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===RED=== – :
I’d call Santos a gentle powerhouse. Especially Polo was very guilty at being in your face. Santos is a bit different. Much like Cartier timepieces, this is a understated and subtle scent. The point here is to show subtle class. This is not the scent for a bón vivant.
The opening is a very clean lavender-citrus. The citrus is a bit dusty and musky, and compliments the lavender.
Pepper, nutmeg and various spices join the opening, and gives the whole composition a very spicy and malty feel.
The base is a thick accord of patchouli, sandalwood, amber and coconut. All the 80s players are here, in big and bold form.
A scent this complex could easily loose itself, but it’s beautifully tied together. It’s quite radiant, yet never imposing.
If I was so to sum up Santos in it’s end stage, it’d be spicy woods.
There is one caveat. If you are in the market for a big bold 80s scent, I am not sure if this is for you.
Whilst Santos has castoreum and other musks, everything is treated with care. The end result is a scent that is quite hard to actually pull notes out of, instead it all plays as one big scent. If you were looking for a 80s powerhouse, I’d perhaps look at Kouros instead.
If you do want a 80s gentleman scent, then give this a try. It’s fantastic.
The Concentreé version is no slouch either. It’s a greener version of Santos, and more complex. Personally I prefer the original.
Longevity is excellent – 12+ hours.
Rating: 9.5/10
vorobeu – :
I blind-bought SDC to gift to my church pastor back in February. Luckily, he and his wife loved it. He is 73. I just got him another bottle today, because he used up the first one already. I like how it smells on him. It doesn’t make him smell like an old dude. It’s classy and complex. Honestly? I would wear it and I’m in my mid-30s.
This ain’t Aramis or Drakkar Noir, which I LOVE their smell, but they marked the olfactory childhood of many. I do think I can pull off SDC. It doesn’t smell modern but it’s also not so “dad-smelling” for being from the 80s. It has many pleasant notes and it’s smooth, not a powerhouse. When I hug my pastor and it hits my nose, I get the feeling of safety and protection. It’s a very nice, warm-smelling fragrance. I’ve been thinking of buying a bottle for myself. God bless!
vovan1982 – :
Dark and stormy or sultry and balmy, that is how Santos hits me. This is a classy fragrance that is easy to dismiss or forget, but after one wearing in the cool night air you realize you are wearing a real classy, smooth yet masculine fragrance.
Santos opens with a rich blast of juniper, sandalwood and lavender. The lemon verbena and basil waste no time punching up this fragrance with some herbal freshness. Amber, coconut, patchouli and nutmeg add to the woody, spicy richness of the fragrance, giving it another dimension. The vetiver and vanilla come through strongly and add some earthy sweetness to this scent. The lavender and cedar round out this scent giving it a strong base and finish.
Santos is a great cool weather evening fragrance, whether indoors or out. This fragrance wears well under a sweater or shirt and is a real mature, sophisticated scent that will draw in that special someone and definitely make an impression on others. This is a stepping out fragrance so forget the office. This fragrance veers more masculine and is great for the 30 and up crowd. Give Santos a few sprays when it is date night and you want to add a little tall dark and handsome to your persona!
tal69 – :
For a long time I had no desire to buy any perfume from Cartier
I wanted to look at the comments by trying to find a new fragrance that I had never experienced before
So he made my decision on Santos and the surprise that angered me as a very old perfume and I was, unfortunately,
And after the arrival of the bottle. Oh Lord, why did I lose all this age and I have not got it yet
This is what I wanted
This is what the veteran guy wants
doktor zlo – :
I just acquired the latest incarnation of Santos, the one pictured above. It’s one of my old faves and if Cartier Inc had marketed this as “Santos Fraiche”, or something to that effect, I would still buy it. Santos 2017 is less complex but brighter, cleaner and fresher. I really envy the way the perfumer is able to formulate a faux sandalwood that closely resembles the natural one used in the original. Upon initial encounter, there’s no mistaking that this is Santos. The DNA is there, albeit somewhat mutated. The divergence comes after about half an hour or so, when the basenotes mimicking sandalwood start becoming more vanillic and aldehydic. It is very much identical to the drydown of the concentrée but less pronounced.
