Santos de Cartier

Love it. Not had it in a few years.

I'm selling a new, unused bottle. DM me. Lulu

This one doesn't get talked about enough. Santos has been around since 1981 and it still commands a room in a way that most modern fragrances can't replicate. Warm spices and dark woods from the start. Nothing hesitant about it. There's a smoky amber underneath that gives it real weight without going heavy. It smells expensive in the way that things from a different era often do — not because of price but because of conviction. This is a dinner fragrance. Specifically a dimly lit steakhouse with good wine and unhurried conversation. If that's not your environment it might feel like too much. If it is, nothing else comes close.

it smells like 90% like all the other stuff such as Chanel Antaeus, I don't understand it honestly, what makes THIS different? maybe is because a vintage mini that I own, but even I have smelled the new one in shop, there is a slight more green opening, but that's it, I guess you have to like the coconut note

In the current age that has been thoroughly sapped of nuance, where the Art of Manliness gave way to the repugnant Manosphere and now the appalling "lookmaxxing" trend, discussions of masculinity are either overzealous and bastardized on one end and reviled and rejected on the other (only one flavor: toxic). In the spectrum of expression, a celebration of it may deemed as "coded" as one way or the other, as the youth would say. Yet, I refuse to see it through exclusively a negative lens. I am a man after all, and it seems rather odd to feel pressured to reconcile with, so to speak, that part of me. I firmly believe that masculine traits are just as much a glue that holds together societies as feminine traits, each with their virtues and principles. Which is why I have long had a fondness for how masculinity has been conveyed in fragrances marketed to the male of the species, and they have been done so in certainly more than one way. Santos, almost in response to bolder members of its cohort that were released the same year, chooses not swagger but rather understated, yet confident strides. if Kouros is the embodiment of male sexuality, and Chanel Antaeus of male seduction, Santos, while sensual in its own right, is more steeped in dignity and self-control. Sweetly aromatic, punctuated with piquant juniper and zesty-green basil, smoothed out with lavender, Santos is relatively lighthearted in demeanor. If it were a personality, it would be magnanimous. It knows its power, but chooses not to wield it. For that reason, its spiced core, its cedar and sandalwood interior reveals a more sensitive side to its density. Nice guys finish last, and Santos, with all its tempered beauty, has always been overshadowed by its more macho peers, but it is by no means a mere footnote. In tact, it remains in production today, still holding it own. The vintage, on the other hand, is quite the treasure.

So similar to Oscar pour lui, like 90% in the air but this is darker and greener with a bit of hints of one man show. Very classy scent

My local Cartier boutique called me up and told me that they have the relaunch bottles available because I told them that I'm interested whenever it will get back in stock. Good news came like a Christmas gift from Santa It's basically the same in every way with my older bottles (meaning tall matte black bottle with the silver lining on the bottom of the cap, vintage bottles do differ), I cannot notice any difference; so don't be afraid to pick one up and ignore the reformulation hysteria.

Amidst the flood of mundane and repetitive perfumes that grace our shelves each year, I believe it's worth taking a trip down memory lane from time to time. It's there that we can uncover treasures like Santos. This fragrance is undeniably masculine, striking, and impeccably balanced. It seamlessly transitions from one phase to the next, capable of surprising with its versatility. In essence, Santos simply smells magnificent. While it's crafted for adventurers, it also exudes sophistication and allure. In my view, it's akin to the Indiana Jones of the perfume realm—perhaps not for everyone, but unquestionably earning a spot on my must-buy list. My rating: Strongly recommended! (7/7)

the opening is beautiful however what comes after it, this coconut note is quiet weird actually, is so prominent but nowhere in it's marketing is mentioned

A classic, decent fougère. A milder take on Rabanne pour Homme, with less of the dated green edge found in Caractère. Lots of air, but without the sweetness of Pasha, At the Barbers, or Bon Monsieur. Santos aligns with something like Essenza, though not very citrusy — overall, very good. Feels like a gentler Aramis, Polo, or Bracken. Fades quickly — raises the question of a more concentrated version. Elegant, modest — something like a lesser Essenza, but with a touch more creaminess, hinting faintly at the leathery side of Monsieur de Chanel.

