Orange x Santal Essential Parfums 2018

Essential Parfums Orange X Santal is fittingly a citric, woody blend, which interestingly smells like a classic men’s cologne, a palatable balance between the sharp orange and santal concept of sandalwood with a bit of a cedrat vibe, also. Orange and sandalwood themselves dominate the opening minutes but they quickly give way to the more gentlemanly, Cypress, oakmoss, and basil further darker and deepen things, making for an experience that ranges from fairly unisex to stereotypically masculine. I think opinions could vary on this but I do regard it as something that Acqua di Parma might release in their men’s Colonia line, and something from Profumum Roma might be similar. I really love it; it has class, freshness, depth, and an ease of wearing that makes it both a versatile everyday scent that also smells special, and it performs quite well.

Like the rest of the line, this is EDP concentration and priced at $96 for 100ml, a very good deal in the current market, and sold in the US both via the house website and boutiques like Ministry of Scent, from which I bought my sample set.

8 out of 10

I love natural fragrances - and this one is exceptional. I ended up loving it, but it took time to recognize how gorgeous it is. No, it’s not a beast mode perfume. Yes, the orange blast fades away quickly. And if you are looking for a synthetic bomb that projects for hours, you will not like this one. But yet for me this one is so special.

This perfume has expensive and rare ingredients, and you can smell it. This is the real thing, and difficult to find. It contains natural sandalwood from Australia - creamy, soft, subtle, amazingly elegant… you can smell how authentic it is. Most sandalwood accords nowadays are synthetic and the original essence has become rare. On the other hand, the orange in the opening is exquisite and yes, it fades away quickly. Welcome to nature, this is how it should be! Same thing happens when you squeeze an orange peel - it won’t last.

I have tried all the fragrances from Essential Parfums. Besides Bois Impérial (which is completely different!) I liked this one the best. It is a masterpiece of nature, well
blended, easy and uplifting to wear.

This is one of my favorites from the house as it doesn't remind me of a soap or fabric softener like most others do.
It's a pleasant scent with uplifting, optimistic orange scent that elevates your mood, along with some smooth woodiness from the prominent sandalwood & earthy greens in the background. A non offensive scent great for school or office environment (that is if you dont want to stand out and just smell good, as this is the equivalent to wearing jeans and a t-shirt.) this is one of those scents you could get a travel size of, put in your bag and just spray when you have an occasion that you'd like to smell good & understated for. I however prefer Eau d'Orange Verte as an understatement frag which has small similarities to this.

Beautiful and classy.

I sprayed this and it was a blast of orange. I was like… ok, just an orange smell.

Fortunately i kept the stripe and after an hour or so, wow, what a beautiful creamy sandalwood, very elegant, soapy, milky! Went back and bought a 10ml travel.

Huge thumb up for this beautiful brand and is lovely prices too!

Foreword: I purchased the Discovery Set from Essential Parfums and would like to document my journey here. I was already familiar with the brand for its excellent fragrances created by renowned perfumers and its attractive price/performance ratio, so I wanted to form my own opinion.

And now to the fragrance. With its bitter orange, Orange x Santal is an olfactory experience for me. I simply love bitter orange as a fragrance note. You get hit with it, or rather your nose does, immediately after the first spray. The name says it all: mildly pungent bitter orange is dominant and lingers in the nose for a few minutes. A really pleasant, orangey, and tangy fruit. After an hour, the citrus is still there, but now the orange has gently settled with basil and grassy notes on light wood. The scent becomes quieter and quieter...

And then... then it's time to spray again. I'm very sorry for the fragrance, but the experience is very short-lived. I tested the fragrance directly against Never-ending Summer, which already doesn't shine with long-lasting longevity. After 3 hours on the test strip, Never-ending Summer still smelled relatively fresh and the bitter orange definitely still played a role. Orange x Santal, on the other hand, has almost no citrus left, and if anything, I still detect warmed wood. Furthermore, I also find this fragrance very linear. Simplicity can also be attractive, but I also appreciate the wicked, smoky side of the orange in Linda Valencia or the peppery finish in Never-ending Summer with a dash of nutmeg.

In a direct comparison, Orange x Santal disappoints me somewhat. The start is great, but the rapid decline in intensity is less so. But you get what the title says. Orange and wood. No more, no less, and that for a short time.