Fragrance note guide

What Does Sandalwood Smell Like in Perfume?

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 and rounded, which makes it useful for adding comfort and depth to a fragrance.

Pale sandalwood pieces with smooth wood shavings and green leaves

What Does Sandalwood Smell Like?

Sandalwood has a gentle woody smell with a rich, creamy texture. Some natural sandalwood oils feel soft and milky, while others are earthier, smokier or more herbal. Modern sandalwood molecules can also create different effects, from clean and airy to dense and powerful.

Where Does Sandalwood Come From?

Natural sandalwood oil comes from trees in the Santalum family. Indian sandalwood, Santalum album, is one of the best known, while Australian and New Caledonian sandalwoods are also used. The oil is normally obtained by distilling the wood and sometimes the roots. Perfumers may also use sandalwood molecules to create a consistent effect or reduce pressure on natural supplies.

How Sandalwood Is Usually Described

  • Creamy
  • Warm
  • Woody
  • Milky
  • Smooth
  • Softly spicy

How Is Sandalwood Used in Perfume?

Sandalwood is usually used in the base. It blends especially well with rose, jasmine, amber, vanilla, spices, musk and other woods. It can soften dry or sharp notes, make floral perfumes feel creamier and give warm fragrances a smoother foundation.

Notes Commonly Paired With Sandalwood

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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Whole almonds, cracked shells and white almond blossoms on a light pale blue background
Fragrance note

Almond

Almond in perfume usually smells sweet, nutty and slightly creamy, with a marzipan-like character. It can also have bitter, powdery or cherry-like sides, especially when the accord is...

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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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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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Open ambrette seed pods, dark seeds, green leaf and pale yellow flower on an apricot-grey background
Fragrance note

Ambrette

Ambrette in perfume usually smells soft, musky and slightly fruity, with floral, powdery, nutty and sometimes cognac-like sides. It is a plant-derived musk rather than an animal musk....

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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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Ripe golden apricots, one sliced fruit and green leaves on a pale pistachio background
Fragrance note

Apricot

Apricot in perfume usually smells soft, fruity and velvety, with sweet, tart, creamy and sometimes lightly leathery sides. It is generally less juicy than peach and can feel...

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Golden benzoin resin pieces with natural tree bark and green leaves on a light dusty blue background
Fragrance note

Benzoin

Benzoin in perfume usually smells sweet, warm and balsamic, with vanilla-like, creamy, powdery and slightly resinous sides. It can also suggest caramel, cinnamon or warm cereal depending on...

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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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Open cacao pod with fresh cacao beans, dried cocoa beans and green leaves on a dusty rose background
Fragrance note

Cacao

Cacao in perfume usually smells dark, powdery and chocolate-like, with bitter, earthy, roasted and softly sweet sides. It may suggest dry cocoa powder rather than a sugary chocolate...

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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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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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Deep red and dark cherries, one sliced to show the stone, with green leaves on a pale mint-blue background
Fragrance note

Cherry

Cherry in perfume usually smells juicy, sweet and fruity, with tart, almond-like and sometimes liqueur-like sides. A bright cherry note can feel fresh and playful, while black cherry...

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Dark chocolate pieces, roasted cocoa beans and a broken cacao pod on a soft rose-grey background
Fragrance note

Chocolate

Chocolate in perfume usually smells sweet, creamy and cocoa-like, with dark, powdery, roasted and vanilla-like sides. It is often smoother and more dessert-like than a dry cacao note....

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Cinnamon sticks, curled bark and green cinnamon leaves on a light pale lilac background
Fragrance note

Cinnamon

Cinnamon in perfume usually smells warm, sweet and spicy, with dry, woody and sometimes slightly hot sides. It can feel comforting and smooth in one fragrance but sharper...

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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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Dried clove buds beside glossy green leaves and unopened clove flower buds on a pale yellow-grey background
Fragrance note

Clove

Clove in perfume usually smells warm, sweet and spicy, with woody, powdery, smoky and slightly medicinal sides. It is sharper and more intense than cinnamon, with a recognisable...

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Coffee plant branch with ripe red cherries, green leaves and roasted coffee beans on a muted teal-grey background
Fragrance note

Coffee

Coffee in perfume usually smells warm, roasted and dark, with bitter, nutty, earthy and chocolate-like sides. Some coffee notes suggest freshly ground beans or strong espresso, while others...

