Santal by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: smoke, sandalwood, amyris

Contrary to personal expectations, Santal is a dry, austere and smoky sandalwood effort.

Furthermore, there's hardly any creaminess or sweetness, with a sharp mustiness permeating throughout. One also severely doubts the use of a large ratio of sandalwood, with the impression that the amyris (also known as West Indian sandalwood) has been added as a cheap sandalwood substitute.

Overall, it's a disappointing release with very poor staying power.

Fleur d'Oranger by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: petitgrain, green notes, neroli, orange blossom, rose, jasmine

L'Orientaliste is the brainchild of Emmanuelle Amzallag, who was inspired by the spirit of Marrakech, Morocco. Proclaiming a 20% concentration, the fragrances are both developed and produced in Grasse, France, with the package design being suggestive of the Henna tradition of Marrakech.

As for Fleur d'Oranger, it's an enchanting offering that utilises the green and citrus notes to such a lovely effect. Set against a floral backdrop, the neroli adds a backbone to the star accord. And although it vanishes from the skin within four hours, one has to admit that it does have it virtues.

Oud by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: unknown

Notes: bergamot, violet, rose, patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, musk

Oud is very deceptive in that it doesn't really contain any agarwood. Instead, it merely attempts to recreate the olfactory properties of this en vogue accord. Unfortunately, it never quite succeeds, due to its relative simplicity and a heavy reliance on cedar.

Based on the deluge of oud offerings currently on the market, there are a countless number of more worthwhile alternatives available (both designer and niche).

Gardenia by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: cinnamon, white flowers, jasmine, vanilla

Gardenia is an unimpressive soliflore, which bypasses the verdancy of gardenias and opts for the sweet vanillic approach instead. With just a light touch of cinnamon, it fails to competently command one's attention and the jasmine is sometimes too prominent for its own good. Also, its longevity is nothing to write home about.

Vanille by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: aniseed, violet, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla, musk,

Possessing a prominent spiciness, Vanille is a straightforward vanilla that isn't too candy sweet.

With floral flourishes and a musky drydown, the patchouli adds a subtle woodiness to its gourmand leaning. It's more dry than creamy, and is rather dense but not too cloying. As always with any offering by L'Orientaliste, its persistence on the skin could have been a lot more substantial.

Personally, it would be more economical to purchase a bottle of Alyssa Ashley's Vanilla instead.

Patchouli by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: patchouli, amber

Patchouli is an elementary patchouli creation, somewhere along the lines of Les Néréides' Patchouli Antique. It possesses the usual earthy and camphorous aspects found in patchouli releases, with the amber adding some extra sweetness and warmth.

While it's pleasant, it's also very simple in its construction with below average tenacity.

Musc by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: flowers, musk

While not soapy, Musc is still a somewhat clean floral musk with powdery nuances. It's sweet, well-composed and manages to tower over a lot of the cheaper synthetic equivalents. Yet, it still smells too basic and stripped down, with so-so longevity.

Mimosa by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: aniseed, lily, mimosa, sandalwood, musk

Mimosa is a spicy but relatively fresh creation, with ethereal woody-musk base notes. But it's also nondescript and too timid for its own good. As to be expected from this house, both projection and longevity are insufficient for an Eau de Parfum.

Jasmin by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: jasmine

Jasmin is a no frills jasmine offering with spices and a discreet woody base. It lacks the indolic aspect of other scents of this genre and, as a result, is more conservative in its development. While not as dense, intriguing or long-lasting, it provides an affordable alternative for those on a tight budget.

Ambre by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: bergamot, cardamom, clove, amber, patchouli, vanilla

Ambre is a spicy amber that suffers from smelling too thin and unrefined. Both the patchouli and vanilla appear sooner than expected, quickly overshadowing the star accord. And although its staying power is slightly better than the majority of releases by L'Orientaliste, that's not really saying much.

Rose de l'Atlas by L'Orientaliste

*****

Year: 1997

Notes: green notes, rose, white musk

Rose de l'Atlas is a naturally sweet, yet somewhat green, rose creation with a clean musk foundation. While it smells realistic enough, its lasting power is utterly atrocious. Still, for an Eau de Parfum, it's reasonably priced and would serve as an ideal pick me up scent.