Sandalwood Major

Sandalwood Major keeps things deliberately simple, mirroring Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule's pared-back structure with a rose opening that quickly gives way to a creamy sandalwood and amber heart. The vanilla and soft musk base rounds out the woody-creamy character without pushing it sweet, which is in keeping with the original's reputation for restraint over spectacle. There's less of the niche house's textural nuance here, but the core creamy-sandalwood-rose accord is well balanced and genuinely comforting to wear, sitting close to skin in a way that suits both daytime office wear and quiet evenings. At 35% Extrait the sandalwood holds its creamy density for hours rather than turning thin and dry, which is where cheaper sandalwood fragrances usually let themselves down.