As a fan of fragrance, I truly appreciate Creed. They’ve done and continue to do wonderful things and have managed to keep their operations as a family-owned enterprise and under very tight control. It’s a dedication to both the art and science of perfumery that isn’t often seen, and says a lot about the brand.
But even Creed isn’t perfect, and sometimes their execution of a product can have a flawed execution or be different than the expectation. Creeds from the last 10-12 years have suffered from what I consider a more fatal flaw of longevity: Some have it, others are so sheer as to vanish within a couple hours of application. I wouldn’t call any Creed particularly “poor”, but I’d rather say that there are good Creeds and great Creeds. The difference for me is the impact, the sillage, the longevity, and the combination of the right elements.
My wife found that she had recently encountered a Creed that despite its lofty price tag had precious little longevity on her skin. Our friends at Creed permitted us the exchange of product — which is a major bow to their product and customer dedication that they truly want you to like the fragrance — and left us with the option of selecting a couple of other fragrances from the line. With that context, let me introduce Original Santal.
Creed Original Santal
Creed Original Santal (2005): Creed has a legendary customer list of those who wear its fragrances. I believe Original Santal (COS) is one chosen by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs for his own collection (do you really think he wears Sean John?) along with others both male and female who are far more famous than I. The House seems to have a habit of reformulating classic scents and then prefacing their names with “Original”, which is more a marketing ploy and misnomer than fact (for example, Vetiver was a post-WWII fragrance, whereas Original Vetiver was created in 2004). That aside…
As the name implies, Original Santal begins with a core of Sandalwood wrapped by a series of other notes. The top notes include cinnamon, coriander and juniper berries, which fade quickly into the heart notes of lavender, rosemary, orange and ginger. As the fragrance settles, it reveals the base of sandalwood, tonka bean and vanilla, creating a very creamy but woody dry-down. There is enough intrigue to hold the wearer given the nice and gradual fade from spice to floral/citrus using ginger as the transition. Those same notes are just enough to carry the fragrance into a very mellow and woody ending that’s refreshing for an oriental-spiced wood scent. It’s captivating…enough. In classic Creed tradition, it tries its best to not overwhelm the wearer or focus so much on a single element to the exclusion of others.
If you’re awaiting the negative for me, here it comes. This is an eau de parfum strength, as are most of Creed’s products. I suppose my expectation of an EDP is somewhat more longevity than I’ve found with new millennium Creeds. The lack of longevity and sillage are sadly all too common, especially when compared with other Santal fragrances. By the time COS dries down, it’s faded into vapor within six hours, though I grant that mileage may vary on this count. That said, it’s also light enough for year-round wear, so if there is a silver lining to be had, its that Creed has created a scent that isn’t cloying; however, I still believe that sillage could improve greatly and disappoints me.
So to the verdict: Is this a good Creed or a truly great Creed?
Rating: 4/5. Recommended.
Bottom-Line: For me, it’s very good, probably just bordering on greatness; there is so much potential that could have been explored in the fragrance. I felt Olivier could have gone a step or two further and pushed the envelope without alienating its customers on COS, but keeping with his target market, this is a very calm, very understated, and very elegant Santal scent. Those seeking a fragrance that pushes the edges more or provides a more ephemeral experience might try Le Labo’s Santal 33.
In short, if you are seeking an excellent sandalwood fragrance that provides an elegant and somewhat calm experience, or is suitable for office wear, this is one I would recommend without much hesitation.
I'm Andrew Buck, the man behind the words. I'm a published author, project management practitioner for over 20 years, work on Wall Street, and am a fragrance aficionado. I've had a passion for fragrance for 30+ years, and enjoy trying scents and adding to an expanding and rotating collection for some time now. 
