Woody fragrances are among the most loved fragrances out there. With their warm and robust scents, you really can’t dislike these. However, what are the best woody fragrances for men?
What Are Woody Fragrances And How Do They Smell
The great outdoors calls every one of us. The sights, sounds and smells of the great outdoors can seem irresistible when you trapped inside. However, even if you can’t be outside having fun, you can always smell fantastic just like the great outdoors if you wear a nice wood-based fragrance.
Nowadays, there are many woody fragrance notes and even more woody fragrances. Some of the more popular woody notes are sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, and oud (these links take you to articles that go in-depth with these fragrance notes). However, there are many, many more, such as birch, pine, oak, cashmere woods, and guaiac wood.
Each and every single woody note gives off a slightly different scent, but one thing they all have in common is their warm and slightly robust feel. These will often make a fragrance more masculine, but also more outdoorsy. Below are listed some of the best woody fragrances for men, in no particular order!
1. Diptyque Tam Dao
Scent: If you like woody fragrances, Diptyque Tam Dao might just be the ticket for you. It is a beautiful fragrance with a warm, spicy, and very natural scent of a variety of different woods. The opening of this fragrance is mainly a beautiful cypress wood scent, but there is also a subtle hint of rose mixed with some amazing myrtle wood. During the middle, you will get a magnificent combination of cedarwood and sandalwood. The base of this fragrance adds a little more wood, some warm amber, a bit of musk and a couple of fresh spices. This creates an incredible scent that is reminiscent of an old woodshop.
Notes: The top notes of Diptyque Tam Dao are cypress, myrtle, and rose. The middle notes are cedarwood and sandalwood. The base notes are rosewood, white musk, amber, and spices.
Best for: Diptyque Tam Dao is a tremendous scent that you can easily wear all year long. Adding to that versatility, Tam Dao can be worn both casually and formally. This is also an elegant fragrance that works for men of all ages. Tam Dao has a modern, yet timeless scent, perfect for a sophisticated gentleman. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Le Labo Santal 33
Scent: Le Labo Santal 33 is an extremely popular fragrance that’s often linked to the scent of New York. This fragrance opens with a dry scent of pure sandalwood, providing you with a calming and robust scent. Shortly after the opening. some floral notes are added, giving the fragrance a powdery feel. This is quickly accompanied by a subtle touch of leather. These blend in beautifully with the dry woods, leaving you with an easy to wear and extremely likable fragrance.
Notes: The notes in Le Labo Santal 33 are sandalwood, Virginia cedarwood, cardamom, violet, papyrus, leather, amber and iris.
Best for: Le Labo Santal 33 is a fantastic fragrance that can be worn all year long. Even though this fragrance mainly consists of warm woods, it has a very dry feel that makes it very inoffensive. Throughout the year, you really can’t go wrong with this fragrance. It will be perfect for casual everyday wear, but will work just as well on a date, a night out, a formal setting, or the office. This is a fragrance for dreamers, for people with aspirations. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Creed Bois De Portugal
Scent: Creed Bois Du Portugal is a lesser known fragrance form the house of Creed. However, it is an extremely well-blended fragrance with an aromatic, woody, citrusy, soothing, somewhat old-school, and floral scent. The opening of this fragrance has a fresh bergamot accord. The heart of Bois Du Portugal is all about the lavender note which is pretty powerful. This gets balanced out in the base by a nice woody scent, along with a subtle spiciness. All these notes come together to create a truly masculine fragrance.
Notes: The top note of Creed Bois Du Portugal is bergamot. The middle note is lavender. The base notes are cedarwood, Mysore sandalwood, vetiver, and ambergris.
Best for: Creed Bois Du Portugal is a fantastic fragrance to wear in the late fall and all winter due to the rich, woody, warm, and spicy undertone. The strong lavender note gives this fragrance a nice warmth also. The woody and spicy notes only enhance Bois Du Portugal’s appeal, making it great for the colder days. This fragrance does lean more towards a refined, sophisticated gentleman, but when worn confidently, anyone can wear this. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Byredo Super Cedar
Scent: Byredo Super Cedar is a great fragrance that focuses on the cedarwood note. This fragrance opens with a nice, light, aromatic scent of rose mixed with some crisp vetiver. After a little while, the warm scent of cedarwood begins to assert itself. This creates a very appealing aroma of fresh, clean woods, and earthy, green vetiver. During the dry down, a subtle scent of musk arises alongside the cedar, leaving you with an overall woody, realistic, pleasant, and fresh scent that smells amazing.
