Perfume Reviews

Santal 33 by Le Labo

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Santal 33 has been a massive (I mean, massive) hit for Le Labo since its release back in 2011. There was a time when it was talked about and referenced all of the time. Now, it has calmed down since that earlier era, but still exists as a wildly popular best-seller.

I bought another sample of this unisex perfume in order to revisit and finally put up a full review of Santal 33 for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it still worth a try?

Santal 33 Overview

Notes include: sandalwood, papyrus, leather, violet, cedar, cardamom, iris, amber

Click here to try: Santal 33

My Full Review

To start with, I guess I’ll address the so-called ‘pickle juice’ smell that Santal 33 gets painted with. I can understand why, if certain aspects of this really pop on your skin, but for me I only get a faint bit of it.

Really, this one starts off with a mix of cardamom, violet, some leather, and the ever-present dry woods. Papyrus is the lead wood on me for a while, which will obviously shift to the star of the show, the namesake sandalwood.

The cardamom is the lead. Which, interestingly isn’t the type that gives off the lemony aroma, here it feels fresher with its spice and somewhat camphorous. The cooling sensation is interesting against the papyrus and the violet especially.

Already, I get the powdery qualities of that floral note and the iris. Thankfully, for my own enjoyment, the violet note is kept in check here.

After a while, Santal 33 becomes a clean mix of the floral notes, with the woods which are shifting. Cedar comes on stronger, papyrus fades, and the sandalwood keeps gaining steam.

There is a period here, mostly in the middle act, where I think this Le Labo fragrance really shines. It becomes perfectly balance between the violet, iris, leather, amber, and sandalwood (and other woods). It’s slightly sweet, comforting, smooth, and just great to catch a whiff of.

The dry down is still soft, really dominated by sandalwood and the remnants of everything else. It actually takes on a muskier kind of profile. Dry and still clean, with a light touch of sweetness, and any spice has fallen away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one has a lighter feeling with a pretty substantial projection, in the first few hours. Not a complete beast, unless you start spraying heavy, but I can smell it on me without issue. I can also put some on a shirt and smell it from 6-7 feet away.

Still, this one isn’t heavy and doesn’t feel like it’ll bog you down in a heavy cloud of scent.

On my skin, Santal 33 will last for 7-8 hours. Not amazing, but still very solid for what this one is. It could just fall into being a barely noticeable skin scent. Yet, it doesn’t hit that level for me until deep into the wear.

Seasonally, this is almost a year round fragrance. On the hottest and most humid days of summer, I might go with something else other than this. Outside of that, it should work just fine.

Yes, it is a unisex fragrance. Perhaps slightly more feminine, but I don’t think it strays to far that way, and should work for most people.

Santal 33 is very versatile. Daytime, casual, office wear, school, etc. It’s not entirely formal but doesn’t feel too out of place anywhere. It’s not a straight nightlife perfume either, there are obviously sexier scents, but it’s clean enough that it could work a night.

Overall Impressions of Santal 33

Overall, do I like Santal 33? I do. If I’m just making a decision off of the scent alone, I do still find this one to be thoroughly enjoyable.

Sure, it has been hyped to the stratosphere over the past decade-plus and copied countless times. Still, Santal 33 is a good fragrance. I’m not ever blown away by it, but it has its charm.

That entry into the heart of the note pyramid is actually great, though. The opening is probably its weakest part. It’s fine, 33 just gets better after that.

I think in certain areas especially, everyone wore this perfume for years, which can understandably be grating. This is what is currently happening with Baccarat Rouge 540.

The performance is above average and to me there’s no real downside with this one, other than no longer having a unique aroma.

Most people like this one. Some people love it. While still others, loathe it. At the very least, Santal 33 is a perfume that is indeed worth a try. Even if, it’s just to satisfy your curiosity about the hype, if you’re someone who has yet to try it.

Valaya by Parfums de Marly

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Valaya is a Parfums de Marly release that they came out with in 2023. I bought a sample of this perfume, as a part of a larger order, since I hadn’t ever tried this one out. Really, I had no expectations as to what it was or how it smelled, just a curiosity as to what PdM had come up with.

How does Valaya smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

Valaya by PdM Overview

Notes include: aldehydes, orange blossom, peach, bergamot, mandarin, musk, vanilla, lily of the valley, vetiver, nympheal, mahonia, akigalwood, musk, ambroxan

Click here to try: Valaya by PdM 

My Full Review

Here’s what Parfums de Marly has to say about Valaya: a sensual and elegant fragrance opening with bergamot, mandarin, and sweet white peach, leading to a blend of white flowers settling on musk, vanilla, and woody base notes.

