Sandalwood is one of perfumery’s most important materials - but what does it actually smell like? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEAdkNym8o

I've been intrigued by Sartorial for a long time, and it all started with a description that I couldn't get out of my head when I heard a brother here describe it as a freshly pressed white business shirt. I've been trying to find a decant for quite a while, and thanks to Joe A.'s Decants, I finally got the chance to wear it. And now that I have, I understand why that description stayed with me. Sartorial is immediately fresh, crisp and airy. The lavender and aldehydic character gives it that almost freshly pressed quality, while beeswax, leather, woods and a soft muskiness give it warmth and depth as it develops. The closest I've ever come to the image I get with this is Prada L'Homme. Unfortunately, L'Homme is very iris forward, and I've never been a fan of iris. Sartorial gives me that same image without the iris getting in the way. There is something very masculine about it, without it being dark, loud or aggressive. And the musk is important here. The freshness gets my attention, but that soft muskiness is what keeps drawing me back to my skin. It gives the fragrance a warmth and sensuality that I really enjoy. As an EDT, it projects predictably in an alluring way. The sillage is moderate and noticeably softer as it dries down. The longevity is more about how it returns to you in your own scent bubble with a muskiness that give hours of pleasure. A genuine thank-you to Joe A.'s Decants for helping me finally get my hands on this one. I've been chasing Sartorial for quite a while, and Joe came through when I couldn't find it anywhere. He was also generous enough to include a couple of other samples which I will also be posting about after the wears.

SO.... Here is an update on my SHEIN purchase of Creed Oud Zarian... It's fake. Several other friends, some other harsher Redditors, and my fragrance guy were able to do 2nd looks and it appears to be a really good dupe, including the inserts. The giveaway is the stem the cap sits on. That was something I didn't think of or show my "researchers." That's the tell. I'm not a ego-driven member of this group, so I can admit to being duped and learn from it (the Redditor group I was in and a few others- are some really harsh critics. Tough voices, but I do feel educated). Although honestly, It's still a very strong clone and I absolutely love it; not an original, just damn good with the same performance strength and sillage. BUT... where is the WIN & GRATITUDE fit in on this whole thing? YOU. You're the win for me, as well as the gratitude. I feel that although it's not authentic, it's the experience of sharing this with you and knowing that although it's questionable, I didn't sit on it after presenting it to you all OR ignore the text messages I got from a few friends after a second look. The Win- you all care enough to cheer me on with what I thought was a great deal. Some of you questioned it and it allowed me to be open to a second look myself. The Gratitude- same as the aforementioned, but it goes further in knowing I walk away smarter from this AND I got a damn good dupe, as well as some education on the mechanics of atomizers and how Creed's is different. The batch numbers may look the same, but that atomizer stem, the shrink wrap... I'm smarter with knowledge of Creed now than I was yesterday. That's because of you all who responded to the posts. Thank you.