Le Labo Santal 33

It’s too polarising for the sake of being polarising. The opening is repulsive, but usually, wherever there is repulsion, beauty lies behind. That is not the case for this perfume.

I like the sandalwood, but hate the leather. I don’t get any of the other notes that are listed. The sandalwood is not pickle-y for me and the leather at times is quite overpowering on my skin. I just can’t understand why anyone would want to smell of leather. For me, the sandalwood category is won by Ex Nihilo Santal Calling (minus leather!) which feels more balanced overall and significantly less harsh particularly in the opening.

Walk around London or ride the tube 80% of the whiffs in the air are Sauvage, and the other 20% are Santal 33. It’s a room deodorizer at best. Just a gross and off putting smell imo

This was definitely my gateway niche sniff! I was at a work event and had never cared what I smelled like and never noticed anyone else's fragrance. But a customer walked past me and I couldn't believe how good she smelled. It grabbed my nose and drug me to her to ask what it was. She told me and we stood there talking about it for an hour. Where to find it, and how they make it in front of you. I was amazed! I went the next day to the store and got a travel size because I couldn't believe the price. It started my niche journey and I now own over 100 fragrances, mostly niche and expensive. This is an intoxicating and addictive Sandalwood beast. It is not soft or elegant. It's sharp and stands out. It makes a statement and says "Im a confident woman who appreciates nature"!

sharp opening, the leather stands out. i cant really smell pickles, mostly just the leather. leans masculine and has a better dry down. not blind buy safe 6/10 smells very greeny

This is really nice, and gets better as it dries down. I don't get the pickle thing. It's creamy, woody, chic. Certain whiffs remind me of Glossier You Doux (the ivory bottle), which is the only thing keeping me from paying the high price point.

Sadly I get the pickle vibes on skin and clothes. A coworker also thought I was wearing pickle juice. It was quite funny. 5/10

Opens very sharp, green, and clean but i dont find any huge evolution to the drydown, just less green. I honestly do not get the hype for this. I mean its ok and kinda unique, but there isnt really anything revolutionary to me. I will say, it is incredibly sharp but not overpowering to me. Usually I cannot stand when fragrance is this sharp, but somehow santal makes it bearable. I have no idea where people get a pickle note.

Just ate a dill pickle chip, tasted like Santal 33

Simple, yet unconventional. Sometimes simplicity is all you need. I'm tired of tutti-frutti fragrances that become cloying after just a week of wearing them. I especially enjoy wearing Santal 33 right after a shower or before bed. I don't get the pickle note that some people mention. To my nose, it leans slightly masculine. Definitely signature-worthy.

Truly some lovely stuff. I adore Sandalwood and this is sandalwood through and through, I love it. I'm on my second sample of this and Ylang 49 (I got two of Ylang 49 so three in total) after buying the full discovery set and not really enjoying most of them because of how airy a lot of them feel. I plan on buying a full bottle of Santal 33 and Ylang 49.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm still loving Santal 33, and get complimented on it regularly. It's woody, soft, and clean, with just the smallest touch of leather on me. It's definitely not a blind buy though, as it smells differently on each of my friends. I will always have a bottle of it in my collection. It layers beautifully by spraying the Santal 33 first, letting it sit 30 seconds, then adding a few sprays of Tom Ford's Taormina Orange over it. It gives the Santal a fresher, more summery and citrus note. Definitely give it a try!

I just sample Santal 33 it’s been 2 hrs since I sprayed it on my skin (forearm) It’s smells like gasoline with hint of lather.

#46 on my Fragrance Review Journey I love polarizing and devisive scents. I inherited half a bottle of Santal 33 from a fragrance friend. This won't be a long review. I was disappointed that this was such a simple scent profile, IMO. It smells like the sea of other musk scents which costs far less than this one does and performs the same or better. I strongly advise sampling this one. I would not blind buy solely on the price and simplicity. I give this fragrance a 5/10. Every nose is different. BTW, I do not smell pickles. In fact, of my decades of fragrance wearing and 100's of bottles, I have not had any scents that smell like: Wet dog, pickles, cat pee, vomit, body order, or feces. It just goes to show how unique we all are. With so many inexpensive ways to buy samples, you can get your nose on many of them without being disappointed. Sometimes you simply must move beyond the reviews and ratings.... It's all part of your own fragrance journey. No justification needed.

