Santal De Mysore

At the firs spray of Santal de Mysore caravay and spices burst out in a bright and enveloping embrace. They are uplifting, indulgent and sparkling. There is hardly any perfume with such depth and lusciousness of the opening note. There is a sliver of herbal note as well, weaving like a silken thread through the scent. Fragrance is sweet, with a most unusual sweetness. It's not sugar, not candy or cream, - it is something else. It reminds me of mead, honeyed drink of crushed herbs and petals, spiced, served heated in order to bring out the best of aroma and punchiness of alcoholised honey. Sometimes I wonder if it is an oriental liqueur that I smell, but I have never tried anything of this type. Sandalwood comes through as if on a rising tide. Imperceptibly, gently, advancing and retreating, as if carefully feeling the skin that it is stepping on. It blends beautifully with the top note and, adds its smooth woodiness to otherwise syrupy spices, rooting them and balancing out the fragrance, so it does not "run away" into the cloying jam-like substance. This sandalwood feels plush and enveloping, richer than what most of us are used to, oriental and refined. It whispers of the untold luxuries and wonders of the Ancient Kingdom of Mysore (in Karnataka, South India), its silks, spices and aromatic woods, Dasara festival and sprawling palaces of incredible beauty and wealth. Balsamic facets of benzoin and styrax make a perfect base of the fragrance, anchoring all notes in a velvet-like carpet of marigold petals, supporting the theme of oriental opulence and magic. They also give a bit of dryness to the composition, working into the skin and dissipating the syrup gently, creating a drydown of aromatic spices and wood. Santal de Mysore is an incredibly rich and powerful fragrance, with immense projection and sillage, and so one should apply it carefully, as it can become overwhelming and all-conquering with just one extra spray. The staying power is matching, with skin scent easily lasting up to 18 hours. Some will love the powerful top, others - opulent luxury of the heart, others - the subdued richness of drydown. The fragrance's composition develops and unwinds beautifully and is never linear or boring. It is everything one could wish for from an oriental and classic scent, the spirit of which transcended centuries, if not millennia, and now has poured with exceptional care and skill into a Serge Lutens bottle.