Sandalwood: One of the greatest ingredients on the planet, but also one that takes many forms. I’ve only had the pleasure of wearing one specific pure Mysore Sandalwood oil for a while, but it has left a lasting impression on me. Frankly, a lot of sandalwood fragrances on the market barely share a connection to that type of scent. Most sandalwoods focus heavily on the lactonic aspect and a lot of the fragrances go in a very sweet direction. Either way, they tend to be lovely and comforting. Here are 25 sandalwood-focused fragrances that I would recommend putting on your radar. I’ve reviewed every single one, so you can click on the names for more extensive thoughts.
MORESQUE SANDAL GRANADA
Sandal Granada may be near the top of my wishlist when it comes to full-on sandalwood fragrances. This is perhaps the best and most honeyed among the honeyed-wood (shavings) on this list. It reminds me of Atelier des Ors Iris Fauve, which doesn’t list sandalwood, but as you’ll find in this list, iris and sandalwood are often intertwined.
GEO F. TRUMPER SANDALWOOD COLOGNE
A spicy, sweet and retro ‘masculine’ leaning sandalwood in the same style as Chanel Egoiste. I think its the cheapest sandalwood on the list, but surely not the least and that makes it one of the easiest fragrances to recommend (mostly to men). I’m still mad they don’t sell this scent as one of their beard oils.
UNE NUIT DE NOMADE NOTHING BUT SEA AND SKY
I’m wearing and reviewing this as I compile this list and I had to include it. One of the better, balmy, white musk and soft sandalwood scents, with more of a lovely citrus to set it apart from some other fresher, musky ones on this list.
CREED JASMIN IMPERATRICE EUGENIE
One of my favorite discoveries in 2024. This Creed is almost vintage smelling, with a daring, acidic floral opening. The sandalwood base is the star of the show here. It’s one of the few fragrances where the sandalwood reminded me of the pure Mysore oil that I’d tried.
CHRISTIAN PROVENZANO SANTAL INDIEN EXTRAIT
One of the more ‘focused’ sandalwoods on this list. Not a lot of distraction and subtle, but amazingly smooth, clean woodiness. It gets sweet as it dries, but never at the cost of losing the woods. This quality is hard to match.
HEADSPACE SANTAL
This is one of a couple ‘honeyed wood-shaving’ scents on the list. What sets Santal apart is this quite resinous heart with what I perceive as dried fruits, somewhat similar to what I find in Nasomatto’s Baraonda.
LORENZO VILLORESI MUSK
Despite the name being musk, and rose and musk being big facets in this fragrance, I find that the sandalwood is the star of the show. Villoresi has this perfectly smooth, vintage-quality smelling sandalwood in several compositions and it’s magnificent. I have to properly wear his Sandalo to see if it tops this Musk.
TEONE REINTHAL EMBERS RENAISSANCE
Unfortunately, I’ve never smelled TRNP’s famous Embers, which I have often heard to be one of the best sandalwood fragrances. Renaissance adds a dose of iris and it’s a lovely fragrance. It gets less sweet than many on this list, although I do love to layer Embers Renaissance with her Blue Lotus Tahitensis if I’m in the mood for a more cozy vanilla.
PUREDISTANCE WHITE No. 6
Almost everything Puredistance has done is pure class and White is up there with their best. Silky smooth. Some musky, white linen vibes and overall, very subtle, skin-scent type of performance. Arguably the most elegant fragrance on this list.
AMOUAGE SANTAL SOHAR ATTAR
By far my favorite of all the post-2021 attars by Amouage. This is very honeyed, with Amouages trademark incense and a fully lactonic sandalwood underneath. It works really well in this oil concentration.
FREDERIC MALLE DRIES VAN NOTEN
Quite a spicy sandalwood, with some biscuit-like gourmand facets. I’d say a mature spicy gourmand, the way a Roja Sweetie Aoud is. Sadly, discontinued (and my dumb-ass sold my bottle).
GOLDFIELD & BANKS WHITE SANDALWOOD
This was a nice surprise to me; as one of the last Goldfield & Banks that I had yet to try; it had somehow escaped me. One of the brighter, fruitiest sandalwoods on this list, with a banana-like tinge to my nose. Lovely lactonic drydown.
