Index: /llms.txt

# Santal 33 Dupes 2026: 7 Clones vs the Original

Seven Santal 33 dupes compared on notes, character and price, with where each one drifts from the original. 10ML sells the original Le Labo Santal 33 as a 3ml or 10ml decant to wear first.

By [Antoine Mercier](https://10ml.com/authors/antoine-mercier) · Updated: 8 November 2026 · 10 min read

<https://10ml.com/guides/santal-33-dupes>

**We sell only the originals.** Every perfume we sell is the authentic original, decanted from the perfume house’s own bottle. We buy our bottles from authorized EU distributors and directly from the brands, and 10ML decants every perfume itself. We never sell dupes, clones or inspired-by perfumes. This guide compares the dupes other houses make of Santal 33, so you can choose, or wear the original first.

[Or try the original from €16.92](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33)

## Quick answer

The best Santal 33 dupe overall is Woody Sandalwood by Dossier, which lists the cardamom, violet, cedar and sandalwood of the original. Palo Santo by Cremo is closest on the dry-down, and Sandal Abiyad by Afnan has the lowest price. Want the real thing? Santal 33 is €51.12 for a 10ml decant at 10ML.

You can try the original, [Santal 33](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33), at 10ML as a 10 ml decant, before you choose a dupe.

## Prefer the original?

**Santal 33** · Le Labo · Decanted from the original bottle

- [3ml €16.92 · €5.64/ml](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33?size=3ml)
- [10ml €51.12 · €5.11/ml](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33?size=10ml)

The alternatives: €0.20–€2.30/ml in other shops, checked 27 September 2026

## What does Santal 33 smell like?

[Santal 33](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33) is a [Le Labo](https://10ml.com/brands/le-labo) scent from 2011, worn by men and women alike. It opens on a dry spark of cardamom lifted by violet, a powdery, slightly green flower that keeps the start from feeling heavy. The heart is where its character sits: Virginia cedar and papyrus, a pairing that smells like pencil shavings and warm paper. Underneath, [sandalwood](https://10ml.com/notes/sandalwood) gives the creamy body, leather adds a worn, soft-hide edge and amber rounds the finish. Violet and leather also meet in Dior's Fahrenheit, with violet leaf in the heart and leather in the base, the perfume that leads our [Dior dupes](https://10ml.com/guides/dior-dupes) guide.

A recurring minority of Fragrantica members describe a sour, pickle-like facet on their own skin; nobody can predict whether you are one of them, which is the best argument for trying it before buying anything. Le Labo sells only one concentration of it, so there is no stronger or lighter version to compare the clones against.

## Santal 33 alternatives compared

Bottle prices in other shops, as checked 27 September 2026

Perfumes made and sold by other houses. 10ML does not sell them.

| # | Alternative | Role | Basis of comparison | Source | Bottle price | Per ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Woody Sandalwood (Dossier) | Best overall | Named source | [Source](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dossier/Woody-Sandalwood-73741.html) | €39.00 (50 ml) | €0.78/ml |
| 2 | Palo Santo (Cremo) | Closest on the dry-down | Named source | [Source](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Le-Labo/Santal-33-12201.html) | €39.95 (100 ml) | €0.40/ml |
| 3 | Sandal Abiyad (Afnan) | Lowest price | Published notes | [Source](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Afnan_Perfumes/sandal-abiyad-eau-de-parfum/reviews/495214) | €20.00 (100 ml) | €0.20/ml |
| 4 | Energetically New York (Zara) | Fresher take | Named source | [Source](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Zara/n-01-energetically-new-york) | No EU price | — |
| 5 | Simply Santal (Alt. Fragrances) | Softer take | Named source | [Source](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/ALT-Fragrances/Simply-Santal-86966.html) | No EU price | — |
| 6 | Tiveden (Zara) | Darker take | Named source | [Source](https://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=211964) | No EU price | — |
| 7 | Bois de Balincourt (Maison Louis Marie) | Premium alternative | Named source | [Source](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Maison_Louis_Marie/No_04__Bois_de_Balincourt_Eau_de_Parfum) | €115.00 (50 ml) | €2.30/ml |

## Best overall: Woody Sandalwood

Woody Sandalwood by Dossier reads the brief most completely. Its published pyramid has violet leaves and cardamom at the top, cedar in the heart and sandalwood with amber in the base, so the dry spice, the pencil-shaving wood and the creamy finish of the original are all on paper. It also lists orris and ambroxan, two notes Le Labo named in its own launch text for Santal 33.

