The Big Bad Cedar

"A nice manly smell. Nice and rugged" - My Girlfriend Big Bad Cedar by Atkinsons is a bold, woody fragrance that captures the essence of sophistication and rugged charm. From the first spray, it opens with a crisp, dry cedarwood that feels both clean and powerful, immediately setting a confident tone. As it develops, subtle woody and cashmeran undertones emerge, adding depth and an earthy elegance. The composition is straightforward yet refined, perfect for those who love a strong, unpretentious wood scent. Ideal for cooler weather or evening wear, Big Bad Cedar is a modern classic that balances strength and subtlety with effortless finesse. Picture a forest with towering cedar trees in every which direction, the subtle undertones of the moss floating in the air hitting your nose. Listen to the wind whistling in the trees, hear the creaking of the trees that are thousands of years old. Now open your eyes and realise you're no longer in the woods. If you miss the homely smell that is the great outdoors, then this fragrance is for you. Longevity is above average - I get between 6-8 hours with this spray, spraying it on all my pulse points. Projection is moderate, it isn't going to choke out an entire room, this scent is meant to be discovered when someone walks past you. Price wise, it what you'd expect for a niche perfume designer. I wouldn't say its worth retail price - I got mine second hand on eBay. If you can get this on offer or a used one, that should be the way forward. Blind-buy worthy? If you like woody, comforting scents then yes absolutely. But if woody isn't a scent you get along with - I'd avoid it.

I am wearing a sample I received of this today and it smells very unique. I haven't smelled any fragrance that is quite this woody but weird in a very pleasant way. It kind of reminds me of the smell of a freshly sharpened pencils but better. It has moderate longevity on my skin but the projection and sillage were great for the first two hours. I think it would be a welcomed addition to my collection if I could find it at a discounter for a good price but I wouldn't pay full retail. Overall, I'd give this a solid 7.5-8/10. Good but not great. EDIT*** So, I did end up finding it at an online discounter for a very fair price and after several more wearings, my appreciation and love for this fragrance has really grown. Not sure why but the sample I had didn't perform really well but now I'm getting 10-12 hours longevity, great projection for 3-4 hours. Sillage is great too for the first 3-4 hours. The cedar wood really shines and the freshly sharpened pencils vibe goes away after about 10-15 minutes and leaves you with a creamy cedar wood which is very unique since cedar isn't usually creamy. It's really grown on me and I love it much more now. I'd now rate it 9-9.5/10. Very beautiful if you love woody fragrances and very underrated. So glad I bought it.

I happen to love this fragrance. Perhaps that's because I love cedar and this perfume delivers. It's so smooth and classy and totally unisex. It is especially good for layering - I am always looking for a woody or spicy scent to layer under the heady florals in my collection which otherwise would not be worn, Its a bit on the pricey side, but given the paucity of decent cedar-dominant options available, I think it was worth the money. I reach for it often and do get lots of complements from both men and women when I wear it. Strangely, it is not available at Barney's (Boston and San Fran at least). I bought my bottle at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver.

This perfume is a good example of why you shouldn’t go off Fragrantica comments and just sample for yourself. There’s a graveyard full of gems nobody ever gave a chance because of “know-it-alls” on here who couldn’t tell the difference between the smell of coriander & cardamon in real life. Everyone’s nose is different, but is definitely not even close to bad cedar, in fact the opposite this is REALLY good cedar if you know what cedar smells like.

This is lovely, a fresh scent with good staying power, people like it, as there are no heavy florals or headachy aldehydes, just glorious woodsy notes. Like being in an actual grove of cedar trees. Love it xx

This is very realistic cedar and freshly👍

I have made a big mistake- bought it with no test on my skin. I have been seeking for Cedar perfume for many years. The main reason why didn’t buy any till now was the feeling that everything I tested was simply like a cheap mainstream. Cedar from Atkinson is a different story. I like it from the first sniff. I did not want to mix it with perfume I was wearing that time, and was fine how it smelled on the paper and bought a bottle. I almost can’t catch the smell of it even immediately 10 minutes after 4-6 spritz. I even cannot say that this is a skin perfume, because after an hour it completely disappears. I heard a lot of stories how important your skin type... but such kind of fragrance “behavior” I met fist time in my life. Sad!

After trying Odd Fellow many years ago I lucked up and got a decant of this for cheap. This is only the 2nd that I have tried from Atkinsons and I must say that this is very likeable and in the same realm of Comme Des Garcons frags. Woods and spices with moderate sillage and longevity. This would be a nice everyday scent for a conservative guy that only wears a couple of scents at a time. For frag fanatics this will be a pass as you see there are only 4 reviews of it and nothing really stands out about it. Cedar lovers can get there fix on stuff like Burberry Men (1995) or Rocky Mountain by DSquared at a fraction of the cost.

I wanted to write a review on this fragrance, but @AndySmellsGreat nailed with his description.

Testing blind, I immediately get a kind of leather in the initial opening followed by a woodsy base, which mix together as it dries down. Later this mix feels mostly like kiln dried wood and the leather opening is far from its previous presence, almost gone. There's a top note keeping some freshness and layering, but I can't place it. Later it's all dry wood and a little to dry and singular for me. Reminds me of those wood kits you used a hot knife on and put together. I don't see this with a suit, it's all outdoorsy flannel shirt, and boots. I feel this belongs on a cowboy who needs to cover up the dried sh** in his boots. It's still respectable and mature, but it's not for me. It's more stern and determined than big and bad.

Big Bad Cedar. Big...as in disappointment Bad... yes Cedar... NO! I needed a clean Cedar scent and read reviews - took a chance on a blind buy. Sorry - whilst more complicated it dries down to basically a wishy washy Rose scent with a touch of wood. So disappointed - honestly despite trying numerous days it basically came across as Coloured PENCIL SHAVINGS/Crayons. I tried to summon my usual positive analytical breakdown but nope - that sums it up!!! Just a case of inappropriate marketing that has put me off Atkinsons :( Sorry Settled on a few alternatives since and Acqua Di Parma Cedro Di Taurmina now leaves a smile on my face and judging from all its positive reviews I’d say they have a massive justified winner ;)

One of the worst perfumes I've ever smelled. I washed my wrist many times.

Just initial thoughts as I haven’t even made it through to the dry-down...but whoever claims this isn’t a realistic cedar, hasn’t smelled cedar. I grew up around National Forest in northern Michigan, right down the road from CEDAR LAKE..and yes, this is a very realistic cedar that remind me of summers back home! *more to come*

A very nice realistic cedar scent & an occasional hint of cypress, slight resemblance to CDG Hinoki. I like it a lot but even with 6-7 sprays it’s only a skin scent

Nothing big or bad about this one. There's better cedar fragrances out there but if you're a fan of cedar then yes check it out it's nice.