Santal Carmin Atelier Cologne for women and men

This is the milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard. One of the scents I keep going back to for any season but Summer. And in Summer I'll wear it at night regardless because I love it so much.
I see they've put all the fragrances in new packaging, so I hope the formulation has remained the same. Because once my 100 ml bottle is empty, you betcha I am buying this again. If only to remember all the boys that have come to my yard while wearing Santal Carmin haha.

Comforting, pure, clean, easy, likeable, delicious. The sandalwood is super duper creamy and the fragrance as a whole is an homage to that note in particular. The blend here is really nice, and the other notes support but nothing sticks out. It comes together into something that isn’t challenging or edgy in the slightest, it is very approachable. My partner likes this one on me as well.
This scent is entirely unisex and I would love to wear it on its own but I also think it would layer really, really well.

Located in US. Sell me your bottle. Size don’t matter, use doesn’t matter, I just ask the bottle and label are in excellent condition.

This is a beautiful sweet santal fragrance that for me would lean more feminine if it had slightly more floral notes but is perfectly unisex. I have only had it on for a few hours but I notice decent sillage and expect good longevity due to the sweet/vanilla note. I cant say its exceptional or particularly unique but I will get good use out of this in the fall/winter months. If you like creamy woody fragrances then you cant really go wrong with this.

Side note if you're in the UK: Exotique Musk by Artiscent Atelier in Superdrug is virtually identical to this- 30ml is £6 so do with that what you will.

I prefer the original bottle that was gold with a red label. It fit the fragrance more. A smooth and rich fragrance like you’re in an old mansion library sitting in a leather chair by the fire. On a cold night. I love the way Atelier works with sandalwood.

I could blind buy atelier cologne bec I love all of them, I own almost 20 in my collection and santal carmin is one of my gav, such conforty, sweat but not sugary like all the new fragrances coming on the market (La Vie Est belle, trésor lancome etc), it has personality and keeps lighting my day when I move and can smell it. really warm and well blended.

I can’t appreciate this as a personal fragrance, but I want my house to smell like this! This gives the impression of a well-kept library. Timeless and genderless — I can’t place it in a season or an expression. This isn’t the smell of a person but maybe a book whose pages have marinated for decades. Unfortunately this did not perform as well as I was hoping. Wore this on a night out and it wasn’t detectable after couple of hours, and I can’t smell it any further than 2 inches away from my skin immediately after it’s been sprayed. Based on the diversity of opinion regarding longevity and sillage in other reviews, it sounds like my 2022 formulation is a downgrade from previous iterations. I’ll experiment with its staying power, but I don’t see myself buying a decant or bottle of this once my tester is empty. I hope they decide to make a candle of this someday!

Sweet and creamy, to me it is sensual, confident and soft. Somewhere else someone wrote that this is their favorite version of sandalwood and I agree. I find this easy to wear yet unique and intriguing, and would love to wear it often in the fall.

I had a forgotten pack of Atelier samples from years ago and have been working my way through again. This one I wanted to buy, but it’s too expensive & hard to get for me anytime soon. So I asked my boyfriend (who will say something negative about nearly any fragrance) to comment and he told me it smells like an old person. So that helps me hold off for now. But I do still want it.

What a love. Earthy, woody, light vanilla nice sillage and long lasting! I have now sampled 3 Ateliers. Clementine California, Orange Sanguine and this -- all Gorgeous!

I had the gold bottle with the red label and now a red lunar new year bottle with the gold metal lotus plaque. Those two bottles smell identical. Anyone compare either of those to this new blue bottle? I'm worried now that they seem to be switching things up.

I have 6 or 7 from Atelier. This is a clear WINNER! All of the others were just *OK* to me. Blind buys. When I bought this one, I immediately ordered a backup. If you like these notes, you need to go on & get this bad boy! Mine have red labels, so there may be a reform that happened!!!

A few years ago, I tried this perfume and thought it smelled like jasmine. When I tried it again recently, I found it pleasant, long-lasting, and strong. The perfume has saffron, vanilla, sandalwood, and bergamot notes that blend delicately. I accidentally sprayed on my band watch and could smell the fragrance from it for a week. This luxurious perfume is perfect for autumn and winter and my top choice for formal meetings during those seasons.

Used to own a travel size of this, has gone up a crazy amount $ since discontinuation. Just received a sample again for reminiscence sake—formulation seems much weaker to me now since ~2017, unless my sense has finished! Still love how saffron forward this is, that’s definitely what drew me in to begin with. I grew up on Persian food, so they smelled like home to me. Now the line punches through a little more than before, and I’m getting a slight synthetic edge. Still nice and comforting, but all in all I probably won’t go for a bottle.

Good one. Had one Turkish guy beg me to tell me the name of this perfume.

Toffee-like scent addictive sweet goodness. Comforting, gourmand, cozy, not overly sweet. Beautiful sandalwood and saffron blend, sophisticated not headache inducing. It's a gorgeous calming and happy perfume, close to skin but lovely quality here, just so smooth. Yet another goodie from Atelier Cologne. 8/10

STUNNING Sandalwood Smooth Leathery Vanilla Scent. Very easy to wear. Only a very untrained nose would write about this & BR540 in the same paragragh. That mess STINKS. Pleeeeease don't do that. Atelier is insulted. If you are weirded out by the obvious DNA Lemon Island, Orange Sanguine, Pacific Lime & their WEIRDA$$ Vanilla all share, do not worry, it isn't here. Thank god!

Sandalwood with a hint of sweet fruitiness in the opening, settling into woody notes in the drydown. Very pleasant and easy to wear, but not terribly unique. I also have a hard time smelling sandalwood scents on my skin, so I can only faintly detect this after the first 20 minutes. Otherwise, I like it and I think it would be a nice cozy fall and winter scent.

So, I sold my BR540 extrait to my co-worker and friend. Prior to that, I sold my backup Santal Carmin to him, and then I got him a large bottle with my points, just before they left the U.S. market. He alternates between the two frags in winter, and I want to make it clear, that Santal Carmin is a quiet, demure, monster of a fragrance with sillage comperable to BR540 extrait, except BR540E is screaming “look over here,” and Santal Carmin is subdued, and confident, knowing it doesn’t have to try hard to impress.
I come in on the second shift, and my friend is still strongly radiating either fragrance. Sometimes he pulls a double shift and I can still smell him at the end of 16 hours, with this fragrance, on the days he wears it, or with BR540E on the days he wears that!
These fragrances are not similar at all apart from the saffron note they share, but I'm mainly comparing the performance, and the longevity and sillage of SC. It’s fantastic!

Pleasant standard sandalwood but has poor sillage and poor longevity. Ultimately nothing special.

Damn, this stuff smells good on me.

Pricey.

✨

I wondered why I didn't take to this when it features a lot of my favourite notes, it's the haunting guaiac wood...not my preference. Otherwise, it's a decent sandalwood with a pleasant saffron accent that sweetens as it warms to the skin. It's a very serious, woody and mature fragrance that is entirely unisex. It reminds me of a librarian who reads about ancient civilisations...someone stoic who finds it hard to relate with conventional people and they prefer to bury themselves in books than engage in superficial interactions. They wear autumnal shades, enjoy silence and they are often wearing square-framed glasses and brown Oxford shoes.

Has that synthetic ingredient from BR540 and Cloud (but it’s less sweet than Cloud), and oud. So it’s that kind of hazy, almost chemical type of fragrance. However it has more depth than both of those, and as it dries the leather mixing with saffron is really nice.
This is quite soft around the edges, it’s hard to smell on your own skin, but it lasts forever. You can smell the projection rather than the scent.
It’s interesting, and the longer it’s on my skin the more it grows on me.

I received an 8ml. travel sprayer two years ago as a Christmas gift from a seller I frequently purchase from. I tried it numerous times since, in different seasons, but even though I really tried to like it, I just don't. I find it sickeningly sweet, medicinal, with a heavy use of a synthetic sandalwood that I just hate. When you've smelled the real thing, like vintage Samsara, it's hard to accept something so patently fake. I also don't like the saffron and lime, especially when combined with a very heavy, oppressive vanilla. I do not get oud or leather at all. Whether individual notes or as a whole, I really don't care for this composition. Since I have real sandalwood fragrances that I like more, I'll pass this on to someone who might appreciate it more than I do.

