Other than a distant memory (or perhaps a dream, not sure) of my kindergarten teacher wearing Samsara, I was never really into it. I tried it once about 8 years ago from a pretty old tester, thought it was ok and never looked back. More recent testings made me think that it was way overrated but there was this thing bugging me; it's a classic Guerlain, how come I don't see the appeal? When Santal Majuscule was launched, I loved it from the start. I could see the appeal of sandalwood, even though synthetic, and the pairing with rose and cocoa was delightful. I would have gotten a bottle, or 2, if it was stronger and more lasting on my skin. So, I live on decants of it to satisfy my craving. But since Samsara is touted as the reference sandalwood, real Mysore no less, I sought after the vintage version, until a brand new bottle of the edp landed on my hands. The date? 1989! I paid the price, less than current version of the same 100ml size and waited patiently for my parcel to arrive, which it did last Friday. And now I can finally see the appeal and what all the fuss is about! Samsara feels perfumey. Not a word I use often, but it feels like a real perfume, distant and at the same time very familiar. Maybe my teacher did wear it after all, and it stayed in my memory like a childhood dream. I'm not sure, and I won't be able to ever ask her, but it feels like a comforting embrace. Of the bat, there's a medley of notes on my skin. Spicy, creamy, floral, powdery; everything wants my attention but I'm giving it to the shadow that's lurking at the back, a big fat creamy coconutty vanillic sandalwood. Could it be the phantom of real Mysore? It should be, I mean I have the first version released. Is it 20%? 30%? 5%? I don't care, it feels so rich and thick that it seems as if it's about to jump and eat me. It feels familiar, because...sandalwood (even if most perfumes use a synthetic rendition of it nowadays, no matter how perfected the accord is), without a hint of screech. It is just gloriously smooth, sweet, engulfing. Samsara is touted as sandalwood + jasmine nirvana but I get more ylang ylang and a healthy serving of iris/orris root. That's fine, as I love ylang more than jasmine. And I think it contributes to that creamy feel. Apart from the opening medley, I mostly distinguish these 3/4 notes, but the backstage help from the other ingredients contributes to the overall sensation; it is calming and blissful, just like the add conjures. A state of serenity! I'm not sure whether the current version does justice to the juice. My testings were never very thorough and I never gave in to the scent, but the absolute perfection of vintage Samsara as I feel it on my skin, with a perfectly defined sandalwood that smells like nothing I've smelt before, made me love it deeply. I understand why so many love it. It is a genderless nirvana, that speaks of inner calmness at a time when other hits spoke of decadence and excess. I love both ends of the spectrum, and Samsara is definitely jumping to the top of the blissful side! As a side note; someone mentioned below that it feels like a child of Allure and Hypnotic Poison, or something like it. Yes, Allure reminds me at times of Samsara (a very avant garde/deconstructed version of it for the new millennium) but not so much of Hypnotic Poison. They both share that nutty powdery creaminess but Samsara defines it via Mysore sandalwood, having a depth that the other two don't. I love all 3 perfumes, but having to choose only one, I'd go for Samsara! Lonjevity: 12 hours and counting! Sillage: erm, massive!