Santal Majuscule

I am one of those people that register sandalwood as sour, but I am a huge fan of Serge and decided to give this one a try. It’s really lovely! Yes, it’s warm, dark and cozy, and I still feel a sourness running through it, but in this composition it feels perfect! Because it brings a certain freshness. Like opening a window inside a warm, old, dusty, stuffed library for some fresh air. I don’t know if this was the intention, but I feel this beautiful contrast and tension. This is really nice.

Powder. All I get is baby powder. On my skin it doesn't read like sandalwood at all, but more like what someone who has never smelled real sandalwood imagines it smelled like. Perhaps a memory of sandalwood. No woodiness, no rose, no cacao. Bad match for my skin chemistry.

This is my favorite Serge Lutens fragrance. After sampling the discovery set I didn't like anything except this one. Its woody, warm, and has a nice sandalwood touch to it.

Whoa. Another one with a funky "Rootbeer" note going on. Not really quite like the soda, but like a more floral version of those chewable "bottlecaps" candies; it has that same powdery, somewhat dry and sweet, kind-of-like-the-rootbeer-flavor-it-claims-to-be scent. It must be a result of the sandalwood, rose, and cacao blending together. It's obviously more complex than that, too, and as it dries down it quickly becomes much more dominated by the sandalwood than anything else, but the rose and cacao are still there. It is straightforward, but nice. Exactly what it claims to be. I like it, but I don't love it. If someone was looking for Sandalwood to stand alone with little interference, this would be a solid choice. Surprisingly, I really do think this qualifies as a smack dab in the middle of unisex fragrance, despite being so dominated by "wood" notes. Not a buy for me.

I had hoped this would have been a more sandalwood forward scent based on the name, but it is almost entirely a very dusty dry rose that leans in the old lady direction. It has this sort of distinct dust smell, musky in a mildewy way. Like a chest of my grandmas clothes. With that said I don't think it's bad and do enjoy it, I think you just have to be kind of freaky and want to smell like an attic. For weird alt girls who have a Victorian corpse vibe.

Smells like a dusty wooden altar covered in rose petals. Also kind of smells like a fireplace. The sandalwood is very prominent, but I still get a jammy rose and bitter cacao. Even as someone who is still getting into niche perfumes, I found this very pretty.

All I pick up is rose. It's a really great fragrance. To me, it leans feminine, so I'm still on the fence about adding it to the full bottle collection. But it's the real deal, a serious niche masterpiece.

This is my signature scent at this point. Would love to get my hands on an original formulation eventually. Just beautiful, dark, rich, alluring.

I think this is absolutely gorgeous. So simple, but so well blended. Amazing perfumery. Not like some screetchy modern interpretations we get now. Let’s go back to this please.

i ordered a 2ml decant of this to sample, and unfortunately i absolutely have to purchase a bottle. it is very very very good. i’d liken it to a toned down musc ravageur, in the best way. it’s spicy, ambery, dry but rounded, sandalwoody and honeyed in the opening. it’s simultaneously perfectly dry and beautifully plush. confident but still intimate. like wearing a normal outfit and knowing you’ve got expensive black lacy lingerie underneath. wear is smoky but creamy, bitter but sweet, at the same time. full of contrast, but constructed to perfection and held in suspension. absolutely perfect for a quiet, sensual, confident fragrance.

Unisex scent. Just because it doesnt go jamy sweet doesnt mean it leans more to a masculine perfume.its a nice simple perfume.Sandalwood rose and cacao. Reminds me a bit of penciled shavings. Has a sour undertone. Rose is sharp dont feel the caca much

Man this is nice. Bright semi-sweet sandalwood opening. After about 20 min, it goes rich & buttery smooth when the cacao and rose come in. My favorite part. Unisex but definitely masculine compared to a lot of sandalwood scents since it doesn’t go in that vanilla sweet pink musc direction. For me this is a pleasant evening wear and great scent before bed. Easy blind buy win.

I'm trying to find more notes documented for this. There's something slightly smoky about this fragrance. This is unisex imo.

I almost blind bought a 100ml bottle but decided to pick up a small sample instead. It’s a dry heavy rose, the sandalwood lies in the background. Dusting of that dry cocoa if I search for it, it blends nicely with the sandalwood. Very dry not creamy. It’s reminiscent of potpourri but pleasant. After one hour it became a powdery skin scent on me, like opening a makeup bag full of broken compacts. Very clean and cozy.