I love this juicy santal—although it does kind of leave me wanting more…sometimes I feel it’s too dry. But honestly I love this fragrance and maybe that tension is part of the allure. It is sophisticated and makes me feel clean and elevated (also because of the price and store experience!) I love Le Labo fragrances and want more. This scent has become a staple of mine and lingers nicely, I always feel like I smell good and have been told very “woodsy/sweet.” Reminds me of basil or dill too, so I understand the “pickle” smell but I think those people need to grow up lol and appreciate the beauty

It's a nice scent, but definitely overhyped and overpriced.

When I read the notes and smelled this on other people, I thought I found my signature scent. I tried it on my skin and it really emphasized the leather note, which smelled awful on me. It smells good as a room spray, but as a perfume I did not like it

Unfortunately the reviews were right and all i get is straight up dill pickle. I assume it smells better for other people in the air since its so popular but this is a big no from me.

Have you ever went to a Sauna room? That smell of overwhelming sandalwood is what you'll be getting for the next 4-5 hour after the dry down. The opening is minty pine and cedar, you might get vinegar and pickle notes as well but that fades quick . It is great if you want an all occasion spray since the scent is not offensive at all after that.

If ur a dude get Lovers , chicks get this

Everything is perfect except for the price.

Too manly for this old lady. Aromatic in the beginning which is kind of interesting. Leather, yes. Pickles, no. Wood polish wax, yes. I would never wear this. Might think differently if my hubby wore it.

One of my favourite scents. This is what I imagine the movie Moulin Rouge! (2001) smells like, if they were having a lil drunken picnic with some dill salad on Christian's old rented apartment terrace. And yes I love the dill pickle of it all. I have literally had a tester (of probably 1 or 2 mls) for a couple of years now and I still have some left, this stuff goes a long way, with just the tinyest dab on the wrist. But when it's out I'm getting the 15ml, even though the price is so crazy. Usually I go for warm/spicy vanilla scents but I love a good green/woody scent.

Smells like burnt rubber. From beginning to end, the same burnt rubber. Nauseating.

Really hits different after wearing it on a beach in Mauritius.

I'm writing this second review about a year after initially experiencing Santal 33. I agree with some of my initial reactions, mainly about how fresh and green and clean this fragrance is. At the time, I didn't understand how many different ways sandalwood can smell, and now I do understand that. And now I know that I prefer a warm, dry sandalwood to this kind. To me, this scent is green in the same way Tam Dao is. This is a gorgeous fragrance for what it is, a green, wet, fresh, refreshing sandalwood. It literally smells like cutting away tree bark until you get to the wet part inside. In the drydown, it starts to lean citronella. I am shocked there's a leather note in this; to my nose, it reads as the most linear, basic, clean girl scent (which in my head is like the antithesis of a leather fragrance). It's something, it's beautiful, I think I just don't get it.

If you are planning on buying this fragrance it is not what you expect just trust I have a santal 33 hand lotion and it smells nice but it also depends on what you like if you like amouge interlude or amouge purpose or anything with santal or frankinsensce type of scent

Got a sample of this with another frag order. Figured I'd layer it with "Vanilla Skin"... WIFE WENT BONKERS FOR IT!!!! This is the best mixture of Leather, Sandalwood, and just a light touch of powdery florals that I've ever come across. This is my new "Professional" scent for when I have in-person meetings!! It's so strong...but so smooth and laid back.

It's an interesting idea to create such a scent, but the scent is terribly cliched and only reminds me of a cheap chain stores. I'll try to like this scent, but for now, I wouldn't recommend buying it blindly.

photorealistic dry, dusty leather. not my favorite.