It's ok. I was desperate to try this because I'd heard so much about it but I found it meh. The vanilla is too dominant for me, so much so that it felt sickly. If you like vanilla you'll love this one

Blind Buy Bottle testing for the 1st time:

Opening/Top:
1980's retro saffron note that gave me a childhood nostalgia of an older lady while growing up, followed by lime juice. This batch i have is new, and the frag is extremely weak in projection, i did smell it on the opening, but 2 mins immediately after a skin scent.
I always test with 2 solid sprays, i had to do another 2 sprays (4 total) to do a proper scent review for you guys.
It's composition smells 'pretty' for a woman 30+, and i get no burst or note of real sandalwood. You can say i'm hugely disappointed, as i had hoped this was an incredible addicting sandalwood that i could layer with other frags to give them an intoxicating sandalwood note. :(
There is also a note of cheap plastic 'leather', almost like purse leather, which gives it a fem vibe.
I also have nothing currently in my budding collection that smells like this.
lol, i mean, ya, i'll give it credit that the saffron/lime juice combo is yummy. *facepalm :D
30 mins, pretty much completely gone.
What a PERFUME SCAM!! TRAAAAAASH!
Jabaited by another Youtube influencer, obviously paid off, who's name i'll politely not mention, but you all know her... :/

Maybe once upon a time before reformulation this was a great smelling frag, as it has excellent reviews in the past, hence why i was excited to buy & own it.
This should be a $20 frag for this scent dna & lack of ingredients & terrible performance & cheap bottle. RIP - OFF!
The bottle has this retro fake leather lid that screws on the bottle cheaply to the touch. Whatevs.
I associate this scent with this retro looking & feeling lid - it smells like it looks.
And the bottle is kinda cheap yet cool gold looking, but they just slap a sticker on the bottle and it looks & feels tacky af!
Batch #: 62T10A6

If there's santalwood in this, it's cheap and very minute amount.
If i knew how this smelt prior, id never ever spend money on a bullshit low quality dollarstore frag like this. RIP $200.
Snake-oil bait n' switch scam. This company should be ashamed of itself and doesn't deserve a single penny!
This is a classic case of a company trying to over-price their frag to make it seem more special than it is. Save your money, and invest it into something that uses a better quality sandalwood aroma-chemical and lasts longer than 20 mins.
This might be a case of a bad reformulation.
Also they pulled out of Canada, so im not sure what's going on with the company.
We're going into 2022, These aren't the droids you're looking for.
The company has now pulled out of North American markets. :S

1/5 Woofs

Similar to MFK Oud EDP. However Santal Carmin is lifted by some citrus. Quite likable.

I believe statements are about to come out
1. The greatest atelier cologne fragrance period
2.one of the greatest saffron fragrances of all time
These two statements show you how much I love and appreciate this scent
Longevity wasn’t an issue thank god
Sillage could’ve been better
Santal carmin is ACs masterpiece

I may need to test this another time, I’m mostly getting vanilla here, with a subtle woodsy background. Zero lime or bergamot, unless they vanished while I was waiting for this to dry on my wrist. Lightly spiced, I think that’s the saffron, not peppery, more aromatic. It’s a lovely scent, I’d say more feminine, more of a “vanilla woods” than what I think of for a sandalwood/santal type fragrance. I’m intrigued enough to try this again, but not immediately convinced that I need a full bottle right now. It smells quite delicious, bordering on gourmand without being a “vanilla cupcake/cookie” bomb like many scents I despise. More feminine leaning as I don’t know a lot of men who’d be comfortable with so much vanilla, which really takes over any woody notes. Might be enjoyed by those who like Nirvana Black but want less “old spice woody notes,” (to me, nirvana black smelled like bad cheap mens drugstore cologne and vanilla body spray. This is a much more properly done, likeable, and expensive smelling proper perfume version of that idea, though I tossed my Nirvana Black sample immediately and scrubbed it, where as this is something I’d definitely keep and wear when I want something easy and comfortable). Overall I’m not getting anything special enough to buy a FB, especially as I wore a vanilla woodsy type scent as my signature scent for nearly 5 years until I was tired of it, but it’s definitely worth revisiting at a later date.

This. Fragrance. Right. Here.
The warmest, cuddliest hug. It envelopes you, protects you in it’s scent bubble, but reaches out to subtly draw the attention of those around you. A quiet yet confident, demure compliment getter. So very creamy, so elegant, Just pure class!
I discovered Atelier cologne years ago. Those travel size bottles helped a lot, they minimized risk, and soon enough I had a collection. Rose Anonyme really stood out to me, loved it’s uniqueness. I also loved that they were all created to be layered with each other. My rose anonyme, pomelo paradis, vanille inscensee, were my go to layered combination. Garnered lots of compliments. Then I discovered Santal Carmin right here while browsing Fragrantica around 2015.
I had to have it! Found a bargain of it online and purchased it. At first I wasn’t sure I could smell much of anything. I really struggled with that! I put it away for a while, came back to it some months later and wow! I immediately added it to my 3 layer combo, as first one I sprayed, -the base. It anchored all the rest and the compliments doubled. I then started wearing it on it’s own as I ran out of the other Atelier fragrances, and decided to not repurchase them, but move on to other fragrances. That’s when I realized it’s true power and potential. It layers greatly with anything!! It’s my number 1 layering scent. On it’s own though it is just as beautiful. What a hidden gem! I was so in love, I purchased a backup. My fragrance collection grew and I am now only half way through that first 6.7 fl.oz bottle, so I sold the backup to my coworker who loved the smell. He wore it as his signature and I realized that in it’s soft cuddly way it has longevity and sillage. I can smell it on him 10-16 hours after he first sprayed it. Yes we keep really long hours sometimes, and no, he doesn’t reapply during the day.
I first heard of Baccarat Rouge 540, in 2019. I was late to the game. I looked at the notes, saw the saffron and woods in it and immediately mentally compared it to SC, before I ever smelled it. I then had the chance to smell it, and I thought it was very different. Sweet, cotton candy, airy, some saffron…
BR540 Extrait however, is similar. But, BR540 Extrait is loud and boisterous, and a complete beast of a fragrance, I should know, I own a bottle, whereas in contrast my description of SC above shows their main difference. They both layer really well with other fragrances, both great on their own, and both have lovely Saffron which I’m partial to, and cook regularly with. So I feel they are somewhat similar.
SC hands down wins the battle though, for it’s cozy, fuzzy, huggable, netflix and chill, wear anywhere anytime versatility. With BR540 Extrait I have to be in the mood for it, and it can very easily be headache inducing -2-3 sprays tops!
Now that Atelier has left the American market, I just repurchased a backup for Santal Carmin, before prices really get inflated. I’ll store it in the fridge! I store all my Atelier fragrances and Creed fragrances in the fridge because they use lots of natural ingredients. I’ve done this for years, and they have all fared well.
Santal Carmin is in my top 10 for life fragrances!

This reminds me of something in my past and I can’t quite put my finger on it. This is a very nostalgic fragrance for me.

Nonetheless, I really enjoy this fragrance and I give it a 8.5/10.



Nicely done.





- If you are selling your bottle and you are in the states, please message me. I’ll purchase it in the $150 range.

I really like Santal Carmin. I wish I didn't, because now all Atelier Colognes are going to be harder to find, but this is a magical scent, even though it is understated.

Santal Carmin has this mysterious nature of smelling like different perfumes to me at different times. In the opening, up close, the humid white musk smells like the backbone of Sudu Te. This same musk can also have a sharp plasticine facet, like in BR540 clones. In the air, the bergamot plus musk and sandalwood smells like Cashmere Mist. But in the drydown, it smells like Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere to me - that perfume has dreamy sweet sandalwood in the base as well. It gets so warm and creamy at this stage, but not gourmand.

Santal Carmin does not smell like any one of these perfumes, so I don't think it can easily be replaced by any of these. It has a witchery, where it can show facets of all these fragrances with the turn of its head. It's like all my favorite fragrances in one bottle, throughout the development...gorgeous.

Before I wear a fragrance, I normally spray it on a paper test strip, then on a cotton/fabric strip and let it sit while sniffing it as it dries down to see how the fragrance develops. Santal Carmin is one of those fragrances that I liked better and better as time passed. I actually didn't like it on the fabric strip until after about 8 hours.

On first spray on the test strips, all I got was a sharp, woody/tangy scent that blasted my nose. I immediately thought I'd paid for a fragrance that I wasn't going to wear (this was a blind buy). I left the test strips and came back to them a few hours later. What a difference!!!! The sharpness had died down and what was left was a nice, warm fragrance that I wanted to keep smelling.

This is day 3 of wearing and I love it!!! On my skin, the fragrance develops quickly and the sharp notes I got on the test strips are gone in the first 20-30 minutes. I like the way it develops differently on my clothing and my skin. It provides a perfect balance between the tangy and sweet notes. I know it lasts on my skin because it transferred to clothing I changed into in the evening, but I couldn't smell it any longer than 6-8 hours. It lasts on my clothing 24+ hours in the cooler weather.

I do not detect any similarity to BR540.

Wow this is absolutely beautiful. I thought I found a new signature as soon as I sprayed it but just doesn't last long enough on my skin. It does bear a slight resemblance to BR540 but not too much.
It's a perfect sandalwood scent for me, shame about longevity and projection.

EDIT: Full bottle on it's way.. Found the limited edition bottle on discount. My love for the scent overpowered my disappointment of the longevity.

In love with this fragrance and it was a blind buy. So happy.

This is the most perfect sandalwood! Love it

On me this perfume is only saffron and leather. this one is Very masculine i think. It is a soft fragrance it is elegant but not my cup of tea at all. Thank God i took the smaller bottle and now i Will give it as a Christmas gift. i Found amazing the bottle though.

I really wanted to love this fragrance because the opening was beautiful with the saffron and sandalwood and vanilla and i loved it, the projection on my skin was also the best i've ever had from any perfume ever. but sadly the dry down was not for me it got way too sweet and vanilla for my taste but if that's what you like i would definitely recommend it because the projection and longevity is insane

There some special fragrances in my collection that literally made me sit up and go 'Oh wow" and Santal Carmin is one of them. After chasing my perfect sandalwood for what seems like ages I finally and very reluctantly tried Santal Carmin. Reluctant because I always thought Atelier Cologne offerings would be more, well, cologne-y but boy oh boy was I wrong and I finally found the beautiful sandalwood of my dreams! This opens with tarte citruses but sweetened by the most delicious vanilla which I get from the go. BUT I think what really makes this fragrance special is the most delicately beautiful saffron note, which is present from start to end and is intricately intertwined with the star of the show, a beautiful creamy, almost lactonic sandalwood! There is also just slightest hint of a smokey leathery nuance from the gaiac wood. This is on the sweet side (but in just right amount) and therefore, to my nose and senses, a feminine scent. One would think, because of all the notes I've described, that this would be a heavy and dense scent but the musk in here brings a certain lightness, an elusive airiness that stops it from going there. Performance is good bordering on great on me with 7-8 hours longevity, good projection and sillage. This has very quickly become my favorite sandalwood.

