In the fragrance wheel, Sandalwood is part of the woody oriental sub-group, which is categorised by their musky and earthy, subtle sweet, and spicy notes.
Sandalwood is now considered an endangered plant species due to years of overharvesting it and illegal farming of the precious wood for its oil and the mysticism surrounding its scent.
First discovered by Hindus when, according to history, they used it to create their incense sticks, sandalwood has become a universally popular scent.
In perfume, the scent is part of the woody group in the fragrance wheel. Specifically, it is part of the woody-oriental sub-group. Due to its musky and earthy, subtle sweet, and spicy notes, the scent is ideal to blend with other scents.
A brief history of sandalwood
As highlighted before, Hindus are considered to have discovered sandalwood and its properties. Sandalwood is believed to initially have been used to create incense sticks to light in many ancient temples, statuary, and sacred objects.
Similarly, it is believed that Egyptians also used sandalwood in their embalming rituals, because they believe that it has the power to release the souls of the dead.
Sandalwood was introduced as an ingredient in cosmetics in the 18th century. Initially considered a male scent, that changed in 1796 when a perfumer by the name of James Floris developed the fragrance, Stephanotis.
What does sandalwood smell like in perfume?
In recent years, Sandalwood has become an endangered plant species due to the illegal smuggling of the plant and the overharvesting of the most popular of the sandalwood trees, Indian sandalwood, or Santalum album.
The plant species are now endangered because in order for its trees to mature to ideal harvesting conditions, they require at least 15 years to mature.
Moreover, the tree is touted for its oil properties, which are derived from its roots and stump, meaning that the whole tree needs to be cut down to harvest its valuable resources.
This has made sandalwood one of the most expensive woods in the world, and as such, synthetic versions of sandalwood have been created. This includes synthetic versions like Bacdanol, Polysantol, and Javanol.
The actual scent of sandalwood, for those that have not smelled the plant before, is closely comparable to the scent of patchouli, which is also part of the oriental woody sub-group of the woody scents on the fragrance wheel.
The scent is touted for its use as a base note in perfumes. Thus, sandalwood works quite well with other scents as it helps enhance other notes. Sandalwood is favoured as complementary to other notes, including fruity, floral, and earthy notes.
While there are a plethora of fragrances that have managed to highlight sandalwood in their scents, there are three top perfumes that are touted as some of the best sandalwood fragrances in the market.
1. Tam Dao Eau de Parfum
Universally regarded as the best sandalwood-based perfume, the Diptyque Tam Dao eau de parfum was first introduced in 2003. Tam Dao eau de parfum is a unisex scent.
The nose design is aimed at creating a floral woody fragrance that includes top notes of Italian cypress, myrtle, and rose. The middle notes are sandalwood and cedar, and the base notes are Brazilian rosewood, spices, amber, and white musk.
Currently, the fragrance is out of stock on Amazon, but you can add the perfume to your wishlist to notify you when it returns.
2. Santal 33
Santal 33 by Le Labo was first introduced in 2011, with the nose behind the design credited to Frank Voelkl.
Despite being marketed as a unisex fragrance, the opening description of the scent is, “A defining image of the spirit of the American West with all it implied about masculinity and personal freedom.”
Moreover, the website defines the note profile of the perfume as follows, “…introduces our use of cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox which crackle in the formula and bring to this smoking wood alloy (Australian sandalwood, cedarwood) some spicy, leathery, musky notes, and gives this perfume its unisex signature and addictive comfort.”
On Amazon, Santal 33 is available for the discounted price of $236.99 for a 100ml/ 3.4 fl. oz bottle.
3. Oud Wood
Tom Ford’s Oud Wood was introduced in 2007. Similarly to most of Tom Ford’s fragrances, the scent endeavours to encapsulate the name of the fragrance, as each one highlights an immersive experience.
As such, Oud Wood’s description reads as, “Smoky, incense-filled temples and a passion for rare, precious oud wood inspired our Oud Wood.”
Detailing the ingredients of the fragrance, the website reads, “Evoking the enveloping warmth of incense-filled temples, the groundbreaking composition of exotic, smoky woods include rare oud, sandalwood, rosewood, eastern spices, and sensual amber, revealing Oud Wood’s rich and compelling power.”
Oud Wood is available on Amazon for $232.20 for a 50ml/ 1.7 fl. oz bottle.