The main difference is the finish. Its list has no leather: the base closes on musk and amber instead, and a Parfumo member describes it drying down to iris, musk and amber. So the base reads cleaner and smoother, with less of the hide. If the leather is what you love, you will miss it. If leather is what you want from a woody scent, our [leather perfume guide](https://10ml.com/guides/leather-perfumes) groups 16 perfumes from the quietest to the darkest and suggests a 3ml before you buy more.

It suits someone who wants the Santal 33 mood for the office and weekends without thinking about it. The basis is a named source: on Fragrantica, Santal 33 is the first perfume in its [list of scents liked by the same people](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dossier/Woody-Sandalwood-73741.html), and a [Parfumo member's write-up](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/dossier/woody-sandalwood/reviews/577840) traces the same cardamom, violet leaf and cedar opening.

## Closest on the dry-down: Palo Santo

Palo Santo by Cremo is a much simpler composition on paper: palo santo, papyrus and cardamom. Two of those three, papyrus and cardamom, are shared with Santal 33, and the papyrus is the reason it lands where it does. The warm-paper dryness of the original's heart is what most clones leave out, and Cremo keeps it.

The main difference is the opening and the depth. Violet and sandalwood are not on its list, and the composition as listed is far simpler. The comparison with the original is strongest once it has settled on skin.

It suits a daily, no-fuss wearer who mostly smells their perfume in the afternoon rather than at the first spray. The basis is a named source: a member writing on the [Santal 33 page on Fragrantica](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Le-Labo/Santal-33-12201.html) says they wore Cremo for years before learning of the link and finds the dry-down very similar, while calling the original the better-made of the two. A [Fragrantica forum thread](https://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=258691) goes further and says even the pickle facet comes through, which is worth knowing if that facet is the part you dislike.

## Lowest price: Sandal Abiyad

Sandal Abiyad by Afnan is the least expensive bottle in the table by some distance, and it is here as a sandalwood-and-amber option rather than a close stand-in. The shared ground is exactly those two notes: a dry, pale sandalwood that warms into a resinous amber.

The main difference is everything else. There is no cardamom, no violet, no papyrus and no leather in what wearers describe, so the spicy lift and the leathery edge of Santal 33 are both missing. It is linear: what you smell after a few minutes is broadly what you smell hours later.

It suits someone who likes the creamy wood at the bottom of Santal 33 and wants a relaxed everyday sandalwood without the controversy of the original's sour facet. The basis is inferred from notes, not from a named comparison: a [Parfumo member's write-up](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Afnan_Perfumes/sandal-abiyad-eau-de-parfum/reviews/495214) describes the sandalwood and amber, and does not mention Santal 33 at all. Treat it as the value pick for the wood, not for the whole perfume.

## Fresher take: Energetically New York

Energetically New York by Zara keeps the cardamom-to-sandalwood arc of the original and slips jasmine into the middle. That floral heart replaces the cedar and papyrus, and it changes the temperature of the whole scent.

The main difference is brightness. Where Santal 33 is dry and a little dusty, this one reads clean and fresh rather than creamy, and a member on Parfumo notes that the pickle facet is absent. It loses the leather and the woody weight in the process.

It suits warmer weather, when the original can feel heavy, and anyone who wants a light sandalwood for the day. The basis is a named source: on [its Parfumo page](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Zara/n-01-energetically-new-york), the community's list of similar scents puts Santal 33 first, and a [Parfumo member's write-up](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Zara/n-01-energetically-new-york/reviews/473939) calls it a fresh rather than [creamy sandalwood](https://10ml.com/guides/sandalwood-perfumes). Zara's shop pages could not be read on the check date, so the table has no price for it.

