GUERLAIN
SANTAL ROYAL

2014

PERFUMER
Thierry Wasser

Jasmine
Neroli

Rose
Cinnamon
Peach

Oud
Sandalwood
Leather
Amber
Musk

This was re-released as Absolus Allegoria Santal Royal in 2024.

Santal Royal is essentially a sandalwood-oud-rose. The opening is colored by cinnamon and it’s rather sweet from the start. I’ve heard a lot of people comment on how harsh or screechy Santal Royal opens, but I don’t share that experience.

It’s a dark, dense fragrance, but it’s not at all harsh, medicinal, animalic etc. If anything, it’s a bit earthy to me. It’s in a way uplifting, warm and sweet. It’s like a sunrise, rather than a gothic scent.

As it dries down, the sandalwood becomes more and more prominent and sweet. The florals were never prominent for me when I first smelled Santal Royal, but in the later wearings the rose become more noticeable (the jasmine and neroli never did to my nose). It’s really a dense, sweet woody scent that could be my favorite from the Les Absolus d’Orient line.

Overall, I’m loving Santal Royal. For the price (I paid only €63/75ml), it’s very hard to beat. Performance is excellent, although for me it’s not a loud, big, beastly fragrance, it’s rather intimate, but the longevity is more than great.