Santal Majuscule by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hiya Lovelies.

I have been over at FacebookFragranceFriends and was lucky enough to be involved in a split for Santal Majuscule created by Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens and released recently. Such a great way to get a good sized sample, thanks Andrea!! I don’t know if you have read much about it or even smelled it but it has been eagerly awaited as a sister to the 2 other Lutens Sandalwood offerings Santal Blanc (sweet) and Santal de Mysore (smoke) but this one is quite a different take.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Sandalwood (That’s it? R U FECKING JOKING!!!!)

I smell honey and spice, flowers that could be rose, wood, butter, smoke, sweet whipped cream on warm cinnamon honey cakes. This is not quite as gourmand as all that sounds and has some definite musky tendencies as it wears into the 2nd hour that sing alongside the woods beautifully but not intrusively. There is also a slightly sharp greenness lurking that raises its head and gives you a saucy wink every so often, as if they have tried to capture the sandalwood from bud to burning and every moment in between. I find this an infinitely more varied ride than expected and am enjoying the flow. The longer it wears the more buttery it becomes, really woody and animal fatty. So nice. I’m at around 4 hours now and Santal Majuscule is starting to lose its strength and go quieter on my skin, not a bad run so far. I get about 6 hours till it is really a skin scent that stays around till morning.

Sandalwood Cross Section Photo Stolen austoils

I have just knocked over my 10ml split and broken the glass atomiser, the place smells GORGEOUS! Looks like the office will be off limits for fragrance testing till next Friday 2015. Interesting that even though 10ml just went AWOL I am not overwhelmed by the fragrance, yes I can smell it and the room when you leave and re enter is awash in fragrance but it’s lovely and luxe and exquisite, not Pow! WhaM! Bam! at all. There is a sheerness to Santal Majascule that is fully fragrant but also full of spaces and air so that you can breathe, deep but not dense. Well there has been a good development come out of all this, I am to have a full bottle. It has been agreed. YAY!!! Went to Escentual and grabbed it, ON ITS WAY. HOORAY!!

Photo Stolen en.wikipedias

TheAlembicatedGenie, BoisDeJasmin and Patty at ThePerfumePosse all review it much better than me.
Escentual has 50ml for around £80 ($125) delivered worldwide!

Have you tried any of the Lutens sandalwood trio? How do you rate them? Is there another sandalwood that I simply MUST try? Leave me a note in the comments, I love to read your ideas too. Even if you just want to say HI, do it. I’ll be thrilled,
Have an excellent day till we see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

31 thoughts on “Santal Majuscule by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2012”

  1. My heart skipped a bit when I read that you broke your vial. You found the ultimate way to scent spaces but it must have been painful…. I have Santal de Mysore and it is actually a bowl mad of sandalwood in which thai curry has been served. Not a real gourmand but quite close. Exactly on the opposite side of the sandalwood spectrum you will find Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Santal Noble. If Santal de Mysore is Dita von Tees, Santal Noble is Uma Thurman.

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    • Awesome analogies there to the actresses Christos. I was pretty tortured about the breakage but what can you do? I was given permission to replace it with a FB because it smelled so good through the whole house.
      So good came from tragedy.
      YUM, Thai curry in a Sandalwood bowl. Sounds great!
      Portia xx

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  2. Hi Portia, I haven’t tried this one yet (still waiting for its arrival in Dubai) but, I love Santal Blanc by SL (very boozy) and Santal Blush by Tom Ford (much drier and a little more masculine but, I love it). I also tried Le Labo Santal 33 recently. This one doesn’t have hardly any sandalwood in it to my nose, just lots of peppermint.

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  3. So breaking a decant means instant full bottle? Where’s that dog of mine, with his energetic and very hairy tail?

    Haven’t tried any of the Lutens sandalwoods yet, but you make this sound fab. My number one rec is SSS’s Champagne de Bois. Amazing stuff!

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    • Hey Dionne,
      I think because you do all your reading and answering in one day it may freak out. I had to wrangle you out of spam. This happens when people come back and leave a few comments. Sorry.
      HAH! I’ve not broken an atomiser before but I will keep it in mind for next time I’m gagging to FB. You know what? In all honesty Jin has absolutely no say in what I buy but it was nice of him to suggest an FB to make me feel better. It did, I do. Now the anticipation is killing me. DELICIOUS ANTICIPATION!
      Thanks for dropping by, your care pack went in the mail Friday.
      Love you Princess,
      Portia xx

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  4. I have been wanting to try this! My heart also stopped when I read that your decant atomizer broke. Applause for looking on the bright side and deciding that you absolutely needed a full bottle!

