Story
Santal 33 was composed in 2011 by Frank Voelkl, a senior perfumer at Firmenich, for Le Labo, the niche perfume house founded in 2006 in New York (United States) by Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi. The composition belongs to the City Exclusives counterpart series and was named after its position in the Le Labo numbering convention, where the number signals the count of essential raw materials declared by the house (Le Labo official product page, Fragrantica perfume page, accessed 2026-05-22).
The narrative reference Le Labo associates with Santal 33 is the American Western imaginary, with leather, smoke and dry grass evoked through a sandalwood architecture. Frank Voelkl, who joined Firmenich in 2002 and has built a portfolio of niche compositions for several independent houses, leaned on a heavy dosage of Iso E Super, the synthetic woody molecule patented by IFF, to deliver a radiant cedarwood facet that became the perfume's most documented technical trademark (Fragrantica perfumer page Frank Voelkl, Now Smell This profile, accessed 2026-05-22).
Critical reception was initially niche and rapidly became cultural. From 2014 onwards, Santal 33 entered the broader cultural conversation. The New York Times documented its near omnipresence in Brooklyn cafes, retail stores and apartment buildings in a feature article that gave the composition its enduring sociological label: the Brooklyn signature. The Cut and several culture outlets echoed the same observation in the following years, calling Santal 33 the perfume that signaled membership in a creative urban tribe (The New York Times feature on Santal 33, The Cut culture coverage, 2014 to 2018).
More than a decade after its launch, Santal 33 remains the most widely cited reference for the new American niche aesthetic of the 2010s. It transformed Le Labo from a downtown New York atelier into a global niche reference, contributed to the 2014 acquisition by Estée Lauder Companies, and shaped the woody radiant aesthetic that influenced an entire generation of niche compositions through the decade (Basenotes house profile, Parfumo perfume page, accessed 2026-05-22).
Olfactive pyramid
The architecture of Santal 33 is woody, radiant and built around a sandalwood-cedar core lifted by a heavy dosage of Iso E Super. Frank Voelkl signs a composition that departs from the creamy lactonic sandalwood codes inherited from Mysore tradition, favoring a dry leathered reading. Notes documented on the official Le Labo product page and confirmed on Fragrantica, Basenotes and Parfumo.
Top
Cardamomspicy opening, signature top note
Iris, violetpowdery floral lift
Heart
Australian sandalwooddry milky woody core
Cedarwood, papyrusstructural dry woods
Base
Leather, ambersoft tanned facet
Ambrox, ambroxan, muskradiant skin scent drydown
Evolution on skin reads as a sustained radiant chord rather than a classic top-heart-base progression. The spicy cardamom opening sets a brief aromatic lift. The sandalwood-cedar-Iso E Super core then settles for the full wear, with the leather and ambroxan base gradually pushing the composition toward a soft skin scent drydown. The signature reading is recognizable from a single discreet spray.
Olfactive profile
The olfactive profile of Santal 33 articulates dry spice, woody radiance and soft leather into a signature that reframed the sandalwood category for a generation. The opening lands through cardamom, iris and violet, signaling a powdery spicy character. The heart settles on an Australian sandalwood and cedar accord, lifted by a heavy dose of Iso E Super that delivers the perfume's recognizable radiant facet. The drydown is ambery and softly leathered, anchored by ambrox, ambroxan and musk, with none of the creamy coconut milkiness of classic Mysore sandalwood compositions.
The distinctive signature rests on this dry radiant reading. Where most sandalwood compositions before 2011 leaned on the creamy lactonic facets of Indian Mysore sandalwood, Frank Voelkl built Santal 33 around a drier Australian sandalwood reading and a high dosage of Iso E Super, which delivers a transparent radiant cedar quality at low intensity. That technical choice explains both the perfume's strong projection in social spaces and its reputation as a skin scent at small doses.
Santal 33 is the smell of a generation. You walk into a coffee shop in Brooklyn, a hotel lobby in Berlin, a boutique in Seoul, and it is there.
Key characteristics
Family
Woody leather aromatic, contemporary American niche tradition
Typical longevity
8 to 12 hours on skin, 24 hours and beyond on textile
Sillage
Bold and radiant during the first hours, becomes a skin scent in the drydown
Audience
Men and women, deliberately gender neutral per Le Labo's editorial line
Frequently asked questions
Who composed Santal 33?01
Frank Voelkl, a senior perfumer at Firmenich, composed Santal 33 in 2011 for Le Labo, the New York based niche perfume house founded by Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi.
What does the number 33 mean?02
In the Le Labo numbering convention, the number signals the count of essential raw materials declared by the house for the composition. The naming logic is shared across the entire Le Labo catalogue.
What is the olfactive family of Santal 33?03
Woody leather aromatic, structured around an Australian sandalwood and cedar core, a soft leather facet, and a heavy dosage of Iso E Super that delivers a radiant transparent cedar quality.
How long does Santal 33 last?04
Between 8 and 12 hours on skin, with a radiant cedar drydown that lingers on textiles for 24 hours and beyond.
Is Santal 33 for men or women?05
It is marketed as a unisex perfume by Le Labo, in line with the house's deliberately gender neutral editorial line set by Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi.
Why is Santal 33 called the Brooklyn signature?06
From 2014 onwards, The New York Times and several culture outlets documented its near omnipresence in Brooklyn and across global creative urban centers. The label captures the sociological status of a single composition that signaled membership in a creative urban tribe.
When should you wear Santal 33?07
Versatile across all seasons. Particularly well suited to autumn, winter and cool spring days. The Iso E Super radiance keeps the composition wearable in warmer conditions when dosed with restraint.
What perfumes are similar to Santal 33?08
Closest relatives include Tam Dao by Diptyque (2003), Bois 1920 Real Patchouly (2006) and Another 13 by Le Labo (2010), which share the dry radiant woody aesthetic.