Beautiful woody rose, but also cloyingly sweet and spicy. I can detect all the notes listed, plus cinnamon. This is really my vibe, more than La Fille de Berlin, and less cold than most Serge Lutens I’ve tested. Victorian, but not broody, fine suits and dresses, old, dark furniture, small rooms cluttered with wonders of the orient, Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes smelling a single red rose. Cold weather only. On one hand it feels rather simple in its construction, but it’s also very unique. I don’t think I’ve ever put my nose on anything similar. And you know what, I think rose perfumes should be simple- all other notes must bend to the queen of flowers after all. I might have to get a bottle of this, after all my hunt for the perfect rose is not over yet. Update: I rushed with my review. Unfortunately the sandalwood does dry down to a pickle smell after a few hours. It’s a shame, because this is pretty heavy on sandalwood so it’s hard to ignore.

If you had an og and you buy the newer reform, don't panic. It will settle in a few months to a year, lol. I mean, if you buy a Luten you already know there is some panic in the first sprays. Kinda like an Amouage, it smells weird at first and then the beauty blooms. I have the newer one now and I get a lot more rose than I used to and a bit of something savory. The sandal isn't as creamy, more of the Australian variety but it all equals out, Oh, the cocoa is still there, maybe that's the savory - unsweet cocoa. Anyway, it's still lovely. But don't blind buy bc it's never going to smell like the notes make you think. And it's definitely unisex. No fem leaning here.

A sweet, unisex, jammy rose backed by sandalwood and other rich notes. I smell the cacao notes, but if I wasn't made aware of it through the notes pyramid, I would not be able to identify it. This is very, very beautiful. I love it.

Dusty sweet woody rose. Way more rose than sandalwood until the dry down. Cacao... No. Maybe patchouli. Surprisingly effervescent and perfumey in character, considering how heavy the notes sound. Fairly prominent cinnamon note as well. Might give some people holiday potpourri vibes (due to being spicy and perfumey). Pretty linear. I don't hate it, but it doesn't do much for me. I thought I would like this more, since sandalwood and rose are some of my favorite notes. I much prefer how this combination is handled in both Egoiste and Trumper's Sandalwood.

I douse myself in this to go and work at my toxic workplace. I think it's so delicious! First spray is like woodchips but it settles into a beautiful creamy sandalwood with rich dry cocoa. I don't get much of the rose coming through on me, but I think it just melts into the background. My friend said it smelt masculine, but I think it's pretty unisex just a little bold in the opening. I love the drydown it smells like I lathered my body in cocoa butter! It smells really good layered with floral street arizona bloom in the summer. I'm sure this scent would be really cosy in the winter too :)

With all respect everytime i saw reminds me of,i know that most of frag community they dont even smell the frag,how in the world this one smell santal royale or halfeti???how???!

Cozy,delicious.

A very strong chocolatey rose presence. The rose is prominent in this, and comes out more and more into the dry down. The chocolate and rose are battling it out for dominance throughout the lifespan. The base is powdery, woody, and spicy. Yes it's listed as cacao but it's actually like a sweet syrupy chocolate to the nose This is a very sweet and floral offering overall. Syrupy and dark. It gets spicier somewhat into the dry down. It's a spicy oriental mixed with a floral gourmand. If you like chocolate and rose notes you will love this fragrance I much prefer this to Ambre Sultan. It is much more nuanced and has more depth. Almost like it takes elements from Ambre Sultan and Berlin, blends them in, and then you get this one It is sophisticated, luxurious, and quality, but I wouldn't say it's opulant. I would just say it's very good, but not over the top It's definitely a well done fragrance and the quality for sure is there. I suppose that's the difference here between designer and niche. I imagine this is a great introduction to niche. If you have been into designers and cheapies in your fragrance journey, and then you try this, it's a great example of how much a cut above niche is compared to designers On the right man this would be wonderful. I could see both men and women wearing this. It's a classy dress up fragrance. Not for casual wear. Possibly a date, but maybe it's a bit too sophisticated for that. Very limited versatility in my view A mature scent. Not too old, not too young Overall very nice if worn on the right occasion. A special occasion reach. For some reason I picture a woman in a blazer suit wearing this when she meets the family of her boyfriend. Or something along those lines 🤔🧐 Performance is a bit too strong actually. Can be a little overwhelming. Even on paper it's going strong the following day. I mean this is nuclear. Possibly the strongest, longest lasting fragrance I own I am not a big fan of the style of this smell. I do like rose a lot, but I have grown to dislike chocolate and sweet notes. However this is such good quality I am pleased to have it in my collection scent-7/10 value-7/10 performance 9/10 versatility-3/10 overall-7/10

Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule opens like a darker, more peppered cousin to Soie Malaquais—less sweetness, less silk, and far more shadow. The cacao here is unsweetened and bitter, almost dusty, paired with a deep red rose and an earthy, woody sandalwood that grounds everything. I’ve seen it described as walking into a church pew after drinking hot chocolate, but that doesn’t quite ring true to me—there’s nothing cozy or sugary about it, and it isn’t overtly churchy. What I can’t shake is Heungpungpun’s description of it smelling like Nate’s dad from Euphoria. Once that image sets in, it clicks: this smells like melancholic longing, repression, and desire that has nowhere to go. The kind of sadness that lingers in memories of a past life you didn’t get to live. It even conjures the stale, emotionally charged air of the motel where Jules met him. It’s beautiful, unsettling, and heavy with subtext; more emotional than comforting.

walk with me. rich old guy (sandalwood) who picked up your tab at the bar that used to be a gothic church (floral earthy smell), but he’s clearly got a secret (the sad sweetness) - idk why im imagining nate’s dad from euphoria edit: i did not read any other reviews before writing mines but to my excitement there was another commenter who mentioned the words church, gothic and brooding/weirdo guy!! so cool when scents conjure up similar imagery to complete strangers :)

The image this perfume conjures is that of a single rose carved into unpolished mahogany. I would not brush past it with my silk stockings on, since even the air around it is embraced in a sharp, protective, dry touch. I love it the way it is. With its coarse edges and experienced darkness worn proudly. A stoic presence in the corner, its spirit silently owning the room. Not a she or a he, but an ageless “it”.

It’s dry, dense, and almost austere. A cold, gothic rose dusted with bitter cocoa, resting on polished wood floors. Not cozy, not creamy. More introspective than seductive. Very Lutens, very polarizing.

Sharp, metallic rose and sandalwood. I’m not getting much cacao. There’s something bad-breathy, almost raspy about this rose. A rare Lutens miss for me, I think the sandalwood is too dense on my skin.

Of the three sandalwood that Sheldrake composed for Lutens, this is my least favourite. There is no trace of the gorgeous sandalwood that were used back in the '90s for the first bottles of Santal de Mysore, nor there is the alluring comfy softness of Santal Blanc obtained with a good dose of powdery orris root. Yet, if I get past the name "santal" and do not create any expectation of how I would want my sandalwood to smell, this scent is good, especially during the colder months. The protagonist of the opening is a gorgeous spicy mature rose, not dissimilar to that used in Rose de Nuit, just with the fruity aspects more subdued. (Sa Majestè la Rose is far a more complex and nuanced rose, in the Palais formula). Now, imagine all the petals of this rose imbued with an "amere cocoa", very beautiful and appealing. Serge Lutens probably knows one thing or two about gluttonery! As time goes by, the rose becomes liqourous, more spicy, with a tiny hint of vanilla and a sensous cinnamon. It is a version of liqueur de rose that Sheldrake would complete to perfection in La Couche du Diable. The sandalwood accord will start enveloping the rose and with time it will loose its spicy aspects, becomes less and less woody and the more soft, creamy , and enveloping.

Someone said this is Rose majuscule or Cocoa majuscule and I totally agree. This is Cocoa Rose majuscule in an old wooden floor.

A calming and slightly spicy sandalwood fragrance. I don't really get rose out of it, and moreso get faint vibes of organic, unsweetened cocoa powder on the drydown - not a gourmand, but rather an earthy, warm note that supports the sandalwood. It's not a revolutionary scent, but it is pleasant and mild. It's a nice scent if you like sandalwood and don't mind it being slightly pickle-like in the opening, but later on it transforms into a nice, warm skin scent. It is one of the better sandalwoods fragrances that I own, the other dear to me being the sweeter, creamier, louder and much more opulent Amouage Guidance. It's one of my favourites from the SL discovery set, and I like wearing it to sleep or when I am at home. It is very much a mild warm-creamy skin scent, and I slightly wish it leaned just a tad sweeter. Due to it's simplicity, it is also good for layering, wearing to sleep. All that being said, I do not love it enough by itself to consider ever repurchasing it. It's nice, but not revolutionary, and shines best in temperatures 15-25*C, as it needs a bit of warmth to showcase it's depth.