SERGE LUTENS
Santal Majuscule
2012
PERFUMER
Christopher Sheldrake
sandalwood
cocoa
damask rose
For many years now Santal Majuscule has been hailed as one of the better sandalwood fragrances. I’d tried it in stores several times, but for some reason never properly tested it, until 2023. I really enjoyed a (newer) sample, but was even more happy to buy the older bottle/batch, which feels a tad more spicy. Here’s why I agree that this is up there with the best sandalwoods on the market, although it’s not one that I would wear the most.
Santal Majuscule is a powdery sandalwood, with quite a lot of rose. Perhaps more rose-centered than I initially expected on my skin. Definitely one of the more traditionally masculine leaning roses though, so don’t count it out if you’re a man that doesn’t always appreciate roses.
The spices in the newer version smelled soft from the start, but in my older bottle, there is a cumin-esque opening that’s a bit more dry, yet very manageable. Besides, the rose is very prominent on my skin and that adds an almost soapy/shampoo tinge.
As mentioned, there’s a powdery texture to it. In part from the cocoa adding a tiny bitter hint, not so much a gourmand chocolate scent (it doesn’t go in the direction of Guerlain Gourmand Coquin for example). At times it reminds me more of a dry (coconutty) cookie than cocoa.
More than anything, this is woody. It’s hard to do a clearly wood-centered fragrance that isn’t boring in my opinion, but Santal Majuscule does it perfectly. There’s hint of smokiness, like new wood shavings (not unlike Atelier Des Ors Iris Fauve), there’s fresher woodiness with the floral facet, there’s sweetness, but all tied to that woody overall vibe.
In a way this feels ‘clean’, yet not contemporary, which is an unexpected combination. It’s a fragrance with darker and lighter sides, but the combination remains breathable; there’s levity from start to finish, whereas I feel a scent profile like this is often more heavy-handed. It has a slight abstract, mature vibe in the same way that Feminite Du Bois does and in my opinion and both can be considered masterpieces. Feminite du Bois is definitely the one I gravitate towards more personally though.
