Santal Blush

Santal Blush, inspired by Tom Ford Santal Blush (2011)

Santal Blush opens with cinnamon bark and the earthy, faintly rooty note of carrot seed, then lets the sandalwood take over. Ylang-ylang sits inside the wood rather than on top of it, giving a rounded, slightly fleshy floral shading. Cedarwood keeps the structure dry, and benzoin, a balsamic resin with a vanilla-like edge, rounds off the base. Once settled it thins out into a milky, almost sheer wood.

About the original

Santal Blush joined Tom Ford's Private Blend line in August 2011, launched alongside Jasmin Rouge. A launch-era review credits the composition to Yann Vasnier, though the brand's own page does not name a perfumer. Tom Ford presents it as a spicy wood oriental built on sandalwood and Eastern spices. The launch note list was longer than today's, with cumin, fenugreek, jasmine and rose among the extras. It remains part of the Private Blend collection.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Tom Ford stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Sandalwood fans who find the vanilla-heavy versions cloying should look here first. It is marketed as unisex, though one early review found it leaned slightly masculine. Cumin showed on some skin in that review, and its savoury, faintly sweaty tone may bother buyers sensitive to it.

Related scents

• Le Labo Santal 33
• Tom Ford Oud Wood
• Tom Ford White Suede

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Notes: Cinnamon Bark Oil, Sri Lanka Orpur, Carrot Seed Oil, Ylang-ylang (Madagascar), Sandalwood (Australia), Cedarwood (Texas Orpur), Benzoin Tears (Laos)

Cinnamon bark and carrot seed lead, spicy but restrained, the carrot seed adding a dry, earthy tone.

Ylang-ylang then folds into Australian sandalwood, shading the wood with a smooth floral note. Texas cedarwood stops it from turning sweet.

Sandalwood and benzoin make up the drydown: resinous, quiet and slightly milky.

Does Santal Blush smell of cumin?

Cumin was in the 2011 launch note list but is not among Tom Ford's current key notes. A launch-era review noticed it on some skin, so a faint savoury edge is possible.

Is Santal Blush sweet?

Not very. Cinnamon and cedarwood keep it dry, and benzoin adds only a light resinous sweetness at the base.

Is Santal Blush for men or women?

Tom Ford markets it as unisex.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Tom Ford and Santal Blush are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Tom Ford in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.