Best Sandalwood Colognes (2023) – Everything You Need To Know
It seems to take fragrance connoisseurs a while to find this outstanding note. Yet, once they do, they fall in love.
These are easy creations to enjoy. They have warm and creamy wood accents that compliment sandalwood’s likable and sensual nature.
They are just so charming and pleasant. It is no wonder that sandalwood is used for aromatherapy.
This review will describe how the top 10 smell and perform. By the end, you’ll know which one is for you – if not all.
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Table of Contents
#10 – Escentric Molecule Escentric 04 EDP – Best Sandalwood Citrus Cologne
If you were looking for the simplest cologne with sandalwood, you’ve found it. Bright citrus grapefruit and light florals are all based around creamy sandalwood.
The opening grapefruit is bright but not sharp. The smell invigorates you for the day. Light florals accompany citrus and promote the freshness of both sandalwood and grapefruit.
Early on, sandalwood envelops the top notes. It is almost exclusively creamy sandalwood by the mid and dry down. Top notes still linger, but you mostly get a pleasant fresh sandalwood base.
Escentric 04 is an extremely likable fragrance. I specifically enjoy this scent if you need a casual cologne for around the house or to run errands.
#9 – Creed Original Santal
The best cologne with sandalwood. How did Creed original santal get here? It uses high-quality ingredients and knocks creamy sandalwood out of the park.
I’ve said it before, and I stand by my words. Creed Original Santal is the gold standard of Sandalwood colognes. The warm and creamy sandalwood is always present but never overpowering.
Accompanying sandalwood are equal parts cinnamon spice and aromatic juniper berries. Alone, Cinnamon spice and sandalwood are exceptionally warm.
But with juniper’s fresh and herbal qualities, the scent is well-balanced.
As the scent develops, vanilla adds a degree of smoothness. It plays middleman for the contrasting warm vs. fresh accents. When this happens, Original Santal enters another dimension.
The rest of the wear is so good it’s hard to put words to.
Near the end of wear, you’ll find fleeting spicy kicks and nuances of aromatic lavender. Both add the same qualities as the notes in the heart.
Still, in the base, warm sandalwood is prominent and stays that way for the rest of the wear.
#8 – Guerlain Les Absolus D’orient Santal Royal EDP
Where is the royalty in Santal Royal EDP? My guess is that it comes from the quality of oud, rose, and sandalwood. I did some digging, and this was the best answer I could find.
So, let’s talk about the scent. Sandalwood is not the most prominent in the opening but lingers in the background. Though surprising, it still achieves sandalwood goodness.
Leather and oud dominate the opening. Sandalwood and spices await their turn in the background. Yes, sandalwood is there, but faintly. First-time users, myself included, will think this is an oud-dominated scent.
However, as the scent develops, leather and oud get broken down by warm rose notes. Warm enough to counterbalance the smell but not dominate it. When this happens, sandalwood makes its presence known.
Once in the dry down, you’ll understand why the sandalwood base was worth the wait. It takes oud, leather, and rose and washes over them with warmth and creaminess.
It makes the scent whole, but I wish it would have been more prominent for the entire wear.
The time of wear is limited. It is exclusively a fall and winter scent. In warm temperatures, it is simply too heavy.
#7 – Le Labo Santal 33 EDP – Best Sandalwood Leather Cologne
Le Labo Santal 33 EDP is an excellent performing cologne with an interesting opening. I would love to see your face when you read about it.
Upon the first spray, your hit with a dill pickle-type note. Yuck! A dill pickle.
It is not as bad as it sounds; it is a unique take on green and fresh. If it still sounds bad, it should be good to know that it is fleeting, gone within a few minutes.
As the scent progresses, you’ll be pleased that Santal 33 EDP is still on your skin. A heavy dose of sandalwood and cedar fills the void of vanishing dill.
I found this combination to be particularly memorable as well as complex. Cedar is common among sandalwood colognes, but Le Labo has done something unique here.
Sandalwood and cedar remain the star of the show for the rest of the wear. Leather adds in equal parts to this combination in the base.
This trio emphasizes a dry and masculine nature. But it is not an amazing scent without balance.
