Fragrance note guide

What Does Cedarwood Smell Like in Perfume?

Cedarwood in perfume usually smells dry, warm and woody, with resinous, slightly smoky or pencil like sides. Some cedarwood notes feel smooth and creamy, while others are sharper and more aromatic. Perfumers often use cedarwood to add structure, dryness and lasting woody depth.

Cedarwood pieces with wood shavings and fresh cedar foliage

What Does Cedarwood Smell Like?

The smell of cedarwood depends on the material used. Atlas cedarwood can feel warm, dry, resinous and slightly leathery, while other materials sold as cedarwood may be cleaner, sharper or more pencil like. This variety allows cedarwood to work in both fresh and dark fragrances.

Where Does Cedarwood Come From?

Cedarwood materials can come from true cedar trees or from related woody plants used for a similar scent. Atlas cedarwood comes from Cedrus atlantica and is commonly associated with Morocco. Its essential oil is produced by distilling the wood, including sawdust left from woodworking.

How Cedarwood Is Usually Described

  • Dry
  • Warm
  • Woody
  • Resinous
  • Aromatic
  • Softly smoky

How Is Cedarwood Used in Perfume?

Cedarwood is usually used in the heart or base of a perfume. It adds shape to woody, aromatic, citrus and floral fragrances and can make sweet notes feel drier. It also works well with vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, spices, amber and musk.

Notes Commonly Paired With Cedarwood

White jasmine flowers and green leaves against a soft blue green background
Fragrance note

Jasmine

Jasmine in perfume usually smells rich, sweet and floral. It can also seem creamy, green, fruity or slightly spicy, depending on the type of jasmine and the other...

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Silvery wormwood leaves, star anise and fennel seeds representing an absinthe perfume accord
Fragrance note

Absinthe

Absinthe in perfume usually smells bitter, green and herbal, with anise-like, liquorice, camphoraceous and slightly medicinal sides. It can feel sharp and cool rather than sweet. The note...

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Golden labdanum and benzoin resins used in amber perfume accords
Fragrance note

Amber

Amber in perfume usually smells warm, sweet and resinous, with soft vanilla, balsamic, powdery or slightly smoky sides. It is not normally taken from fossilised amber. In perfumery,...

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Mineral stones, sea salt, driftwood and amber-grey material representing a vegan ambergris accord
Fragrance note

Ambergris

Ambergris in perfume usually smells warm, mineral and ambery, with marine, musky, woody and sometimes tobacco-like sides. Modern ambergris accords can feel clean and velvety or dry, salty...

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Pale amber-toned crystals, smooth driftwood and sea salt representing the mineral character of Ambroxan
Fragrance note

Ambroxan

Ambroxan in perfume usually smells dry, warm and ambery, with woody, musky, mineral and sometimes slightly salty sides. It can feel clean and smooth rather than sweet, even...

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Fresh green and red apples, one sliced in half, with leaves on a light sky grey background
Fragrance note

Apple

Apple in perfume usually smells crisp, juicy and fresh, with green, sweet and slightly tart sides. Green apple accords tend to feel sharper and more energetic, while red...

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Fresh bay laurel leaves and dark berries on a dusty pink-grey background
Fragrance note

Bay Leaf

Bay leaf in perfume usually smells green, herbal and spicy, with eucalyptus-like, woody and slightly medicinal sides. It is drier and more aromatic than many soft leafy notes....

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Fresh bergamot oranges with glossy green leaves
Fragrance note

Bergamot

Bergamot in perfume smells fresh, bright and citrusy, with a soft floral character and a slightly bitter green edge. It is less sharp than lemon and often feels...

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Pale birch bark, green leaves and charred wood representing the smoky birch note in perfume
Fragrance note

Birch

Birch in perfume usually smells smoky, dry and leathery, with tarry, burnt, woody and slightly medicinal sides. The familiar perfume note normally refers to a birch-tar effect rather...

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Ripe blackcurrants with green leaves and unopened buds on a pale sage background
Fragrance note

Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant in perfume usually smells dark, tart and juicy, with green, leafy and slightly sharp sides. It can suggest ripe berries, crushed leaves or a rich fruit syrup,...

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Green cardamom pods, opened pods and dark seeds on a light pale peach background
Fragrance note

Cardamom

Cardamom in perfume usually smells fresh, green and spicy, with citrusy, aromatic, woody and slightly cooling sides. It is lighter and fresher than many warm spices, so it...

