Santal 33 vs Y EDP
Side by side. Scored honestly.
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Verdicts
Santal 33
Cardamom and violet open with a cool, almost smoky spice before sandalwood and cedar move in and take over the heart — smooth, dry, slightly milky wood with an iris edge that adds a powdery chalk note without going feminine. Leather stays low and clean throughout, never harsh, grounding everything into a skin-close dry-down that projects modestly but leaves a persistent, intimate sillage. It wears like worn wood and clean skin, not loud but oddly hard to ignore — fall and winter, for anyone who wants a unisex signature that reads as effortlessly considered.
Y EDP
Bergamot hits first — bright, slightly tart, gone within minutes. The heart is where it earns its reputation: sage and geranium lock into the amberwood base early, creating a clean-but-substantial green-woody accord that smells polished without being stiff. Ginger adds a faint sharpness that keeps it from going sweet. Cedar grounds the dry-down into something dry and skin-close. Projection is moderate, sillage stays tasteful — present without announcing itself across the room. — A reliable everyday wear for spring and fall, built for the office or a first date.
How they overlap
Santal 33 and Y EDP share exactly one note (cedar). The overlap is real but narrow — most of the wear experience will diverge.
The buying decision
Y EDP is the cheaper original at $115 compared to $245 for Santal 33 — about 53% less. Santal 33 has 5 scored dupes, with the top accuracy at 9/10 from Dossier Woody Sandalwood ($29–$49). Y EDP has 5, top accuracy 9/10 from Maison Alhambra Yeah ($20–$35). On the budget side, Y EDP's top-3 dupes start at $18 versus $29 for the other — the cheaper entry point belongs to Y EDP.
Recommendation
Both Santal 33 and Y EDP have credible top dupes (within one accuracy point of each other). The choice comes down to which scent direction you actually prefer — the descriptions above are the better guide than the scores.