This latest version also does very well in the longevity department. On my skin, it lasts about five to six hours (which is absolutely fine with me). On blotting paper, it lasted two days. (The original lasted about a week, but that’s not a fair comparison.) Grey Flannel is still the best reformulation that I’ve tried, but this version of Santos runs a very, very close second.
dwersardy – :
What a magnificent fragrance… It is so masculine amd unique… Old school but modern for grown up gents…. It smells fantastic!!!
Sashka95 – :
A timeless masterpiece by the house of Cartier. Rich, complex and elegant. A gentleman’s scent.
I’ve worn this since the 80s and it never fails to impress me or those who smell it on me.
tishinatishina – :
Timeless and elegant fragrance. Dedicated to elegant people. Avoid if you like Invictus, One million, and all that kind of goodies.
Quand la parfumerie est un art.
Анютка – :
Beautiful scent. High quality & nuanced, subtle, long lasting and doesn’t contain that ‘retired’ smell; still holds up as an original & unique fragrance.
POLIURITAN – :
If I close my eyes, I can see my Grandfather, with his strongly brewed and very sweet mug of coffee, sitting on the porch with his rolled tobacco between his tar stained fingers, drawing in and exhaling his cloud of fumes. Other times he may be passionately retelling an adventure from a bygone era or cracking a joke with his sarcastic sense of humor that you never really knew if the joke was on you.
About 5 years ago I found a miniature 4ml bottle amongst my Uncles belongings (Gramps son), which he’d left behind in a box. I put it away thinking he may come back for it but never did.
Tonight, while moving things about I came across the bottle and dabbed the tiniest amount on the top of my hand as I was already wearing Miss Dior.
I don’t know what I smell, all I know is that this is what my Grandpa smelled like. It smells soo familiar that it takes me right back, as though Grandpa has never left this earth. It smells exactly the way I remember, on the collar of his shirts and church suit jackets, his pillows. I use to love wrapping myself up in his big stately mahogany bed, which stood in the most Northern room so would be drenched in sun all day. You would fall asleep in the warmth of the sun, with this scent in your nose. Even his leather bag, wallet and his tobacco bag would have an air of this scent around it. Do I smell Leather? Tobacco? Coffee? Sunshine? Or is just my extremely vivid memory scent of Gramps?
Whatever the notes are, it is exactly as I remember Gramps. Wise, caring, comforting, warm and charming.
pqeptxzzkrk – :
I finished my bottle of Santos a few days ago and ordered a new one online. When I received it, I thought I had been sent a fake as the bottle looked completely different. To my utter dismay, I discovered that the scent has been reformulated. While previous “adjustments” differed from the original only moderately, the latest reformulation has made some rather drastic changes. Santos now appears less complex, sort of watered down. Longevity and silage are also greatly reduced. On my skin there’s a slightly synthetic vibe that’s never been there before. I’ve been using Santos since it was launched in the 80s and still love it… but the latest reformulation has killed off this old masterpiece. If you – like me – love Santos, start hunting around for the old / vintage bottles. The vintage version (= original Santos from the 80s) was sold in transparent brown glass bottles and refills for the metal frame. The 1st reformulation came in smooth black bottles with a cap. The 2nd reformulation was sold in black bottles with incorporated atomiser (i.e. no detachable cap). The 3rd and most recent reformulation comes in grooved black bottles with a detachable cap. For a luxury brand like Cartier, the bottle looks surprisingly cheap, which is why at first I thought I had been sold a fake. Avoid the 3rd reformulation and go for the original or the 1st / 2nd reformulation.
rezina3773 – :
masterpiece
Hoazoldiddimb – :
Today im wearing this fragrance and i have to say just this: I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT….. The Santos im wearing is the vintage one, i have a brand new bottle of 1990 vintage santos and the smell is amazing, its like a fine Louis XIII Cognac on my skin….. The smell of multimillionaires and i have to agree with one of the comments below, one spray and you are transported to the Concorde Lounge………..