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Pale wood, soft natural fibres and warm amber-toned stones representing the character of Cashmeran
Fragrance note

Cashmeran

Cashmeran in perfume usually smells warm, woody and musky, with spicy, powdery, amber-like and slightly earthy sides. It may also show soft animalic, fruity or pine-like qualities. Cashmeran...

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Fresh clary sage with textured green leaves and pale lilac flowers on a warm grey-blue background
Fragrance note

Clary Sage

Clary sage in perfume usually smells herbal, aromatic and floral, with lavender-like, hay, tea, amber and softly tobacco-like sides. It is smoother and warmer than ordinary culinary sage....

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Coriander plant with white flowers, green leaves and dried seeds on a pale peach background
Fragrance note

Coriander

Coriander in perfume usually smells aromatic, spicy and lightly citrusy, with floral, peppery, woody and softly sweet sides. The perfume material normally associated with this character comes from...

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Cumin plant with fine leaves, white flowers and dried seeds on a muted lavender background
Fragrance note

Cumin

Cumin in perfume usually smells warm, dry and spicy, with earthy, herbal and softly animalic sides. In small amounts, it can add realistic warmth and depth without smelling...

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Green cypress twigs with small cones on a pale rose-grey background
Fragrance note

Cypress Leaf

Cypress leaf in perfume usually smells green, aromatic and woody, with pine-like, peppery and resinous sides. It feels drier and more structured than a soft leafy note. Some...

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Pale elemi resin pieces and a leafy elemi branch on a dusty blue background
Fragrance note

Elemi

Elemi in perfume usually smells fresh, resinous and peppery, with bright citrus, aromatic wood and incense-like sides. It is lighter and more sparkling than many dark balsamic resins....

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Ripe purple figs, green leaves and a cut stem on a pale apricot-grey background
Fragrance note

Fig

Fig in perfume usually smells green, milky and softly sweet, with fruity, leafy, creamy and woody sides. A fig note can represent the ripe fruit, the broad green...

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Fresh fir branches with green needles, natural cones and pale resin on a frosted blue background
Fragrance note

Fir

Fir in perfume usually smells fresh, green and coniferous, with woody, resinous and balsamic sides. It can suggest crushed evergreen needles, cool forest air, tree sap and freshly...

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Flint stones and mineral fragments representing a dry smoky flint perfume accord
Fragrance note

Flint

Flint in perfume usually smells dry, mineral and smoky, with metallic, stony and slightly earthy sides. It does not come from extracting scent from pieces of flint. It...

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Fresh ginger roots, one sliced, with green leaves on a pale lavender-blue background
Fragrance note

Ginger

Ginger in perfume usually smells fresh, spicy and zesty, with lemon-like, woody, earthy and slightly peppery sides. It feels lively and sparkling rather than simply hot. Fresh ginger...

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Pink grapefruit halves, curled peel and green leaves on a light lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Grapefruit

Grapefruit in perfume usually smells fresh, tart and juicy, with a slightly bitter peel character and a clean, sparkling edge. It may also have green, dry or lightly...

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Pale frankincense resin pieces with Boswellia tree bark and green leaves on a pale lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Incense

Incense in perfume usually smells resinous, smoky and woody, with warm amber, dry spice and sometimes fresh citrus or mineral sides. It does not always smell like thick...

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Juniper branch with blue-green berries and needles on a pale blush-grey background
Fragrance note

Juniper

Juniper in perfume usually smells fresh, aromatic and coniferous, with gin-like, spicy, green and woody sides. It can feel crisp and sparkling near the start, before becoming drier...

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Fresh lavender flower spikes and grey-green leaves on a light warm stone background
Fragrance note

Lavender

Lavender in perfume usually smells fresh, aromatic and softly floral, with herbal, clean, slightly sweet and sometimes powdery sides. Some lavender notes feel light, airy and calming, while...

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Natural smooth leather, grained leather and suede textures on a light cool-stone background
Fragrance note

Leather

Leather in perfume usually smells dry, warm and slightly smoky, with woody, animalic, tarry or soft suede like sides. It does not normally come from untreated animal hide...

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Fresh lemons, curled lemon peel and green leaves on a pale lilac-grey background
Fragrance note

Lemon

Lemon in perfume usually smells bright, fresh and sharply citrusy, with a clean, zesty character that often suggests freshly cut peel. It may also have green, lightly floral...

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Fresh green limes with glossy leaves and a white citrus flower on a pale blue-grey background
Fragrance note

Lime

Lime in perfume usually smells sharp, zesty and green, with juicy, bitter, sparkling and slightly herbal sides. It is often brighter and more sour than orange or mandarin,...