Notes: The top note of Byredo Super Cedar is rose petal. The middle note is Virginia cedarwood. The base notes are silk musk and Haitian vetiver.
Best for: Byredo Super Cedar is a nice fragrance that can be worn during all four seasons. Super Cedar also works well in all situations from casual, to the office, on dates, and also for formal wear. The somewhat clean scent of woods will just work well in any setting, during any season. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. Montblanc Legend Spirit
Scent: Mont Blanc Legend Spirit is an interesting fragrance with a wonderful, fresh, clean scent. Legend Spirit starts out with a very fresh accord of pink pepper, bergamot and grapefruit. A short while later, some additional spices arise along with an awesome aquatic note. This aquatic note contrasts perfectly with the ever-present spicy, peppery scent. The dry down of this fragrance is where the woody notes start taking over. All in all, you get a fresh, woody fragrance with some wonderful spices.
Notes: The top notes of Mont Blanc Legend Spirit are pink pepper, grapefruit, and bergamot. The middle notes are lavender, cardamom, and aquatic notes. The base notes are sandalwood, cedarwood, cashmere woods, oakmoss, and white musk.
Best for: Mont Blanc Legend Spirit is a great fragrance to wear during the spring and fall. It can also be worn at nights during the summer. This fragrance has a very intriguing aroma, as there are fresh notes and woody notes. However, this fragrance does not lean to either one of those sides. Therefore, it is best to wear this fragrance in those transitional seasons, when it’s neither too cold nor too hot outside. Overall, this fragrance is best worn casually, but you can also wear Mont Blanc Legend Spirit to the office, on dates and even formally. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Tom Ford Oud Wood
Scent: Almost every list of best wood fragrances is going to include Tom Ford Oud Wood, simply because it is utterly amazing. Oud Wood starts off with a nice sweet wood scent, mixed with a few spices. In the middle of the wear, the main attraction (oud) makes its entrance along with some smooth sandalwood and masculine vetiver. In the dry down phase, some sweetness joins the party in the way of vanilla, tonka beans, and amber, leaving you with an overall smooth and easy to wear oud fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Oud Wood are Brazilian rosewood, cardamom, and Sichuan pepper. The middle notes are agarwood/oud, sandalwood, and vetiver. The base notes are tonka bean, vanilla, and amber.
Best for: Tom Ford Oud Wood is perfect for the fall, winter and spring. Unfortunately, this rich scent will be a little too strong for those warm summer days, but could even be worn on cooler summer nights. Oud Wood is best suited for the over 30 crowd because it has such a mature and serious vibe to it. Although it can be worn casually, Oud Wood is at its best when worn in formal and semi-formal occasions. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Wood & Wood
Scent: Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Wood & Wood is a beautiful fragrance with a fruity, warm, spicy, aromatic, powdery, and mostly woody scent. Wood & Wood begins with some bitter notes of grapefruit and cardamom along with some fresh, yet spicy elemi resin. In the middle part of this cologne you will encounter a very fruity aroma in the form of an apricot accord. This adds some sweetness and freshness and is a truly stunning addition to this fragrance. After a little while, you will begin to notice a couple of wood notes which, along with the aforementioned apricot aroma, become the main attractions in this fragrance. The dry down of Wood & Wood adds another layer of complexity with some Haitian vetiver and a little patchouli. This adds an almost leather type feel to the ending.
Notes: The top notes of Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Wood & Wood are elemi, cardamom, and grapefruit. The middle notes are cedar, sandalwood, apricot, and ambroxan. The base notes are patchouli, vetiver, and woody notes.
Best for: Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Wood & Wood is a fantastic fragrance that you can be worn year round. This fragrance has some sweet, strong elements, but everything is so well balanced, allowing Wood & Wood to work during both the warmer, as well as the colder months. Throughout the year, this fragrance is best worn casually, both during the day and the night. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cedro Di Taormina
Scent: Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cedro Di Taormina is an extremely fresh, aromatic, cedarwood fragrance. The opening of Cedro Di Taormina is full of several citrus notes, some beautiful herbal basil, and a little floral petitgrain. This creates a fresh, sharp, and sweet aroma. In the heart of this cologne, a rush of spicy black pepper couples with some extremely smooth lavender to balance out the initial sweetness. The base of this fragrance is all about the various wood notes. The strongest element is cedarwood and it adds a beautiful wood accord, as well as some green nuances. In addition, there is some Haitian vetiver, labdanum and guaiac woods that come into play and complete the Cedro Di Taormina lifecycle. Overall you get a wonderfully fresh, beautiful, woody, spicy, masculine and uplifting scent.
