Pleasure Noir No. 63
Save up to 89% compared to designer scents.
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How it smells
Main Notes
Ambrox
Cardamom
Cedarwood
Orris
Sandalwood
Violet Leaf
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TopThe first notes you smell
Violet, Cardamom
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MiddleThe heart of the perfume
Orris, Ambrox, Papyrus
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BaseThe notes that linger all day
Cedarwood, Leather, Sandalwood
Ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Fragrance/Parfum, Water/Aqua/Eau, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol.
First spray is airy violet with a fresh hit of cardamom — clean, slightly green, surprisingly soft. If you've smelled Santal 33 from a distance and assumed it was woody-only, the violet opening will surprise you. Within two minutes the orris arrives and brings that powdery, almost-paper texture that makes the whole composition feel polished.
By minute ten the heart is open: orris + ambrox + dry papyrus, like very old book pages mixed with cool stone. By hour two the dry-down takes over and this is what people remember about Santal 33 and its descendants — creamy sandalwood + clean leather + crisp cedar. Not smoky-leather, not aggressive-leather. The leather of an empty boutique. Eight hours on skin, holds beautifully on cotton and wool.
When to wear it
- Year-round, every season works
- Office, travel, casual evenings
- Layering with another fragrance — Pleasure Noir plays well as a base
- Heavy gourmand layering (gets confused)
- If you actively dislike powdery orris
- Hot+humid summer afternoons
Two sprays maximum, on the chest and one wrist. Pleasure Noir is designed to be the ambient soundtrack to the room, not the lead vocal. Layered over an unscented body lotion adds about 90 minutes to the dry-down.
Honest comparison: Pleasure Noir vs Le Labo Santal 33
The sandalwood + papyrus + orris DNA, that hyper-recognizable "hotel-lobby" sillage Santal 33 made famous. Same modern, ungendered, instantly-current personality.
The original is louder in the first 30 minutes — Le Labo's projection is famously generous. Pleasure Noir is more restrained on the open. The dry-down is where they're closest; by hour three you'd struggle to tell them apart blind.
Built our own Mysore-style sandalwood accord (sustainable, not endangered-tree sandalwood) which is creamier and longer-lasting than the original's. Reduced the violet leaf in the opening by ~25% so it doesn't read as soapy on warm skin.
If you've worn Santal 33 daily for five years and treat it as part of your identity — the original is still the original. If you've smelled it everywhere and want the same vibe at a reasonable price — Pleasure Noir delivers, especially in the dry-down.
From the lab
“ Santal 33 is hard because it's deceptively simple. It's not many notes — but every single one has to be premium-grade or the whole thing falls apart. We rebuilt it from scratch six times. The thing that finally made it work was switching to a higher-grade ambrox. That single ingredient is the difference between "oh, this smells like Santal" and "wait, is this Santal?" — Founder's Note
Frequently asked
QIs it really like Santal 33?
Closest thing in this price range, full stop. The dry-down — which is the part everyone associates with Santal 33 — is about 92% match. The opening is slightly softer than the original. Our customers who own both tend to wear Pleasure Noir for daily and save the original for occasions.
QHow long does it last?
8 hours on skin, often longer on cotton. Sandalwood-and-ambrox compositions are known for their staying power, and Pleasure Noir is no exception.
QWill it smell good on a man? On a woman?
Yes to both. Pleasure Noir is one of the most genuinely unisex fragrances we make — the orris-sandalwood profile reads modern and ungendered. About 50/50 split among our customers.
QCan I layer it with other fragrances?
Absolutely. Pleasure Noir is a great base layer. Try one spray of it on the chest, then a different fragrance on the wrists — the sandalwood-ambrox base will deepen almost any fragrance laid on top. Particularly good with citrus, leather, or vanilla openings.