Valaya starts off with its fruity notes being prominent, but not completely dominating the early mix. Bergamot has a few minutes of run at the top, with some light mandarin, before the sweeter peach takes over.

The perfume has a rather sharp freshness due to that fruit accord and the aldehydes. For me, the aldehydes are slightly more heavily weighted in the opening versus the musk, but that will reverse.

Even in the opening, the musk isn’t weak. It feels very shampoo-like on my skin, at this early stage.

Valaya does settle down into something with a less ‘screechy’ aroma, after 5-10 minutes. Mainly, I think it’s the citrus quieting down that allows this one to become more pleasant.

Once I’m at this point, the floral notes become noticeable. I mostly get the orange blossom note, and the lily of the valley, doesn’t feel distinct here. It’s sort of orange blossom with a generic floral smell.

Maybe that’s what Nympheal is supposed to be? I’m not sure what that ingredient is. Perhaps that’s the somewhat odd synthetic scent that I pick up or just a mix with the ambroxan.

The middle act is a sweetish floral with a dose of musk and vanilla. On me, the aldehydes begin to really dissipate. There is some powder here, but it wasn’t too strong on me. Also, Valaya takes on a woodier profile in the base.

That’s really the final transition. Musk with some vanilla and woods, is the thrust of it. A general sweetness and floral impression remains sitting underneath.

Sillage, longevity, and versatility

Valaya opens up with some strong intensity. The result is a fairly far reaching fragrance that doesn’t need to many sprays to get attention.

It will settle down. I still find it to be strong, maybe on the upper end of moderate? Nonetheless, this isn’t a perfume that ever felt weak or insubstantial in any way.

The longevity is actually quite good. I got more than 9 hours of wear with this one, on my skin. Spraying it on clothes, Valaya is a fragrance that will just keep going and going.

Seasonally, this is for sure a spring and summer fragrance. Between the fruits, flowers, and aldehydes…the decision is pretty much made up for you.

Definitely a daytime wear, also. Something like a daily wear or something that you can just wear around casually when the sun is out. I don’t find Valaya to be sexy at all. Just clean and fresh for the most part. So, no romantic wear or nightlife with this one.

Overall Impressions of Valaya

Overall, do I like Valaya? Not really. If it were an inexpensive scent, it’d be okay. At this price? It’s a complete pass for me.

It started getting on my nerves during the wear, not completely headache inducing, but I wasn’t really enjoying having this perfume on either.

The opening is too sharp. The middle is somewhat better, but synthetic. The dry down is probably when I liked this scent the most.

Is it terrible? No, just nothing that really demands most people run out and buy it.

The performance is really quite good. So, if you’re one who really loves this for whatever reason, you do get some value in that respect.

This isn’t among Parfums de Marly’s best fragrances for women. It seems like one that I will forget about in a few months.

Cedre Blanc EDP by Creed

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Cedre Blanc is a Creed fragrance that I had never gotten around to testing out. It was released back in 2014. But, when I saw a sample of it available online, I threw it in one of my batch orders. So, I really had no expectations of this fragrance going in. How does it smell? Does Cedre Blanc last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Cedre Blanc Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, bay leaf, galbanum, cardamom, geranium, lily, jasmine, cedar, vetiver, sandalwood

My Full Review

Cedre Blanc opens up with a lot going on. It’s fresh and woody, as the name suggests. But, there is also a bright, juicy, and sour bergamot coming through. Also, some greenish and somewhat bitter galbanum. Plus, a host of spiciness from mostly bay leaf (with some cardamom).

It’s a bunch to take in. However, it works well enough, especially if this is your type of perfume. Which, I will say up front, isn’t going to be most people’s cup of tea.

The next phase is more floral with jasmine and lily. There is still the spiciness of the bay leaf, but much of the bitterness and the citrus has moved on.

Less of an intense spice, more of a fresh and clean woods (hints of a watery accord, probably lily and remaining bergamot). Geranium, vetiver, and our cedar note are already making themselves known.

Finally, Cedre Blanc is a fresh and greenish fragrance with undertones of the floral notes. Cedar, geranium, galbanum, vetiver, florals, and the sandalwood. Very clean with sort of a mossy-like aroma. The complexity of the opening tones way down and this Creed becomes pretty simple.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

That initial spray does have some intensity to it. As I said, there’s a lot going on here at first, and it’s also pretty loud.

Still, it does have a freshness about it, and it’s not a completely heavy fragrance. That initial projection is quite good though. After that, it will quickly become a softer scent.