Santos De Cartier is pretty nice, and this is coming from someone who loves vintage masculine scent profiles and has a lot in my collection. I was initially afraid that since the later Cartier Declaration line DNA was so cozy to the note of cumin, maybe it got it's cues from Grandpa Santos. And the AI-generated "con" listed at the top of the page that says "Unpleasant cumin note in the dry down" didn't inspire confidence. I hate cumin. And so Santos did in fact manifest some cumin, but mostly in the opening, and not so much the drydown as reported by AI. Despite the fact that cumin is not listed as a note. But the cumin accord isn't that bad, and overall Santos is a pretty good vintage scent profile. I don't like it as much as Floris Elite from 1980, or probably even Stetson, or the later Guerlain Derby or Tiffany for Men. Or certainly not Drakkar Noir. But I certainly like it more than Kouros or Antaeus. There aren't obvious animalics. I like it about as much as Giorgio for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills. I like the spicy mid. The cloves, nutmeg, and pepper throw off a cinnamon-like presence that isn't too unlike Giorgio. Pleasant enough vintage profile.

This one is... something else. I picked up a vintage bottle today with the old font from FB marketplace with a couple recharges, figuring I had some idea of what to expect from the listed notes. Boy was I wrong. This is such a unique, utterly masculine fragrance that has barely any sweetness to it. Same vibe of Chanel's Antaeus and Revillon's French Line but with much more coconut and less sweet. What intrigues me about this fragrance is how I feel like I can hit all of the notes, but to me the notes just don't smell like they normally do. I get the herbs, the wood, the green, the spices, the florals, the pepper, and the earthiness, but its not familiar to me at all. Like I can sense the powderiness of the fragrance, but it's not like any other powdery fragrance I have smelled. It's a green spicy, coconutty, almost bug spray / sunscreen vibe with a liiiiiiiiiittle soapiness that I am not used to. Like I love vintages and can appreciate this one for what it is, but it is NOT for me, especially due to the coconut. I cant even tell if this is for day or night, winter or summer, hot or cold, etc. What a unique and interesting powerhouse of a scent. SPNKr said it best - this fragrance is for an 80's cocaine mega dealer like Tony Montana

So much character and so much depth.. It needs a cold and urban setting for it to be free and perform like it's made to do. It's one of the few perfumes that you'll be thankful that stays close to skin, not a skin scent but close. At it's release there was nothing like it, even now, four decades later and still nothing comes even close. Truly a category on it's own. I don't have any more words to describe this sorcery.

I wasn’t there when it first came out, but smelling it for the first time in 2024, I find it rather boring. There’s nothing seriously wrong with it, but it feels like I’ve smelled it a hundred times before. Not very inspiring.

Very masculine and mature, I will keep it and wear it after twenty years 🤓🧔

Epic Journey Into the Bottled Yonder, 049 ------------------------------------------------------- Purchased June 2017 Yet another coke era bottle, but the appearance and the smell of it suggests a hint of irony. Smells like luxury. Looks like something you need on your $5,000 tall boy as you're getting ready for the day, or a typical night out of decadence and debauchery only to wake up the next morning not knowing how that white mountain of dust ended up on your $10,000 coffee table. Only to stick your nose in it anyway because of the dark power Santos de Cartier has over you. Batch: 4HCB from August 2014. The bottle is formatted like the one on the Concentree page.

No fragrance has ever shocked me as much as this one. I wish I could say that in a good way. From the listed notes, I thought this would be amazing and that it would be my new signature scent. I found a tester of it in a small fragrance shop, sprayed it on a test blotter, smelled it, and was washed over by disappointment. The drydown smells okay, though somewhat synthetic, but the opening is one of the worst I've ever smelled. It literally smells like bug spray for the first hour. I'm not sure why I find this scent so bad, because the listed notes make it seem like it would smell really nice, but it's just not for me.