## Softer take: Simply Santal

Simply Santal by ALT. Fragrances is aimed squarely at the Santal 33 accord, and Fragrantica members say it gets very close in character. The shared ground is the sandalwood core and the overall dry, woody silhouette.

The main difference is volume. It is a quieter, lighter take, and wearers on Fragrantica mention it fading sooner than they would like, which is the complaint that comes up most. Some of them use it alongside the original rather than instead of it.

It suits someone who finds Santal 33 too loud in a small office or a shared space and wants the same outline at a lower volume. The basis is a named source: member comments on [its Fragrantica page](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/ALT-Fragrances/Simply-Santal-86966.html) describe it as very close to Santal 33 and say it layers well with it. ALT. publishes its prices in US dollars only, so the table shows no EU list price.

## Darker take: Tiveden

Tiveden by Zara has a short pyramid: cardamom at the top, sandalwood in the heart, then leather and musk. Cardamom, sandalwood and leather are three of the original's notes, and the leather is the one most clones drop.

The main difference is the missing violet. Without that powdery lift at the top, the scent goes straight from spice to wood and hide, so it reads drier and darker than Santal 33, with the leathery edge moved closer to the front. There is no papyrus either, so the paper note of the original's heart is not there.

It suits evenings and cold weather, and anyone who loves the leather in Santal 33 more than its flowers. The basis is a named source: in a [Fragrantica forum thread](https://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=211964), a member calls Tiveden very close to Santal 33 and one other member agrees; [its Fragrantica pyramid](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Zara/Tiveden-47980.html) shows the shared notes. As with the other Zara pick, there is no EU list price in the table.

## Premium alternative: Bois de Balincourt

Bois de Balincourt by Maison Louis Marie is not built as a Santal 33 alternative; it is an independent niche perfume that people keep comparing to it. The shared notes are sandalwood, cedar and amber, the wood-and-warmth frame of the original.

The main difference is the spice. Nutmeg, cinnamon and vetiver sit where Santal 33 has violet, papyrus and leather, so it smells warmer and sweeter-spiced, with none of the floral powder and none of the sour edge. A Parfumo member finds it less dense and more subtle than Santal 33.

It suits someone who wants a sandalwood with its own name on it rather than a stand-in, and who is happy to pay closer to niche money for that. The basis is a named source: on [its Parfumo page](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Maison_Louis_Marie/No_04__Bois_de_Balincourt_Eau_de_Parfum) the community's list of similar scents puts Santal 33 first, and [its Fragrantica pyramid](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Maison-Louis-Marie/No-04-Bois-de-Balincourt-54189.html) lists the shared woods.

## Similar original perfumes we stock

Original perfumes that share part of Santal 33's woods, each as a 3ml, 10ml or 30ml decant.

| # | Perfume | Main notes | 3 ml | 10 ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Diptyque Tam Dao](https://10ml.com/perfumes/diptyque-tam-dao) | Sandalwood and cedar over musk, vanilla and amber, with a lime and ginger start; creamier and more polished. | €13.23 (€4.41/ml) | €39.42 (€3.94/ml) |
| 2 | [Atelier des Ors Iris Fauve](https://10ml.com/perfumes/atelier-des-ors-iris-fauve) | Iris and violet sliding into leather, musk, amber and sandalwood, brightened by grapefruit. | €9.90 (€3.30/ml) | €24.75 (€2.48/ml) |
| 3 | [Prada Prada L'Homme](https://10ml.com/perfumes/prada-lhomme) | Cardamom, iris and violet over cedar, sandalwood and amber; cleaner and soapier. | €7.65 (€2.55/ml) | €22.05 (€2.21/ml) |

## What every clone gets wrong

Each pick keeps one or two parts of Santal 33 and lets the others go. The combination is the hard bit: cardamom and violet at the top, cedar and papyrus in the middle, and leather under the sandalwood at the end. No clone here lists all of them.

