Le Labo
EDP · Unisex · 2011
Smoky-creamy sandalwood, the cult unisex skin scent of the 2010s
woody · leather · creamy · warm spicy · musky · soft
Top (first impression): Cardamom · Iris · Violet
Heart (the character): Ambrox · Australian Sandalwood · Papyrus
Base (the dry-down): Leather · Cedarwood · Sandalwood · Amber
Season: fall, winter, spring · Occasion: everyday, office, date night, night out
Longevity: long (8-10h) · Sillage: moderate
Santal 33 was created by perfumer Frank Voelkl and launched by Le Labo in 2011, inspired by the idea of the American West and the lone cowboy by a campfire. It began as a niche curiosity but exploded into a cultural phenomenon, becoming so ubiquitous in cafes, hotels, and on city streets that The New York Times ran a 2017 feature on its inescapable presence. The scent's smoky, creamy sandalwood and leather profile made it one of the first truly viral unisex fragrances of the social-media era. Le Labo's minimalist apothecary branding and hand-labeled bottles reinforced its status symbol appeal. It remains one of the best-selling niche fragrances in the world and is widely credited with helping mainstream the modern woody-ambery unisex genre.
A dry, smoky-creamy sandalwood-and-cedar accord lifted by a leathery violet that became the defining hipster signature of the 2010s. Instantly recognizable and genuinely unisex, though its fame means it is now everywhere.
Nose: Frank Voelkl
Maison Margiela By the Fireplace · Diptyque Tam Dao · Byredo Bal d'Afrique · Le Labo Another 13