Photo: Ex Nihilo.
If your favourite perfumes smell subtly sweet with a woody body, chances are they’re built around the sandalwood — one of perfumery’s most favoured ingredients. The use of sandalwood can be traced back to many cultures throughout the ages. Burning it has been said to be uplifting and even assist in meditation.
In perfumery, sandalwood’s prominence is owed to its distinct scent that is at once sweet and sensual, yet also woody and robust. Parisian fragrance house Ex Nihilo — a relatively young house that was established in 2013 — elevates these properties a few notches with its latest offering: Santal Calling.
French perfumer Antoine Maisondieu crafted Santal Calling around Australian-sourced sandalwood. The idea was to combine it with contemporary Parisian inspirations while staying true to sandalwood’s natural essence, especially its long-lasting sillage.
Another natural ingredient, vanilla bourbon from Madagascar, was added in to ramp up the sweetness. The richness and intensity of the vanilla bourbon is matched with that of the sandalwood’s, creating another addictive layer to Santal Calling.
Both natural key ingredients within Santal Calling are also sustainably sourced. The vanilla bourbon, especially, is obtained directly from top-tier farmers in Madagascar. Strong relationships are built with these farmers to ensure that ethical and responsible practices are safeguarded.
Photo: Ex Nihilo.
The other key ingredient of the perfume is a milky accord that sits right at the top. Reproducing the smell of hot milk, the laboratory-made accord consists of lactone molecules. Not only does this enrich the creaminess of sandalwood, it also helps to smoothen out the notes of the perfume — ensuring that the resulting fragrance is sweet but not cloyingly so.
Santal Calling may be a haute parfumerie creation, yet it’s versatile in that it beautifully pairs with a number of Ex Nihilo’s other creations. Spray on the Emphasize Sublime Mist to highlight Santal Calling’s more robust notes, or add the Musc Sublime Essence to build upon its more milky sensuality.
Santal Calling and other Ex Nihilo fragrances are available at Amaris Paragon and VivoCity stores, B1-12 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, L1 Isetan Scotts, and online at amarisbeauty.com.