**What each clone keeps, and what it leaves out**

| Clone | Keeps | Leaves out |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Woody Sandalwood | Cardamom, violet, cedar, sandalwood, amber | Papyrus, leather |
| Palo Santo | Papyrus, cardamom | Violet, sandalwood, leather |
| Sandal Abiyad | Sandalwood, amber | Cardamom, violet, papyrus, leather |
| Energetically New York | Cardamom, sandalwood | Violet, cedar, papyrus, leather |
| Simply Santal | Sandalwood | The detail of the pyramid |
| Tiveden | Cardamom, sandalwood, leather | Violet, cedar, papyrus |
| Bois de Balincourt | Sandalwood, cedar, amber | Cardamom, violet, papyrus, leather |

The part most of them miss is the leather. It is what makes Santal 33 smell lived-in rather than simply woody, and only Tiveden keeps it. The second thing that goes is the papyrus, the dry-paper note that Palo Santo alone holds on to. What the lists offer instead, in most cases, is a cleaner sandalwood. That can be a good thing; it is simply a different perfume.

## Is a 10ml decant of Santal 33 worth it over a clone?

A 10ml decant of Santal 33 is €51.12, around 200 sprays, filled from Le Labo's own bottle. A 3ml at €16.92 gives you around 60 sprays, enough for a week or two of real wear, and a 30ml at see the product page works out at see the product page, around 600 sprays. The table above lets you set those figures against a full clone bottle. If you wear a sandalwood every day, a clone bottle goes further for the money; if you want the original's leather and papyrus, only the original has them.

Our guides to [what a perfume decant is](https://10ml.com/guides/what-is-a-perfume-decant) and [decants versus a full bottle](https://10ml.com/guides/decant-vs-full-bottle) cover the sizes in more detail.

## Similar originals with the same woods

If the clones feel too far from Santal 33, three perfumes we stock share a real part of its structure. [Tam Dao](https://10ml.com/perfumes/diptyque-tam-dao) by Diptyque, composed by Daniel Moliere, puts sandalwood and cedar at its heart over musk, vanilla and amber, with lime, coriander and ginger at the start: creamier and more polished, with no leather. [Iris Fauve](https://10ml.com/perfumes/atelier-des-ors-iris-fauve) by Atelier des Ors, by Marie Salamagne, runs iris and violet into leather, musk, amber and sandalwood, the floral-to-leather axis of Santal 33 in a brighter form topped with grapefruit. [Prada L'Homme](https://10ml.com/perfumes/prada-lhomme) by Prada shares cardamom, violet, cedar, sandalwood and amber with it, in a cleaner, soapier style led by iris and neroli. Our [Dior Homme dupes](https://10ml.com/guides/dior-homme-dupes) guide lists Prada L'Homme too, as a 2016 Eau de Toilette with carrot seeds, geranium and mate on its list, set against the iris Dior Homme Original on Parfumo.

Our [guide to what sandalwood smells like](https://10ml.com/guides/what-does-sandalwood-smell-like) explains the wood behind all of them, and [unisex perfumes worth sharing](https://10ml.com/guides/unisex-perfumes-worth-sharing) has more woods in the same easy register. Anyone who likes iris over dry woods will find six dupes of the 2011 original in our [Dior Homme Intense dupes](https://10ml.com/guides/dior-homme-intense-dupes) guide, with Kayaan Classic by Al Wataniah the most widely recommended.

## How to test a dupe

Test on skin, not on paper. A blotter shows you the opening; it tells you almost nothing about the dry-down, which is where Santal 33 and its clones differ most. Spray once on the inside of the wrist and leave it alone.

Give it time. Smell it again after lunch and once more in the evening. The leather, the papyrus and the sour facet some people notice all come through well after the first spray, and a clone that impresses at minute one can flatten by the afternoon.

