Santal Majuscule

Now that Santal Blanc has been shifted to the exclusive Palais-Royal collection, Serge Lutens’s export line was bereft of a scent showcasing one of the major materials of his oriental palette. Santal Majuscule, which means “sandalwood with a capital letter”, plays on the secular harmony of this creamy, smoky, almost floral note with roses. The unexpected twist is the addition of cocoa – not the dry, powdery type matched with patchouli in Borneo 1834, but a smooth touch of chocolate that marries with the milkiness of sandalwood in a subtly gourmand accent. A tender, subtle rendition of the note: in “majuscule”, you could read “magic” – as in the magical world of a little black-eyed boy called Serge, who put capital letters to words like “Gold”, “Fire” and “Flowers”.