Notes: The top notes of Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cedro Di Taormina are citron, orange, Sicilian lemon, basil, and petitgrain. The middle notes are black pepper and lavender. The base notes are Virginia cedarwood, Haitian vetiver, labdanum, and guaiac woods.
Best for: Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cedro Di Taormina is an amazing fragrance to wear during the spring, summer, and fall. Adding to the versatility of Cedro Di Taormina is the fact that it can be worn in a variety of conditions from casual all the way to formal endeavors. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Mancera Kumkat Wood
Scent: Mancera Kumkat Wood is an amazing woody fragrance. It opens with several spices, some fresh bergamot, and a juicy grapefruit accord. Immediately afterward, a variety of floral notes, some warm amber, and a little woody patchouli begin to emerge. During the dry down this fragrance becomes extremely woody with the addition of sandalwood, cedarwood, earthy vetiver, and some nice white musk. This woody scent mixed with the white musk note creates a deep, rich, enticing, and masculine scent.
Notes: The top notes of Mancera Kumkat Wood are bergamot, grapefruit, and spices. The middle notes are patchouli, floral notes, and amber. The base notes are vetiver, sandalwood, cedarwood, and white musk.
Best for: Mancera Kumkat Wood is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the spring, summer, and fall. This fragrance can be worn during the day or night in a variety of circumstances from casual affairs, to the office for work, out on the town, for dates, and even for formal events. In short, you can’t really go wrong with a masculine woody fragrance like this. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
10. Cartier Pasha
Scent: Cartier Pasha is a classy cologne for men with a fresh, aromatic, and woody scent. This fragrance opens with a slightly bitter, yet fresh, minty and somewhat herbal scent. The initial bitterness, however, disappears shortly afterward, making way for an aromatic and calming scent of lavender. During the dry down, a strong scent of oakmoss becomes present, providing Pasha with a nice masculine freshness. In addition, some warm and woody notes arise in the form of sandalwood, labdanum, and patchouli. All in all, Cartier Pasha is a fantastic fragrance with a refreshing, woody, and amazing aromatic scent.
Notes: The top notes of Cartier Pasha are anise, caraway, mint, mandarin orange, and lavender. The middle notes are Brazilian rosewood and coriander. The base notes are oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, and labdanum.
Best for: Cartier Pasha is a fantastic fragrance that you can easily wear all year long. This is mainly due to the perfect balance between warm and fresh notes, which ultimately makes this fragrance work well in any season. Throughout the year, you can wear this fragrance either casually or formally. It will work well either way, as it has a somewhat sophisticated vibe to it, but not too serious. If you’re interested in this versatile and great-smelling fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
11. Montale Red Vetiver
Scent: Montale Red Vetiver is a woody fragrance that prominently features the masculine note of vetiver. Red Vetiver opens with a fresh, natural and very woody scent. Added to this is a pinch of bitter sweetness coming from the grapefruit accord. The opening also has a slightly metallic scent that hangs around for a little while, but adds an interesting layer of depth. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you mainly get a beautiful wood laced scent with a green, earthy foundation.
Notes: The notes of Montale Red Vetiver are grapefruit, Peru balsam, cedarwood, pepper, patchouli, and vetiver.
Best for: Montale Red Vetiver is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the spring, summer and fall. Red Vetiver is just perfect for every season except winter because it is a little too fresh for that particular time of year. Overall, Red Vetiver is extremely easy to wear and can be utilized in various situations from the office, for casual events and also formally. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Kenzo Jungle Homme
Scent: Kenzo Jungle Homme is an exotic fragrance with a terrific spicy, somewhat sweet, and woody aroma. This fragrance opens with a very strong, sweet scent of juicy citruses. A little later, you will begin to notice the wonderful spices in Jungle Homme along with some light flora carnation. The base of this fragrance provides several distinct wood notes, as well as some extra sweetness. This really brings everything together nicely and leaves you with a sweet, spicy, woody, and seductive scent.
Notes: The top notes of Kenzo Jungle Homme are cinnamon, bergamot, lime, and lemon. The middle notes are nutmeg, carnation, amber, black pepper, cardamom and mate. The base notes are vetiver, cedarwood, sandalwood, benzoin, and guaiac woods.