Wear the original and the clone on different days rather than one on each wrist. Two sandalwoods on one body blur into each other, and you end up judging the combination. A 3ml of [Santal 33](https://10ml.com/perfumes/le-labo-santal-33) is enough for several full days, which gives you a fair reference for whichever clone you are considering. Weather matters too: a fresher clone may win on a hot day simply because of the heat. For the woods behind this scent, read [what sandalwood smells like](https://10ml.com/guides/what-does-sandalwood-smell-like); for dupes of other popular perfumes next to their prices, open the [perfume dupes list](https://10ml.com/guides/perfume-dupes). If a musky floral from a niche house is what you want to try next, our [Byredo Blanche dupes](https://10ml.com/guides/byredo-blanche-dupes) guide sets six dupes against Blanche, which opens on aldehydes and rose and rests on musk, sandalwood and blonde woods.

## Clone or original? What to know first

### Can I try Santal 33 in 3ml before choosing?

10ML fills Santal 33 from the original bottle in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml sizes; the 3ml costs €16.92 and gives around 60 sprays.

### Which Santal 33 dupe leads this guide?

Woody Sandalwood by Dossier is the best overall pick in this guide: its published notes share cardamom, violet, cedar, sandalwood and amber with Santal 33, though its base is cleaner and has no leather.

### Is a Santal 33 dupe worth it, or can you tell the difference?

Most clones keep the sandalwood and some of the spice but drop the leather or the papyrus, so the dry-down is usually where you notice the difference. Wearing a 3ml of the original first gives you a fair reference.

### Is Zara Energetically New York a close Santal 33 alternative?

It is a fresher take rather than a close stand-in: it keeps the cardamom and sandalwood but swaps the cedar, papyrus and leather for jasmine, so it reads clean and bright where Santal 33 is dry and dusty.

### Why does Santal 33 smell like pickle on some people?

A recurring minority of wearers on Fragrantica describe a sour, pickle-like facet on their own skin. It is not a listed note, and nobody can predict whether you will notice it, which is a good reason to try the original on skin before buying a bottle.

### Which picks here stay closest to Santal 33?

Woody Sandalwood by Dossier, Palo Santo by Cremo and Tiveden by Zara are the closest picks in this guide. Among perfumes 10ML stocks, Tam Dao, Iris Fauve and Prada L'Homme share part of its sandalwood, cedar, violet or leather.

### Do Santal 33 clones cost less than a bottle of the original?

Clone bottles cost less than a bottle of the original; the dated table in this guide lists their prices. You can also wear the original first: a 10ml decant of Santal 33 is €51.12 at 10ML.

### How long does Santal 33 last on skin?

Parfumo's community scores its longevity and sillage above the middle of the site's scale, but skin, weather and how much you spray all change it, so it is worth wearing a small size for a few days first.

### Does 10ML sell dupes?

No. 10ML sells only original perfumes. We buy our bottles from authorized EU distributors and directly from the brands, and 10ML decants every perfume itself. The dupes in this guide are other houses’ perfumes, and we don’t sell them. You can wear the original first from €16.92.

## Sources

- [Santal 33 by Le Labo (Fragrantica)](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Le-Labo/Santal-33-12201.html)
- [Santal 33 by Le Labo (Parfumo)](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Le_Labo/Santal_33_Eau_de_Parfum)
- [Woody Sandalwood by Dossier (Fragrantica)](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dossier/Woody-Sandalwood-73741.html)
- [Palo Santo by Cremo (Fragrantica)](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Cremo/Palo-Santo-70463.html)
- [N°01 Energetically New York by Zara (Parfumo)](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Zara/n-01-energetically-new-york)
- [Simply Santal by ALT. Fragrances (Fragrantica)](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/ALT-Fragrances/Simply-Santal-86966.html)
- [Tiveden by Zara (Fragrantica)](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Zara/Tiveden-47980.html)
- [No.04 Bois de Balincourt by Maison Louis Marie (Parfumo)](https://www.parfumo.com/Perfumes/Maison_Louis_Marie/No_04__Bois_de_Balincourt_Eau_de_Parfum)

## How we compared

Each alternative is ranked by how closely it follows the notes and dry-down of Santal 33, on the basis shown for it in the table. Prices in other shops are as checked on 27 September 2026 and change often; the 10ML prices on this page are live.

10ML is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Le Labo or by the houses of the alternatives named here. Their names are used only to identify the perfumes compared.