2 months ago
21
Since its launch in 2011, Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum has risen from a niche fragrance to a blockbuster that’s become a defining scent of the past decade-plus. This unisex scent is beloved by countless fans, including, rumors say, celebs like Sophie Turner, Alexa Chung, Brad Pitt, Meghan Markle, Todrick Hall, Rita Ora and Justin Bieber. Santal 33 was even name-dropped in the hit Amazon Prime movie “Red, White, & Royal Blue.” In the film, Prince Henry compliments Alex for his “good taste” after recognizing that his nemesis/crush is wearing the scent.
Whether you’re already a fan of this scent and want to buy more, or are looking for affordable Le Labo Santal 33 dupes, read on, we’ve got you covered.
Why is Santal 33 so Famous?
Considering its popularity, it’s shocking to learn there almost wasn’t a Santal 33. When Le Labo (“the lab” in French) first opened the doors to its small NYC storefront, it decided that its other scents had more potential, and scrapped the idea of a sandalwood-based perfume.
Le Labo first made a sandalwood candle, Santal 26 (which btw Jennnifer Lopez supposedly bought in bulk every month). The candle wasn’t all that popular until hotelier Ian Schrager used an exclusive variation of it to perfume the lobby of his Gramercy Park Hotel and The Cut beauty editor Jane Larkworthy hyped up Le Labo to anyone who would listen. Larkworthy even rubbed the Santal 26 candle on her pulse points because she loved it so much, and gifted the candle to her wedding guests.
Finally, years later, Le Labo created THE Santal 33, which combines notes of Australian sandalwood, cardamom, iris, violet, cedarwood, smoky wood alloy and ambrox. It’s a rich, warm, spicy, leathery scent. The fragrance is mixed by hand, is cruelty-free and vegan, and is subtly, perfectly packaged.
Though Le Labo has indie roots, the brand was acquired by Estée Lauder in 2014. There’s been some backlash in more recent years to Santal 33’s ubiquity, with people saying it’s played-out because too many people discovered it. Some of the scent’s non-fans say they pick up a real dill pickle scent from it. (That’s why you should always see if you can try a sample of any scent on your own skin before buying it, if at all possible.)
What Are the Best Le Labo Santal 33 Dupes?
Though this unisex scent is truly one-of-a-kind, there are certainly many variations of smokey sandalwood fragrances that have a complex, warm vibe like Santal 33, but at a lower price point. The following Le Labo Santal 33 dupes are all in the same family, and have their own benefits.
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Perfume Oil
Image: AmazonWhat to Know: Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Perfume Oil is a roll-on fragrance, which are typically more travel-friendly (read: less risk of leaking) than other scent forms. You may also find the oil leaves a more lasting fragrance behind than eau de toilettes or colognes.
No.04 Bois de Balincourt is made from notes of sandalwood, vetiver and amber wood, from a brand that is extremely environmentally-aware, with sustainable packaging, clean ingredients and a cruelty-free approach.
Price: $65 at Amazon
Le Monde Gourmand Santal Supreme Eau De Parfum
Image: UltaWhat to Know: Santal Supreme has notes of sandalwood and violet (sound familiar?) but also Haitian vetiver and fig, which make this scent a bit more sweet and fresh than Santal 33’s richer, spicier scent. Santal Supreme is lovely, but be mindful that, like most budget scents, it may not linger as long on your skin as a pricier alternative.
Price: $18.75 (orig. $25) at Ulta
Pacifica Neon Moon
Image: AmazonWhat to Know: Pacifica says the vegan, cruelty-free Neon Moon is “inspired by the full moon in Ibiza.” The scent is as bold as its bottle, thanks to the mix of sandalwood, cardamom and jasmine. Though Santal 33 famously lingers on your skin, fans of Neon Moon love it, but say that this scent doesn’t last long at all, so don’t be surprised if you need to reapply before the moon hits the night sky.
Price: $22 at Amazon
Cremo Palo Santo Eau de Toilette
Image: AmazonWhat to Know: Consider Cremo Cremo Palo Santo Eau de Toilette Santal-33 adjacent, with its notes of warm cardamom, dry papyrus and palo santo. The brand also makes shaving creams, beard oils, body washes and lotions in this scent, so if you find the cologne itself isn’t all that long-lasting, one way to combat that is to layer it over a lotion or other scented product. Though the brand is marketed towards men, this is certainly unisex.
Price: $21.52 (orig. $23.99) at Amazon
Alexandria Fragrances Santal’s Kiss
Image: Alexandria Fragrances What to Know: Most perfume brands trying to ride the coattails of a popular scent won’t straight up announce they’re a clone. Alexandria Fragrances, which is all about copycats, isn’t ashamed to admit that Santal’s Kiss was “inspired by Santal 33.” People find this reasonably-priced alternative, with a blend of sandalwood, papyrus and leather notes, to be very, very similar.
Price: $44.99 – 109.99 at Alexandria Fragrances
Fine’ry Jungle Santal Eau de Parfum
Image: TargetWhat to Know: Fine’ry scents are exclusive to Target. The brand has distinctive, bright, clean bottles, uses vegan, cruelty-free ingredients, and are affordable, too. As the name (and green bottle) clearly broadcast, Fine’ry Jungle Santal has an earthy, woodsy, rich scent, thanks to the notes of papyrus wood, cardamom and oolong tea.
Price: $29.99 at Target
Lake & Sky Santal Gray Eau de Parfum
Image: NordstromWhat to Know: Though this isn’t a budget buy, Lake & Skye Santal Gray Eau De Parfum is still more affordable than Santal 33, and is fantastic-smelling on its own. Top notes of bergamot, cardamom and carrot with middle and base notes of jasmine, violet leaf, sandalwood, amber and musk work well together to create a complex, sophisticated fragrance. This lovely scent may have been inspired by the popularity of Santal 33, it’s not a direct copy, and stands completely on its own two feet.
(If you’re wondering why perfumes smell differently on your skin as the day goes on, it’s due to the clever blending. Top notes are what you first smell when you apply your scent, middle notes are what remain for a few hours afterward, and are also called heart notes. Finally come the base notes, which you’ll smell once the top and middle notes evaporate. In certain fragrances, those base notes can really last all day.)
Price: $98 at Nordstrom
How to Get Le Labo Santal 33 on Sale
Not interested in Santal 33 dupes? Le Labo’s Santal 33 is always going to be splurge purchase, but you can find ways to save.
1. Buy Santal 33 at Costco
Costco members can purchase Santal 33, while supplies last, for $299.99 for a 3.4 ounce bottle, for a savings of $35.01 off the regular cost. (Limit 5).
As noted above, you do need to have a Costco membership to access this deal. If you aren’t a member yet, you can take advantage of this RetailMeNot deal: receive a $20 Costco Shop Card when you join as a new Gold Star Member and enroll in auto renewal.
2. Buy Santal 33 at a Retailer Offering Cash Back
For example, right now, if you buy Santal 33 at Bloomingdale’s, you can get 3% cash back from RetailMeNot as long as you activate the cash back offer before you buy.
3. Buy a Sample Size of Santal 33
Never used Santal 33? Buy the $7 Santal 33 sample size from Le Labo and give it a test run. If you don’t love it, you haven’t wasted your money on the full-size bottle. And if you do, well, you may decide to go ahead and treat yourself.
The post Best Le Labo Santal 33 Dupes appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
