Check the list of scent notes in your favorite colognes and chances are you’ll spot sandalwood lurking somewhere in most of them, whether that’s up top, in the heart, or holding things down at the base. It’s the ultimate chameleon of perfumery, pairing easily with spices, citrus, florals, and pretty much anything else a perfumer can throw at it. Sandalwood can take center stage with its creamy, warm, subtly sweet character, or it can provide a smooth, woody foundation that lets flashier notes be the star of the show.
The ingredient itself comes from trees in the Santalum genus—most famously Indian sandalwood, which has been harvested for more than 4,000 years—and its aromatic heartwood and roots are distilled to produce the essential oils used in fragrance. In recent years, sandalwood has gone from being a reliable supporting player to a bona fide headliner, thanks to the rise of “santal” fragrances. One especially famous bottle on this list has become so ubiquitous that you’ve almost certainly smelled it in a chic hotel lobby or on one of your coworkers (but we’ll let you figure out which one that is).
With so many sandalwood colognes out there, declaring an objective best is basically impossible. Still, we rounded up some of our favorites. These colognes use sandalwood in especially fun, distinctive, and even sophisticated ways we’d urge you to try out.
The bolder version of the original Sauvage, this still has the fresh, blue quality that makes the original so great but dials up the warmth with a lot of sandalwood that gives way to a base note of tonka bean and amber (two notes that really complement sandalwood). The warm, woody quality of sandalwood sticks around on your skin for hours; seriously, the longevity here is something to behold. It’s a welcome take on a classic.
There’s a misleading simplicity to this scent that one could argue is the olfactory version of “quiet luxury.” The pepper in the top note gives it a kick of spice, a double dose of frankincense (olibanum) delivers a luxurious resinous quality, and the smooth base of sandalwood isn’t as apparent as some other sandalwood colognes but still gives it a warm, smooth, woody longevity that sticks around for hours. It’s like a perfect cashmere baseball cap or fur-lined Chelsea boot—a comfortable staple that’s deceptively high-quality. Say what you will about the ubiquity of Santal 33, but it’s become one of the most popular and distinctive fragrances of our time.
It’s instantly recognizable thanks to its smooth, woody, leathery vibe that dries down to reveal more greens and florals without losing the hip, wood-forward aspect that makes it so popular. Think of it as the blue jeans of fragrance—a staple that everyone can wear. Tom Ford doesn’t do subtle very often, and even with this one, there is a lot going on.
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