Sandalwood
Yardley (1996)

A spicy-wood unisex fragrance that is fiendishly hard to find in non-body spray and non-powder forms online.

Yardley's Sandalwood is a refreshing, classy fragrance. It combines floral notes - bergamot, lavender, geranium and lime - with a woody floral heart of sandalwood plus rose, and a warm, spicy foundation - cedar, patchouli, benzoin and musk. I agree with another reviewer that Sandalwood by Yardley bears a close resemblance to Colours by Alexander Julian, which is powdery-sweet-spicy like this one.

I get a sense of relaxation and ease wearing this rarity. Being discontinued, I wear my already-low bottle with discretion. Decently performing and well-crafted!

I think of this as a cross between vintage Brut and Egoiste. Also, I think Colours for Men by Alexander Julian wasn't too far from this one. As another reviewer said, it has the dry/sandalwood element but also a creamy one that is a bit "dirty" and there's some minty type lavender in here too. I don't get strong citrus so that may be just in the top notes. Overall, it's nicely done but definitely "mature." It lasts well, with a bit of a musky quality providing at least decent projection. I doubt this will be made again, other than in a drastic reformulation, so if you see it at a good price I wouldn't hesitate, if you enjoy these kinds of fragrances.

What an interesting trick! The very opening of this Sandalwood is a mish-mash of citrus and spice but the progression moves very fast. Like actors taking places on a stage or a marching band spelling out letters with lines of students, the whole body quickly clicks into place and Voila! It's picture-perfect sandalwood - powdery, dry, woody, yet somehow a little creamy at the same time. At this point the citruses are so far receded into the composition as to be nearly unrecognizable, and the smooth amber-cinnamon-nutmeg team-up smells just like an isolated accord from the base of Bogner's beautiful Deep Forest. Projection is small and close as far as I can tell, and, being a Yardley release, the longevity is less than outstanding, but this is doubtless one of the best sandalwood recreations I've come across, and I would endorse it in a heartbeat if it wasn't all but extinct on the market.

Simply excellent stuff.

Edit: If you loved this in the past and are dying to revisit, or are simply curious but can't find any at a fair price, I would recommend trying Romeo Gigli's flagship scent; it is made sweeter with the addition of honey and is a tad more herbal, but the heart and late stages are very similar. And, if sparkling top notes are more your thing, there's always Egoiste.

Thumbs way up. Simply the nicest sandalwood out there. Hard to find, but worth it. Lots of compliments.

This is a fantastic fragrance which is very hard to find. It can be worn anytime of the day or night.