Nuances of green dill linger, and spicy cardamom makes an appearance. With the dominant base notes, they add a diverse dynamic.
Fortunately, this is all-year-round wear. You will have to take it easy in the summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear it.
#6 – Tom Ford Santal Blush – Best Sandalwood Jasmine Cologne
It’s not surprising that Tom Ford creates the most natural sandalwood cologne. White florals coated with spices lead the opening. They grab your attention while sandalwood and ylang-ylang linger in the background.
After a while, sandalwood comes out in full force. It has a milky quality and is extremely addictive. This is primarily from the addition of ylang-ylang’s clean and smooth accents.
Once the top notes fade into the background, it gives way to a mostly sandalwood base. It has gotten softer but is still sweet and creamy as cedar nuances add to the woodiness.
You can have your cake and eat it, too, right? In this case, an outstanding scent and great performance don’t go together.
Tom Ford Santal Blush has poor projection and okay longevity. It is a very intimate scent as well as rich and dense. If you try spraying more on, you don’t get better projection; you just choke yourself out.
Does the smell itself warrant a purchase? Yes, 100%. But given a 50mL bottle is over $200, I’ll let you decide if the smell, given the lack of performance, is worth it.
#5 – Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens
One of the best aspects of Santal Majuscule is its development. For the entire wear, it winds you down a delicious path of sweet sensual sandalwood accords.
It is the perfect balance between lightness and darkness. What I mean by this is that it never gets so heavy that it’s hard to wear. On the flip side, it still has enough depth to be what you’d expect from a woody dominant cologne.
If you’re into simple and linear, then you’ll particularly enjoy this. Sandalwood, Rose, and Cacao are mostly what I pick up for the entire wear.
Enveloped by smooth sandalwood, rose and cacao are by far and wide, the most prominent in the opening. Together they make a gourmand chocolate accord.
After a few hours, the sweet rose notes make their way into the background. Dark and powdery aspects add to the chocolate accord. The gourmand-ness is still present, but shifts towards cocoa focused.
This makes the note slightly bitter. Then comes the best part, a dominant sandalwood backbone adds to the chocolate accord. For the rest of the wear, it is a very pleasant woody chocolate aroma.
As for wear, like many sandalwood fragrances, this is an excellent fall scent. The warmer temperatures are fine too, but the sweetness is cloying in the high heat.
#4 – Chanel Egoiste EDT – Best Sandalwood and Tobacco Cologne
A classic Chanel fragrance released in the 90s. A few years after its release, it was overshadowed by its flanker Egoiste Platinum.
Yet if you want the elegance of Chanel Sandalwood, you’ll have to try Egoiste Pour Homme EDT.
The opening is a trio of citrus-rose-clove. It is woody from the beginning but always lingers in the background. As the scent progresses, citrus is lost, and spices from clove and cinnamon are amplified.
Rose anchors the combination of spices with its dark and rich accents. Rose is commonly seen as feminine in male perfumery but here emphasizes a classically masculine scent.
The full effect of sandalwood is expressed in the dry down. It works hand in hand with tobacco. Both are equally prominent til the end of the wear.
Fleeting jolts of spice liven up the dominant base notes, giving them a needed edge. Nuances of rose and vanilla make their way to the base, anchoring all the notes like done in the mid.
Chanel Egoiste is one of the better colognes with sandalwood. It is difficult not to like its rich and clear nature. As for when to wear, colder temperatures and nighttime will be the best fit.
#3 – Diptyque Tam Dao EDP – Best Sandalwood and Vanilla Cologne
This is a wonderfully soft yet mysterious sandalwood fragrance. You’ll find that the lack of projection creates a calming and sensual nature.
Tam Dao EDP is the most sandalwood solid cologne, and it doesn’t try to hide it. Creamy sandalwood is prominent from the first spray and is blended with a dry cedar.
Coriander, ginger, and a hint of lime play second fiddle for most of the opening and mid.
In simple terms, it is a spicy, woody aroma with a zingy citrus touch.
As the scent develops, the secondary notes fade, and the woody notes stay strong. Nuances of vanilla add to the sandalwood, emphasizing the inviting yet not overwhelming nature.
