Guerlain, Santal, Sandalwood, 125 ml. Flacon, 1879, 1915, Parfum Extrait, Flacon Carre, Paris, France ..

The House of Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. It was founded in 1828 when Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain opened up his first perfume store on 42, Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Pierre-Francois composed and manufactured custom perfumes with the help of his two sons, Aime & Gabriel. His unique approach was to personalize perfume for a specific person, place or event. Honore de Balzac commisioned his own eau de toilette during the writing of Cesar Birotteau, and the periodical La Sylphide, le Journal des Elegances, scented each issue with a different fragrance by Guerlain.

Guerlain catered to the high society of Paris, and obtained a very loyal following. The perfume house was so successful that Guerlain decided to open a flagship store at 15, Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1840. The house was at its peak in 1853 with it's fragrance Eau de Cologne Imperiale. This perfume gained Guerlain the prestigious title of His Majesty's Official Perfumer of France. This in turn led him to create perfumes for other royals such as Queen Victoria of England, Empress Sissi of Austria and Queen Isabella of Spain as well as other crowned heads of royalty.

Pierre-Francois passed away in 1854 and his sons inherited the perfume house. Aime became the master perfumer, a tradition that would be upheld for the next master perfumer in lineage. Gabriel managed and further expanded the house. Aime, created several fragrances for the perfume house, these include Fleur d'Italie, Rococo, and Eau de Cologne de Coq and his greatest creation, Jicky. In 1914, Guerlain moved to 68, Champs-Elysees Paris.

The business was then handed down to Gabriel's sons, Jacques & Pierre Guerlain. Jacques became the third master perfumer and created many fragrances in his lifetime. His creations include Eau de Coq, L'Heure Bleu, Apres L'Ondee, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit, Ode, and Mitsouko. These perfumes were so successful that some are still sold today. Jacques grandson, Jean-Paul Guerlain is the fourth generation master perfumer and has authored several perfumes and men's colognes including Vetiver, Habit Rouge, Samsara, Nahema, Jardins de Bagatelle and many others.

Launched in 1879, Santal is a woody sandalwood fragrance, both musky and spicy. Santal does smell somewhat simple and uncomplicate, but nonetheless charming. It’s worked around the unmistakable scent of sandalwood, sweet, smooth, and profoundly warm and oily. I am going to suggest that it is supported by creamy notes of ambrette, deer musk and suede, where the sandalwood is so dominant from start to finish as found in Plagia, Guerlain's other Sandalwood fragrance.

Now, as we discover Santal’s accord of sandalwood and ylang-ylang, we can’t help thinking of Samsara. However, in the time of Aimé Guerlain there was no such thing as polysantol to boost nature's fragile odours, and Santal possibly falls far short of the big opulence of Samsara.

It is woodsy and elegant .. It was likely celebrated for its sophisticated balance of geranium's fresh, green notes, and the warm, enveloping presence of sandalwood and cedar.
It also has a floral touch .. the Violet adds a delicate, powdery sweetness.
The prominent creamy sandalwood note provids a creamy, warm, and exotic aroma.
It is deep and grounding .. The combination of sandalwood and cedar created a deep, grounding effect. It has a subtle animalic hint .. Ambergris adds a warm, sweet, and slightly animalic note.
It has a velvety finish .. The musk and tonka bean provide a creamy warmth and a lingering sweetness.

This fragrance was a notable choice in the 19th-century market, reflecting the trend of integrating nature-inspired elements in perfumery and known for its elegant blend and depth. It was sold until at least 1903, indicating its lasting appeal.

These are the notes of the 1878 version of Guerlain's Santal ..

Top Notes are Geranium, Orange, and Bergamot
Middle Notes are Patchouli, Violet, and Sandalwood
Base Notes are Sandalwood, Cedar, Ambergris, and Tonka Bean

Offered here is an almost full bottle of this lovely woody fragrance. It has been previously opened. No box. It smells absolutely beautiful. I do sell samples of this Guerlain perfume if you wish to try it first. Super rare and almost impossible to find. Flacon Quadrilobe.