Honestly, it was kind of surprising how quickly this one calmed down into something which sat so close to the skin. Much of the wear will be about a 1-3 radius from where you sprayed Cedre Blanc.

The longevity is also kind of lacking. For me, I got somewhere around six hours during my testing of it. If this were a $40 perfume, I wouldn’t be too mad. At Creed prices, it’s pretty bad.

This is a spring and summer wear. It’s nicer to smell while outside than indoors. I was walking around on a warmer day with it on and that’s when I was most impressed by what Cedre Blanc brings to the table.

Pretty much a daytime wear, however. Not one that’s going to be a nightlife or date night sort of wear. It’s a unisex perfume, but it leans masculine, even with the floral influence.

Unique, in a lot of ways, but this is a fragrance for those who want something niche. It’s pleasant enough, but wasn’t ever going to enjoy mass appeal.

Overall Impressions of Cedre Blanc

Overall, do I like Cedre Blanc? It’s not for me. I don’t think it’s bad, it’s certainly unique, but it’s really nothing special.

Especially, at the Creed price point. There’s probably a very limited market for this, which is why it appears to be discontinued now. So, if this one was of interest to you, you’d better get a move on finding a sample or biting the bullet and buying a full bottle.

I do enjoy the bay leaf note that’s in here. It’s an ingredient that is more of a ‘once in a while’ type of thing for me, but I did appreciate it. The dry down is also a highlight. Things have settled down and there isn’t the same initial bitterness.

Performance does leave much to be desired. Really not powerful stuff, outside of a sharp opening act. A pretty intimate scent bubble and less than a full work day of wear for sure. Again, Cedre Blanc is absolutely not a value play, you’ve really got to like this scent for it to be worthwhile.

Not something I want. Nor will most people, but there is a small percentage of you, that would really appreciate this blend. How much that’s worth to you, is your call.

New Haarlem by Bond No. 9

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New Haarlem is one of the longest running of the Bond No. 9 offerings, having been released back in 2003. I recently grabbed another sample of this scent, since I hadn’t worn it in a few years. So, I’m here to post a fresh review of the perfume to see if it still holds up.

What does New Haarlem by Bond No. 9 smell like?

Notes include: lavender, bergamot, green leaves, coffee, cedar, vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli, amber

Click here to try: New Haarlem

My Full Review

I’m not usually big on lavender fragrances, but New Haarlem is one that I’ve always liked a lot. The opening act is fresh and bright with a touch of the bergamot citrus note, but it is going to be dominated by the lavender.

This scent will become richer and creamier, as we dry down. But, early it’s got itself a great aromatic vibe with its generic ‘green notes’ and light citrus touch.

The other note that will pop off, about 10 minutes in is cedar. It’s a lavender and cedar affair at this point, with the sweetness of coffee/vanilla/tonka bean already starting to come through.

Fresh woodsy, but still quite clean in how it comes across. This does have some outdoorsy touches throughout, but it isn’t a ‘dirty’ or very ‘earthy’ kind of fragrance.

At some point, the coffee will begin to take over the number one spot. Lavender doesn’t go away, it just begins to be outshined. With that, we will have more of a gourmand phase into the dry down.

Patchouli, vanilla, and tonka bean. Mainly, the vanilla will join the coffee and lavender notes, as this one takes on its creamier aspects. At times, it will indeed have a syrupy kind of smell, but it’s not too noticeable on me.

Warmer with a touch of amber to go with the vanilla and tonka bean in the finish. I do still get lavender at the end, but the coffee is really coming through on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

New Haarlem was never a complete bomb for me. It was always strong and quite substantial, but it never reached the upper echelons in terms of its power.

That being said, it projects quite well and can feel somewhat heavy in the warmer weather. Though, this fragrance will moderate itself a few hours into the wear. Still, well above average with its performance.

The longevity hasn’t taken a dip at all. I still get well into the double digits, in terms of hours that New Haarlem will last on my skin. 11-12 seems to be pretty standard for me with this one.

It’s great that even after 20+ years of being on the market, the formula hasn’t been degraded in the slightest.

Seasonally, this is mainly an autumn and winter wear, mainly. I think that it’s fine on a mild spring day, as well. Though, as I mentioned above, New Haarlem isn’t built for the warmer weather. So, I’d go with something else then.

This is indeed a unisex perfume. Heavier use of lavender does usually get associated with men’s colognes, but I have to say that this doesn’t stray too far in the masculine direction. It does seem to lean that way, but nothing that most women couldn’t pull off as well.

Maybe, just test it out, before committing to a full bottle. I will say this is more unisex than New York Nights (which also uses coffee) or R.E.M. by Ariana Grande (which uses lavender and caramel). New Haarlem is probably closer to Coffee Break by Maison Margiela, in this regard.

