# Ex Nihilo — Santal Calling

> Santal Calling is Ex Nihilo's 2022 milky sandalwood by Antoine Maisondieu. It pairs nutmeg, iris, milk, sandalwood, musk and vanilla into a soft creamy wood rather than a dry smoky one. The identity i

## Essence
Santal Calling is Ex Nihilo's 2022 milky sandalwood by Antoine Maisondieu. It pairs nutmeg, iris, milk, sandalwood, musk and vanilla into a soft creamy wood rather than a dry smoky one. The identity is cold milk, powdery iris and smooth sandalwood: comforting, polished, gently sensual and less ubiquitous than the standard Santal 33 template.
## Scent Profile
The opening is nutmeg over a creamy lactonic accord. The spice is brief and soft, giving warmth before the milk and iris take over.
The heart is milk and iris around sandalwood. The milk accord makes the wood feel cool, creamy and almost like iced hot chocolate without cocoa; iris adds powdery cosmetic elegance. Some wearers read a soft floral or soapy edge, which makes the scent chemistry-dependent.
The drydown is sandalwood, musk and vanilla. The sandalwood is smooth and gentle rather than sharp, smoky or headache-inducing. Musk keeps the texture airy, while vanilla gives a quiet bourbon warmth. The scent is soft but not necessarily weak.
## Performance
Performance is strong for the style. It is not a loud powerhouse, but it persists well and can project more than expected from a single spray. The fairest read is good-to-very-good longevity with moderate, occasionally generous, sillage.
## Wearing Context
Santal Calling is versatile and unisex, with its best seasons in spring, fall and cooler evenings. It works for office, casual wear, dates and cozy settings because it is creamy, smooth and inoffensive. The main risk is skin chemistry: some people get plush milk and iris, while others find the sandalwood sharper or soapier.
## Comparisons & DNA
Le Labo Santal 33 is the unavoidable reference, but Santal Calling is milkier, softer, less smoky-leathery and less ubiquitous. Le Labo The Noir 29 is the second reference for the darker wood resonance. Fugazzi Angel Dust and Diptyque Radio Bombay sit nearby in the creamy sandalwood neighborhood.
Within Ex Nihilo, it sits beside Bois d'Hiver and Vetiver Moloko as one of the house's softer woody pillars.
## Reception
Reception is strongly positive and affectionate, with a hidden-gem tone. Admirers praise the milky iris softness, gentle sandalwood and under-the-radar elegance. Detractors find it too musky, too sharp, too feminine-leaning or too expensive for a soft sandalwood.
Sample first if you are sandalwood-sensitive or if lactonic notes often turn sour on your skin. For the right wearer, it is an easy signature.
## Versions & Reformulation
Santal Calling is a single Eau de Parfum composition with no known reformulation, and it remains in production.
## Acquisition Notes
Santal Calling is sold through Ex Nihilo and authorized niche retailers in standard house formats, with discovery and traveler options where available. Sampling is sensible because the creamy-versus-soapy split is skin-dependent and the full bottle is expensive.
## Notable Facts & Lore
- The brief centers on Australian sandalwood album and a laboratory-created milk accord.
- The milk accord is synthetic by design, built around lactonic molecules.
- Santal Calling belongs to the Initiale collection.
- Its fan lore is the quiet satisfaction of finding a creamy sandalwood that stays under the radar.