Cartier Santos de Cartier was originally released in 1981, an amber woody created by Daniel Moliere (later created Diptyque Tam Dao). It was the first fragrance for men released by Cartier. Notes of lavender, juniper, basil, lemon verbena, bergamot, galbanum, neroli, pepper, nutmeg, vetiver, geranium, rosemary, clary sage, cloves, sandalwood, amber, coconut, patchouli, vanilla and cedar. This is the EDT, eau de Toilette, and it comes in the bottle pictured, brown with Paris under the name. This is a retro version and not the current version..
Basenotes - "For something that's aggressively spicy, the original Santos has a lot of restraint, reflecting the tasteful image Cartier wished to project at the time. In the air, it all comes together to form a nice, singular effect that doesn't evolve too much one way or the other: strong, elegant, and a bit exotic."
Basenotes - "This has been in my top 5 since I first smelled it. If you love fragrances like Bois du Portugal, then you owe it to yourself to try this. An oriental with a dry fougere top. It reeks of dignified, masculine class."
Fragrantica - "Rugged elegance, like riding a Harley while wearing a Tuxedo. This was a love at first sniff for me, great all year fragrance off my skin. Probably better suited for 40 and up but well worth checking out at any age."
Fragrantica - "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."