Guerlain Les Absolus D’Orient Santal Royal EDP Review
Santal Royal EDP.
An underrated and sophisticated fragrance for men and women.
Guerlain Les Absolus D’Orient Santal Royal EDP was released in 2014. It is based on oud, rose, and sandalwood. It lasts nine to ten hours on the skin with room-filling projection. In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Guerlain Santal Royal Smell Like?
Sandalwood is not the most prominent in the opening but lingers in the background. Though surprising, it still achieves sandalwood goodness.
Leather and oud dominate the opening. Sandalwood and spices await their turn in the background. Yes, sandalwood is there, but faintly. First-time users, myself included, will think this is an oud-dominated scent.
However, as the scent develops, leather and oud get broken down by warm rose notes. Warm enough to counterbalance the smell but not dominate it. When this happens, sandalwood makes its presence known.
Once in the dry down, you’ll understand why the sandalwood base was worth the wait. It takes oud, leather, and rose and washes over them with warmth and creaminess. It makes the scent whole, but I wish it would have been more prominent for the entire wear.
The official Guerlain Les Absolus D’Orient Santal Royal EDP notes:
TOP NOTES
- Jasmine
- Neroli
MID NOTES
- Rose
- Cinnamon
- Peach
BASE NOTES
- Oud
- Sandalwood
- Leather
- Amber
- Musk
Performance
The performance is fantastic, what you’d expect from a heavy fragrance like this. Santal Royal lasts 9 – 10 hours on the skin with room-filling projection. It creates a multiple-foot scent bubble around you and leaves a multiple-foot scent trail.
As for seasons and occasions, it is more limited. This is exclusively for fall and winter wear. One is because it is such an intense fragrance that it needs cooler weather to decrease its intensity. While the other reason is the aroma. The strong wood and spices combination is mainly what many of us think of in the winter.
You’ll get a solid five months of wear in a four-season climate. The warmer your climate, the less versatile this becomes. However, the good news is that this isn’t a sweet fragrance, so it won’t be unwearable even if you live in a warmer climate.
The occasions are just as limited. Santal Royal is exclusively for formal occasions, and this is for the same reasons as the seasons. Too intense and has a unique, heavy aroma.
The mass appeal and likability are excellent. But not in the way that you think. This isn’t a fragrance that’s looking for attention. It only garners some as it is very unique and alluring. An intriguing degree of sophistication comes with this oud, rose, and spice combination.
Final Words
On the official Guerlain website, a 120mL bottle can be purchased for $260 and less on discounters ($160ish). Considering the discounted price and the quality and allure of the aroma, this scent is worth it.
One of my favorite notes is quality oud notes. Guerlain hit the nail right on the head here. If you’re a man who attends many formal events, this is definitely a must-try. If you’re looking for more casual wear, this doesn’t work as well for you but is still worth a sample or decant.
After you try Guerlain Les Absolus D’Orient Santal Royal EDP, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.