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  5. Wow Portia
    I couldn’t believe how calm you sounded reporting the breakage. No heart rendering sobs, nothing. Then I read further down and saw that you had comforted yourself with a FB. Tell me, were you REALLY that calm ‘in the moment’ or was it more retrospective?
    You make it sound wonderful, and I find I’m really wanting to try it, although I have to admit that both of his other sandalwoods haven’t done it for me. The other sandalwood prominent perfumes I’m familiar with, Bois des Iles, I find fascinating but I don’t think I’d say I like it exactly, same with her cousin, Champagne des Bois. Although I find I reach for the latter more often than the former, something about the combination of amber and sandalwood. Yet, the dry down of Coco, I find absolutely enchanting, and I’ve always thought that was sandalwood. Makes me wonder if there is something in Coco that I’ve been reading as sandalwood that is actually something else?
    When you say honey I think Chergui for some reason, would you compare Chergui to Santal Majuscule at all?

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    • Hey SonomaVelvet,
      I was pretty calm, dropped the F bomb at the top of my lungs and just watched the juice spread across my desk. I had to make sure all cardboard boxes and my keypad and mouse were out of the way, grabbed a tea towel and soaked it up (Tea Towel now has pride of place in the living room and is still wafting its 10mls fragrantly, pricey pot pouri) I was sadder about not having finished my review properly.
      I am a bit of a Sandalwood fan girl. I have some very interesting oils from India 2000 and 2010 visits and the difference in depth, luxe and quality is marked for the worse in 2010. I have yet to try Chergui, its dark waters call me sometimes in the shop but I am always wearing light colours when there for some reason. I will try and report.
      For me this is a buttery and creamy Sandalwood. The obly way to know for sure is to get a sample or spritz on your skin. Do report if you do.
      I love the questions though, you have me thinking,
      Portia xx

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  8. My heart didn’t skip a beat or careen off the edged of the Grand Canyon when you broke the bottle. Why not? Because I just new that with Portia and perfume there is always a happy ending.
    I haven’t tried any of these but going sniffing around Union Square tomorrow and will look for it.

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  9. Hi Portia ! Took your advice and slept till afternoon , now I have serious catch up to play ! As always your review is first on my agenda and like every day your crazy thoughts bring me into heightened state of excitement , today being no exception ! I am slowly testing my way through SL , I have 4 that I would love to add to my FB collection ! I love the thin rectangular bottles ! Soooo classy ! Some days I wonder if there will ever be a day when I don’t think about perfume , this obsession has me in a vice like grip and I have no desire to even try to break free! I’m sure I know what I mean , and all the APJ that visit here !
    Watching the footy with my man today head in his lap ! Enjoying some human touch , hope u are in a happy state of mind today ! What did u pluck from your fridge today , do tell ?

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    • Hey Tim Tam,
      I’m glad you are enjoying the footy and I think we all have the same mania for frags.
      Today I am rocking Guerlain’s Tiare Mimosa, which is a perfect warm spring day fragrance, light and lovely. What are you wafting?
      Love to Woody to please.
      Portia xx

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      • After a hot soak in the bath with EO of sweet orange, pettigrain, citronella , cyprol, and birch tar ! (Smoked orange accord) , Devine and it lingers through the house after the bath, I’m feeling great again ! I just covered myself in Aramis , about 10 sprays ! I want intense spices leather , will then layer over Azuree to give it a citric burst ! decided to take the football to the pub and I want to stink like a leather boot !!! Woof * xx

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  10. Out of the trio I tried only Santal Blanc (liked it) and now I really want to try this one – everybody is writing good things about it. I will soon.

    Congratulation on you new bottle 😉

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  11. I’m very late in my comment, but for a moment, my heart stopped when I read that your decant broke…On the other hand, a full bottle makes up for many tears and let’s face it – you now have the most fabulously scented room…;-) Mine will have to wait a while longer, alas. 😦 Lovely review, darling – and I just KNEW you’d love it! xo

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