Creamy Mysore sandalwood meets steamed basmati rice — the most comforting fragrance you’ll ever wear.
The Scent
Santal-Basmati opens with an accord so distinctive it stops people mid-conversation: warm, powdery, freshly steamed basmati rice. Not a gimmick — a genuine olfactory feat that makes this one of the most recognizable sandalwood fragrances on the market. The rice is milky and slightly nutty, its savoury edge softened by the creaminess of rare Mysore sandalwood.
As the scent settles, the rice recedes and the sandalwood takes centre stage — brightened by iris and given depth by patchouli. The dry-down is a cashmeran-rich blanket: musky, woody, and impossibly smooth. You’ll catch it on your collar the next morning, still warm, still you.
The Collection
Santal-Basmati belongs to Affinessence’s Notes de Fond (Base Notes) collection — fragrances built entirely from materials other houses reserve for the dry-down. Created by perfumer Alexandra Carlin under founder Sophie Bruneau’s direction, it launched in 2015 alongside the house’s debut line. Like all Affinessence compositions, it’s intentionally linear: the character you smell at first spray is designed to endure, not evolve away.
Notes
- Top: Basmati Rice, Iris
- Heart: Mysore Sandalwood, Patchouli
- Base: Cashmeran, Sandalwood
Who It’s For
You already love sandalwood but want something warmer, stranger, more personal. You appreciate the confidence of a scent that doesn’t shout — it stays close, inviting people in rather than announcing you from across the room. The rice opening is unusual and polarising, which is exactly the point. If you want a sandalwood everyone’s smelled before, this isn’t it. If you want the one people ask about, this is.
Performance
8–10 hours on skin with moderate, intimate projection. The rice note is most present for the first 30–60 minutes, after which the sandalwood-patchouli-cashmeran core carries through to the end. Excellent longevity for a sandalwood composition — it outlasts most competitors by hours.
Authenticity
A genuine product of Affinessence Paris, 100ml Eau de Parfum in factory packaging. 100% authentic.
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