Sandalwood is a prized ingredient frequently used in perfumes, incense, and cosmetics. The scent has been worn by celebrities, royalty, and ordinary folk for centuries, because of its calming and subtle aroma that mixes well with other scents and stands on its own.
Sandalwood can be found in many perfumes, but what exactly does it smell like?
Sandalwood has an earthy, woody scent that sometimes smells rich, slightly sweet, and spicy. Sandalwood fragrances vary in quality depending on where they’re from and how they’re produced; some scents may even have a dark or bitter tone to them.Â
This could be due to being exposed to synthetic chemicals during production, causing these fragrances to have a more musky or smoky aroma.
Due to its robust and exotic scent, sandalwood essential oil and fragrance oil are often used as an aphrodisiac, which is said to enhance one’s love life!
If you want to know more about Sandalwood and what popular fragrances have sandalwood scent in them, keep reading!
Where does Sandalwood come from?
Sandalwood trees are native to India but are now grown in many tropical regions including Hawaii and Australia. Indian sandalwood tree is considered superior to Hawaiian and Australian because it contains more of the precious chemicals that give Sandalwood its traditional fragrance.
In fact, Indian Sandalwood has been used for centuries for everything from cosmetics to incense to medicine. So it’s no wonder that demand is so high.
Every part of a sandalwood tree – bark, flowers, leaves, and roots – has some use. But it is only once a tree reaches around five years old, valuable oils begin to develop in its heartwood.
Sandalwoods found in India are called red or brown sandalwoods (Chandan); depending on their age, when harvested, they can range in color from dark brown to reddish-orange or brownish-yellow.
Is Sandalwood an attractive smell?
Sandalwood is generally an attractive smell and has been a prominent perfume component for centuries. It’s commonly used in aromatherapy to calm and soothe but is also considered to be an aphrodisiac because of its romantic aroma.Â
In general, Sandalwoods range from slightly to highly fragrant and are typically considered to be pleasant, warm, and earthy.
Sandalwood oil can be found in incense sticks and resin, as well as perfumes and body lotions. One popular way to enjoy its unique scent is by burning sandalwood incense in your home or workspace to give off a sweet scent that’s commonly considered attractive.
Is Sandalwood a feminine scent?
Sandalwood has a clean woody scent. Sandalwood scent also has floral and sweet tones, but it’s earthy—and more masculine than feminine. As a result, it can be used in fragrances for both men and women. While it’s not typically seen as a feminine scent, some women prefer it for its calming properties.
Truly masculine fragrances are usually dominated by scents such as leather and musk, while truly feminine fragrances tend to have floral or citrus overtones. However, sandalwood is often mixed with other scents to make it more appealing to women.
It isn’t always easy to tell whether a scent is masculine or feminine since different people have different ideas about what makes a fragrance masculine or feminine. For example, one person might think something smells too flowery to be masculine while another thinks the same thing is just fine on a man.
What does Sandalwood smell like in perfumes?
Sandalwood is a strong base note in many fragrances. Its rich, woody aroma serves as a grounding element that adds depth and warmth to perfumes with less intense top notes. It also blends well with other base notes such as patchouli and vanilla.
Sandalwood oil’s warm, spicy scent makes it popular for men’s cologne – especially when blended with citrus or lavender scents – but it can also be used by women who prefer earthier smells.
Many people find Sandalwood’s rich scent comforting and lasting; some even say it can last up to 8 hours! In addition, the strong, sweet smell of Sandalwood can easily overpower lighter scents.
Sandalwood’s complex nature means it has multiple smells depending on how it’s treated before being distilled into an essential oil. That complexity extends to its use in natural perfume, where you might encounter variations on woody scents and spicy notes depending on how your body reacts with certain ingredients.
Popular Fragrances with Sandalwood Scent
Sandalwood smells amazing in fragrances, and many popular perfumes contain Sandalwood as one of their main ingredients. Below you will find some examples of some of the best fragrances that include Sandalwood.
Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule Eau De Parfum
Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens is a warm and spicy new scent for men. With a velvet touch and smoothness, this perfume has a clean and light scent that follows the warmth and deepness of sandalwood concrete with the help of notes, including cacao and rose to leave you feeling calm and relaxed.Â
Perfect for everyday wear, the scent causes people to get acquainted quickly with its surprising simplicity and its elusive charm. it has a complex depth that matches the allure of Serge Lutens’ other offerings.
It’s a perfume for those looking for a scent that smells sweet but isn’t too overbearingly sweet – thus making it one of the most popular perfumes of its kind.
Tam Dao Eau de Parfum by Diptyque
This stunning fragrance has citrusy top notes of myrtle with cypress and graced with rose, that evolve into the heart notes of cedarwood and warm sandalwood oils with Amber.
Its base is a scent of pure masculinity: deep, aromatic woods from Laos that are warmed by the sweet spiciness of incense. Tam Dao Eau De Parfum Diptyque is a woody vanilla scent, recommended for night time use.
The fragrance rounds off with clear Brazilian rosewood and vanilla, spiced with the exoticness of incense from Laos, sealing Tam Dao’s oriental signature.
Egoiste Pour Homme Eau De Toilette
Egoiste Pour Homme has a crisp and charming opening that smells like you just peeled a fresh grapefruit open.
As it develops, the tobacco flower and cinnamon are perfectly balanced with rose and sandalwood essential oils to create a spectacularly fresh and airy scent that radiates confidence, success, and power.
The dry-down is where it shines- powdery yet immaculate smelling. This popular, highly fragrant scent is classified as a refined, woodsy winter fragrance.
Dia Woman Amouage Eau De Parfum
Dia Woman Amouage opens with a sparkling effervescence, the combination of Aldehydes and Cyclamen create an energetic momentum that fuses floral notes into a refreshing top note.
The floral heart is composed of Cyclamen, Violet Leaf, Sage, Bergamot, and Fig. These intense notes are softened by Peach Blossom and Peony’s richness and Turkish Rose Oil. The base is composed of Musk, Incense, and Sandalwood, making this fragrance timelessly elegant.
The light aroma blends well with the natural body chemistry and works well as a unisex fragrance.
Sensuous Parfum Estée Lauder
This fragrance has a composition of bold, fresh scents like Mandarin Orange blossom and Amber warmed by darker notes of Sandalwood embrace this fragrance’s modern edge.Â
This oriental-woody perfume combines Amber and magnolia, honey and ylang-ylang, a hint of leather, and a provocation of pepper. It is recommended for romantic evening wear. This womanly fragrance will also work well with casual clothing, especially during winter days and nights.
Sensuous is the ultimate fragrance for women that lasts long even after a long day’s work or an intense workout session at the gym.
Final Note
Sandalwood is a rather expensive wood, but it has a unique, unmistakable scent that is hard to replace with anything else. The smell of Sandalwood is rich and spicy, with a creamy, vanilla-like undertone.Â
If you have smelled it before, you’ll most likely recognize the scent!
When used in perfumes or colognes it produces a long-lasting fragrance that can be worn for hours without overpowering its wearer or those around them, thanks to its soft woody base.Â
It’s also not just a one-note fragrance as many fragrances are. Sandalwood has many different varieties and even more ways you can use it to create a custom scent.
