Serge Lutens Santal Blanc

Serge Lutens Santal Blanc is easy for me to love. Unlike Little Miss Banshee, Datura Noir, this is a quiet, elegant scent. The opening is a bit boozey, along the lines of Cedre, Idole de Lubin or Black Cashmere. There's spice aplenty, from sweet fenugreek to hot pink pepper and cinnamon bark (the latter is further explored in the wonderful Rousse, a review coming soon), just the right amount of benzoin sweetness and a rich woody drydown.

As I said: An easy love.

The Copaiba balsam is probably the same copaiba wood from (duh!) Parfumerie Generale Bois de Copaiba, which is another beautiful scent that shares the woody-spicy-boozey spotlight. The pink pepper in Santal Blanc makes it more naughty next to PG's elegant scent, as does the somewhat musky drydown. It's interesting to smell the two next to each other, as while they share some notes, they are in no way variations on the same theme.

Also, the whiteness of the white sandalwood is indeed there, keeping this perfume somewhat more transparent than any of those I mentioned above. While having a naughty, peppery streak, it's nowhere as dark and mysterious as Black Cashmere and its pals, and thus easier to wear in hot weather and not making one search for something like opera gloves when accessorizing.

While this is most definitely a unisex scent, in my household I'm the one wearing the sandalwood. It might be the benzoin note that sits better on my skin, and probably also the musk that makes the Blond a bit uncomfortable. This only means one thing: More for me.