of santal, but the rose ruined it. Now if SL could just bottle Majuscule without the rose or cocoa!
Birlanos – :
Opening is sweet and gourmandy but it turns into a more sensual warm sandalwood with a hint of cinnamon. It has undercurrents of burnt wood while still keeping an overall gourmandy feel. I was hoping the smokiness might be more prominent or add another layer of dimension but it’s so minute that it’s just barely distinguishable. I like it but I think I’d have to test it out a couple more times to determine whether I’d be able to justify a FB purchase.
Sillage – close to skin / Longevity – 4 hours
6.5/10
roomaan – :
All of the listed notes are very distinct in Santal Blanc. Together they remind me of a wintery mulled wine with all of the ingredients brewed together and seamlessly blended into a warm and cozy fragrance that makes you want to snuggle up with a blanket in front of a fireplace.
stizilmincith1995 – :
@archivist Perhaps your samples are mixed up? I think you’re thinking of Santal de Mysore rather than Santal Blanc. On my skin, Santal Blanc is a warm, creamy, musky sandalwood with a bit of sweetness. For me, Santal de Mysore is sandalwood with caramelized dessert spices and an intense bodily smelling cumin note.
FYLHTQ1981 – :
To love Santal Blanc i suppose you have to be an dedicated follower of SL..
But i love it, it is not a passionated love but a distinguished love.
Santal Blanc it a very chique SL fragrance and strange enough it reminds me the first 30 minutes of Aimez moi from Caron..because of the very little fresh minty note in combination with the Sandalwood and Cedar.
This is the perfect fragrance for a Nice summer day when you want to smell very fine, chique and sexy but not in a intrusive way!
Certainly not for men only!! It is a beautiful unisex perfume..maybe for men who can’t handle strong women who wears Santal Blanc
annzyuzina – :
Soft diluted sandalwood, not complex, for men only, weird, light but lasting, was discontinued for a reason. I am not a fan of SL, it was a try and error for me, bye, bye.
pereira – :
This is one of my favourite Serge Lutens perfumes. Smells extremely nice and cosy, though not without some naughtiness and mystery, I especially appreciate the oriental part of this scent. I have just realised that once some time passes the scent opens up so nicely on me, sweet, spicy and quite, it smells sexy to many. It is a fusion of woody iris and creamy sandalwood, white sandalwood, cinnamon, fenugreek, pink pepper, rose, jasmine, orris root, musk, benzoin and copaiba balsam, musk. The lasting power of it is great, it is definitely a quality perfume to spend money on. Also I love the bottle because it’s so simple, classy and elegant. A wonderful product. Definitely repurchase.
Locman – :
Reminds me of Jeux de Peau but much better, not so edible. I love cinnamon and pepper plus iris. My nose also gets red berries at the opening even they are not listed.
Superb.
Indeteemy – :
I am new to the Lutens party, so I suppose I’m a S.L. virgin (aside from a sniff of Musc Khubla Khan that I dearly regretted). I know a bit about Lutens from various blogs and my own research, and from what I gathered, Santal Blanc was a good place to start (it is considered a “friendly” Lutens). Sandalwood is one of my favorite notes, so I dove right in after receiving the sample.
After an initial sweet-peachy-sandalwood opening, I get a huge whiff of cumin/fenugreek. I have some difficulty with this “armpit” note in perfumes (which explains my reaction to Khubla Khan), but this one is more foodie/spicy and less evocative of b.o., so I’m patiently optimistic. The fenugreek does remain in the background as SB dries down but is only noticeable when I smell my wrist closely.
There is an unexpected sweetness to Santal Blanc — a wine or fruity compote aroma that is surprisingly gourmand and rather feminine to my nose. Beneath that, exotic spices…unfamiliar, yet warm and inviting. Such beautiful contrasts!
While most sandalwood iterations are woody and creamy, SB is spicy, boozy, and fruity…with a hint of soft musk always in the background.
Santal Blanc has nudged me away from my usual sandalwood associations, and I’m enjoying the Lutens’ journey!
gagauz76 – :
A soft, warm and inviting sandalwood, with SL’s trademark stewed fruit notes floating in the background. It does indeed smell different on different people.
I thought Santal blanc might appeal to a friend, so I gave her a tester of it this evening, over dinner. She immediately sprayed it on her hand; she inhaled deeply: it smelled divine. Ah, one of those moments when someone tries on a perfume and it is a perfect fit. Snap!
Robot_Boy – :
That’s a new one: lutens has soft scents!!!
A polite sandalwood with a soapy nuance, but to my nose no cinnamon at all(snif!).Unisex, but discrete..
edit after wearing it several times: It smells quite different on people: on a friend of mine it smelled so softly, on me it’s much stronger and gives me a headache each time i wear it…
dj mollan – :
Knowing how many devout fans of SL are out there I feel I may be stoned for what I’m about to say…
This has that same dirty spice smell I’ve encountered so often with SL fragrances. I’m starting to think of it as a SL fingerprint, sort of like the distinctive Chanel openings I’ve encountered in so many perfumes from that house. Yes, it is rather balmy and sweet but I don’t get much sandalwood. I’m afraid that to my nose this scent is dominated by a dirty, rather cloying cumin smell.
The sillage is great as is longevity.
shj100bedyWelty – :
Yes.
Fresh and subtle.
Wood and spice.
Very comfy.
