Hermessence Santal Massoïa

This fragrance wraps me up like a cashmere blanket. So rich, so warm, so comforting. Woody powder mixed with figgy sweetness. It smells like a woody cabin in winter, you sit in there covered in your blanket adding some dried fig in your warm porridge.

Pleasant, definitely unisex. There's also a note that reminds me of ambergris - slightly animalic, it's subtle though. It's very soft, as you'd expect, the texture is dusty/velvety and yes, slightly milky but not as gourmand as, say Jeux de peux by Lutens, it's definitely not sweet if compared to most mainstream female perfumes, such as Narciso Poudre (also a sweet, milky perfume). So I'd say it's comfortably unisex, easy for anyone to wear, very gentle, but for me the milky and slightly animalic quality is just a little, I don't know - babyfood-esque?! It's just a matter of personal taste, I probably prefer something with a little more bite. But this is classy, smooth and well-blended as you'd expect from an Hermes by JC Elena

When I first tried Santal Massoia, by Jean Claude Ellena, I catched: oh, loads of Sandalwood. But it then it surprised me, and I was... huhh? Ohhhhh. Oh my God!!! 😊☀️🏊♂️🍦🍦🍦🍦 The light floral accord dances with the sweet coconuty accord. And it entices me so well, as it always suprises me to also catch a yellow/ pink zesty accord right in the middle of this olfactive dance. It raises me up. Then it calms me down. This brings me back the child memory of the 80s: It was another hot summer day in Belém do Pará. I was in the pool, resting on its border, as I would swim and dive for hours, just so the chill water would bring me some relief from the warmth of the Sun. As I rest, I feel the smell of wet, sweet-green grass, that usually brings some dirt from the wet earth. Then, loads of frequent clients start walking around, behind the grass, carrying the most consumed ice cream. Zesty and sweet creamy accords would diffuse from far to my nose, as they enjoyed Guava and dulce de leche ice cream. I heard a citric song, playing on the background: Dayne Taylor Proove your love. Its so funny and amazing how accute accords in a song still raise me up, just like sweet and accute accords in a fragrance does. When it is magically, evenly diffused in a place, where the natural elements marry with us, bringing the gift of joy and energy. It is one unforgetable memory that I also consider as a gift, promoted by my aunt Celeste, as she would take me to Celpa's Sunmer Club every Saturday morning. I ❤ the 80s as I ❤ JCE's creation SM.

This is gorgeous! Sweet and woody and creamy...absolutely beautiful. One of my coworkers commented that I've always got new stuff, but this was his favorite of my scents. Unfortunately, even wearing it on a cold day when fragrances normally wouldn't evaporate off my skin very quickly, I only got about four hours out of it. I would have liked for it to wear longer, but as generous a sample as Hermes sends, I can afford to reapply.

I like this very much, but it is nothing like Blasted Bloom which is listed at the top as a smell-alike; I think that's misleading. I wear Blasted Bloom often. It is a cool, fresh, oceanic, sea cliff kind of scent, with hints of woodland berries and wildflowers. Santal Massoia is lovely but completely different: woody, milky, a bit resinous, a bit figgy (must be the dried fruits). Two very different fragrances.