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Ends July 1, 2026 at 12:00 am

Woody Fragrances

The largest and most versatile family in niche perfumery. Woody fragrances range from the cool dryness of cedar and vetiver through to the warm resinous depth of sandalwood and oud — with dry woods, smoky birch tar and earthy patchouli across the spectrum. NOAH stocks over 150 woody fragrances from the world's finest independent houses. Samples available for every fragrance.

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Woody Fragrances

The Woody family consists of some of the most beloved notes, especially loved by men: cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, pine, and oud are the emblematic notes of the category. Modern iterations employ interesting aroma molecules to produce new effects and add longevity and complexity - perhaps the most famous is Iso-E Super, but there are many more utilised by contemporary perfumery.

Although not technically wood notes, patchouli, tobacco, oakmoss, and leather also feature in this family, with their earthy and dry tones. They are usually long lasting fragrances, with great development and a well-constructed heart. 

The Fragrance Wheel classification system was founded by fragrance taxonomist Michael Edwards and is a great way to classify and discover fragrances. The underlying principle is that once you find a fragrance family you like (our Fragrance Finder tool can help with this), many of the other fragrances within that category will also be of interest to you.

The Woods Category

Aromatic woody materials lend themselves to classic harmonies, of which vetiver, cedar, pine, sandalwood, and patchouli are dominant.

Famous examples include Vetiver by Guerlain (1950s), Fahrenheit by Dior (1988), Black XS (Paco Rabanne, 2005), Encre Noire by Lalique (2006), Oud Wood (Tom Ford, 2007), and Terre d’Hermes Parfum (2009). 

From our range, Eight and Bob, Isle of Man (Frapin), Pardon (Nasoamatto), Baronada (Nasomatto), and Bois Imperial (Essential Parfums) are such examples.

The Dry Woods Category

Accents with smoky and dry qualities, this family is home to the smell of burning woods, dry cedar, and tobacco leaf. The impression is undeniably leathery, and many leather fragrances fall in this category.

Famous examples include Russian Leathers, Knize Ten (1925), Bandit from Robert Piguet (1944), Aramis (1965), Ralph Lauren’s Polo (1978), Antaeus (Chanel 1981) Bvlgari Black (1998), and Timbuktu (L’Artisan Parfumeur, 2004).

Amongst many others within our range, examples include: Rhinoceros (Zoologist), 1740 from Histoires de Parfums, Lampblack (FZOTIC), and Lonestar Memories (Tauer).

The Mossy Woods Category

Also known as the ‘Chypre’ category, this is the perfume lover’s category marked by a mossy base often constructed out of oakmoss, patchouli, and resinous amber notes with a fresh top and decorous heart. These fragrances are distinctive and leave an exquisite and memorable trail (‘sillage’).

Famous examples include Mitsouko (Guerlain, 1919), Pour Monsieur (Chanel, 1955), Halston Z-14 (1976), and Fougere Royale (Houbigant, 1882/2010).

From our range, Chypres include The Afternoon of a Faun (Etat Libre d’Orange), Chypre Siam from Rogue, Chypre 21 (Heeley), Hummingbird (Zoologist), and Mousse Illuminee (Rogue)
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