Excuse me for not elaborating; so many Lutens to test, and I am tired (I know it: “I’m no f***ing good,… I never was” – ‘Scent of a woman’).
But it’s a Lutens allright.
A rather modest one.
Edit
010914
I luuuuuv it. So fresh, sweet and creamy, yum!
Metsn814elipseskism – :
The most beautiful sandalwood I have ever smelled!Bought it as a gift for my mom who loves sandalwood.Sandalwood has a light smell of wood but most of the sandalwood fragrances out there are too weak,too soft. For instance I tried Diptyque’s Tam Dao,a lovely fragrance indeed but too weak for someone who wants strength,good lasting power and projection.So I ended up buying Santal Blanc!The opening is a burst of pink pepper which burns your nose.Cinnamon joins in after 5 minutes,it’s not sweet cinnamon at all,more sharp and realistic!The drydown is calmer,spicy enough for those who like spicy perfumes,It’s more wood and pepper and a bit of musk just to give comfort.Lasting power is good enough for a sandalwood scent.Don’t expect it to be like Ambre Sultan but yes it lasts quite long!Overall it reminds me of spicy cheddar cheese which I love!
grin631 – :
I also get a strange food note over the sandalwood. This opens as very wood-based on me, with an undertone of sweet chocolate, then turns into a spicy wood. The spicy cumin note is what puts me off an otherwise very well-balanced scent.
annaradowa – :
This is a perfect woody fragrance, so much better than Sycomore or Coromadel.
This fragrance reminds me a little of Feminine du bois but more vanilic and incensy, with some slightly smoky cinnamon. Santal blanc sillage and lastingpower are very good.
I am impressed with this fragrance it is well crafted and complex. If you like woody fragrances this is a must try!
Warpig – :
Well, well, well. Serge Lutens finally has a new customer. Santal Blanc opens up strong but becomes more smooth and inviting throughout the duration of the fragrance. I dabbed this on the nape of my neck and my wrists this morning. 9 hours later, this has become a skin scent that is sure to make people want to come closer. The sillage is moderate/close. The quality is “up there”. I have no complaints with my first Lutens fragrance.
Now I just have to figure out how to work this into my fashion coordination. LOL
bulbashspb – :
mmm…Santal Blanc is an interesting one)) It starts very sweet, almost minty – like sweet peppermints mingled with woods; very likable and unusual, in my opinion. It gets more woody towards the end, very prominent sandalwood-cinnamon scent. It sits close to the skin, but is long lasting. This is the second time I’m wearing it, and I’m being complemented on this scent yet again. I also anticipate to smell it on a man: I think it should blend wonderful with male chemistry. I can’t believe there are so many people disappointed with it – I find it wonderful, and I wonder how come I have overlooked this beauty before! Thumbs up))
nikolay1505 – :
What’s interesting to me about this one is that all the notes come out at once in the initial few moments. I get spice but only the pepper, I don’t really ever get cinnamom (which I love), I get the sandalwood, powdery iris, rose, a fairly strong musk, sweetness and a fruit note although there isn’t one listed anywhere.
At the mid point it is peppery with the smooth sandalwood, the rose and musk fade then the sweetness is very dominant. For anyone who has smelled Ambre Sultan, it is the same sweet note.
In the end it is almost a skin scent, not a lot of sillage, of sweet rose cradled by the sandalwood and musk.
The only downfall for me is the overpowering sweetness.
nazzallin – :
This smelled like white pepper and sweet sandalwood in the beginning, and then morphed into a warm cedar wood. That’s it–I kind of wish I smelled the iris and the rose, but this was a rather linear fragrance on me, and stayed mostly woody. Ah, well–saves my wallet!
farubal – :
Just like the very expensive ‘genuine’ sandalwood essential oil that I bought from the Body Shop a few years back, this has a very cloying, sickly note in it that I would find intolerable if I used much of it, although I generally like sandalwood. Test before you buy, I suggest
сашка – :
Hey, a perfume that REALLY smells like the notes in the description: Sandalwood (duh), Cinnamon bark (redundant superfluity, Cinnamon IS bark…it’s like pita bread or rice pilaf), and Siamese Benzoin. (Hey, Serge, it’s been Thailand since 1939. Of course, the French had a few other things on their minds back then and they probably just didn’t notice. Or perhaps a little hankering after the good old colonial days? What the hell, I’ll forgive a lot where genius is involved. I like Celine, too.) Without spices and resins, it wouldn’t be a Lutens, naturally. And hovering over this,Iris and musk, just like the package says. Dries down to the smell of…Kentucky Bourbon? It sure is! Takes me right back to my whiskey swilling, dope sniffing, Keith Richards wardrobe wearing days of the mid Eighties. Another triumph, Frenchy.
olegkaspb – :
a sweet, warm and peppery, though I feel like a little bit choking on it, I smell a little wood workshop in it as well, but as it had already been mentioned you have to pass some foodie establishment on the first place.. slightly burning and dusty scent.
Not my type. I don’t know if I find any SL scent that I would love or feel necessary to own; so far no success
den003 – :
Strangely foody cedar on me with musk, cinnamon and benzoin giving a foody-cake feeling. A change from the fruitcake Arabie, but not as rich or round as Ambre Sultan. There’s an edge I don’t care for that is a bit nose-twinging, and I’m pretty sure it’s the sandalwood, with a Mysore lilt that comes across as cumin/sweat. Urk.