Sandalwoodpiece!

A nice comforting scent. Something in the opening, unfortunately, transports me back to middle school and wearing bath and body works brown sugar and fig... but when I can get over that scent memory this is lovely. Wonder if anyone else has this experience with the fragrance.

THE
BEST
SANDALWOOD
SCENT
EVER
.

Smooth, semisweet, beautifully blended, high quality. Unique and interesting but also inviting. Fresh without being floral or aquatic. Approachable, professional, and understated. Perfectly unisex. Suitable for all seasons. Timeless. Ageless. A modern classic. Perfect signature scent.

P.S.
This is one of the few sandalwood fragrances that don't have that nasty dill note. I don't know why I kept wasting time/effort/$$ testing others like SANTAL 33, Commodity's BOOK, 7 Virtues SANTAL VANILLE, and Van Cleef & Arpels SANTAL BLANC, which all have a hint of pickles (I like pickles but don't want to smell of them!). I'm done trying other sandalwood scents.

UPDATE
I just bought a back-up bottle of SANTAL CARMIN in the gorgeous Lunar New Year bottle and I'm good.

When I need something soft, cozy, warm, and quiet, I go for Santal Carmin. There's something in it that feels like a healing power, keeping you calm, taking you back in your element.

Santal Carmin has this beautiful saffron which dominated the opening and stayed quite linear throughout the development. Then it got more creamy & cozy with sandalwood, musk, and vanilla combined. This might appear a bit synthetic but in a good way possible. At one point I got the burnt caramel feeling to it, which kept me raising my hand to take another sniff of the scent. The downside is the longevity, it stayed around 2 hours before becoming a skin scent on me. Sometimes I don’t mind that though as I could either reapply it to get that opening again or I could move on with another perfume as I might need some changes during the day.

I’ve tried many from Atelier Cologne house, but this is the only one that I enjoy and has a permanent place in my collection. It also gives me a nostalgic vibe but I can’t really pinpoint what it is. Surely a happy one though. :)

A very yummy and sexy santal based fragrance. The so called "synthetic" feeling comes from the blend of saffron and guaiac wood. You should wear this on warmer days to sense Santal Carmin's real beauty. This scent would be gorgeous if a woman wears it. Actually I do have only one principle regarding Atelier Cologne's fragrances: If you find it reasonably priced, you should buy it! There's no more to be said...

Strong saffron that won't go away. Sweet an intense woody notes, sandalwood is not natural here. It feels very synthetic. I can detect ambroxan. Unisex. Good projection and longevity...
This scent is not bad at all, it actually smells fancy, expensive and modern, but it is not something I want to have a full bottle. Probably I should go hunting a vintage bottle of Samsara...for that natural smelling sandalwood that I am craving.

Santal Carmin was set aside after I tried the sample once. Thought it was weird, and not close enough to Santal de Mysore, which was my mental benchmark for sandalwood perfumes.

Lately, though, it has really captured my attention. What it does is waft up in unpredictable waves for over 12 hours. I get beautiful, soft, evocative, vanillic wisps. If I put my nose to my arm, it's not particularly satisfying.

I don't love the scent of actual saffron. My mind calls it "plastic," or maybe even vinyl. The strands are off-putting, and food seems inedible. But in Santal Carmin it is really pretty.

For comparison, I have found the current formula of Bois des Iles EDP kind of boring, and I liked Santal 33 for a while but didn't get through my sample before I was over it. The Lutens sandalwoods, Mysore and Majascule, are my favorites, and I treasure my decants. Santal Carmin is more diaphanous than either of those, but it floats my boat.

Love love love this scent. Not at first though .. used to only like soft, floral + fruity scents, and really thought this smelt too woody + harsh. But the more I smell it, the more obsessed I get. It's so cozy and special. Pretty new to fragrances so haven't quite figured out which notes I'm responding to. Thought it was the sandalwood, based off of other reviews here, but I really disliked other popular sandalwood fragrances I've tried (Diptyque's Tam Dao, Le Labo Santal 22 - which smells like furniture/sauna and pickles, respectively). This smells like expensive new books bound in leather, with added smoke. Really love the smokiness - is it the saffron? Guaiac wood?

First impression after 20 mins on skin - too much saffron. I wish the saffron was less prominent.

I've sampled Santal Carmin a few times and it's now on the short list for Best Sandalwoods. The saffron and vanilla mixed in make it slightly edible smelling. But sandalwood is definitely the main thing going on here. Smooth, luscious, long lasting creamy sandalwood. Intoxicatingly natural, warm and fresh. Not too woody, not too sweet. Just right. Goldilocks would approve. I feel like this clears my root chakra and crown chakra at the same time!

First blast of spicy.... apricots? Like a jar of homemade jam you'd find in a country market. After the fruit notes fade, the sandalwood starts to bloom on my skin, sweet and warm, very soft. Projection is not there but I don't mind that in a sandalwood based fragrance. I find a heavy punch of sandalwood makes me want to sneeze so having this version wafting subtly in the background works better for me. Dries down to a lovely creamy wood. Unisex and best suited for cool weather days and nights.

6+ hours later: One note sandalwood still going fairly strong.

This is a negative review, if you are offended then please skip (or downvote if you wish).
I was given few original testers at this company's counter, including santal carmin.

My negative review is based on the non-existent longevity and pathetic performance. The smell is gone within 30 minutes max, and I havent found a way to make it last.

With regards to the scent itself, it starts fruity then vanilla joins in, finally I get to smell the non-woody creamy sandalwood. I dont even need to look at the pyramid because the progression is so fast before this disappears.

I came to the conclusion that this company is good at doing magic. The sort of magic where the scent and your money vanish in no time.

They should stick to their citrus based line, that one is a winner considering citrus perfumes are short-lived anyway, and their citrus scents acually smells quite natural.

Stunner. Super intoxicating. Sweet and well-rounded, not headache inducing. Interesting, yet not too daring for everyday use. Love at first sniff. This has to be one of the most creamy sandalwoods I've smelled and my absolute favorite from this entire brand. Great lasting power too, so amazing value for price!

Years ago I asked for a decant in Sephora.
Then another day , I was in my classroom and I had the tentative feeling to spray a little bit all over my agenda, and I loved the result.

If you want the effect of “ expensive scent” in your belongings , then use it, but do not overapply because it can be cloying and intrusive, particularly with people that are not familiar with middle eastern aromatic compositions.

It would ideal to wear it directly over the skin , during fall and winter seasons, with clothes in nude and brown colors.
Leather jackets & goods will be the perfect match for this perfume.

It has something that reminds me a deep rouge tone lipstick and also formal men’s smoked boots.

It provides a very pleasant warmness and middle eastern feeling.

NEWS:
I mixed it with Cafe Tuberosa , and the aromatic composition is like tasting and perceiving a rose-coffee candy with middle eastern spices, while looking a sandalwood fireplace.

When I went through the Atelier discovery kit, this was the fragrance that I smelled and immediately said, "I have to own this." No other fragrance jumped out at me like this one did. Absolute Love.

Santal Carmin opens with the scent of fresh leather: new shoes taken straight out of the box. Then, you notice the saffron. As it settles, the leather blends with the sandalwood, vanilla, and bergamot. The dry-down is total creamy, sweet, sandalwood.

I placed a drop of Santal Carmin on the paper postcard that was included with the sample. For the next two weeks, every time I walked past that postcard, I picked it up to sniff it.
SC has such great longevity on paper, but unfortunately, that longevity isn't there when it is worn on skin or fabric. On skin, it lasts about 4-5 hours (with low sillage), and on clothing, it lasts about 10 hours. Not nearly long enough for the beauty of this one, but also, it's the type of fragrance you WILL pick up to reapply when it fades away.

Santal Carmin is so distinct. I've never smelled a better leather note.
But at the same time, it's versatile. I'd wear it out, I'd wear it to bed, I'd wear it to work. An all-rounder, I'd say, and it's a fragrance I'm so excited to add to my collection.

I want to bring up two last things:

1. The oil dupe. Controversial, absolutely. But with SC's $300 pricetag, I know you're curious about the $10 oil dupe, so let's talk about it.
I bought a 100ml bottle of SC, but, I like this fragrance so much that I picked up the oil dupe to see about making homemade bath products with it. I thought, if the dupe was good, it'd be nice to layer this fragrance to try to improve its longevity.
Sometimes oil dupes of fragrances can be just as good as the original. However, in Santal Carmin's case, the dupe is not close enough to the original. Atelier is using the highest quality components. A cheap oil dupe cannot compete.
The dry-down on the oil dupe is similar to SC. But it has an interesting black-pepper-y opening. Not bad, just different. Maybe its the cheap leather note?
TLDR: If you like the dry-down of SC but don't care too much for the leather note, or if you need SC but it's not in your budget, the oil dupe should tide you over but I wouldn't say it's a substitute.

2. BR540. I don't own it, and I haven't sampled it. However, I have been sampling a decant of Cloud by Ariana Grande, which is a perfume that many people also compare to BR540.
I would like to state for the record, that there's zero similarity between Cloud and SC.
If SC does have similarities to BR540, it must be in the saffron, a note absent from Cloud but present in both BR540 and SC.

