12 Best Sandalwood Perfumes, Loved by Cosmo Editors

Although this is a classic vanilla sandalwood perfume, don't call it basic. Created by Frank Voekl, the brain behind iconic scents like Glossier You and Santal 33, this perfume fuses the creamy woodsiness of sandalwood with powdery florals for a luxurious and calming scent.

One Cosmo editor says: "I never thought I'd love a floral perfume so much, but this scent is so cozy and warm, unlike legit every harsh, crisp floral I've tried. It makes me feel like I'm wearing a soft, luxurious sweater."—BG

Not sure if you're into the traditional woodsy sandalwood? Father Figure combines the note with fig and iris for a bold, juicier experience. It's green, not like a rose bush, but like a lush botanical garden. Cassis, water lily, orris, jasmine, and patchouli add this dewy earthiness. But it's also subtle—hence why it's so well-loved by a mix of novice fragrance wearers and experts alike.

One Cosmo editor says: "In my opinion, Father Figure is Phlur's magnum opus. Its balanced blend of green fig, dewy florals and cozy sandalwood works for literally every season, occasion, and time of day. It's clean and fresh but not too fresh, courtesy of some powdery iris notes that give it a lived-in quality. Not only is this my favorite Phlur fragrance, but it’s one of my favorite fragrances of all time. I have at least 40 full bottles of perfumes in my collection, but I’ve almost gone through the entire bottle of Father Figure in less than two years. I don’t have a signature scent, but this comes pretty damn close."—LAUREN GRUBER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hey, not every chic perfume needs to cost a million dollars. Case in point: Le Mond Gourmand's Santal Supreme, a sandalwood scent for less than $30. It's soft on the performance side, but smells similar to a lot of extremely expensive santal scents we've tested.

One Cosmo editor says: "I get that not everyone wants their scent to travel throughout the entire building. In those situations, I love Le Mond Gourmand—the perfumes don't last hours upon hours, but I enjoy the light scent they give off, especially this sandalwood version."—BG

Queens and Monsters has a musky undertone that's how I imagine hot people just naturally smell. The combo of violet, neroli, jasmine, and freesia feel fresh and green immediately, but calm down with sandalwood, musk, and vanilla. It's kinda powdery and so smooth.

One Cosmo editor says: "Several Henry Rose scents have notes of sandalwood, but Queen & Monsters is the best, IMO. Described by the brand as “amber gourmand,” Queen & Monsters combines base notes of sandalwood with top notes of violet leaf, neroli, and petitgrain to create a scent that is somehow not too spicy or sweet."—OLIVIA TRUFFAUT-WONG, EDITOR

Many sandalwood perfumes feature notes of vanilla, but this new Tom Ford scent takes it to a whole new level. Vanilla Sex is, well, vanilla through and through, though the sandalwood keeps it from smelling like pure sugar. It’s about as close to putting vanilla extract on your pulse points as you can get.

One Cosmo editor says: "Tom Ford's newest perfume is a total winner for anyone who loves a creamy, smooth perfume. The day I wore this, five people came up to me as I walked into an event to immediately tell me I smelled amazing (even before a "how are you?"—rude!). Everyone loved how warm and sweet I smelled, which tracks considering this perfume is filled with three different types of vanilla (vanilla, vanilla absolute, and Ultravanil, a molecule only found in Vanilla Sex that intensifies the other vanilla notes in the perfume)."—BG

Spices and woods pair perfectly together, giving a perfume a certain ~je ne sais quoi~. And that's exactly It Factor. It's the type of scent where you can't exactly tell what all the notes are—you just know it smells good. Incense, ginger, cardamom, and musk make your nose crinkle at first, but the dry down is undeniably woodsy and warm.

One Cosmo editor says: "Upon first sniff, I get hella ginger. But it's not too spicy—instead, there's a musky, warm, woodsy undertone that makes this feel sexy but also soft. I simultaneously want to spritz it on myself but also douse my partner in it so I can smell it on them."—BG

Le Labo’s Santal 33 is legendary on TikTok and seemingly beloved by everyone—even Niall Horan is a fan. I can confirm: yes, it’s really that good. In fact, many Cosmo editors deemed it the best of the best. Santal 33 smells fresh and woodsy on me, not particularly sweet or warm, which is good for those who prefer a crisp scent. Part of the fun of this perfume is that it smells slightly different on everyone, so it can be everyone’s signature scent.

One Cosmo editor says: "Some might find Santal 33 'basic' or overworn. And yes, sure, I probably smell at least one person wearing this every single day in NYC. But (!) there's a reason people are obsessed with the scent: Because it smells damn good and lasts all day on my skin."—BG

Brown Girl Jane’s Casablanca uses sandalwood as a basenote to help create a warm, smoky brown sugar scent that’s not too sweet. Many reviewers also love this perfume because of its versatility, noting it can easily be layered to create their perfect scent.

One shopper says: "Very unique perfume. It starts off smelling just like suede… suede shoes, suede jacket, suede bag. Then it dries down to more of a sweet smell, which is the marshmallow I would guess."

If you want to smell like Timothée Chalamet, now’s your chance. Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend is currently the face of this Chanel fragrance line, a sandalwood fragrance that has notes of citrus, creating a fresh scent that’s just strong enough to get your attention.

One Cosmo editor says: "So, technically, this is often described as a men’s cologne, but obviously, gendered fragrance is so not 2025. It definitely does smell like how I imagine spokesman Timothée smells though—woodsy, spicy, warm, sexy, IDK!"—BG

Tam Dao was inspired by the Goa sandalwood and Diptyque co-founder Yve Coueslant’s childhood summers spent in Tonkin, a French colony at the time that’s now part of Vietnam. The fragrance is definitely woodsy, but not spicy, and it’s subtle enough to work in any season.

One shopper says: "Was very surprised to find myself liking this so much as I'm not normally a fan of sandalwood. However, this is such a calming creamy sandalwood scent. Imagine the inside of a temple with incense burning and warm wood. Very cozy but wearable all year round, and unisex."