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I swapped my £234 Le Labo Santal 33 perfume for these budget alternatives
One of them is £12 and smells nearly identical.
I can’t leave my apartment without the sweet smell of Le Labo Santal 33 wafting up my nose. Hell, sometimes, I even smell it in my apartment, traveling down the hall from my neighbour before he leaves on a Friday night.
It’s completely unisex, has a je-ne-sais-quoi cool factor, and naturally, it’s pretty damn expensive. But with a perfume so popular had to come a party of cheaper alternatives chugging along behind it.
Santal 33 swaps aren’t all exact replicas of the famed fragrance, but offer up a similar DNA and ~aura~. So if you wanna go around smelling like Le Labo Santal 33 but also not in Santal 33, you’ve got options – not to mention the major £££ from not purchasing the real deal.
I’ve been testing the best budget swaps for this sandalwood perfume, and these are the ones I’d actually keep in my personal fragrance wardrobe. Welcome.
Try as they might, nothing will ever truly top the original Le Labo Santal 33. To me, it smells like a freshly sharpened pencil on your first day of school (if you, idk, went to school with Kardashian children or something).
The warm, ambery notes and spicy cardamom add a bit of that perfume-y-ness to ground the otherwise woodsy scent.
Key notes: Sandalwood, leather, papyrus, cedar, cardamom, violet, iris, amber
Notes from the Cosmo team: “Some might find Santal 33 ‘basic’ or overworn. And yes, sure, I probably smell at least one person wearing this every single day. But (!) there’s a reason people are obsessed with the scent: it smells damn good and lasts all day on my skin.” – Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Apothecary Warmth Eau de Parfum
Has M&S upgraded or am I just maturing? It may be a case of both, but what I know is M&S does great budget alternatives – including a close take on Santal 33. The sandalwood is very present in this aroma, balanced by the sweetness of cinnamon and cardamom which adds a creamy and papery throw to it. Just like Santal 33, this is a chic fragrance that all the fashion gals wear – maybe just without the cool packaging.
Key notes: Cardamom, cinnamon, cedarwood and sandalwood
Notes from the Cosmo team: “I viewed the TikTok hype, with users saying it’s “exactly the same” to the O.G bottle. After getting my nose on it, I couldn’t agree more. I’m not usually one for woody fragrances, but this doesn’t feel heavy or overpowering. It doesn’t linger the same, but for £12, you can’t complain.” – Clare Stephenson, senior beauty e-commerce writer
I paraded around the office with this perfume in tow when it first launched to get everyone’s review, considering Glossier You is a Cosmo HQ staple.
Immediately upon sniffing, assistant news editor Sam Olson likened You Doux to a combo of O.G. Glossier You and Le Labo Santal 33.
And it makes sense – it’s got the ambroxan and ambrette for the creamy, muskiness of You, plus palo santo, myrrh, and frankicense to provide a woodsy touch like Santal 33. It’s not nearly as earthy and rich as Santal 33, IMO, but if you want something lighter and sweeter, you’ll like this one.
Key notes: Palo santo, sweet violet, frankincense, myrrh, ambroxan, ambrette
Notes from the Cosmo team: “Since I got it, I’ve basically worn it nonstop and received hella compliments from strangers, colleagues, and coworkers that note how creamy and light it smells, but with a layered bit of spiciness.” – Beth Gillette, beauty editor
If you love the woody-ness of Santal 33, Phlur Somebody Wood is a great alternative. I mean, clue’s in the name? While it opens in the air with zesty notes of lemon and bergamot, it lingers on the skin with base notes of sandalwood, vanilla and musk, giving the fragrance an overall warm and cosy feel. It’s like a crackling fire place, fragrance form.
Key notes: Sandalwood, vanilla, musk, amber, moss and cedarwood
Notes from the Cosmo team: “I love everything that Phlur does and this bb is no exception. It’s described by the brand as ‘strong and not afraid to make a statement, making it refreshingly sexy’. My description would be ‘it’s a brighter version of Santal 33’ – that’s all it needs. It’s deep and warm but it has a hint of lemon to perk up the scent, so I see it as a day or night fragrance.” – Clare Stephenson, senior beauty ecommerce writer
Dossier is known for its affordable recreations of expensive perfumes, and Woody Sandalwood is virtually Santal 33’s twin. It’s got almost all of the exact same notes, with a few adds: ambrox, cypriol, and musk – all of which add a little extra warmth and saltiness on the dry down. Truthfully, though, I barely notice them. All I can really pick up on is how damn alike it is to Santal 33 for a fraction of the cost.
Key notes: Violet leaves, cardamom, orris, ambrox, cedarwood, cypriol, musk, sandalwood, amber
Notes from the Cosmo team: “I hate to say it, but Dossier is a great option if you really love the scent of Santal 33 and don’t want to drop £££ on it. It doesn’t have the beautiful bottle nor the longevity and projection, but it will make you smell just about exactly the same.” – Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Not into heavy perfumes? This body mist has a lot of the same notes as Santal 33 without the same intensity and longevity. Spritz it on your skin, clothes, and/or hair for a dash of the woodsy scent. Even better, it’s got glycerin and algae to help moisturise skin and hair too.
Key notes: Sandalwood, amber, orris, cedar, vetiver, violet leaves
Notes from the Cosmo team: “I love keeping a body mist in my gym bag to freshen up after a work out without the intensity of a heavy perfume. This one is great if I’ve already spritzed any of the above Santal 33-esque scents, because it smells so similar and goes so well with them.” – Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Eau de Parfum
You’ll spend half the price and smell nearly identical to Santal 33 if you’re wearing this stuff. Listen, it’s not all the same notes, but it’s pretty damn close.
You’ve got sandalwood, cedar, and amber, but instead of a few florals, this adds some spicy sweetness with nutmeg and cinnamon instead. Whenever I wear this, I get a gazillion compliments, often asking what my perfume is and why it smells so similar to Santal 33 but just ever so slightly different.
Key notes: Sandalwood, cedar, nutmeg, vetiver, cinnamon, amberwood
Notes from the Cosmo team: “This is one of three perfumes I’ve ever fully gone through an entire bottle of, but it’s because it’s perfect. It’s woodsy, sweet, spicy, warm, earthy – every single box? Ticked. And the scent lasts a very long time, especially if I also layer it with the perfume oil.” – Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than six years of experience researching, writing, and editing fragrance stories that range from spring perfume trends to gourmand perfumes. She regularly tests and analyses fragrances while working with the industry’s top perfume experts to assess new formulas and brands.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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