Sandalwood

This was the first sandalwood perfume I ever tried. It's the same now as it was in the '90s when I first wore it. It's warm, spicy, with a strong citrus blast--a lovely Australian Sandalwood. The new sandalwood Caswell-Massey introduced under the "Heritage" category may be more authentic to Mysore sandalwood, but it lacks the warmth and spice of the original. Caswell-Massey's Heritage Sandalwood is cold, with pencil shavings notes, while the Centuries Sandalwood is warm and seems to melt into the skin. Over the years I've purchased the original "Centuries" sandalwood as perfume, soap, body lotion, and shampoo. It's a comforting scent that reminds me a bit of Serge Lutens Chergui.

The scent of sandalwood enchants me, so fresh, warm and soothing. I've used Caswell Massey Sandalwood lotion for decades and it lasts at least 24 hours on me. I never tried the cologne, because the lotion is so fragrant. For those who find the cologne doesn't last (cologne is the barest and most fleeting form of fragrance), I recommend the lotion instead.

First try of Caswell-Massey Woodgrain Sandalwood Cologne, a bit of sharp, green, woody blend centered on notes of sandalwood and bergamot, but it’s not so much bright and citric as it is sharp and green, definitely a classic-leaning vibe overall but with a bit of modern sensibility, seemingly a part of the general gist of the relaunch of the brand in in 2017. It’s agreeable enough but not as interesting as some other higher-concentration entries that I’ve tried from the brand, but the pricing is modest enough that it’s an easy enough one to try or own and use frequently. Specifically, Woodgrain Sandalwood Cologne is priced at $80/30 for 88/7.5ml, sold via the house website in the US, which is where I purchased the smaller size when also purchasing their most recent discovery set. Performance is good but not super strong, not as strong as the non-colognes that I’ve tried. Overall, it’s good but I will likely stick to the travel size. 7 out of 10

This was and still is a staple of my collection. It's simple, affordable and smells phenomenal. It's a safe one to wear.

I don't know what pure sandalwood smells like (or Tam Dao, etc.) but this smelled so totally unlike the "classic" men's colognes that I've come to expect from Caswell-Massey that I wasn't even sure if the decant I got was the right stuff. It was more perfumey and perhaps white-musky than I expected, with seemingly little spice and too much sweetness within the creamy wood (really too bad, because otherwise I love creamy wood smells). It seemed entirely feminine, smelling like a middle-aged woman's well-appointed bathroom, which is a nice smell, but not on me. I incidentally gave it to my mom to spray in her bathroom, so hopefully it will fulfill the niche to which I have so harshly relegated it.