I found this a likable sandalwood, a happy middleground piece between all out, Santal 33 trendy fuckery and sweet, creamy, musky, synth sandalwood goodness. It's basically a very pleasant, lightly spiced sandalwood open, reminiscent of the niche game becoming what the designer was 25 years ago. There's even some masculine trope from that period about it in the opening, bergamot and cardamom and such? It must be a thing with sandalwood accords and bases where they invoke that papyrus or nutty quality, this just about gets away with it. I like the brand, this is ok, I'm not overly keen, but it's okay. I put 'like' because I kinda do. Update 01/12/23 I wore this yesterday and feel my original apprasial still holds water, I sort of like the fact it has that offness of modern hipster Sandalwood (minus the horrors) because otherwise it might be giving me a bit too much of what I want. However, it's still oddly cloying and the sandalwood accord has lashings of what I perceieve as Javanol, a material I often praise but in reality is very tenacious and fatigues me massively. Still not a bad wear though and inkeeping with what is all in all a quality brand, not exactly setting the world alight creatively but still decent.
Santal Blond is one of the more well-known fragrances from Atelier Materi, but in all honesty I think it’s overhyped (usually by shills who have been gifted the fragrance through PR). It’s a pleasant enough sandalwood scent, but there’s no real presence of life or passion behind it. It starts off innocent enough with the revitalising combination of zingy bergamot and clean jasmine, before the sandalwood kicks in. The sandalwood here as a subtle air of that pickled sourness similar to Santal 33, but far more gentle and much creamier. The soft sweetness of tonka and cardamom rounds things out nicely too. Overall it’s a nice scent as I said, there’s just nothing special about it. If you like Santal Complet, I feel this does the same scent profile but better - however it’s still not anything I’d rush out to buy in all honesty.