Colin18054

Who can still remember the first time they smelled Tom Ford Oud Wood? Although it was quite a few years ago for me, I can still recall it very well. I was at KDW, sprayed it on a scent strip, smelled it, and was initially "stunned." So this is it? I put the strip in my jacket pocket and continued to stroll around. When I left the department store, I smelled the strip again, and from that moment on, I was captivated. The scent had something "magical" about it. I still can't quite put it into words, but Oud Wood is and remains my favorite scent DNA. After all these years of having Oud Wood in my possession, the magic from the beginning has, of course, faded a bit.
This leads me to Santal 33. This scent has once again triggered that magic for me, just like Oud Wood did back then. I can't exactly define why, but I just want to smell this fragrance. Here too, I was initially surprised when I first smelled it: I've heard so much about it, and is this really it? But just like with Oud Wood, it was more the second sniff that made me find this scent incredibly wonderful. In many reviews, I read very divided opinions. Some love it, others hate it. Many say it smells like pickles with dill. I can even somewhat understand that association in a way. Nevertheless, I went straight to the fridge and opened a jar of pickles with dill. Conclusion: Somewhere far away, there might be similarities. But that doesn't make the scent any worse.
For me, this fragrance particularly smells of leather and wood. Both are not too heavy or unpleasant, but simply perfectly balanced. Somewhere between a New York hotel lobby and a leather goods store seems like a fitting association. Longevity and projection are very good for me. 2-3 sprays are completely sufficient here, and you can still smell the fragrance on your clothes even after 1-2 days.
I would still not buy this fragrance blindly but would test it first. Luckily, Le Labo offers samples of all their perfumes for 5 euros including DHL Express shipping. I think that's really great, and some manufacturers could take a cue from that.
Despite the high price, I consider the price/performance ratio to be good, as you really get something unique, and the scent - as mentioned before - lasts a long time with just a few sprays.
The bottle and packaging are also top-notch. I simply love the simple design of Le Labo.

The first time I heard about the fragrance was - like many here probably - in 2019, during its "hype phase." Many influencers / rappers raved about it. To be honest, it was too expensive for me back then. I hadn't heard anything about "Souken" at that time.
When I finally managed to get a sample through a colleague in January of last year, I already had high expectations for the scent. When it arrived, I was initially surprised. I didn't think it would smell like that. Nevertheless, I fell in love with it right away because it simply smelled so different from everything I had smelled before. Different, yet incredibly good.
At first, it smells like a honey/incense composition. As the incense gradually fades away, a warm, woody, incredibly pleasant, and unobtrusive scent remains that you can just love.
I had a 10 ML sample, so I didn't want to use it wastefully. Therefore, I mostly wore it only on "special occasions." I think that's also one reason why I love this fragrance so much. A lot has happened in the last year, and I wore this scent through it all. I associate the fragrance with many beautiful moments and people.
That's exactly what fuels my passion for fragrances. Similar to music, they take you to different places and awaken old memories.
I now own a bottle of this wonderful fragrance and have not regretted a single cent.