The fragrances in the Les Absolus D'Orient collection are created from the quest of the most noble raw materials. It is an invitation to a journey of the senses with unique oriental fragrances. These warm and heady fragrances bring together all the power and beauty of Orient.
Santal Royal is a rich wood with a sacred aura. For this creation, Guerlain House Perfumer Thierry Wasser drew inspiration from the treasures of the East, and worked one of the rarest and most precious ingredients in the perfume world: sandalwood. Shrouded in mystery, this bewitching note is exalted in a new amber woody oriental fragrance, a study of subtle contrasts between the dark notes of leather and oud wood, and the luminous floral notes of jasmine and rose.
Santal Royal is a woody amber that is mysterious, syrupy and enchanting. It features top notes of neroli and jasmine; middle notes of peach, rose and cinnamon; and base notes of sandalwood; leather, amber, oud and musk. It is an eau de parfum, edp.
Fragrantica: This scent has obsessed me. I just used up my tester and went in on a full bottle. It’s so powerful! I want my whole life to smell like the drydown of this one. As others said, it opens almost harsh and cloying but quickly emerges into a very juicy rose and oud combo. This stuff will hang around forever and seems to blend in well with other incense/rose/woody/leather scents so my winter coat for example is a real mess of lingering scents but it works. I tend to wear this one differently - full sprays on the skin are too much, so I walk through one spray and let another fall over my hair. This perfume is a wonderful hair scent and makes people go “mmm” and smell me when they get close. My only wish was that it was a little creamier or more solid under all the loud forward notes, sooner than 6-8 hours it takes to become a skin scent.
Fragrantica: With all sincerity this is quite literally one of the best if not THE best Oriental fragrances I have ever put my nose on. I have been hesitant to write a review as the fragrance has confounded me. Upon initial spray it is an unholy but wonderful blast of very strong oud and rose. Whilst many deride this fragrance as just another in a long tedious line of oud/rose combinations, this one is deceptive. Yes it does start off in this fashion (and it is in my view a superbly executed rendition of a very Middle Eastern type of oud/rose fragrance) but dries down into a supreme sandalwood with oud still enveloping.
Fragrantica: Santal Royal is amazing, but it is nothing like what I expected. With a name like that, I thought I would find opulent oud, glittering rose, and smouldering sandalwood chips. The notes and bottle suggest an Arabian fairy tale. Instead, I find myself in a prohibition-era speakeasy. There is ashy smoke in the air, the scent of worn leather upholstery, pungent cocktails and whiffs of a stranger's heady rose perfume. There's a grungy but elegant ambiance to Santal Royal. Also, Santal Royal is a 1-2 sprays maximum fragrance. It is very, very, very potent. Even with 2 sprays I was going anosmic!
Fragrantica: Intoxicating, refined, elegant and opulent. This perfume is a true masterpiece that requires a mature nose to understand it’s beauty. Once I sprayed this on for the first time, I just couldn’t stop smelling myself all day. Its that addictive. I can see this worn in colder weather or night time all year round. Its sexy and can be a date night fragrance that would charm anyone that smells this on you.