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Fresh peppermint and spearmint leaves with green stems on a light warm grey background
Fragrance note

Mint

Mint in perfume usually smells cool, fresh and green, with herbal, sweet and sometimes camphor-like sides. Peppermint can feel sharp and icy, while spearmint is often softer, greener...

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Fresh green forest moss on damp bark with woodland leaves on a pale stone-grey background
Fragrance note

Moss

Moss in perfume usually smells earthy, damp and green, with forest-floor, woody, resinous and slightly smoky sides. It is a broad description rather than one precise material. A...

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Ambrette seed pods and white flowers representing soft musk notes
Fragrance note

Musk

Musk in perfume can smell soft, warm, clean and slightly powdery, often with a smooth quality that is compared with fresh skin or clean fabric. Some musk notes...

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Whole nutmeg seeds, an open nutmeg fruit with red mace and green leaves on a pale mint-grey background
Fragrance note

Nutmeg

Nutmeg in perfume usually smells warm, dry and gently spicy, with woody, aromatic, sweet and slightly earthy sides. It is generally softer and rounder than black pepper and...

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Natural oakmoss lichen on weathered oak branches against a light warm-grey background
Fragrance note

Oakmoss

Oakmoss in perfume usually smells earthy, green and woody, with damp, mossy, slightly salty, leathery or forest like sides. It can create the impression of shaded woodland, wet...

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Dried iris rhizomes with pale purple petals and green leaves on a peach-grey background
Fragrance note

Orris

Orris in perfume usually smells powdery, floral and woody, with violet, buttery, earthy and velvety sides. It comes from iris rhizomes rather than the fresh iris flower. Natural...

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Dark agarwood chips with natural resinous streaks
Fragrance note

Oud

Oud in perfume usually smells dark, woody and resinous, with smoky, leathery, sweet or animalic sides. Some oud notes feel dry and medicinal, while others are smooth, warm...

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Dried papyrus reeds and fibrous stems with green leaves on a muted aqua background
Fragrance note

Papyrus

Papyrus in perfume usually smells dry, woody and earthy, with smoky, fibrous, green and slightly leathery sides. It is designed to suggest dried reeds, paper-like fibres and warm...

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Fresh green patchouli leaves and natural stems
Fragrance note

Patchouli

Patchouli in perfume usually smells earthy, woody and deep, with herbal, slightly sweet and sometimes camphor like sides. It can feel dark and damp in one fragrance but...

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Black peppercorns on a green pepper vine with fresh leaves on a pale peach background
Fragrance note

Pepper

Pepper in perfume usually smells dry, fresh and spicy, with aromatic, citrus-like and woody sides. It can create a lively tingling sensation without necessarily smelling hot like food....

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Bitter orange twigs with green leaves, unripe fruit and white blossoms on an apricot-grey background
Fragrance note

Petitgrain

Petitgrain in perfume usually smells green, citrusy and aromatic, with leafy, woody, floral and slightly bitter sides. It is less juicy than orange peel and greener than neroli....

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Fresh pineapple partly sliced with green leaves on a soft aqua background
Fragrance note

Pineapple

Pineapple in perfume usually smells juicy, sweet and tropical, with tart, green and lightly creamy sides. Some pineapple accords are bright and freshly cut, while others feel riper,...

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Fresh rosemary stems with green leaves and pale blue flowers on a powder rose background
Fragrance note

Rosemary

Rosemary in perfume usually smells fresh, herbal and aromatic, with camphoraceous, minty, pine-like and lightly woody sides. It has a clean and stimulating character that can feel cool,...

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Purple saffron crocus flowers with red stigmas and loose saffron threads on a pale peach-grey background
Fragrance note

Saffron

Saffron in perfume usually smells dry, warm and spicy, with leathery, hay-like, honeyed and sometimes slightly metallic sides. It is not normally sweet in the same way as...

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Common sage with textured grey-green leaves and purple flowers on a pale blue-grey background
Fragrance note

Sage

Sage in perfume usually smells dry, herbal and aromatic, with camphoraceous, eucalyptus-like, earthy and lightly woody sides. It is generally sharper and more medicinal than clary sage, which...

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Sichuan pepper husks and red berries with green leaves on a pale peach-blue background
Fragrance note

Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper in perfume usually smells citrusy, spicy and fresh, with metallic, floral, green and tingling sides. It is not closely related to black pepper and has a...

