Lorenzo Villoresi - Sandalo

Sweet Smooth Sandalwood

Lovely sandalwood is a classic perfume base note, but you can also find soliflore sandalwood perfumes, ie. perfumes that explore the facets of that one note. I have sniffed many, but one of my favourites is Lorenzo Villoresi Sandalo.

Lorenzo Villoresi is a niche perfumer from Italy. In his family palazzo in Florence, he is building a Perfume Academy where, through courses, seminars and events, people can explore perfume. I'd love to go someday.

His website says that the main ingredient in Sandalo is Mysore sandalwood. If it's true, that would make Sandalo a rare perfume these days. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the fragrant heart of the sandalwood tree and the best has always been considered to be from Mysore India. But for a while now, India has controlled and protected the tree as an endangered species, making Mysore sandalwood oil a scarce and expensive ingredient. Most perfumes with real sandalwood use other sources now, like Australian sandalwood.

If the quality of this perfume is any indication, then it may well be Mysore, because this stuff smells smooooth. Sandalo starts a little brighter with citrus and balsamic flecks of lavender but it quickly rounds out and stays a linear sandalwood for the rest of its skin-life. It's sweet, woody and slightly spicy like gingerbread. Sandalo smells like running your hand over soft, freshly-sanded, sun-warmed wood. I adore it and it's one of the few scents I like to wear in both hot and cold weather. On me it's very meditative, but I love it even more on my husband; on him it's a classic masculine and drop-dead sexy. I've included a photo of my Dear Husband, in Italy, with the masculine perfection of The Dying Gaul. He was wearing Sandalo on that trip. DH that is, not the Gaul.

I have to thank Ines from All I am - a redhead for my original sample and Noor for ordering my full bottle, and my husband, who thinks it's his bottle.

House: Lorenzo Villoresi
Nose: Lorenzo Villoresi
Notes:
Top
Rosewood, Lavender, Petitgrain, Orange, Lemon
Middle
Labdanum, Bulgarian rose, Neroli, Sandalwood
Base
Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber, Opoponax, Oakmoss

Photo, DH and The Dying Gaul: mine

** July 18, 2011 Update **
I just read Clayton at What men Should Smell Like and he actually visited Lorenzo Villoresi in Florence in June. According to him, they do use sandalwood oil sourced from India.