SC could've been a big love for cold autumn/winter days and nights. It's a great unisex fragrance that smells of not-too-sweet caramel/vanilla and sandalwood... but alas, 30 minutes into the experience, I get this dirty sock undertone I also get in Ange ou Demon that doesn't go away. What is that? I always thought it was tonka bean, but SC doesn't have tonka. I'll have to discover why that chemical does this to me and avoid it at all costs. Sillage is moderate for a couple of hours and then becomes a skin scent, which lasts quite a while on my skin.

6/10 (9/10 w/o the sock)

This is beautiful and addictive. This is my first review. Opening is a realistic saffron. It smells like new shoes. When it dries it’s very feminine and sweet. Metallic cotton candy.

It's such a beautiful fragrance. I feel rich and opulent, whilst wearing it. On my skin, saffron is quite strong. I really love woody scents and this one is worth the money.

Wow, this is beautiful! I'm not usually a fan of woodsy perfumes since they tend to be either too dry, too heavy, or too masculine, but this is very well-balanced. There's a very light sweetness due to the vanilla but I wouldn't say this is gourmand at all. It's quite unisex, in my opinion. I get mostly sandalwood/cedar balanced nearly equally with lime/bergamot/saffron – the richness of the wood balanced with the vibrancy and energy of citrus and spices. As others have mentioned, sillage is unfortunately very low.

Sandalwood and vanilla that turns chocolaty on me. The saffron makes it soft and rich and a little bit butch, in a marvelous battle-ax sous-chef way.

Quite lovely but almost no sillage, and is gone in three sniffs.

It is very strong and masculine in the beginning: sandalwood and saffron, which I love so much, forming a duet reminiscent of the faraway India, unreachable at the times of COVID...

Quite soon, it becomes milder, femininer and sweeter, imbued with the joy of vanilla and cedar wood.

One of the few Atelier Cologne creations, where citruses are not the navel of the world. It should be tried by saffron lovers. Not long-lasting, but you can always spray it again.
IG: perfumepassione

Amazing scent, scandalous performance.

The perfume... Is heavenly. It IS a sandalwood scent, that blends with the other notes in a perfect harmony.

However, this is awfully weak. Skin scent that lasts for like an hour/1,5 hours, even my sandalwood body lotion is stronger than this perfume.

I love this one and have been wanting to buy it. It's a creamy, sweet but unique scent. I honestly do not like the idea of layering fragrances. It just annoys me. But one night I forgot I had Santal 33 on and I guess I accidentally layered my BR540 on top and I swear it smelled just like Carmin! Which I was excited about...so, maybe I don't need a bottle. But I'll continue to test this out.

The saffron note in this is very realistic, and very prominent. It's the best saffron I've smelled in perfumery so far. The sweetness of the vanilla combined with saffron transforms this into a delicious grourmand to my nose. Anyone who's ever had a Swedish saffransbulle (saffron bun) will instantly recognise this scent. It's very distinctive. Wear this in the Nordics around Christmas time and people will ask you were the saffransbullar are served, and can they have one.

Edit: I had to get the absolute version. It's my favorite sandalwood. Creamy, delicately sweet, a very subtle fragrance that is just right for when I don't know what I want to smell like.

I think this is probably THE most pleasant 'Atelier Cologne' I've tried, actually, no, for a fact it is the best I've tried from the house. It's light, relaxing, the sandalwood sort of reminds me of the sandalwood in the modern 'Dune' but more "natural" I guess... I think the best thing here is the interplay with the saffron and vanilla, both of which are quite beautiful! People say it's really sweet, but I don't see it. It's creamy, it's 'rich', but not really that sweet. And with how light it is, I don't think it matters either way. More than anything though it has that pleasant warm dryness that you expect from a sandalwood, but done to perfection. I think I'll get myself a 30ml bottle in the future, it's actually probably my favorite sandalwood I've tried...! 7.5/10

Linear vanilla sandalwood. The creaminess is mainly constructed via vanilla. A little bit sweet. It is acceptable when the sweetness (creaminess) entwines well with the woody notes (or else).

Extremely subtle. In fact I can barely smell it. It is surprisingly sweet and actually reminds me of a watered down Side Effect by Initio. What is the purpose of this fragrance?

I just received a 30ml bottle today, in a purple leather case with my name on it and I love it. I was a brave blind buy, considering the price for it. 100e/30ml but I wanted to give a present to myself for getting accepted into Art School.
On to the perfume now, it's warm, alluring, sexy but not loud. I'm obsessed. I would wear it all year round but because it's not a strong perfume I think in the warmer months the scent will really blossom on the skin. It doesn't remind me on Santal 33, maybe a little like the drydown of TF Santal Blush?
Also another perfume came into my mind that haven't smelled in years was the Bvlgari BLV II. Beautiful. Sillage and lasting power soft to moderate with 3 sprays.

This is one of my all-time favourites. I loved it from the moment I smelt it.
It's woody, warm, soft, slightly sweet and sophisticated. It's unisex, leaning a bit masculine but I think women can pull it off just fine.
I don't find it cloying at all, but I probably wouldn't wear it in Summer.
I absolutely love this and think it is blended perfectly.

This was too dry for me. I get zero sweetness i wish i got the sweetness and slightly gourmand that everyone else seems to be getting. Even the dry down was just to dry its musky in a clean and dry way, i prefer dirty dank nasty musks over clean ones like this. This does not feel like a hug to me. Sadly it gave me vibes of an old man in an old library, hes opening huge old dusty books but he's clean and gentlemanly maybe smoked a vanilla cigar earlier idk. Maybe i'd appreciate it if i smelt it on a man?

This one was my preferred perfume of the 16 samples send by Atelier Cologne.
Unfortunately, it is really close of The Bewitching Yasmine from Penhaligon's, which I preferred. I still like this one though. It is not linear which seem to be the case for most Atelier Cologne's perfumes. But the bf finds it too feminine. Oh well...

I just had to come back on here. I swear to you if I had to pick my TOP 5 HG for life, this would HAVE to be in there. A MASTERPIECE! I just ordered a backup bottle b/c I can never be w/o it!
I know "Leather" cannot actually be poured into a bottle, so blended accords create that smell. It was created here, & it's SO SEXY!

This smells like a beautiful Sandalwood & Vanilla gourmand leather to me. LOVE it! It's well blended, b/c none of the other notes stand out. I HATE Baccarat 540, so I am not sure about that comparison, def do not let it scare you. I cant say about Santal 33, I do not own it & never smelled it. This has the "PERFECT" amount of Sandalwood. Sandalwood CAN be a cloying scent I get sick of smelling after an hour or so. NOT here! I want to bathe in it. There's just enough in here to be comforting. HUG in a bottle! I want all of it!!

This is very much a skin scent on me, I can hardly smell it. I am wondering if it's so strong that I'm nose blind to it...but no one has complained about my perfume so I'm thinking the projection is low.

Sillage is decent. I got the impression of a lumber 4x4 before it dried down to sandalwood mixed with sweet syrup. The vanilla was very mild. I felt the need to reapply every hour or so, to get the more interesting opening back. My friends liked it, so major plus, but not FBW.

Beautiful, really beautiful.

It reminds me Baccarat rouge 540. If scents were visible, two colors were dominants: the red and the yellow.

Santal carmin is more red than yellow. Baccarat is more yellow. It means, SC is a bitter sweet and BR a little more dry.

It's a couple: BR is the husband, SC the wife.

I deleted my previous review because I don't think it was entirely accurate, and I'm revisiting this scent long after my sample had gone.

This is a saffron and sandalwood BOMB. Something was also creating a cinnamon accord, because I definitely smelled cinammon despite it not being listed in the notes. The cinammon accord does make this similar to Maison Margiela's "By the Fireplace," but Santal Carmin is more versatile, imo (less "Christmas-y"). This fragrance is most at home in cool autumn and cold winter, nice and cozy, and even then provides decent longevity (6 hours) and killer projection / sillage. (Do not wear this in warm weather, you will choke people.)

So why am I revisiting this if I don't even have it anymore? Well, I've been getting disappointed by things I've tried, lately. And most of my perfume collection is better suited to warm weather. So I started thinking about Santal Carmin and I realized... I actually *miss* it. I miss the spicy pirate's chest full of treasure.

I wouldn’t have called this fragrance Santal Carmin. It just doesn’t smell carmine red, more like a golden beige. Very cozy and warm, but rather light. This really melts into the skin in the drydown; when I sampled it, I thought one could think this was part of my natural scent and not a perfume. So I would classify this as nude or „your skin but better“ scent.

The opening is medicinal and heavy on the saffron and gaiac wood with a hint of edible citrusses. It has a bit of that band-aid accord, so if you don’t like that, better stay away. But the drydown is a milky soft blend of sandalwood and lightly sweet vanilla, a clean woody musky scent with a hint of spice and smoke. I find it a little leathery too, most likely that’s coming from the saffron. It’s really understated, not loud at all, so I think this could be worn by everyone and is very suitable as a daytime fragrance. Discreet, but not uninteresting. Ideal if you like warmer notes, but need something light for certain occasions. I’d say it’s similar in concept to Vanille Insensée of the same house, though they smell completely different.

This frag is very high up on my want list. I still can't justify forking out the cash to purchase it though. I have too many fragrances in the same vein.

It's comforting and beautiful. Sweet, powdery subtle wood. The sandalwood and the safron lend it a creaminess that's lovely. It also has a bit of a spicy-foody tinge. For a mostly wood focused frag it smells an awful lot like spiced Christmas sweets. But it isn't obvious enough to be a gourmand.

It doesn't evolve too drastically, it's sweet and creamy throughout. But it does create a very inviting atmosphere around you. A persistent good thing is still a good thing. It lasts forever on the skin. It has survived showers, scrubbing, the works.