FloobeSox – :
awesome scent even reformulated remain a great and a very unique scent by cartier! maybe the best ever made by cartier!
BadBlood – :
Sandalwood is still one of my most favorite notes. I cannot get enough of it. And it’s just astounding how many fragrance variations can be made with sandalwood in the base.
I thought I’d wrapped it all up when I found D&G By Man and Gucci Envy. But then a vintage bottle of Santos de Cartier fell in my lap. This is the dressed up version with brushed silver metal casing and gold accents secured with flush faux screws. The very high end luxury presentation in Remy Martin like padded red faux leather box does not disappoint for what is inside.
Sandalwood and lavender go so well together. Add on some peppery spices, herbs, richness from amber, patchouli, vetiver, and a little sweetness of coconut and vanilla, and something magical happens. Bold and beautiful. I sampled the recent version and it’s so sad what Cartier did to it. Definitely make a point of trying the vintage if you can.
Fragrance 9.2 / Value 8.5
acimeeagelf – :
I have always pictured this fragrance as a must dress up cologne, since is very classy and formal scent, but I haven’t worn it in a long time since I don’t dress up as much as I used too so I had to wear it today with my sport clothes, jeans and long sleeve winter t-shirt, and I am glad I did, I am enjoying it.
Longevity and sillage are not an issue for me as the reviewer below, my bottle is fairly new but still is the one with the cap on it. I have the Concentree version with the new bottle design but that I am not wearing today, and when I had, I did notice some difference on the fragrance itself, I could totally say that has been reformulated.
казань2011 – :
This review is for the current 2015 formulation. Santos de Cartier is a real stunning fragrance, so rich, deep and comforting, the opening is absolutely gorgeous and it makes me wanna scream “Wow!” but after 20-30 minutes I noticed that it becomes a skin scent. Despite this it lasts long on my skin and If I wash my skin with hot water it seems to reactivate. Has anyone noticed this?
Зуля – :
I had a sample bottle of this aeons ago, and it smells complex and spicy. Comparable to Calvin Klein Man (sadly discontinued, IMO, the BEST Ck men’s fragrance).
There’s a naphthalene – like quality in the vintage formulation that is decidedly absent in the recent version. However, the new version seems rather “incomplete” when compared with the vintage formulation.
Lavender, juniper, verbena starts with a bang. Basil, pepper, nutmeg and vetiver joins the party after 15 minutes.The drydown has amber, sandalwood patchouli and vanilla.
On me it lasts 4 to 5 hours. Can be used for the office. 9/10.
lunodolofwawn – :
Santos de Cartier is an old love of mine. I received my first bottle in 1986 and instantly fell in love. Back then it was still possible to buy refills for the silver and gold metal frame, which has long since been discontinued. Today, three reformulations later (the original bottle was made of transparent brown glass, the first reformulation came in a black bottle with a cap and the latest version is sold in a black bottle without a cap), Santos is still easily recognisable but no longer smells exactly the same as 30 years ago. I was lucky enough to find a refill for my frame on the internet and have compared the original Santos with the current reformulation. The latter is very long-lasting compared to the original but smells a little synthetic. Still, it’s a refined fragrance that I cannot recommend enough. I no longer wear it as assiduously as in the past (when it used to be my signature scent, i.e. the only scent I wore) but when I do I always get complimented. If you’re looking for a sophisticated scent that goes well with a suit, give Santos a try. It’s classy and stands out because hardly anyone uses it these days. In my opinion Santos and the original Must de Cartier pour femme are the best Cartier fragrances. All their newer concoctions pale in comparison.
effonsErott – :
It has some resemblance with Azzaro pour Homme and Ralph Laurent Polo Green, especially with the Azzaro.
The most strange thing is I don’t detect much oakmoss in the current formula, maybe I should grab a vintage next time.Rating: 7.5-8.0/10 for the current formula .
penicilin – :
Santos (the mid age version with the cap) is a creamy winter fragrance. It´s delicious.
On my skin I get vanilla-coconut-amber and after a lot of hours it dries down masculine with a lot of pachouly and oakmoss (even if it´s not listed).
