Frank VoelklThe nose · 77 fragrances · also made Florentine Iris (2012)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Le Labo · Sold as unisex
Santal 33
The hiss of an espresso machine two seconds before the cup arrives, where crisp woodsmoke meets subtle leather.
Full bottle: Luxury tier, typically $250+. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
Santal 33Luxury · $250+
48%Similar accords, often for lessPrada L'Homme Intense · PradaPremium tier, $100–250 · shares 4 of its 6 notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
Main Accords
When to Wear
Who Wears It
The story behind the bottle.
Santal 33 by Le Labo is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for women and men that launched in 2011. Created by perfumer Frank Voelkl, it opens with cardamom and iris before settling into a base of cedarwood, sandalwood, papyrus, leather, and musk. The composition reads as woodsmoke and dry earth, neither traditionally masculine nor feminine.
What sets Santal 33 apart is not just its olfactory distinctiveness but its cultural impact. It became the signature scent for a generation of culturally fluent professionals through word-of-mouth alone — a proof of its quiet confidence and staying power.
Two sprays is enough — it builds on skin over the first hour rather than announcing itself. Skip it for peak summer; the woody warmth reads better once the air cools.
Fig. 01 — Santal 33, Le Labo
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
Live prices aren't shown yet. Each link opens that seller's own search; we may earn a commission.
Not sure it's you?
Five questions, about a minute, no account. You get a shortlist that fits how you actually wear fragrance.
Frank Voelkl
The precision craftsmanFrank Voelkl is a senior perfumer at Firmenich who has earned a reputation as one of the most technically gifted noses of his generation. Born in Germany and trained in France, he brings Germanic precision to French artistry.
“To me, Santal 33 is my masterpiece on “perfect imperfection.””
Frank Voelkl · CaFleureBon, October 2014
The Santal 33 line
2 fragrances, compared side by side
Designer Le Labo
More from the house · founded 2006 · United States
You Might Also Like
Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $250+ price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalSantal 33Le Labo · Luxury · $250+Prada · 2017Prada L'Homme IntenseShares 4 of its 6 notes$100–250★ 4.54 (7,370)51%Match
Room 1015 · 2019Ten FifteenShares 4 of its 7 notes$100–250★ 3.88 (458)49%Match
Zara · 2019S4ND4LW00DShares Sandalwood, Leather and Irisunder $40★ 4.08 (146)48%Match
Ajmal · 2008GhalaShares 4 of its 6 notesunder $40★ 4.41 (22)
With French Avenue Ripple
Adds aromatic, amber and lavender; shares sandalwood and amber.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
Respected, if divisive: loved by 39%, disliked or hated by 22%.