Some people have the good fortune to know a friend who is nearly imperturbable, steady, reliable, constant. This fragrance reminds me of those kinds of rare, valuable people. Santal Carmin is an all weather, all purpose, no matter what, faithful companion to calm and assure you through the good, bad, and indifferent.

Creamy, woody, well blended, does not run sweet on my skin. Understated classy.

Oh my gosh I love this scent, It reminds me of a soft cashmere scarf
Wrapped around you on a cold rainy sleeting day! Mmmmmmm
It’s cozy, Warm , Woody , Vanilla yum!!! It’s perfect for cuddling
I am so in love with this fragrance! Totally a non offensive scent for the office
And for those of us who suffer from migraines brought on by loud obnoxious
Smells ( Eternity

this is a cozy, simple, soft, vanilla woody with a hint of spice. it’s sweet without becoming cloying. there’s just a burst of bergamot at the opening, then it settles down into its natural state, like a comfy shawl you wrap around yourself on chilly evenings. if this were a color, it’d be a warm sienna. i like putting this on before bed, and if i want a perfume i don’t have to think about. nothing groundbreaking, but that’s atelier for ya.

A little sweet, a little creamy, definitely woody with juicy lime. The vanilla is fresh, creamy and eatable and it plays a big supporting role to the front playing woods. Mostly linear on my skin.
7/10

Santal Carmin didn’t blow my mind. I was excited to try a good sandalwood frag, and this started for me with defined and realistic top notes of sandalwood and woody notes. During this phase, it kind of reminded me of no. 4 bois de balincourt which smells a lot like le labo santal 33, which shares similar notes to santal carmin (sandalwood, papyrus, woody notes, and leather instead of saffron but you know, similar). It was promising, but within 45 minutes those notes blended into oblivion with vanilla. It becomes a woody vanilla frag from there on out, and it smells like many other fragrances. It also smells clean which to me equates to prudish, not sexy. Bummer, but not everyone can be a superstar.

Santal Carmin is less focused on sandalwood than I had hoped, but it does conjure some of the ideas sandal would suggest—warm, creamy, hints of spice. There’s a brief (five minute?) lime opening in line with most other AC frags, then the citrus remains as a sherbet sort of sweetness. I find this to be more suede-like as a whole, I guess it’s what they’re calling “saffron” mixed with a hint of “vanilla”—I use quotes because these notes are neither strong nor expressive. But always in the background of this is the “papyrus”, a note AC seems dependent on that I find absolutely atrocious. It appears in so many of their fragrances, and I am at a loss as to why. It’s less pronounced here than it is in some others, but it just adds this unpleasant and grating unnatural sweetness that brings down the whole composition.

Overall, SC is really soft (both in texture and projection), very femme, ultimately pretty boring to me and too compromised by that papyrus. Try Papillon’s Anubis instead…

Think of sitting next to beautiful women on a expensive leather couch in a smoky, sexy club. I love the depth and "masculine femininity" of it. I want to consider it a gourmand given its warmth and bergamot, but it's too woody, in the best way.

And then poof! It disappears! I definitely save this for special moments (specifically evening parties...wearing this anywhere else may be a bit too much of a statement) since Atelier Colognes have a reputation for lacking longevity given their pricetag but it lasts long on clothes (yum and ick).

Woody, citrusy, a bit spicy. I didn't think I'd like this one, I thought it may be a bit more masculine. It's not, I think the vanilla has a lot to do with that. The scent held on to my skin well and I received many compliments.

After reading good reviews I blind bought Santal Carmin along with other Atelier Colognes online when they were running specials after Thanksgiving. Most colognes turned out to be amazing but this one did not perform well on me. I keep testing it. Sigh!

Opening starts with smoky ashtray metallic woody scent with no citrus or sweetness. The dry down changes it to cedar and musk with a wet rain scent. This stays a skin scent on me and barely gives me 2 hours.

I love Pacific Lime, Clementine, and others but this cologne was a total fail for me. I bought a full bottle so I am hoping when temperatures heat up this cologne performs differently. I wish their sampler sets included all their new scents so I could have tested this before buying it. Oh well hopefully in spring it improves.

No it doesn’t smell like Baccarat Rouge 540 not until you get way way down (skin scent time) into the drydown of both of them then the underlying mild sweetness of BR is mildly reminiscent of SC if you really try to find it but SC is smooth and BR is sparkle.
I have 200 ml of Santal Carmin and an 11ml travel of BR 540. On the first spray they are completely different and this continues until the above.

So anyway comparison aside Santal Carmin is imho the best of Atelier. It goes on like falling into a suede and vanilla cloud, the saffron here mixing with the sandalwood and vanilla is incredible. The slight background of citrus, very faint adds into this at the beginning to give a kind of orange creamsicle feel that then begins to drift away to leave the suede like texture.
It is such a smooth and beautiful fragrance, after sampling I immediately bought the 200ml bottle and have no regrets...even though the longevity is only ok and the projection is mild. But it works for this one as occasions where you want to smell incredible but do not want to put a potentially offensive scent out into the environment around you is where something like this really shines.
When you want more, reapply and maybe keep some on the back of your hand for yourself to bury your nose in.

In its soft and “safe” but beautiful manner in which it operates this I can agree it compares to Baccarat Rouge but in terms of scent itself, no.

Yes it is a lot like MFK Bacarat Rouge 540, less refined...
I have both.

Seriously, is there no one who has tested both Santal Carmin and Baccarat Rouge to say that they resemble each other?

Santal Carmin is Baccarat Rouge a bit diluted with some nifty facets but it does resemble Kurkdjian's creation.

Oh my gosh, this is great stuff! The first thing that popped into my mind when I smelled it was: CASHMERE!
It is a wonderfully blended scent with sandalwood and saffron in the lead role, some citrus to balance it, with some mild, smoky, cardamom-like notes in the back. It's soft, different/interesting and very comforting. It's non-offensive yet very strong, as my boyfriend could inform me that I filled the whole room when I came home after testing it. In my opinion it's leaning a bit masculine, however it would be beautiful on a woman. This is a very nice, soft and rich smelling fragrance, sophisticated and welcoming. A great comfort scent for fall/winter, I would say.

I love this! Woody, warm, a little powdery, a little creamy, and overall very comforting. It's nonoffensive and soft. Probably more of a fall/winter scent, but I wear it whenever.

For me this is a cheaper Baccarat Rouge with lower performance but the same projection. Would recommend it to others who are thinking of buying Baccarat to try this as well.

Indian sandalwood, papyrus, leather and a little saffron. The feeling is: Wearing an expensive white leather jacket inside a famous store in Milan or NYC. It is a skin scent, it's ephemeral, it's not necessary.

A beautiful sweet, rosey, sandalwood.

Mature & feminine yet a middle aged man can easily pull it off.

Smells like a vague mixture of Middle Eastern incense & sweet floral Occidental perfume.

Hauntingly attractive.

On paper: It smells a little odd.

On skin: The unfamiliar note is there, but it smells nicer on skin. I wish I could smell more of the sandalwood, but I'll see how the scent wears.

Edit: How funny, it DOES smell like leather seats in an expensive new car! I like it; it's very unique.

Edit 2: The boyfriend likes this one. He says it smells coconutty and tropical.

I don't get much sandalwood, mostly a leathery saffron.

This is 90% the same as MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, which is 3X as expensive.

let's start with the negative first - the longevity of most atelier cologne fragrances is a huge issue for me. none of them lasts long and i am always so hesitant to invest in them. is there any hope that they are reading our reviews and paying attention?

however, santal carmin is the one i splurged on - i've got a big bottle of it. it is great, sophisticated yet unusual perfume, not your typical sandalwood scent, it rather belongs to spicy/balsamic group.

what has stricken me here as something different was the air of newness that comes with every spray - i think some of the reviewers below refer to 'new car interior' smell - remember the ones with same carmin red hue as on the bottle quilted leather seats from the eighties?

it also shares some elements with bois d'armenie - mainly, the powdery, woody almost paper-ish whiff that probably comes from guaiac wood. both perfumes have very similar drydown.

it starts with an almost metallic sandalwood blast that evolves into creamy, woody drydown. if the initial blast was a bit sweet and feminine, the drydown somehow becomes more masculine.

it is great unisex scent that i love to share with my partner.

perfect for rainy weather days in the city.

I love Atelier Santal Carmin, the only thing is it's soft silage, which I hate. But nevertheless, creamy sandalwood and has gotten me a few complements but not as much as I though it would. This is probably one you would wear for yourself. I will probably pass on another bottle to be honest but I'm glad I bought it at a reasonable price online.

Okay, weird review, get ready.

I got a sample of this and I really like this. I think it smells warm, comfortable, smooth and sophisticated. I sprayed it on me and 5 min later my boyfriend said: "you smell like the marshmallows from Lucky Charms."

I was a little horrified, to be real, but I smelled it again and it does smell vaguely edible with the vanilla and saffron. But LUCKY CHARMS, really??

I think any vanilla perfume turns sweeter on my skin because I've smelled this on other people and it smells so sophisticated and beautiful. Definitely, a try before you buy because it may smell very different on you. I LOVE sandalwood but perhaps I just need greener or spicier sandalwood perfumes instead.

Nevertheless, this has the potential to be fabulous, and I promise it doesn't smell like lucky charm marshmallows in my opinion!

