Best Lustre by Amouage Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Cigar boxes. Camden market bong shops reeking of joss sticks. Old lady soap. Sandalwood sometimes gets a bit of a bad rap. Undaunted, we’ve taken the dependable old fave and turned it on its head.

We’ve tracked down a unique Australian sandalwood versatile enough to handle hints of outlandish but ethically and sustainably sourced banana, cardamom, black pepper with weird and wonderful Labdanum and Benzoin resin. Which all means that this is sandalwood unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

So, unlike the bong shop, it won’t make your hair stink for weeks.

Lü Bu is a formidable Chinese warlord, tiger-fierce but volatile. At the end of his last battle he is a folded shadow. The once most-feared man of the Empire, son of iron and fire, is devoured by his own legend. This olfactory scar of a perfume opens with vivid, tannic clove, like the acridity of blood on a still-warm blade. On a forgotten altar smoulders the benzoin beauty of papier d'Arménie, while iris, noble and powdery, whispers the hero's solitude. More than glory and power, Lü Bu speaks of sacrifice and memory. Loyal to all those who wear their shadows with pride.

Year: 1992
Place: New York
Spirals of sandalwood smoke, love letters and curses, white chocolates in pockets, a moment of softness, razor-edged nails, tiered chandeliers, a glimpse of the moon high in the sky, a whisper on lips that turns into a 4am surprise.

Year: 1986
Place: Los Angeles
Palm trees, a wild sweet breeze, fortunes told, green tea leaves, naked hips, Freudian slips, loose lips, sandalwood embers in warm amber sunsets, a city of angels with no angels, a haven for heathens, cowboys and nymphos.

Santal takes its inspiration from a Sandalwood fragrance originally created in the 1800s which has then been given a distinctive contemporary edge.

“Zelen” translates to “green” in Serbian. This is vetiver as it was meant to be celebrated, energised by the natural world. The emerald earthiness of vetiver is lifted toward the sun on a cloud of lime, bergamot and pink peppercorn. Green cardamom and beeswax absolute deepen the allure of Mysore sandalwood and Virginia cedar.
 
This composition is 25% parfum concentration, of which nearly 75% are natural ingredients. Capped with Italian Carrara marble in a delicately etched glass bottle. 

Masa is the Arabic word for a one-of-a-kind diamond, and this EdP embodies the diamond’s luminosity through a balance of herbal freshness and ambered wood notes. Masa opens with a crisp combo of bergamot and grapefruit highlighted by the warm spice of ginger root. Mirabelle, a sweet golden plum, becomes the focal point, its honeyed floral charms suspended in a radiant amber syrup of cardamom, vanilla, guaiac wood and patchouli. A stealth violet leaf, a throwback to vintage elegance, steers Masa towards leather.

El Caminante, Spanish for “the wanderer”, is a nomadic fragrance that pays tribute to the flâneur’s stroll, the urban pilgrimage in search of self-knowledge. This extrait is an invitation to travel, to seek experiences, thanks to the propulsive cadence of Ceylon black tea and a lightly smoked suede. The experiences along the way include cardamom and saffron, with fruity nuances of dried plum, date and honey. Luxurious iris absolute adds depth, accompanied by vetiver, sandalwood, tonka bean and labdanum.

Perfumer: Mathilde Bijaoui

Opponax: fun to say, fun to smell. Yin launches with this spicy-sweet resin, twinned with the fruity-booziness of davana. Labdanum and benzoin keep it cuddly.

This extrait is named for the archipelagic country in the South Pacific Ocean, source of the sandalwood in the base. Vanuatu is a lively, confident blend of spices (black pepper, cardamom, cumin) dappled across characterful woody materials (sandalwood, patchouli, cedar and papyrus). Putting meat on the bones is fig milk, with violet leaves adding sharp sparkle. A fragrance for unexpected adventures.