While not completely a formal perfume, New Haarlem does have enough style to not stick out like a sore thumb, in most scenarios. It’s got enough versatility to be a daytime wear for many people, while also being able to venture easily into the nightlife.

I personally find it to be a great wear, on a colder night, when going out to dinner or hanging out in a lounge type of environment.

Overall Impressions of New Haarlem

Overall, do I still like New Haarlem? I do. While it isn’t my absolute favorite from this brand, I do think that it is still among the best smelling perfumes from Bond No. 9.

The scent is still very good, it’s unique enough, and the performance still delivers (even at the expensive price point).

I like that aromatic freshness, the greenish aroma, and the bergamot early on. It manages to make the lavender quite lovely throughout.

Of course, I’m a fan of coffee notes in perfumes, and New Haarlem will shift in that direction in the back half. Which, is awesome. The vanilla, hints of cedar, and the like make this a pretty enjoyable experience.

I do think that this is worth trying out at the very least, if not a full buy. It’d still be one of the ones from Bond No. 9, that I’d recommend testing first, before deep diving into their full catalog of fragrances.

Guilty Elixir de Parfum Pour Femme by Gucci

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Guilty Elixir de Parfum is a 2023 release from Gucci. Today, I will be reviewing the Pour Femme version of this title, after I’ve already done the men’s cologne. I grabbed samples of each to test them out and put each through its paces.

But, how does Elixir Pour Femme smell? Does this Gucci perfume actually last long? Is it even worth a try?

What does Guilty Elixir Pour Femme Smell Like?

Notes include: violet, mandora, bergamot, wisteria, rose, osmanthus, patchouli, vanilla absolute, tonka bean

Click here to try: Elixir at Nordstrom’s

My Full Wear Review

Guilty Elixir opens up with an interesting mix of citrus, violet, and osmanthus. The osmanthus acts sort of how it does in Flowerbomb, helping to create a fruitiness that has a ‘jammy’ like quality.

It definitely doesn’t come across as being too much in the direction of the orange and bergamot notes.

It is interesting that Guilty Elixir will become more floral dominant. The early stages are a cooling freshness of the wisteria, a bit spicy, and a rather powdery violet note. Yet, it never feels completely heavy on the powder on my skin.

This will shift from the initial sweetness of the opening, to something that is a tad soapier. The floral notes here do have a slight plasticky kind of aroma at times. Kind of strange, but wasn’t that noticeable throughout the wear.

That’s basically what I get for the dry down. A soapy and slightly powdery floral fragrance with a vanilla and tonka bean mix in the base. Not nearly as interesting and a lot of what I was enjoying simply fades away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I’d say this is above average with its sillage and projection. Not a super heavy fragrance, as it does have a bit of freshness to it. Yet, it still does have plenty of substance (vanilla, tonka bean, violet) and never feels airy.

The projection will extend pretty far in that first hour. Very noticeable to those around you. It will end up more moderate, let’s say, three to five feet from the skin for a good portion of the total wear.

The longevity here is over 8 hours on my skin. Maybe, it hits 9 hours, but doesn’t go beyond that for me. It’s fine. For the price and the ‘Elixir’ title that they use, I did expect it to venture into the double digit hour territory.

Seasonally, it’s better when it’s a bit chilly out. I think that Elixir would work in the springtime, as well, but the heat and humidity of summer would be too much. Let’s call it autumn through spring, for its range.

If you do enjoy the scent, Guilty Elixir Pour Femme does have the ability to be worn in many scenarios. Maybe not the most formal or sexiest scent out there. Though, it can work as a daily wear for many, and can venture into the nightlife as well.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Elixir Pour Femme

I’m not sure that everyone is going to like this edition. Personally, I think it’s among the better Guilty releases on the women’s side. Which may not be saying all that much, there’s maybe two or three that are quite good (Absolute followed by Intense), and the rest…maybe not.

Not my favorite, but I was pleasantly surprised by what this one had to offer.

The citrus, the wisteria, the jam-like aroma in the opening act. All very nice. That’s the highlight of the wear for me.

It does get a bit boring and uninspired in the dry down. Not nearly as sweet, more of a straightforward and smooth floral/vanilla scent.

And at the price that it’s going for, is another reason for me not to give it a full buy recommendation. Definitely one to try out, if you’re interested, but I’d check it out first.

The performance is at least good enough, even if the rest of the back half, isn’t anything too amazing. I’m not sure this will ever go on discount, but it might be worth waiting for, if you absolutely must have Elixir in your collection.