The best woody perfumes for men
Deep, elegant, timeless: woody perfumes are the backbone of masculine perfumery. Here is our selection for every style, from fresh to most intense.
If there is one essential family for men, it is woody. Built around cedar, sandalwood, vetiver or oud, these perfumes give an impression of depth, elegance and assurance. But a woody can be as fresh and mineral as it can be warm and smoky.
Here is our selection of the best woody perfumes for men, sorted by style. You can also browse all the woodies in the catalogue at once.
Fresh, versatile woodies
Perfect every day and at the office: the depth of wood, lightened by citrus or mineral notes.
- Terre d’Hermès by Hermès — the masterly mineral woody: orange and vetiver, an absolute classic.
- Bleu de Chanel by Chanel — a crisp, timeless aromatic woody, the chic all-rounder par excellence.
- Encre Noire by Lalique — a dark, elegant vetiver with excellent value for money.
Spicy, characterful woodies
When wood meets pepper, cardamom or saffron, the trail gains relief.
- Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf — wood and warm spices in a grenade-shaped bottle.
- Y Eau de Parfum by Yves Saint Laurent — a modern woody where sage meets tonka bean.
- Explorer by Montblanc — a generous leathery woody, a gem with a powerful trail.
Sandalwood & oud woodies
The most enveloping: creamy sandalwood and precious oud, for a warm and refined effect.
- Santal 33 by Le Labo — the cult leathery woody, signature of trendy cities.
- Tam Dao by Diptyque — a creamy, soft sandalwood, almost meditative.
- Oud Wood by Tom Ford — refined oud and soft spices, a hushed elegance.
Fruity and smoky woodies
For those who want a woody with panache and personality.
- Aventus by Creed — the legendary smoky fruity: pineapple and birch.
- Sauvage by Dior — an ultra-fresh amber woody, one of the most worn in the world.
How to choose your woody?
- For everyday: favour a fresh woody (Terre d’Hermès, Bleu de Chanel) in eau de toilette or eau de parfum.
- For the evening: a sandalwood or an oud (Oud Wood, Santal 33) will unfold its full character.
- Small budget: Encre Noire offers a vetiver of great class for a fraction of the price.
To understand how woody converses with the other families, read our guide to understanding scent families. And to find yours in a few questions, take the scent questionnaire.
For some of the perfumes mentioned, the notes, years and concentrations are taken from unofficial sources (not from the house); the relevant page says so.