***Edit: after dry down, it is much woodier and not as sweet. Also, a sillage monster with longevity.

Fragrance -Santal Carmin Atelier Cologne
Bottle from - 2016

This fragrance reminds me of a romance in the peaceful forest.Santal Carmin opens with a bit exotic,moderatly sweet and unique blend of citruses and warm and spicy saffron with a wisper of calming woodiness lurking at the edges.Soon enough,a bit soft,moderatly sweet and smooth vanilla starts to emerge and bring some solace into the game.
The best part of this fragrance is the middle.At this point,dominant notes are sensual,polished,luxurious and elegant sandalwood and guaiac wood with a nice touch of musk and vanilla and with a hint of cedar yet to come.The drydown is all about woods,vanilla and musk with a nice touch of green papyrus.

Longevity - 7/10(6-7 hours)
Silage/Projection - 7/10(moderate to soft projection and silage for the first 1-2 hours)
Weather -best in early spring,autumn and winter.
Age - 22+
Compliments - 7/10
Scent - 8/10

Main notes according to me - sandalwood,vanilla,saffron,musk,guaiac wood.

The drydown is a bit creamy,moderatly sweet and woody and I get some woodiness,vanilla and papyrus.

Emotions -romance in a peaceful forest,calming,sensual, comforting,exotic.

Occasion -for more or less any ocasion

Try before you buy.

Santal blush from the house of Tom ford was my favorite untill i tried this last week. This is 10 times better smelling. reminds me of my sudanese friends, they always smell like this.

The medicinal note at the beginning of this perfume is really strange.
Reminds me of my childhood with falls in the playground and the return home crying for dressings.
More exactly sterile gauze and merbromina (betadine, mercury chromium)
Super soothingly for my mind and pure magnetism for my nose.
Genius!

Portrait Of The Marchesa Luisa Casati, With A Greyhound By Giovanni Boldini

I recently received seven Atelier fragrance samples. I am not very familiar with this brand and am excited to try these and share my thoughts.

Santal Carmin is a beauty. This is my favorite from Atelier so far. It's a clean and soft woody fragrance. The lime gives it freshness, but it's not overpowering. Saffron provides a light leather note and a little spiciness. The sandalwood is warm, rich, and creamy. This fragrance is so well blended and refined. Splendid!

This is my first review on fragrantica and it is fitting that I review one of my favorite fragrances. I know everyone gets something different, but to me this is just gorgeous sandalwood and vanilla. Long lasting, but not too sure about how strong the sillage is. I get pretty consistent whiffs throughout the wearing. I highly recommend.

Plastic packaging / electronics / new car smell mixed with lime, sugar, vanilla and mixed "woods". Not sure what is causing this plastic smell. The vanilla in this is much stronger than I thought it would be! The bruleed vanilla + lime reminds me of a lime version to Lavanilla Grapefruit. I smell musk and some sandalwood but the sandalwood is quiet and blended with other notes. Doesn't smell "red" to me. Tried this in the cold of winter though, maybe it will open up more in warm temperatures. The sandalwood does become more dominant towards the drydown.

I usually just browse on Fragrantica but this one just deserves a huge compliment so much... I've tried hundreds of different perfumes on me, but Santal Carmin is the first one that almost made me cry out of excitement. It is utterly amazing and beautiful.

The sandalwood is not really explicit here, instead fused with saffron and vanilla. I don't like saffron because it usually smells too sensual, but the saffron here is warm, gentle and reserved because it's well blended with sandalwood. Also, adding vanilla to the mixture is really a genius idea. The creamy essence of vanilla makes the sandalwood mellow and soothing. Santal Carmin is quite sweet, but it's not cloyingly sweet. It is rare, attractive, sexy and of course, very wearable. It is a perfect unisex scent on a cold winter day.

To me Santal Carmin is more than just a perfume. It is a piece of art.

This is dark and a little bit smoky sweet. It’s a little bit strange, don’t reach for it often. But that’s due more to the overwhelming number of bottles I have to choose from every day.

If you like a sexy, mysterious, addictive, unique and artistic compliment getter, then santal carmin is for you. One of my all time favourites. It is a beautyful unisex scent (leaning a bit masculine) which are very easy to wear all year around. Happiness with a sprayer!

First tried this truly blind without knowing what it was from a sample. My first thought was it's a sandalwood bomb. Certainly is that. It's also slightly medicinal. Reminds me of a hospital. The remaining notes are pretty muddied. Vanilla peels through.

Longevity is average on my skin (4-6 hours). Projection is moderate through much of its time.

A 6.75/10 for me. Sandalwood is nice but the other notes combine to a medicinal smell that I find off putting. Was not a crowd pleaser in my tests.

Nice review by Evie71 below.
As she said it's so hard to describe. She says it smells like home. I agree in that it's a very cozy easy to wear fragrance.
It's almost an anti-perfume in that it doesn't smell like anything, an old book or some smells from home, but very pleasant aromatically. A super cozy frag when I just want to chill at home.
This is so well blended in that no notes really dominate, but all the parts come together, and it just smells so rounded. The Sandalwood and vanilla don't really stand out for me. I think the safron makes an accord with the vanela and sandalwood, so they lose their single note identity.
If your looking for creamy woods and vanilla, try Eau Duelle by Dyptique. This has creamy Sandalwood and vanilla, but again very well blended, and safron is that great piquant note here that makes it special.

Trying to figure out the mysterious leather note. Leather notes are made from birch tar, guaiac wood is said to smell like tar, and safron is said to have a leathery floral smell. So I think the unusual soft leather smell is comming from the guaiac wood and safron and maybe some unlisted birch tar.
The leathery/ floral safron makes it a very attractive fragrance, a bit sexy but nothing overboard. It smells like skin, in the best way.
This fragrance is similar to MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, with better performance, and slightly more masculine. On the gender scale, this is very neutral.

The papyrus, lime and bergamot are subtle, but keep the fragrance cologne like fresh.

In the opening it totally reminded me of Eldo's Rien fragrance, a synthetic leather floral avant-gaurd fragrance.
But this is lighter made to have an easy-going cologne feel, yet it has good projection, and longevity.
This fragrance sold me based on the great openning, when you get that smooth unusual leather aroma.
The mid-drydown is still nice, but less spectacular. It reminded me of the drydown of Creed Royal Oud.

This is a safe comfortable fragrance although it is unique. Having a large collection I only add a fragrance if it's great and unusual, so I am not dissapointed to have gotten a bottle at a good price.

The sillage is softly moderate, the longevity is good.

Rating: 8.5/10

God bless. John 3:16

I’ve held off reviewing this fragrance since I fell in love with it two years ago because it’s so pricey. Everything about this perfume is perfect. It smells like home, a leather covered, book-filled, tea stained home. Your loving, older brother who is a professor of anthropology lives there. I don’t know how else to describe it. That’s what it evokes for me.

As for the scent itself, I definitely get vanilla, sandalwood, papyrus, bergamot, and the imaginary leather. If I think about the saffron I can pick it out, but it’s not readily apparent on its own on me. I’m going to assume it’s the saffron, cedar, and musk that’s creating the sweet leather, but I’m really just guessing. The papyrus is my favorite note, it adds something a little dirty, like an ancient linen, mellowing out the sandalwood and vanilla into something soft and calming.

Silage is moderate, longevity is very good. It lingers on clothing forever. It’s warmer on me than it would probably be on a man, but I’d lean it more toward masculine for reasons I just stated above.

A warm and inviting powder cream. the best performance of atelier cologne.
To my nose sandal,vanilla gourmant,aura saffron and citrus soap.
Sweet-winter.

Less cologne-more longevity?mmm i don't know but on my skin work 6-8 hours...but work great!

it causes bruxism!
I like it!
8,5/10

Warm, woodsy vanilla. I don't get a whole lot of anything else. Perhaps a hint of something slightly green and phenolic and a bit of rubbery musk (tarry guaiac).

Atelier and I have never got along as somehow the base of this house seems to feel synthetic on my skin. Santal Carmin is less so but I still sense it there. Fragrances from this house are consistently short-lived on my skin. I feel like this house tries to market natural scents but fails to deliver. Sometimes I get that from Jo Malone too.

Santal Carmin: it's nice, it's okay, warm and woodsy, a bit leathery, gets better the longer it is on skin but sits without much character. It reminds me of a toned down Bvlgari Black with some low-key spiced French vanilla. Etienne Aigner Black (femme) seems to better satisfy my all out superficial vanilla-sandalwood-bergamot-leather fix.

The hunt continues for a rich, natural smelling sandalwood.

Sexy on its own or as a base to layer with other perfumes, preferably balsamic ones.

Phenomenal scent!! Unique! Unique!! Soothing!!

This is an excellent fragrance and a must try. Don't just sniff it, sample it for a day or two.

It is a superb creation. As some leather fragrances bring to mind a leather jacket, an old leather chair, or any thick and heavy leather, this would bring to mind a leather tulle, if some such material existed, it is so light. It also has a silk like quality as it is sheer, but you can smell it.

As others have noted, this really is hard to describe. It is so many things. It swept me off my feet and I don't mind.

10/10 in all categories.

Have I found a fragrance that's on the same level as Creed? I think I have...surprising that I have come to this conclusion. This fragrance is simply outstanding!!! Now in terms of smell, hands down Santal Carmin tops any of my Creeds, yes, even the infamous Aventus IMO. As for performance, Creed is the go-to, however, I think Creed has met her match....his match, whosever match it is! :)

I just can't get over how wonderful this fragrance smells; This fragrance blew me away upon wearing...I didn't go into Sephora with the intent on purchasing anything, however, while looking I stumbled upon the amazing brand of Atelier, whom I have never really taken seriously.