Best for: Kenzo Jungle Homme is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months of spring, summer and early fall. Despite it being more on the spicier, woody side, this fragrance has a tropical vibe to it which works better with the warmer temperatures. You can easily wear this fragrance casually, but it also works as a fantastic nighttime fragrance. Especially if you’re going to some type of beach or outdoor party at night. This fragrance is also extremely cheap. You can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
13. Acqua Di Parma Colonia Oud
Scent: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Oud is an incredibly clean, smooth, nice and easy to wear oud fragrance. The opening of this fragrance is quite fresh and citrusy. Like most offerings from Acqua Di Parma. This beginning adds a fresh, sweet, and refreshingly clean layer to this fragrance that will balance out the strong oud scent. A little while later, you will start to notice some herbal notes and a pleasing woody aroma. The dry down of this fragrance adds even more woody accords, as well as smooth, yet rich leather. The oud in this fragrance is actually really soft and perfectly balanced out by the fresh, citrusy opening. Overall, an incredibly nice, clean, fantastic introductory level, oud fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Acqua Di Parma Colonia Oud are Calabrian bergamot and Italian orange. The middle notes are oud, Russian coriander, and Haitian amyris wood. The base notes are Atlas cedarwood, vetiver, sandalwood, musk, and leather.
Best for: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Oud is a beautiful fragrance to wear during the colder months. Although the opening is fresh, you mostly get a clean, woody, oud scent. Colonia Oud is a richer, stronger scent and it wouldn’t really fit in with the warmer spring and summer days. The soft oud scent in this fragrance makes this a very accessible oud fragrance for newcomers to the wonderful note of oud. This is one of the elements that makes Acqua Di Parma Colonia Oud so nice. It’s a perfect balance between a strong oud note and the freshness from several realistic citrus notes. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
14. Bvlgari Man Wood Essence
Scent: Bvlgari Wood Essence is a great wood-based fragrance with a very safe and easy to wear scent. The opening of this fragrance is a fresh, sweet, and spicy with coriander, lemon zest and some citrus accords. There is even a little boozy hint in the beginning. However, Wood Essence quickly turns into a woodier and greener smelling fragrance with the addition of some cypress, cedarwood, and vetiver. During the dry down benzoin and ambergris help solidify this aroma. Overall, Bvlgari Wood Essence is a wonderful fragrance with an incredibly clean and fresh scent.
Notes: The top notes of Bvlgari Wood Essence are lemon zest, citrus accords and coriander leaf. The middle notes are cypress, cedarwood, and vetiver. The base notes are benzoin and ambergris.
Best for: Bvlgari Wood Essence is an easy to wear fragrance that works well during most seasons. It is fresh enough to wear during the summer and spring, but also woody enough to wear during the fall. Winter is about the only time of year where Wood Essence won’t be at its best. The scent itself is rather clean, making it perfect for the office or when you’re going to school. Otherwise, this fragrance is best worn casually. This fragrance is also relatively affordable. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
15. Christian Dior Dune Pour Homme
Scent: Christian Dior Dune Pour Homme is a beautiful fragrance with a green scent of woods. This fragrance opens with a beautiful scent of green notes, supported by a sweet and almost bitter scent of fig. This immediately creates a unique and truly exquisite scent. Shortly after the opening, some herbal notes, as well as a bunch of woody notes start to appear, creating a fragrance that smells fresh, but far from the typical fresh fragrances. In the base, there’s also a warm and sweet undertone of vanilla present as well.
Notes: The top notes of Christian Dior Dune Pour Homme are cassis (blackcurrant leaf), fig leaf, basil, and sage. The middle notes are fig wood bark, mignonette, and rose. The base notes are sandalwood, vanilla, cedarwood, and tonka bean.
Best for: Christian Dior Dune Pour Homme is a fantastic warm-weather fragrance, perfect for the spring and summer. This is mainly due to the addition of the note of fig, which is a fruity sweet fragrance note that almost makes a fragrance tropical. During the warmer months, you can easily wear this fragrance casually all throughout the day, but it will also work well in the office as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
16. Azzaro Visit
Scent: Azzaro Visit is a fantastic fragrance with a strong scent of smoke, woods, and spices scent. This fragrance begins with a very fresh note of bergamot and several spices, creating an interesting and crisp opening. Shortly thereafter, several wood notes emerge along with some smoky incense. The dry down adds some nice musk and salty ambergris. Azzaro Visit is a unique cologne that not only smells amazing but will also separate you from the crowd.
Notes: The top notes of Azzaro Visit are cardamom, bergamot, pink pepper, ginger, and nutmeg. The middle notes are cedar, incense, guaiac wood, and labdanum. The base notes are musk and ambergris.
Best for: Azzaro Visit can easily be worn during the spring, fall, and winter. Visit has a beautiful aroma of wood, fresh spices and a nice smokiness to it. Azzaro Visit is best worn casually for both days and nights since it is a little too strong and powerful for office use. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!