Santal Royal (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain

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Absolus Allegoria

Santal Royal Guerlain 2014 Eau de Parfum

7.9 / 10 1253 Ratings

A popular perfume by Guerlain for women and men, released in 2014. The scent is woody-oriental. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.
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Main accords

Woody

Oriental

Spicy

Floral

Leathery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Jasmine

Neroli

Heart Notes

Rose

Peach

Cinnamon

Base Notes

Oud

Leather

Sandalwood Amber

Amber

Musk

Perfumer

Thierry Wasser

Ratings

Scent

7.91253 Ratings

Longevity

8.31107 Ratings

Sillage

8.01114 Ratings

Bottle

8.41060 Ratings

Value for money

7.7645 Ratings

Submitted by Michael · last update on 01/29/2026.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the Absolus Allegoria collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Santal Royal Limited Edition 2016

Santal Royal Brume Cheveux

Yasmina

Santal Boisé

Shumoukh Misk Oud

Oud Pashmina

Reviews

80 in-depth fragrance descriptions

10/15/2014

7Scent

DemonHead
18 Reviews

DemonHead

Helpful Review 6

Bending to the Middle Eastern Market

This year Guerlain introduce a new scent intended for the Middle Eastern market; Santal Royal. With exclusivity limited to the new Salon de Parfums at Harrods in London (for the time being), Santal Royal is an ode to one of perfumery's highly regarded ingredients; sandalwood.

Presented in a handsome black glass flacon normally usually reserved for the "Les Eaux de Rituels" collection, and with a label design appended from early Shalimar powder boxes, Santal Royal cuts a striking new figure, whilst still acknowledging the House's prodigious heritage.

Santal Royal surprises with its opening which features (quite obviously) sandalwood, but if in these fleeting opening moments one can avoid being seduced by the darker, woodier aspects of the fragrance, the flight has something of a signature Guerlain treatment: wafts of bergamot and lavender tippy-toe over an aromatic slant of geranium and coriander. These nuances keep the scent uplifting and bright before - mere moments later - richer, more complex notes emerge. Cinnamon and clove-like spices give rise to a thicker core of florals... rose, ylang-ylang and jasmine seem tickle my receptors. They are imbued with an off-the-rack oud accord (which, if I'm to be honest, I've smelled before in Armani's Cuir Noir and Puredistance Black), but it's earthiness does work well against the precious santal. A biting tartness is also present, suggestive of tanned leather, but it only makes its presence felt from time to time. A warmer foundation of amber, tonka and musks steer the scent back to a more familiar 'Guerlain' stable, before the fragrance vanishes from skin altogether a generous 8 -10 hours later.

07/14/2025

9.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Seddik03
4 Reviews

Seddik03

6

Best Rose and Oud Fragrance!

Santal Royal is just that sort of special fragrance to me. I have an older one that was given to me by my father, and it's really nostalgic for me. It is that work of art, sophisticated, opulent, and emotionally powerful.

Flower and oud are combined perfectly here. It doesn't smell piercing or chemical, but rather smooth, rich, and luxurious. I've tested new production lots against each other, but really: the original is far better. It's richer, deeper, and more interesting.

It's not a ordinary fragrance. It's unique and created for something extraordinary, for a moment when you want to feel forever and good about yourself. I adore this fragrance, and it will never cease to possess a small part of my heart. :)

08/07/2025

9Scent 10Longevity 9Sillage

Viktor1989
19 Reviews

Viktor1989

Helpful Review 4

Rich scent

A classic oriental-woody fragrance.
The opening of the fragrance is quite fruity and floral, the freshness of jasmine and neroli mingles with notes of peach, which gives a surprisingly sweet but not intrusive start.
The heart notes are dominated by rose and cinnamon. The rose here is not a light, spring floral scent, but a rich, dark and velvety rose, which goes perfectly with the spiciness of cinnamon.
The focus in the base notes is on sandalwood, as the name of the perfume suggests. This creamy, warm woody note is made even more characteristic and deep by oud and leather. The oud note in this perfume is not too animalic or medicinal, but rather subtly smoky and elegant. The musk and amber provide a soft base, which further increases the longevity and silkiness of the fragrance.
This perfume is not for everyday use. It's an ideal choice for special events and evening occasions, but I think it's also perfect for colder autumn and winter days.
It smells a bit feminine to my nose, but it's a very nice scent.

Updated on 08/07/2025

01/02/2016

8.5Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

Kankuro
7 Reviews

Kankuro

Very helpful Review

A little taste of Orient

I remember when Santal Royal was announced by Guerlain. On that day, many a Guerlain lover celebrated, as the great House of Guerlain would finally make another Sandalwood fragrance, an arabic inspired one that is. Would Santal Royal be competition for the beloved classic Samsara, which originally featured an exceptional amount of real mysore Sandalwood? Shortly after the release, negative reviews started coming in. People where upset about Santal Royal not being a Sandalwood fragrance, but merely another Oud with Rose. Also, people claimed the new fragrance to smell highly synthetic and concluded that not a lot of money was spent on its creation, using cheap raw ingredients. Even the well known and passionate Guerlain collector and blogger "Monsieur Guerlain" couldn't find any love for Santal Royal. But despite all of that, the fragrance seems to do pretty well, as Guerlain will create a whole collection called "Les Absolu d'Orient", which will include Santal Royal as the first creation. And the next chapter is already on its way: Ambre Éternel, the second one in this new collection, will be launched worldwide in February. How did I get around trying Santal Royal? It was pure coincidence. When I ordered Habit Rouge Dress Code, a sample of Santal Royal was added to my order as a gift. After reading all the negative reviews, I hesitantly sprayed a bit on the back of my hand, and slowly inhaled the new scent. Instantly, I was in olfactory heaven! What a wonderful, oriental smell. Thierry Wasser once again created something really nice. I don't know why so many people dislike this excellent scent.