Long lasting, good smelling gourmand.
Only to be used in cold weather.
Great night fragrance.
Complements their square watches line in the best way.
homimaster – :
I love colognes, wear many different ones and is difficult for me to find one I strongly dislike, I think I can count them with the fingers of one hand. This is one of them. To me this is revoltingly offensive, loud, chemical smelling. I find it smelling like combination of scented pesticide, gasoline and some very cheap cologne on the dry down. And the worst part is that it simply last no matter what, which is usually an amazing quality in a fragrance, and rare for soft performing Cartier, but this one just wont go away. This is not safe by any means to wear around people you aren’t sure they will tolerate it. On the other hand, if you want to use it as repellent for annoying people, it’ll probably work wonders.
fgfg – :
Santos is a fragrance of style more typical of the 70’s than the 80’s, due mainly to that marked aromatic accent produced by herbs united on the one hand to the Bergamot, on the other to the pepper and finally to the lavender . All of the 71 YSL Pour Homme style or 74 Loewe pour Homme style and similar fresh and classic cut fragrances.
However, my favorite part comes with drying:
Many woods with predominance of a creamy sandalwood with a point of coconut, patchouli, a hint of amber and a sweet light touch contributed by the rich vanilla that reminds me for moments to the wonderful Samsara.
I say light sweet that has nothing to do with gourmand since it does not look anything like a dessert but rather a complex aroma of rather oriental meanings.
I tried at the time the Santos without reformulating and the current one. I have to say unrecognizable to each other. The one of now has a moderate duration and smooth stela with much lower and poor qualities, and although the aroma keeps a certain resemblance, it lacks the soul of the classic. RIP
Rating: 8
rodin1990 – :
What a feeling!
reka – :
Starts with a burst of green freshness and dries down to a creamy woody scent with a touch of amber similar to the amber of Karl Lagerfeld Classic
Really nice scent
DUB – :
the vintage version was an oakmoss beast fougere, the reform version is a plain waste of money, just a skinscent….
Vinni123 – :
Vintage Santos de Cartier is a totally different scent comparing to the later and current reformulations. On the back of my vintage tester, Santos is a woody spicy blend with Galbanum, Neroli, Cumin, Clove, Cedrewood and Patchouli. I blind bought a later reformulated (July 2011 batch) one couple years ago and I was quite disappointed.
koror – :
Wow!!! I couldn’t remember how this fragrance smelled. Just a few times, in the mid 80, I had the chance. I was in my teens back then and a neighbor’s boyfriend used to wear Santos. I found out because he took the bottle with him while visiting my neighbor. 30 years later, I had the chance to smell it again in a deparment store and felt like a flashback. Suddenly, I turned back into that teenager at my friend’s. Why don’t they make this kind of perfumes anymore? Dark, smoky, leathery and elegant. Made me think of a classy man in his 40 wearing an expensive suit, I perceived some spices and woods, and even when smoky, kind of wet at the same time. This is a portent master piece. Santos is the elegant mistery saint of perfumery.
Bluemnepe – :
I think Fragrantica team should update their galleries, including this one as these flasks are no longer on sale. It wouldn’t hurt to to that just so the people wouldn’t get confused. Just a thought..
AspisteEssers – :
Santos de Cartier sure is one capricious fragrance. It starts off scary as all hell, then transforms into a finely attired gentleman with flowers at your door.
I bought Santos blind, and the first blast was one of the most frightening smells I’d ever encountered. Dark, unrelenting, abrasive – I couldn’t make sense of what I was smelling. I thought it was horrid. But then the dry down came, and something magical happened – all the notes started singing in perfect, luxurious harmony.
I now think of Santos as a spicier, woodier cousin of Chanel’s classic scent from the same year, Antaeus, but without the castoreum note that makes Antaeus such a warm, animalic delight. It opens with a pungent blast of pepper, lavender, spices, and a very dirty patchouli note, which is almost as skanky as the unrelenting patchouli in Zino Davidoff. Thankfully, the abrasive opening soon gives way to a warm heart of woods, amber and subtle geranium, which helps to tone down the patchouli. The warmth also provides contrast to the lingering pepper, which finds its purpose as a spicy counterpoint to the earthy base notes. Longevity is excellent and projection is appropriately moderate.
