doelly

· Edited

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Ex Nihilo Santal Calling

Santal Calling by Ex NihiloEx NihiloSantal Calling4.149 ratings

Kicking off August with a couple of upgrades from my tiny decants. Last time I did some Ex Nihilo sampling, @Darkvanille and @borr2112 told me I had to try this one. I'm so glad I did. Thank you - it's gorgeous!

Santal Calling is a gentle, powdery, slightly sweet and creamy musk and sandalwood scent. The hint of nutmeg is fantastic in this one. Not too strong, not too spicy, but just gives it that little something to elevate the composition. Though musk forward, it is not a musk bomb like some other Ex Nihilo perfumes can be. This is an easy wearing, understated, sophisticated scent that is also both grounding and cozy. I'm glad I picked up a travel size because I'm going to be wearing this one a lot, I can already tell 😍

The scent itself is quite soft, but it warms up on the skin quite nicely and projects well. The scent in the air is more of a milky cloud with warm, sweet, fluffy musks and a hint of the nutmeg and sandalwood in the background. Really, really lovely. Longevity is crazy on this one. 16 hours later and I'm still getting whiffs.

It is perfectly unisex (Ex Nihilo does that so well). It's a great one to throw on to feel put together in any season, weather, or occasion, though I think this would really shine on a rainy day or in cooler fall weather. It gives the energy of someone approachable who has their act together, but isn't trying too hard. 10/10 for this one.

Wore it on August 1, 2026

  • Chill Time
  • Afternoon
  • Happy

Vibes

  • Calm
  • Cozy
  • Elegant
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From the story

Comments18

  1. Borr2112@borr2112

    I have been singing the praises of that kiss of nutmeg since my first wear.

    1. doelly

      Yes, I think it was you that kept mentioning that! It's lovely. Thank you 😍

    2. Borr2112@borr2112

      Replying to @doelly

      Oh, I just meant I am in complete agreement with you. Both of these are wonderful.

  2. Hook Left@hookleftknot

    Blue talisman is gorgeous! I’m super curious about that santal calling fragrance.

    On the story
    1. doelly

      I have a little write up under my sotd if you're interested!

      On the story
  3. anthonydunnit@ant.dunnit

    Love santal calling! Mine finally shipped from jomashop yesterday 🙌

    On the story
    1. doelly

      Ayyyy 👏🙌

      On the story
  4. OliveEyes@oliveeyes94

    Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Santal Calling is top 5 of all time for me

    1. doelly

      I can see why! It's great!

    2. OliveEyes@oliveeyes94

      Replying to @doelly

      The performance for me is rather staggering though. I'd go as far to say it's the top 10 strongest perfumes I've tried, beaten only by The Moon, Oud Satin Mood, Radical Rose Extrait and perhaps a few Amouage. Some reviews I've seen agree with this, but most seem to think it's rather soft. I think it's due to the high percentage of musks...perhaps it finds some people's noses much more readily and lingers in a more potent way than it does for others.

    3. doelly

      Replying to @oliveeyes94

      That makes a lot of sense. May be some musks in this I can't smell.

  5. Hook Left@hookleftknot

    Beautiful write up ❤️! I will for sure be trying this

    1. doelly

      Thank you so much 😁 Hope you like it!

  6. Cale_Dooper@dyjmerr

    What’s Santal Calling like? Been wanting to try it. Blue Talisman is a weird one for me because I love the way it smells it just didn’t gel with my tastes personally. My coworker who’s also a fragrance head wears it a lot and it smells amazing on them.

    On the story
    1. doelly

      Aww, too bad about Blue Talisman. You can enjoy it on your coworker haha. If you check my SOTD I have a little write up on Santal Calling!

      On the story
    2. Cale_Dooper@dyjmerr

      Replying to @doelly

      Ooo okay I missed it, I’ll give it a read! And yeah I was bummed about Blue Talisman because it smells great it just didn’t feel “me” when I wore it, if that makes sense.

      On the story
    3. doelly

      Replying to @dyjmerr

      That totally makes sense! I've tried some fragrances that are like that for me as well. Beautiful scents but I have no occasion to wear them/they don't suit me.

      On the story

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