Santal Royal, I agree, is not a Sandalwood scent. Guerlain already got an exquisite Sandalwood fragrance, Samsara. So why did the marketing people behind Guerlain decide to call this new fragrance Santal Royal, instead of being honest and calling it Oud Royal? Well, Samsara doesn't have to fear any competition, the intended target market for Santal Royal is different from that of Samsara anyway. But what does the new, arabic inspired fragrance called Santal Royal smell like? On one hand, it is different from anything Guerlain did before. On the other hand, I think it got a whole lot of a Guerlain feeling. The opening is a fruity, woody, smoky, spicy and sweet blend of a captivating berry like sweetness, which Thierry Wasser already used in La petite Robe noire; Cinnamon and Oud with Rose. The combination is wonderfully exotic and oriental, but also very Gourmand. So Santal Royal is a Rose + Oud fragrance after all. Thus, the fragrance fits into a niche Guerlain already covered with their fragrance "Rose Nacrée du Désert". So why do they need another one? Well, the price point of those two is different. Where Rose Nacrée du Désert is an expensive high end Rose Oud, Santal Royal costs less and offers 125 ml instead of only 75 ml. Isn't it quite nice to see the launch of more affordable variations, instead of more of these ambitiously priced "Ultra Niche" products that are saturating the market these days. Back to the scent itself, on the back of my hand Santal Royal evolved into a more woody-spicy fragrance, but don't be mistaken: The Rose is now the ruler over all other notes. She dominates, but lets enough room for the Oud, which lives in symbiosis with the fruity notes. The combination may not be new, but here it obviously bears Mr. Thierry Wassers signature. Luca Turin describes this signature as "[...] the weird long-term freshness that Thierry Wasser somehow builds into the fabric of his fragrances [...]", and he is spot on with his description. Even in Santal Royal, there is a freshness I cannot fully grasp, but that shifts the fragrance from being too dense and thick to having a wonderful lightness to it. How can I describe the scent in its current phase of evolution? Well, think of fruits drunk of cinnamon, lying on a leather tray, garnished with Rose petals and slivers of Oud wood. Yes, Santal Royal is a "Rose + Oud + Fruit" mixture. No, that doesn't mean Santal Royal is a trivial fragrance that fails to stand out from others. It's exactly the warm and Gourmand like feeling that makes this perfume a true Guerlain, and makes it stand out from the crowd. Adding to the Guerlain feeling, is the leather, which may not be animalic, but adds a nice texture to the base notes, they appear richer and more facetted thanks to the addition of the leather. Those who still got some space for a stunning Rose Oud perfume in their collection, and those who like their fragrances to be fruity, spicy and warming, will be delighted with Santal Royal.

What a marvellous triad of Roses, Oud and spicy sweet Fruit. Santal Royal is not trivial, nor is it of lesser quality. Instead, it shines thanks to its exotic aroma. I do not believe that the lower price indicates lower quality raw materials, that's nonesense. We all know how the "high quality materials" lie is used to push prices for niche fragrances up. Whether it's Chanel, Dior, Guerlain; or Creed, Amouage and Roja Parfums, they all use the same ingredients. Need an example? Frederic Malles new scent "Cologne Indélébile" features the musk material called "Habanolide". Everyone familiar with this kind of materials knows: Habanolide are not exclusive, nor particularly expensive. But yet, they make up 50% of the formula of Cologne Indélébile. Does that make it a bad fragrance not worth the price tag? No. It's still a good fragrance. Everyone experienced enough in perfumery will know to ignore many companies presenting their products telling us "We only use the finest and purest of ingredients that we hand pick from all around the world". It's a lie. And just like that, Santal Royal is not more or less luxurious than any other Guerlain perfume out there. My guess is, people can't get over the bad choice of a name, and are just too disappointed to not find any Sandalwood in Santal Royal. Personally, I don't care, and I will continue to enjoy the sweet cloud of fragrance that is Santal Royal around me. And I am pretty excited for the next Chapter: Ambre Éternel.

11/06/2015

3Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

K1
121 Reviews

K1

2

"The treasure of east" is not a material of perfumery, it's introversion...

Here we have a doomed perfume by every single reviewer and critic. I criticize the responsible bodies behind this. This, I mean the movement which fruit is Santal Royal.

This perfume has a yummy way of oud and sandalwood and is a tribute to Arabian perfume taste which Guerlain, seems, has stubbornly resisted to join but the money Arabs pay would tempt a monk where sandalwoods grow! So with haste Wasser and Guerlain get involve to draw the money in the most profitable time and place, as the house had done by the release of Samsara back in days.

The first impression every time I try Santal Royal is this is not Guerlain. For the sake of whatever you will, which Guerlain perfume smells this cloying?! It is so funny like the final presentation project of a bachelor who prepared it just last night before presentation in school. Totally, unfinished, raw, solid, linear, and…. and quite tempting and promising by appetizing atmosphere added to the opening to charm on.

Guerlian describes "we drew inspiration from the treasure of the east: sandalwood". Let me assure that the treasure of east is not a material of perfumery. It's introversion that west still could not approach unless maestro perfumers as Serge Lutens and Lorenzo Villoresi.
3/10

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