Diptyque Tam Dao EDP reminds me a lot of Byredo Mojave Ghost. They don’t have similar scents, but they both share very cozy and comforting vibes.
It is costly, but if you have the extra money, it is an excellent sandalwood fragrance for all seasons. Whether you are cuddling on the couch or running errands, Diptyque Tam Dao EDP is worth the money.
#2 – BDK Parfums Gris Charnel
The opening is led by fleeting nuances of cardamom and equal parts fig. The fig comes across as slightly sweet and fruity. Yet, the top pair is all about freshness.
Within 15 minutes, the fig note is gone. A powdery iris and a creamy sandalwood backbone fill the void. The sandalwood note is prominent, but it is not overwhelmingly dominant.
Sandalwood is the star of the show in the dry down. The iris has weakened, but the powdery accord is amplified by a slightly sweet tonka bean. The rest of the wear is creamy sandalwood with slightly sweet tonka bean and powdery iris nuances.
The performance is nothing to write home about. Yet, it is still decent. It’s a very wearable scent. The hottest days of summer might be too much for Gris Charnel.
But for all other times of the year, it works well.
#1 – Kilian Sacred Wood – Best Sandalwood Cologne for Men
Another ultra-simple fragrance. The entire wear, I only smell two notes and fleeting wafts of others.
The opening is led by a fleeting green tinge. It is gone so quickly that I can’t figure out the specific note. I smell a hefty dose of sandalwood within seconds after the first spray.
It is dominant and will remain that way for the rest of the wear.
At first, the sandalwood has a slightly harsh nature and spiced accent. This only lasts a few minutes while sandalwood “settles in.” I attribute this mainly to the authenticity of the sandalwood note.
Near the end of the wear, a creamy milk accord adds to the sandalwood. Making it exceptionally warm, smooth, and creamy.
A simple yet delightful scent. The performance is quite impressive. On the skin, it will last from dusk to dawn. The projection is above average for the first 3-4 hours, then recedes.
Yet, never becomes a skin scent. Sacred Wood can be worn for all seasons except summer.
Sandalwood Scent Description
Now that you know what the best colognes with sandalwood are. You probably have a good idea of what sandalwood smells like. However, if you don’t allow me to enlighten you.
Sandalwood is a tree indigenous to the warm zones of India and northern Australia. It is a dense yellow and red aromatic wood. After 10 – 30 years, the trees mature.
The essential oils are extracted and used for various products. Most commonly in colognes for men, aromatherapy, and aftershaves.
This lengthy time to harvest is why many sandalwood colognes are exceptionally expensive.
Sandalwood often has a rich, soft, and creamy woods smell that gives off a balsamic feel. What is balsamic? It is a warm resin with a sometimes animalic tone or slightly medicinal nature.
In short, the sandalwood scent description is woody.
FAQ’s
Why Does Sandalwood Smell So Good?
Many people, myself included, enjoy sandalwood’s warm and creamy aspects. It has a very calming and soothing effect that is difficult not to enjoy.
Okay, sandalwood smells good, but how long does the sandalwood smell last?
Luckily, as a rich and dense wood, it can linger on your skin for quite a while. In many of the best colognes with sandalwood, sandalwood serves as the backbone for the scent.
Many of these scents last 6-10 hours, with sandalwood always present.
Are There Aftershaves With Sandalwood?
Yes, if you fall in love with one of these scents, you can always get an aftershave. This review only talked about the best sandalwood colognes for men.
However, there are good aftershaves that can be found on Amazon. One that I recommend is Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood aftershave.
There is a cologne version of Taylor of Old Bond Street, and it is a good sandalwood cologne. However, it just didn’t make my Top 10 list.
Conclusion
Sandalwood colognes for men are warm and creamy art forms. They are not only for men but also women, I did not cover sandalwood perfumes, but there are many.
Most sandalwood colognes have decent versatility and perform well for all occasions. Some are even exceptionally charming for formal/special events.
What are your Top Sandalwood Colognes for Men?
Sandalwood fragrances are all very attractive with their warm and smooth nature. But don’t just limit yourself to sandalwood colognes. Discover the best vanilla fragrances for men here.