Reviews – Dior – Santal Noir

Dior – Santal Noir – Smooth sandalwood from Demachy – 7/10

I don’t think I’m Robinson Crusoe when I say I haven’t been overly enamoured with Dior’s recent output. By and large, most of their latest perfumes have come and gone, stirring up little excitement. Perhaps most surprisingly, the “La Collection Privee” has taken a nosedive. The once-mighty collection is now littered with bland and banal watery florals, hardly befitting a high-end line. Undoubtedly, the time for a change in creative direction is overdue. Hopefully, Francis Kurkdjian can provide the impetus as we advance. I won’t hold my breath, though. Having said all that, Francois Demachy left us with some good ones. Santal Noir, in particular, is one of the better contemporary fragrances from the house.

As you can see from the picture above, my bottle is a 7.5ml mini. I received the bottle with my purchase of Ambre Nuit, but I had sampled Santal Noir many times before, going through several decants. The official note list for Santal Noir is short. The Dior website lists only sandalwood, rose, and ambrette. However, I pick up quite a few other notes, and it certainly feels a little more nuanced and complex than the apparent note list would have us believe.

In Santal Noir, Demachy fuses creamy sandalwood with a jammy rose. That’s hardly a new combination, but he nails the balance here. Santal Noir opens up fruity, with the jammy rose very much to the fore. It’s a darker, stickier rose than in Ambre Nuit, but it does hint at that scent from time to time. The interplay between the sandalwood and rose is evocative of the Chanel classic, Egoiste. Although not listed in the note breakdown, I detect a spicy cinnamon note, sweet fruity liqueur, and a smoky tobacco note. Perhaps, it’s the musky ambrette seed that could give the impression of the fruity liqueur and the slight medicinal facet I pick up from Santal Noir. Nevertheless, each of these characteristics merely adds to the comparisons with Chanel Egoiste. It’s much longer-lasting than the Chanel, and a deal less woody.

Santal Noir feels like an outlier in this line. A breath of fresh air in a drab sea of Dior blandness. It is long-lasting, with fantastic projection, and possesses a lovely scent trail. It’s hardly unique, though. Intriguingly, Francois Demachy was at Chanel in the late ’80s early ’90s and had a hand in Egoiste. He must’ve been rather fond of the scent, as he almost certainly took inspiration from it for Santal Noir. However, this Dior has its own identity, with the amped-up rose note giving it a distinctive character.

Most importantly, it feels like it belongs in the top-end collection of a storied fragrance house such as Dior. It is well worth seeking out. Two thumbs up from me.

Quick Notes:

Launch Year: 2008.

Perfumer: Francois Demachy

Notes: Sandalwood, rose, ambrette.

Longevity: 8-10 hours maximum.

Projection: 4 hours strong.

Season: Autumn, Winter.

Price: This Dior line is available in 40ml $185AUD, 125ml $375AUD, 250ml $540AUD.

Alternatives: Chanel Egoiste, Dior Ambre Nuit.

Have you tried the Dior higher end line? Do you have a favourite?

Note: All photos by me.