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Set for launch in July and destined for the export line (black label high concentration oblong bottle), Lutens presents his third fragrance with Santal in the name, after Santal Blanc (recently upgraded to the exclusives line) and Santal de Mysore; this time it's Santal Majuscule! (Meaning "capital sandalwood", sandalwood in capitals, sandalwood to the max; or perhaps thus implying it's un parfum capiteux, which means heady, intoxicating in French).
As correctly surmissed on Basenotes back then, at any rate this is the name of the new Lutensian opus (this is official) and we can get an appetite till July rolls.
EDIT TO ADD: The new Santal Majuscule revolves around three main notes: sandalwood of course, bittersweet cocoa absolute and Damask rose, fresh and slightly spicy.
As Serge, cryptically as usual says: "Provoked by the fresh and peppery prickle of the Damask rose, it reflects the sweet bitterness of childhood memories via cocoa absolute. Medieval legends recounted in precious books ...creamy spicy dressing for a majestic Sandalwood. Its name? Sandalwood: The Sacred Wood / Capital: The Rare Illuminations."
And the motto as seen in the ad, in Latin no less? "Oboedi silentiis meis, non imperii" (Obey my silence and not my orders)
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| official ad of Serge Lutens new perfume Santal Majuscule |
Additionally, if you haven't read it yet, there's a short interview (in English) with Lutens on Botanical Inspirations on Another Magazine, on his previous fragrance L'Eau Froide and his home on Morocco.
photo by Lutens, Despointes (Unknown Lady in a Hat), 1972.
I love sandalwood (straight up and I have the tiniest sample of Mysore which I treasure) but have yet to try any of SL's interpretations (maybe because they are out of my budget!). Would be curious as to which sandalwood is utilized in this latest one- I have tried Australian and it is not as creamy as mysore- a bit harsh for my taste. new caledonia sandalwood to my nose is somewhere in between and makes a good substitute for mysore. If you get to sniff this new one please let us know!
ReplyDeleteNOwl,
ReplyDeleteI believe the New Caledonia variety (which is also another species!) is a great in-between indeed and should make a good "substitute" for the classic. It's interesting to see there are now three "santals" in the line.
You can always shop on Ebay for samples (or use one of the reliable online decanters). ;-)
NOwl,
ReplyDeleteI have now made a clarification in the body of the post how this is touted to be an Indian sandalwood perfume. I find it odd, but it's an official claim.
An Indian sandalwood? Isn't that a rarity nowadays? If this is truly the case it will be costly but probably quite divine!
ReplyDeleteNoetic,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but that's what they say! :-O
It is possible that they had secured an old batch which hasn't been used up yet, though if that's the case, I would surmise that it would be a limited edition or something.......though I understand that's not what SL does as a rule. We'll see.