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Charred wood, cedar bark and grey ash representing a smoky perfume note
Fragrance note

Smoke

Smoke in perfume usually smells dry, dark and charred, with woody, ashy, leathery and incense-like sides. It is a constructed effect rather than smoke trapped inside a bottle....

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Cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, nutmeg, cloves and pink peppercorns on a soft lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Spices

Spices in perfume can smell warm, dry, sweet, peppery, fresh or aromatic. The term does not describe one ingredient because cinnamon, cardamom, clove, nutmeg and pepper all smell...

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Whole star-anise fruits with green leaves on a light dusty lilac background
Fragrance note

Star Anise

Star anise in perfume usually smells sweet, aromatic and spicy, with liquorice-like, herbal, warm and slightly medicinal sides. It is brighter and often cleaner than a dark liquorice...

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Washed vetiver roots and fresh green vetiver grass on a light dusty blue background
Fragrance note

Vetiver

Vetiver in perfume usually smells earthy, woody and dry, with smoky, green, grassy or slightly bitter sides. Some vetiver notes feel dark, rooty and rugged, while others are...

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Fresh violet leaves with water droplets and a small purple flower on a pale apricot-blue background
Fragrance note

Violet Leaf

Violet leaf in perfume usually smells green, watery and cool, with metallic, leafy, cucumber-like and earthy sides. It is very different from the sweet powdery smell associated with...

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Luxaro Perfumes With Cedarwood as a Top Note

These fragrances introduce Cedarwood near the opening of the scent.

Luxaro Perfumes With Cedarwood as a Heart Note

These fragrances reveal Cedarwood through the central body of the scent.

Luxaro Perfumes With Cedarwood as a Base Note

These fragrances use Cedarwood in the lasting foundation of the scent.

Related Fragrance Notes

Wood fragments, mineral stones and amber-toned materials representing the dry woody character of Amberwood
Fragrance note

Amberwood

Amberwood in perfume usually smells dry, warm and strongly woody, with ambery, cedar-like, mineral and sometimes musky sides. It is generally sharper and drier than a sweet traditional...

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Pale wood, soft fibres and amber-toned stones representing the warm character of cashmere wood
Fragrance note

Cashmere Wood

Cashmere wood in perfume usually smells soft, warm and woody, with musky, ambery, spicy and velvety sides. It is not a natural tree or one fixed ingredient. The...

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Guaiac wood, bark and lightly charred fragments on a pale warm grey background
Fragrance note

Guaiac Wood

Guaiac wood in perfume usually smells smoky, warm and woody, with balsamic, rosy, tea-like and softly creamy sides. Its smoke is generally smoother and less tarry than birch....

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Reddish mahogany wood, natural bark and green leaves on a pale warm grey background
Fragrance note

Mahogany

Mahogany in perfume usually smells dark, warm and woody, with polished, dry, slightly smoky and ambery sides. It is not normally an oil extracted from furniture timber. Instead,...

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Pale sandalwood pieces with smooth wood shavings and green leaves
Fragrance note

Sandalwood

Sandalwood in perfume usually smells warm, creamy and softly woody. It can also have milky, balsamic, powdery or lightly spicy sides. Unlike sharper woods, sandalwood often feels smooth...

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Cedarwood, sandalwood and pale natural wood pieces on a light mist grey background
Fragrance note

Woody Notes

Woody notes in perfume can smell dry, warm, earthy, smoky, creamy or resinous. They do not describe one single ingredient because different woods and woody materials have very...

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Accords and Fragrance Families Connected to Cedarwood

Vetiver roots, patchouli leaves, dry hay and a fig leaf representing an earthy accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Earthy

An earthy accord usually smells dry, woody, rooty or slightly damp, with a grounded quality that contrasts with brighter floral, citrus or fruity notes. Some earthy accords have...

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Cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, papyrus and oakmoss representing a woody accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Woody

A woody accord can smell dry, smooth, creamy, earthy, smoky or resinous depending on the materials used. Cedarwood often gives a dry, structured quality, while sandalwood can feel...

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Cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, tobacco and charred birch representing the Woody & Smoky fragrance family
Fragrance family

Woody & Smoky

Woody & Smoky fragrances usually smell dry, earthy or woody, often with touches of smoke, leather or tobacco. Cedarwood can give a clear, dry structure, while vetiver and...

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Cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, saffron and oud representing the Spicy & Woody fragrance family
Fragrance family

Spicy & Woody

Spicy & Woody fragrances generally smell warm, dry and structured, with noticeable spice layered over woods or deeper earthy materials. Nutmeg can bring dry warmth, while cardamom often...

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