Le Labo Santal 33 is a favorite of many, but unfortunately, the price is too expensive. It’s all about the money! But the scent of sandalwood is really amazing…
Imixxperfume’s No.62 Santal 33
it is currently the best affordable alternative I have found. There’s no doubt that the price of $39 is fantastic. If you choose this fragrance, you don’t really need to consider the other options. After searching for so long, this is the best recommendation I can give you. From longevity to the initial scent, it is virtually identical. Even my friend who has been using Le Labo 33 for over 10 years couldn’t find any faults with it. Click the link below to directly purchase.
Maison Louis Marie NO.4 is a relatively niche brand with more affordable prices.
This fragrance, ‘Secret Forest,’ can be considered a perfect dupe for Santal 33. The top note of sandalwood is prominent, while cedarwood is more subtle. The combination of sandalwood and spices is quite dominant. Compared to Santal 33, it lacks the sharp and edgy leather note, but the overall scent is very similar.
The addition of cardamom in the middle note adds a hint of sweetness, making the woody scent in the top note less intense. The base note is still dominated by sandalwood, with a warm touch of vanilla, cinnamon, and woody notes reminiscent of old furniture.
In the dry-down, the woody scent with sandalwood as the main note remains, with a slight milky sweetness from amber. Overall, the scent doesn’t change much.
In comparison, Secret Forest has a weaker sense of layers, and the scent is relatively linear. It is overall more gentle and subtle. Since it is an oil-based fragrance, it has excellent longevity. If you like Santal 33, you can get this one quickly.
CLEAN
I found a hidden gem of a niche fragrance brand called CLEAN at Sephora. The salesperson said it only entered the Chinese market this year. I tried several fragrances, and none of them were disappointing, but my personal favorite is this Smoked Vetiver. It has a neutral milky sandalwood scent, which surprisingly shares about 75% similarity with the Le Labo Santal 33 that I previously bought. After comparing the shared fragrance ingredients in the top, middle, and base notes, there are quite a few similarities. However, Santal 33 has the added leather note, giving it more complexity. If you can’t accept the leather note, you can try CLEAN’s Smoked Vetiver. The 50ml bottle is priced at less than half of Le Labo’s.