Tried both Silver Iris and Santal Carmin and WOW was I captivated by the two. Took a sample of both although I fell in love with Silver Iris, I couldn't help but notice the euphoria Santal Carmin provided. I mean, I couldn't stop smelling the fragrance strip. Santal Carmin is some amazing juice by Atelier! Never have I felt so intoxicated, stimulated, invigorated by a fragrance and......I do have many in my collection that should illicit such effect!!! I mean, should fragrance make you feel this way??? Should fragrance invoke this (these) kind of feelings??

This fragrance opens with this leather car smell that is just phenomenal!! Now, this is very different than the leather car type smell you get from Mancera's Aoud S.

Santal Carmin has this Bergamot, spicy Saffron, Sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla combination that creates a very (sweet/spiciness yet) distinct smell that is also very different than your mainstream fragrance houses. These notes individually display themselves as the fragrant aroma fills ones space. There is this sweet vanilla type yet velvety woodsy smell that I find simply stunning!! This is all at first spray, once the fragrance settles you are left with this wonderful rich very vibrant fragrance with a slightly powdery base that radiates!

Really like this one; Projection is great, only drawback is that longevity could be better as one may have to douse oneself for projection.

Overall, a nice fragrance!

[12/12/2106] Looking to get my hands on a full bottle very soon (giggle)....like next week soon.

[12/27/2016] ...couldn't wait, had to get a bottle; well, I lied. Already ordered a bottle before I wrote this review!

After 3-4 hours, however the scent dissipates tremendously! Glad I didn't pay full price for this as I would be very frustrated because of the staying power. Don't get me wrong this is a phenomenal fragrance, it would be that much more if it stayed around longer.

....THIS STUFF IS ABSOLUTELY A-MAZING!!!

{2/17/18} Haven't worn this in a while...however, as I was smelling this I begin to detect a familiar smell-----Aoud Vanille. I never associated the two before, however, I went back to look at the note breakdown and both have very similar notes, hence the resemblances]

I am struggling a little to pick the dominant notes for the reason (as I have written before) that Atelier does such a great job of blending its fragrances. It opens somewhat sharply, which is the bergamot and lime and there is a strong sweetness to it too. When I put it on my skin, the wood comes through strongly. I originally picked up leather but as the other reviews point out - it's actually the smell associated with leather car seats rather than leather itself. It's a quality fragrance but not a stand out for me.

It is very magic, oriental, rich, warm,spicy . Elegant but not only for mature people.
I feel: Saffran,musc,ylang -ylang.
Deep not Dark :)
For everyone. I <3 AC.

It is sweet sandalwood, something that i have sniffed plenty of times, nothing new and definitely nothing risky. The saffron note adds a certain new factor to alter the commonly blend and trying so hard to make it genuine but fails at the end.

It remains quite good to the ones who loves designers fragrances but not the ones who seeks risky, unique, creative, or niche blends.

You are right, people. It is a new car leather seats! Because of the name i expected more woodsy scent. Very subtile, sweet, lasting power is poor. That is what i strongly dislike about this brand. I usually do 1-2, but with AC i do 4-6! Overpriced.

Ok, so after getting my nose on this and cedre atlas, I am VERY impressed with this house. They also appear to make scents for every season and are very diverse in their line up. I love a house that is able to be that creative and above all is NICHE! Atelier is nothing new and collectors know all about the house, but if your like me and always seen them but never got your nose on anything from them, you are missing out.

This is a fragrance where the name is a little misleading. I was expecting a sweet sandalwood. I get a new car leather smell, but not a cheap leather smell, a very prestigious leather like Italian or something with a base of quality vanilla to sweeten it up. As it drys down there is a mild creamy sandalwood just to do that only, make the overall scent have a delicious creamy vibe to it. This is best worn in the cold weather. It will cut right through it and you will smell so delicious. I wouldn't say it gourmand, but its a few drops of something away from it.

I highly recommend this fragrance if you are one who likes the genuine car leather smell or leather jacket type leather smell that is sweet and creamy.

A vanilla/saffron infusion with some very soft underlying woods. The citrus top notes don't ever die off but last and last for many hours. What woods I do detect don't smell like sandalwood nor palo santo. Cedar maybe? It's just a little bit sweet, which is a plus so that this perfume doesn't become cloying. Sillage is soft; longevity is pretty good. Compared to Blanche Immortelle, Santal Carmin is far more subdued; less fireworks. I was hoping for a spectacularly creamy sandalwood, but this did not quite fit the bill.

This is a sophisticated "oriental" (kind of) scent if a bit culinary and leaning on the feminine side. My take is that not much santal is going on here, so my nose would rather maybe call it Caramel Saffron. Lots of saffron with some vanilla and tiny hints of sandalwood actually.

It is my second review .
The scent is beautiful and oriental as every from the collection metal. Hot , deep but not strong. After I feel the saffron with the caramel , bergamot comes with Lime, bergamot, guaic, cedr and papyrus. This is indescribable because is always the inverse pyramid:) I love Santal C.

EPIC;-)

This is my current favorite. I love it so much. As for notes, I get NO lime at all. My skin pulls vanilla, sandalwood, leather, and caramel-y wood or something. No matter - I will be buying the full size. I'm just worried I will want to wear this everyday so my other fragrances will get no love with this one around. :)

Oh hello, Atelier Cologne Santal Carmin...I am in love !
I want to wear this and have anyone near me wear it. Is that possible ?
Yes, this is love !
I would like my kids, my cats, my dog, my gardener and my next-door neighbor to wear it.
My suggestion would be it would be a rainy day or after the rain fragrance. So winter rain sort of fragrance. In the summer time, I have no opinion about it.
Sooo nice and very delicate fragrance. Although not very strong and not one to offend the naive nose, this scent will last a good 6-8 hours. The sillage is quite good too. This is my second try at Atelier Cologne. The first one would be Rose Anonyme, which I also get such delight but Santal Carmin is the winner.

Right off the bat i need to give the house of Atelier some love

it does a good job blending their scents even tho most may not appeal to my taste it still deserves my respect now in regards to Santal Carmin

its open with a touch of citrus masked by a warm almost burnt smell of vanilla and followed by a dry down note of cedar wood and spic

when i wear this scent it feels like i have a warm blanket keeping me safe from the harsh cold winter months one may encounter when living on the east coast

this scent brings a comfort/calmness to those that have the pleasure of wearing it even tho i feel like it doesn't project or last that long on my skin its still a scent worth wearing as a extra layer

i can see both men and women enjoying this but to me id say this is more of a masculine scent due to its dark sweetness

so give this one try especially in the cold seasons

on to the next

ps the presentation on this one is top notch!

Smells like a much older perfume. Sandalwood on a powdery iris vanilla base. I thought it would be a lot more modern but this just smells so dated

I enjoy this most into drydown after an hour or so, where the sweet vanilla takes a back seat and I can enjoy the lovely sandalwood.

The sweetness does enhance the sandalwood nicely, it detracts from sandalwood's slightly sour note while adding to the creaminess. Saffron adds a pleasant dusty yet milky feel, which I like.

Having said that, I'd prefer Tam Dao because I'm not so keen on sweet sandalwood. The utlimate sandalwood is Bois Des Iles I suppose, but aldehydes spoil that slightly for me (that's just me though, aldehydes seem to be enhanced on my skin, but Bois des Iles smells like paradise on other people!)

Then there's the underestimated Samsara, which I think is an excellent sandalwood floral, more ideal for summer or early autum though, with its hint of tropical ylang and pretty jasmine.

I also tried Vermeire's Trayee a few times recently, which is like eating cardamom scented Kulfi ice-cream under a sandalwood tree - really creamy and rich, slightly gourmand and sweet for my taste, though delicious and luxurious.

I've yet to try Le Labo's Sandalwood, but for a good sandalwood kick I'd go for Tam Dao myself.

Fragrance its own hallmark, typical Atelier, unmistakable !!

Atelier Cologne fragrance makes good quality, full of color and life, bright and cheerful.

Carmin Santal opens with fresh citrus, green accents and terpene with a vibrant saffron, tuning spectacularly well with layers of mixed woods, revealing a heart of creamy sandalwood, soft, pulsating and vibrating by itself, and a drydown combo cedar, papyrus and sweet vanilla caramel feels but not cloying.

Santal Carmin is a fragrance that feels young, modern, contemporary, with good length and moderate projection.

But I prefer the less fresh sandalwood, cinnamic and more dense as Santal Noble or Sacred Wood.

Rating: 5

The lime adds an oily sweetness rather than a sharp citrus burst, but is saved from becoming cloying by other soft fresh notes which blend amiably but not predictably. Reminds me of L'Artisan Perfumeur's Batacuda but with a subtle woody mellowness once the lime settles down.

This is warm and cosy but a bit too sweet for my taste. The spicy note irritates my throat a bit.

I was expecting something more woodsy..I love sandalwood and wood scents.. The sweetness in this one makes me agree with the "like" button but no full bottle here, I'll pass..nice blend and great house, I just think this leans a little more on the feminem side, but I love santal 33 so if that means anything

This is my favourite fragrance from Atelier Cologne and one of my favourites ever. There is something so warm and comforting about it. It's not very dramatic or challenging, it's a big warm blanket in front of a log fire on a cold stormy winters evening. Love it!

The Santal Carmin has to be my fav among all Atelier colognes. The openning is kinda sweet, almost marshmallow-like on my skin, but def not so overwhelming. Then it develops into a round, subtle, creamy scent that really works its way deep down into my body. I can almost feel the scent penetrating and sinking into my skin and gives this final combination of vanilla and sandalwoods which is truly beautiful and oh so natural and calming. Def go get the full bottle next time!