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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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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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Creamy white gardenia flowers and glossy dark green leaves on a dusty lilac-grey background
Fragrance note

Gardenia

Gardenia in perfume usually smells rich, creamy and floral, with sweet white-petal, green and softly fruity sides. It can feel smoother and more velvety than jasmine, although the...

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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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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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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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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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White marshmallows with vanilla pods and pale petals on a lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Marshmallow

Marshmallow in perfume usually smells soft, sweet and powdery, with vanilla, sugary, creamy and fluffy sides. The perfume note normally represents the confection rather than the natural marsh-mallow...

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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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Natural myrrh resin pieces and a leafy myrrh branch on a dusty blue background
Fragrance note

Myrrh

Myrrh in perfume usually smells warm, resinous and balsamic, with smoky, earthy, liquorice-like and softly sweet sides. Some myrrh materials feel dark and medicinal, while others are smoother,...

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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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Pale purple orchid flower with unopened buds and green leaves on a warm grey background
Fragrance note

Orchid

Orchid in perfume usually smells creamy, floral and softly sweet, although there is no single natural orchid smell. Different orchid species can smell fruity, spicy, green, powdery, vanilla-like...

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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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Ripe peaches, one sliced in half, with green leaves on a light pale lavender background
Fragrance note

Peach

Peach in perfume usually smells juicy, sweet and fruity, with a soft velvety or creamy texture. Some peach notes feel fresh and slightly green, while others are richer,...

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Dark Peru balsam resin with tree bark and green leaves on a dusty rose background
Fragrance note

Peru Balsam

Peru balsam in perfume usually smells sweet, balsamic and warm, with vanilla, cinnamon, amber and powdery sides. It has a smooth resinous character that can resemble dark vanilla,...

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Toasted nuts, caramelised sugar and cocoa representing a praline perfume accord
Fragrance note

Praline

Praline in perfume usually smells sweet, nutty and caramelised, with vanilla, chocolate, toasted almond or hazelnut-like sides. It is a constructed gourmand accord rather than one natural fragrance...

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White, pink and red Rangoon creeper flowers with green leaves on a pale warm grey background
Fragrance note

Rangoon Creeper

Rangoon creeper in perfume usually smells rich, sweet and floral, with jasmine-like, fruity, creamy and tropical sides. It suggests clusters of warm scented flowers rather than a light...

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Fresh pink and cream roses with green leaves
Fragrance note

Rose

Rose in perfume usually smells floral, fresh and softly sweet, but it can also have green, fruity, honeyed or spicy sides. Some rose notes feel light and dewy,...

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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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Ripe strawberries, one sliced fruit and a white flower on a light mint-grey background
Fragrance note

Strawberry

Strawberry in perfume usually smells sweet, juicy and red-fruity, with tart, green, creamy or candy-like sides. Some strawberry accords feel like freshly picked fruit, while others resemble jam,...

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Fresh white tuberose flowers with green stems and leaves on a light pale peach background
Fragrance note

Tuberose

Tuberose in perfume usually smells rich, creamy and strongly floral, with sweet, warm, green and sometimes coconut-like sides. It is much fuller and heavier than delicate flowers such...

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Natural vanilla pods with a vanilla orchid flower and green leaves
Fragrance note

Vanilla

Vanilla in perfume usually smells sweet, warm and creamy. It can also have soft woody, powdery or spicy sides, depending on the material used and the notes around...

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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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Yellow-green ylang-ylang flowers with glossy leaves on a pale lavender-grey background
Fragrance note

Ylang-Ylang

Ylang-ylang in perfume usually smells rich, creamy and floral, with sweet, spicy, fruity and slightly banana-like sides. It is a warm tropical white-floral note with more density than...

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Luxaro Perfumes With Sandalwood as a Base Note

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

Related Fragrance Notes

Cedarwood pieces with wood shavings and fresh cedar foliage
Fragrance note

Cedarwood

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...

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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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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 Sandalwood

Myrrh, benzoin, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood representing a resinous accord in perfume
Fragrance accord

Resinous

A resinous accord usually smells deep, warm and balsamic, with qualities that may be sweet, earthy, smoky, woody or slightly medicinal. Myrrh can make the effect darker and...

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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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Amber resin, vanilla, sandalwood, tonka, saffron, myrrh and benzoin representing the Warm & Ambery fragrance family
Fragrance family

Warm & Ambery

Warm & Ambery fragrances generally smell smooth, rich and enveloping. Vanilla and tonka bean can create softer sweetness, sandalwood adds a creamy woody quality, and resins such as...

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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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