Overall, Santos is a remarkable masculine fragrance that stands as one of the greats of its era alongside Kouros and Antaeus. Trust me – it’s well worth persevering through the terrifying opening. This one is a true Jekyll and Hyde.
ilyuha7771 – :
scent : 7/10
sillage : 8/10
longevity :8/10
100% night fragrance
old-school fragrance
OlimpiadGame – :
To all the lawyers of l’oreal, p&g, coty acting here on Fragrantica: For God sake! Stop fooling us with stupid reasons for justifying the watering the fragrances (IFRA regulations, changing that intervened in the tastes/habits of the customers)! There are a lot of fragrances made by Jacques Bogart, Oscar dela Renta, Ted Lapidus, Lomani and many more that have tremendous strenght and projection! Jacques Bogart, Oscar dela Renta, Ted Lapidus, Lomani do not obey the same regulations?
jonni772 – :
Most everyone by now knows most fragrances eventually get reformulated due to silly environmental allergen compliance and/or governmental restrictions on certain ingrediants. I remember when Santos first came out along with Must de Cartier for women. I smelled them in a magazine scratch and sniff and was completely overwhelmed at the unique opulance and oriental vibe they both gave me. And the look of the bottles added to the elegance and “expensive” feel–though they were not really that costly. It is my estimation that the reformulation of Santos is the WORST reformulation of any men’s fragrance. If you could smell the original Santos compared to today’s version yu would know what I mean. You may like the current version, and that’s fine. The original was one-of-a-kind to be sure. I’m glad they changed the bottle with the reformulation. The original smoky ambery glass bottle said it all.
plvk – :
Gentle juice with kind of powdery vibe in projection. Pleasing, yet pungent but warm expression of tones. For all ocasions where you want to leave an impression of gentleman. Everclassic one.
I wonder what just a hint of cinnamon would do here.
10/10
Cearnella – :
Considering this came out in ’81, its not bad – reminded me of Kouros, though without the oomph and less-talc. There are similarities in the base notes (amber / vanilla), perhaps that’s it. The dry-down is also much sweeeter than Kouros. Its certainly different that anything else currently available from Cartier. Projection and longevity are both moderate in my opinion.
Toxi1976 – :
it is classy incense fragrance. I am considering between Pasha and this one to share between me and my husband..
вуак – :
This is my all time favorite cologne. Saying that it’s classy is an understatement.I discovered Santos De Cartier back in 1988.YSL Kouros and Jazz,Puig’s Quorum,and Givenchy’s Xeryus,Drakkar Noir,were among my favorites.And then I sampled Santos De Carier at Nordstroms. I was blown away! Nothing smelled this good to me. It was classy,and definitely unique.I would categorize this as a slightly fresh,woody spicy scent,suitable for fall/winter weather,even the begining of Spring.
Now back then I was working as a jewelry salesman in a high end mall.I wore suits, like everyone else did,if you were a man.And this was in all the stores,not just ours.Santos was perfect.It didn’t project as hard like Kouros or Quorum.But nevertheless,projection was not a problem.Kouros,Quorum,and a few others I have will enter the room before you do,and linger for twenty minutes after you leave!I’m usually not bad at describing scents.I believe I have a good nose and have been collecting cologne for over thirty years now.But Santos is one that you just have to smell for yourself. There’s really nothing like it. I have both the EDT and the Concentree versions. I also have the second generation reformulation edt.I find the newer,current version a little better.It’s a bit deeper,darker,and spicier.But if you like this scent,and yet you find it a bit strong,then go for the first refomulated version.You can still find them on Ebay.I do like the top notes a little better on that version.They seem a bit brighter,not as rounded,and they project more.But it doesn’t last as long.And the heart is much lighter.
Now the concentree starts off a litlle more dense and I’d say slighly more bitter than the Edt.This is in both the first and second reformulation.The newer version has the metal plate on the bottle.