Reminds me of Dior Addict.

Tried another sample vial from the discovery set of Atalier Cologne. At the moment I am exploring sandalwood scents, and finds them really soothing and mind calming, and I like most of them -some e´ven so much that I have to buy them. Unfortunately Santal Carmin is not one of those "got to have" scents.

So what do I get out of this fragrance?
The scent starts out as a sweet and aromatic. It is not a penetrating sandalwood, but a more balanced scent. The vanilla, papyrus, musk and saffron adds light but pleasant undertone to balance the sandalwood. Also the vanilla adds nice sweetness to the melange.

The scent is really unisex, but is more masculine than feminine. It lasts for 8-10 hours but you can experience longer longevity. It's a good wood scent, that does not offend anyone. Not that it is anonymous but it is so balanced that it is noticable without people thinking bad of it.

Overall Review 6/10

There is an almost complete resemblance between these three modern perfumes; as a trend that bears the enigmatic joy sweet side! This is the vanilla sugar, saffron and musk, which mix a bewitched way with sandalwood, guaiac, and papyrus; a harmony that reminds me of a type of candy we got used to eat a lot in the period of childhood; really this smell is an invitation to live a "Flash Back" for both ends of memory is an alliance between the conscious and the unconscious! These are times when there are reasons to call the children and do exist in the present moments of absurdismes and fantasies; Here is the case between 2014 Carmine Sandalwood Cologne Workshop "Jerome Epinette" and Olfactory Studio 2014 home Olfactory Studio "Mylène Alran" and of course with Lithium house NU-BE "Nicolas Bonneville." I love these three masterpieces!

il y a une ressemblance presque complète entre ces trois exemplaires de parfums modernes qui se considèrent comme une tendance qui porte la joie énigmatique du coté sucré! C'est la sucre de la vanille, safran, et musc, qui se mélangent d'une façon ensorcelée avec le bois de santal, gaïac, et le papyrus; une harmonie qui me rappelle d'une type de bonbon qu'on a eu l'habitude de manger beaucoup dans la période d'enfance même d'avant; vraiment cette odeur est une invitation de vivre une "Flash Back" de deux extrémités de mémoire, c'est une alliance entre le conscient et l'inconscient! Ce sont des moments ou on trouve des raisons pour faire appeler l'enfance et le faire exister a des moments présents d'absurdismes et de fantaisies; voilà c'est le cas entre Santal Carmin 2014 Atelier Cologne de "Jérôme Epinette" et Olfactive Studio 2014 de la maison Olfactive Studio "Mylène Alran" et bien sur avec Lithium de maison NU-BE "Nicolas Bonneville". J'adore ces trois chefs d'oeuvres!

On my skin, the opening lime notes of Santal Carmin are very harsh. Afterwards, there's a sublime vanilla-sandalwood combination, which is utterly delicious, soft and calming. I enjoyed the unusual smoothness of the papyrus occasionally peeking through as well. The fragrance then starts to become more bristly as the cedar takes over... and to be honest, it's interrupting the creaminess for me. I just wanted the comforting and creamy sandalwood, and that's not what I got here. The dry-down is cleaner and a little more musky.

Longevity is about about 5-6 hours; sillage is moderate to heavy (I got told that it smelt quite strong on me). This is a solid sandalwood fragrance, except that lime really doesn't agree with my chemistry... and I didn't appreciate the cedar stealing the show :)

A floral leather, like someone's aunt going through a midlife crisis, trying to reinvent herself by buying a Mustang and divorcing her husband.

Cosy. Like finally arriving to the place you have been awaiting to come.

A fine crafted cabinet full of leather-covered books, along with a fireplace, a cosy leather couch next to the dignified oak-wood desk. A good book and a cognac, perhaps.

Warm, dignified and relaxed scent. No matter what happens, you never raise your voice when wearing this.

Hmm. That's odd. All I got out of this was an opening that reminded me briefly of Vanilla Incensee, a lot of synthetic sandalwood and then nothing. It was all over in fifteen minutes. My nose is usually quite sensitive but I can't seem to smell this fragrance at all.

Saffron saffron , saffron <3 and carmel )

Heaven. A perfectly unisex scent- I loved it on my boyfriend and he loved it on me. It is warm, spicy, creamy, strangely good longevity, appropriate sillage, and very wearable. It is pleasant and cozy. A enjoyed the sample so much I bought a full size.

I must own this!! Love it so much!! Once it's on for a while there is this very warm cozy spicy vanilla left. I just need to find a way to make it last longer on me. Anyway, not sure why this one has to come in a fancy bottle making it more expensive! I just feel so good every time I smell it, will be worth it to buy for me. Might be my only perfume purchase for a while!

This is another one of Atelier’s gorgeous fruity, spicy scents. I don’t get any wood, but what I do get is very nice indeed. I smell lemons, limes and a hint of tangerine as well. The sillage is subtle, but it’s a lovely, happy, optimistic, joyful scent.

I don't understand what's the deal here - I might be ansomnic to this perfume, but "Santal Carmin" showed incredibly low longevity and silage for me. As I see from the votes, I'm not the only one expierencing this. The scent stayed on my skin for 2 hours projecting very close to skin, I poured a good deal on my wrists (0.3ml for sure) and was surprised how incredibly dissapointing the development and staying power was.

The scent itself is not bad though, it has the wonderful balance between the dryness and freshness making this stand out in the world of sandalwood scents. Even though it was pleasant, I also found this slightly boring, as I mentioned before - the development was dissapointing and most of the time I wasn't even able to smell something at all, just sandalwood. I waited a good deal of time to write this review as I always give the scent chance to develop, some even reapper after dissapearing, but this was not the case. Wonderful first 30 minutes and then poof - boring, almost not there.

A major dissapointment from the house I've enjoyed before. Spend your money elswhere, or at least try, this could be a terrible blind buy for someone.

the sandalwood in this is wonderful, but there's a sweetness in it that kinda ruins it. it's borderline feminine, but that in itself is not the issue. i think i came to this scent hoping that the sandalwood would be the key ingredient, however it is a bit player. nice, but not sandalwoody enough...

Stop the presses!
I'm stunned by this fragrance it is nothing short of magnificent!
I have never smelled anything like it before, very sweet but with a creamy, woody understated edge. The way Atelier Cologne's Santal Carmin comes on is very much like other quality sandalwood fragrances, it seems to creep up.
Very minimal in the beginning and so reminiscent of other fragrances I've tried with sandalwood and papyrus (except for the occasional unpleasantness) this has sweet notes and a hint of citrus in the opening which elevate it so something else entirely.
As it develops the sandalwood becomes both spicier and creamier combining with a gorgeous vanilla note which comes on stronger too.
What is evident is one of my favourite, complex notes saffron which gives any fragrance a classy edge.
The overriding scent I get however is a sweet berry, like strawberry or raspberry in this scent it's kinda the heart of the whole thing and I just can't see how that's bergamot and lime?
Whatever it is, it's wonderful and contributes to a perfect storm, which combines many elements I love.
The drydown is dense guaic wood and creamy sandalwood with sweet long lasting vanilla.
It's strangely reminiscent of a few things Scent story 24 Gold just in style terms... maybe it's the sweetness, vanilla, and woods then Le Labo Santal 33 and Decennial Santal Sacre for papyrus and how tranluscent the Sandalwood is at first but then builds. Also reminds me a touch of Xerjoff Ivory Route but with gorgeous sweet and inviting gourmand touches of fruit added in making it totally different.
It has what I've termed 'secret sillage' because hours after application and despite never being a powerhouse you get glorious wafts of it every now and again.
My girlfriend thought it was 'very ordinary' and was surprised I was raving about wearing it so much but she said that about Ivory Route which I thought was amazing, maybe she doesn't like sandalwood?

Santal Carmin is fantastic, great longevity, not the longest lasting but several hours puts it right up there and it does project softly. It just as innovative as Gold leather which is a brave boozy scent and these two alone make me rate Atelier Cologne as a house.

If you don't like sweet, or gourmand fragrances it may not be for you but I can't even say that for sure as the sandalwood might just hypnotize you.

I adore this fragrance and want a bottle pretty bad.

Oh my, I love this. It does open on the sweet side, as slapdash below pointed out. On me, the sweetness calms down pretty quickly.
On me, this then turns woody and creamy and delicious. I love it. Of course I do, because the chaeapest bottle on atelier's website is $135. Sigh.
I can see how this might not be for everyone, but I have a low tolerance for so many fragrances and this is fantastic to me.

To begin at the end, so to speak, the final throes of Santal Carmin are very pleasant. The notes have coalesced into a balanced blend of mixed woods, green citrus, cream and musk. It's smooth and effortless and made me wish that the fragrance was entirely linear based on this phase.

Rewinding to the start, I was caught out by a sugar rush, the concoction far sweeter than anticipated interpreting the pyramid of notes. It's also quite dense, amplified by a large dose of creamy sandalwood and an intensely buttery saffron. Not even the bergamot and lime are enough to stop Santal Carmin from being top heavy. I likened it to the bloat of over-eating a particularly decadent creme brulee - delicious and nicely caramelised on top (that part played by the guaiac wood) but, in the end, too much of a good thing.

Fair warning: I have a low threshold for sweetness, so bear that in mind. Personally, I find the richness 'in situ' verging on cloying - for the initial hour, that is. Beyond that I have far fewer complaints.

Overall, there's more going for Santal Carmin than against it. Sampling a fair few times is suggested; this is not a blind buy.