FRAGRANCE DU BOIS SANTAL COMPLET
One of the few fragrances that I feel is really plagued by mediocre performance. It’s a lovely, coconutty sandalwood that should/could be one of the go-to sandalwood picks, but I know many people find the performance disappointing. Still, a fragrance worth smelling.
AFFINESSENCE SANTAL BASMATI
I love the unique tinge from the rice in the opening, but it dries down mostly woody. Less sweet than many in this direction; a neutral woody scent that like many on this list, enlists iris as main helper.
MIYAZ PERFUME IRIS CACAO (2022)
There have been several versions of Iris Cacao, with slight changes in the ingredients used. I have the 2022 version and it’s one of the coziest, most buttery gourmands with a woody backbone. The thick texture really makes this an experience unlike the others on this list.
JULIETTE HAS A GUN ODE TO DULLNESS
I usually don’t like Juliette Has A Gun to be honest, and this surprised me positively. Mostly a white musk, laundry detergent scent, but with a couple of drops of creamy sandalwood. Not as exciting as some others (hence the name?), but very pleasant.
CARON SANTAL PRECIEUX
One of the best in class for a true sandalwood. It has the spices that makes Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule a bit challenging to me (more on that later in the list), but blanketed with a more gourmand accord. I hope to pick up an older style bottle one day (the new ones are nice and still smell nice, but I’m not a fan of the seemingly unwarranted price hike when Caron relaunched).
DIOR SANTAL NOIR
This reminded me of the drydown of Guerlain Santal Royal (which wears more like a common rose-oud at first). Here, you dive quicker into the sandalwood. I’d say this is one of the best things Dior has released since the original Privée line-up in 2012.
AREEJ LE DORE GULAB ATTAR
Gulab (rose) was my favorite of this attar series, where Russian Adam paired florals with sandalwood. Very simple and the sandalwood overpowered the florals quickly in all of them in my opinion; but that sandalwood used is majestic. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the Santal Attar on its own (which came exclusively as a gift when buying the full range of the attars).
AMOUROUD SANTAL DES INDES
Frankly, I would have to revisit this, but I remember loving it when I reviewed it some years back, as one of my favorite Amourouds. It’s one of the better pairings with rose and overall a mature sandalwood pick.
LE LABO SANTAL 33
Yes, I had to include this on the list. It’s actually the only sandalwood of its type that made the list and maybe that’s because nobody has improved on Santal 33’s fresh, greener (to some, cucumber) sandalwood in my opinion. There are many alternatives that are smoother and more ‘traditionally’ sandalwoody, but I think Santal 33’s beauty lies in its almost industrial, piercing qualites.
NEW NOTES LATTE DI CHERRY [#AD]
This is probably my favorite cherry in a whole overdose of cherry releases in the 2020’s so far. And I prefer it over most cherry scents because of the smooth, miky (sandal)woody base.
Caron Nocturnes de Caron COLOGNE FRAICHE
I assume this is similar to the EDT & Parfum from the same time period in the 1980’s (an EDP was released in 2013, but I assume that will smell different). I have never seen a full size bottle of the Cologne Fraiche concentration, only miniatures. And it was a spectacular find for me. Similarly smooth and soft as the Villoresi Musk. I also found it similar somewhat to Guerlain Samsara (vintage) EDT, but that one is too aldehydic for my personal taste.
SERGE LUTENS FEMINITE DU BOIS
By all means, this entry should’ve been Santal Majuscule for a sandalwood by Serge (or Santal de Mysore or Santal Blanc, which I haven’t tried). But honestly, I didn’t end up wearing Santal Majustule much. It wasn’t as cozy as I hoped due to a cumin or cardamom tinge. What I do love without pretense, is Feminite Du Bois. Perhaps less of a sandalwood reference, but a woody masterpiece.
STEPHANE HUMBER LUCAS ISRA & MIRAJ
I picked Isra & Miraj as the token fragrance for this specific woody sweetness that reminded me of fragrances such as Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur, Eris Night Flower, Guerlain Shalimar or Chanel Le Lion.