If you have both Dior Homme Intense,and the 2014 Parfum then you will have an idea of the differences between the Edt and the concentree versions of Santos.
But for me,all these years have gone by,and nothing has impressed me like Santos.It’s smooth,classy,elegant,and the women I’ve known have all like it much more than the other power scents of this era.This juice is masculine,but not “macho”.It’s a gentlemans scent.If you lack class,have a foul mouth and no manners,this probably is not for you.I wouldn’t say this is a formal scent, for suits and tux’s only,but it leans more that way than a clubbing scent,thats for sure.If you’re a newbie collector then Santos De Cartier is a must try.And the great thing now is that it is relatively cheap.Way back in the late 80’s it was a hundred bucks for the 3.3 oz size. I got mine on Ebay for under thirty five shipped. Another classic that’s real cheap is Alfred Sung Homme. You can find this at Marshalls dirt cheap. I mention this because Sung is closer to Santos than probably any other classy elegant cologne that I’ve come across. But they’re still entirely different.
Rusla7n – :
Tested on paper strip.
Manly
Green scent overall.
Open with Cologne scent.
Bitter.
Would I bought it: yes this is manly
SAndreyV – :
I picked up my new Santos Concentree bottle today. I love this fragrance. Masculine, classy, and very elegant. I think you must wear a chic attire when wearing this scent. At least a white iron shirt, and polished leather shoes. I think this is one of the best 80ies scent, along with Antaeus and Kouros. Some will say this is a “old man” scent. In my opinion it’s more about personal style. With the right attire, attitude and style, I think guys from 20 and up can pull it off. It will give you a very manly,classy aura. In comparition with the regular edt, I prefer the Concentree. It last longer,and it seems better blended. Longevity : Very good. Sillage: Moderate.
-A timeless elegant scent for classy gentlemen. Thumbs up!
lemnocuga – :
I smelled this on a perfume salesman just a few years back, he was in his mid-late 20’s (same age as me), and I asked him what it was because he smelled incredible, kind of old-school but in the best way possible, elegant and very manly. He told me ‘Santos’, directed me to a tester bottle, and I made a mental note to introduce this scent to the future man in my life. It reeks of class, wealth, suaveness and masculine power, but in a very warm, sexy attractive way, not cold and snobby or daddy-ish. I even love it on my own skin…the opening is overwhelming, but the drydown is just pure bliss, rich, deep and woodsy with lashings of green, floral, spice and alot of smooth, decadent warmth, it gets abit sweeter in the drydown which I love. I recommend it for the sophisticated, cultured men in their late 20’s and older. Santos may require some elegance and maturity to pull off, but that doesn’t mean it’s just a fragrance for dads and middle-aged bachelors! Wear it on date night coupled with a strong, take-charge attitude and watch your lady swoon.
halimich – :
Out of all the dark manly male perfumes of the 80’s like Zino, Azzaro, Antaeus, Trussardi etc., this is my favourite, this is the best for me!
I have the vintage original formula but was afraid that it’s a very mature, too serious perfume, but once when I was around 30, I wore it for a date. Some hours later my date asked me what was my perfume and I started to explain myself that it’s the first time I wear it and I know it’s too old manish. But it came out that my date loved it! It’s not old smelling, yet it has an old school vibe for it’s not sweet and fresh, however Santos is very well composed, natural, it really smells like a perfume and not like some food, pastry or candy.
To whom I recommend? Anyone and everyone! 🙂 It smells marvellous, manly but not brutal (like Kouros which I adore too), it’s the real “gentle”man 😉
My words are for the vintage formulation, never tried any recent reformulations.