This is my type now. Masculine, pure 80’s vibe. It’s closer to the vibe of Azzaro PH and drakkar noir. Woody and aromatic. Wonderful.

Can't find it anymore, has it been discontinued?

There's a singer you may or may not be acquainted with, but he personifies the brand's efforts at creating masculine fragrances; Daniel O'Donnell. I urge you to go on to YouTube and search up one of his live shows (I recommend the Rock n roll years) and after about ten minutes you'll understand what I mean by this comparison. This scent is exactly like that concert by Daniel; the safest 'rock n roll' concert you'll experience They're safe and bland as bread. There's notes and there's all the attributes that make this a fragrance, but none of them harmonise into anything that is striking or would risk offence. No they are mature , pleasant, and safe. Offensively safe. Lavender, Sandalwood, Cedar wood...citrus notes yep we've seen this show before and we all know how that song goes but in this sense its not inventive or in any way spectacular.

I've always loved Santos, but my perception of it is far different than what others describe. Santos smells like a dark, even funereal, aromatic chypre. It's totally old school, very 80s, and French, a smell that's completely opposed to what is popular and trendy today. It's bitter and herbal, with deep and dark aromatics underlying the sharp top notes. I'm surprised there is no oakmoss, violet leaf or iris note listed, because the grim, unsmiling character of Santos would suggest those notes are there. I'm also surprised so many here describe it as "light" or "fresh"; though it's not a projection beast, I find it dense, bold and dark. Most certainly a fragrance for mature guys, not young party animals. P.S., This would also make a great women's fragrance, for women who love wearing chypres.

I like this fragrance a lot. Very different than my other fougere's , and on my skin the cedar and sandalwood really come forward in the dry down. It starts out similar to Paco Rabanne Por Homme then quickly diverts down a warm wood filled landscape with a fireplace burning somewhere in the distance.

A warm Fougere.... soapy...strong nutmeg and rosemary, basil... but far away from a fresh shower Rather warm through pepper and amber..maybe coconut.. Ideal for a freshly shaven man, driving in a cabrio car in southern france or south africa

The epitome of soap! Male Soap. In addition to the soapy note, nutmeg plays the main role here. All other ingredients are rather subtle, but still noticeable: the fine coconut, the spicy juniper berries and fresh lavender. A fragrance for mature men who know what they want!

This is one of my favorite perfumes and my god it lasts on me forever and the silage is out of this world.

Fun fact. I enjoyed wearing this fragrance when I was a young girl, 16-17 years old. It was still Soviet time in the late 80ies, and real men smelled like very strong and mossy alcohol-based aftershave. Santos to me smelled so much gentler and sweeter, so wearable and feminine. I loved how it smelt after the first 30 minutes. I had no idea it was meant for men.

I usually pair this up with Pinaud Clubman. The smell is divine on a cool crisp day. Otherwise a classic cologne that is one of the best sandalwood interpretations out there. It’s subtle but very masculine. It really fits the season of fall and spring but can be worn all year. Beautiful scent. Two thumbs up!!!!

When I smell santos, I just smell plum and incense. it smells very old.

My dad used to wear this and I remember it smelling okay on him. The opening is dark and similar to bathroom cleaner. Then it goes to baby wipes and powder. For people who can detect the notes, kudos to you, because I can't. It hasn't aged well. The bottle is cool and sometimes I spray it to bring back the 80's, but this is a scrubber for me.

I have the vintage bottle, 1981, silver with gold, splash format. Got it recently at a steal of a price! It somehow resemblance a Bond no 9 fragrance, not quite sure which one. I was expecting something that smells old, dated etc....not the case, fortunatley, this one is on my Alley. It is very well balanced and the notes are perfectly blended, no sharp edges in it. It is strong in the first 2 hours, after that it becomes close to the skin. This one is a smoother older brother to Santos Concentree, which is more sharp and edgy. Like them both in my collection, not my favourites, yet, i will always have them both.