Ps. always felt like it’s a coffee perfume, somehow I sense coffee from the symphony of the notes, yet it doesn’t contain coffee note, strange 🙂
melkon89 – :
@Dsun: You are insulting our intelligence with your allegations regarding sandalwood’s extinction.Please note:
1. There are artificial ingredients that compose nowadays the idea of sandalwood.
2. Cartier Inc is a trademark owned by L’Oreal.
3. So good night and sleep well, no-one is going to cut a single tree in order to provide sandalwood oil to you!
Tovespeewonge – :
The new version of Santos ( new bottle)
is hugely better than the prior versions ,
and is close to the original “vintage” Santos in terms of smell ,
with less projection but still can give you good longevity
I like it
Mefoa604bedyWelty – :
I am wearing the left over from my old bottle from the 90’s. I got a couple new ones, the regular version and the concentree, just to compare them. The regular version, comes in the exactly same bottle, not the one with the new design, and it smells closer to my old bottle from the 90″s, the concentree version with the new bottle design with the golden finish smells more different, but still I can say is one of the fragrances that has kept most of its feature notes after the reformulation. I normally picture wearing this when you dress up but I dared to wear it today in sport clothes and jeans, so far a complement has come. I still like it a lot. better for cold days.
SEREGA2639 – :
I bought the new Santos because I’m going to experiment with it. When I got my first whiff of it at a store downtown, immediately noticeable that what once was a leathery amber is now aldehydic–albeit a good one. I feel it could use a little more oakmoss and absolutely needs sandalwood. So, I’m going to try and reconstitute it using synthetic materials because I don’t think they fooled around with the ingredients that much.
I feel for those who miss the old Santos, but sandalwood is near extinction. Would you really cut down the remaining trees just to smell good? All the same, Cartier Inc should have just discontinued the brand instead of using these bait-and-switch tactics to sell a new product. They could have marketed it on its own because it does have legs. I like this new one. The product, not the marketing.
Affibralf – :
I like this fragrance. I wouldn’t want to wear it all the time. I only got a sample to try out in the past. I just used it up today. The opening of this is a little strong at first and smells like some woman’s perfume from years ago that went bad.(maybe my vial sample went rancid.) Afterwards it gets better and better. It smells sweet but not too much with woods. During the final stages of the dry down is the best because it has a tropical scent which is caused by the “Coconut” note. I really picture wearing this at night in the summer at clubs, casinos etc. This is one of the few fragrances where the “coconut” note really stands out for me.:)
Romagor – :
I was impressed with the opening and heart, but the dry down was not good on me. Smelled of dusty carpet.
koplani – :
I’ve been wearing Santos for a long time. This past Saturday, I was at Mall Of America. I went to A&W in the food court. I was paying for my drink & the gal ringing me up said. “You Smell Nice” I had just ran out. I need another bottle.
Dgek4 – :
I wore Santos as my signature in the late 80s, and the version of that time was a fantastic fragrance. Never got so many compliments neither before or after.
Todays formula is not the same. The only thing better is the classy bottle, but the vintage used to come with a leather “bag” to dress the bottle in, which I liked.
My new version starts with a blast of fresh herbs and some bergamot. Then the fragrance morphs gradually towards a strong and spicyoriental/chyperish base. Here oakmoss plays a part (it is listed on the box, but not on this page). A note that I do not remember well in the vintage is coconut, who starts to dominate after a while. Castoreum used to be important in the vintage, but it is not listed on my new box.
My new purchase is unfortunately a little unbalanced, so a full review and verdict is not fair. But I think I can say with confidence that Santos is not what it used to be. Several key elements in the vintage have also been banned or restricted by IFRA.
Vintage: 9,5/10
Todays: 6/10?
Xeroxhodkz – :
Finally I was lucky enough to get a real vintage after shave,1992. My god what a beast of smell. It’s the most crude odor you can get on fragrances. It’s just a piece of a log laying in the forest, to knock down any animal or a barbarian that attacks you…. Even thougher than Yatagan, my holy grail. This is the scent that Superman wore??? Not sillage, but enough to enjoy it for your self. 10/10 for those who love make fragrances. Sweet, but never on the women side. Go for the vintage!!!!
ven – :
Okay so I was REALLY late to the party on this one only by 30 odd years but I’ve finally tried Santos de Cartier.
I don’t know why really? I think it’s because despite being aware of their fragrance pedigree, I’d never really noticed Cartier fragrances in stores until the era of Roadster and the like.
What an interesting fragrance, many commenting about the reformulation. (which obviously I’m not aware of) S