Woody and aromatic perfumes in the FAAN range: cedar, sandalwood, sage and vetiver

A woody accord is listed on nine product pages. They do not smell alike, because wood is a family, not one smell. This page sorts them by what kind of wood they use.

What woody means

In perfume, woody covers anything that smells of timber, shavings, bark, roots or pencils. It is not a sweet or a fresh note, so it is usually the backbone under something else. Nine of our bottles list woody among their accords: Qasida Al-Badr, Qasida Sahm, Qasida Dunes, Qasida Signature, Qasida Bakhour, Amjad Coral, Amjad Honour, Amjad Kingdom and Amjad Mystery. Aromatic means herbs and spices: sage, lavender, cardamom, nutmeg.

Which bottles

The other woody bottles use wood as support: guaiacwood in Signature, sandalwood in Bakhour and Mystery, vetiver in Kingdom, oud in Honour.

Dry woods versus creamy woods

Dry woods smell like pencil shavings and cut cedar: crisp, slightly bitter, not sweet. Al-Badr leans on cedarwood and vetiver. Sahm stacks cedar, dry woods and wolfwood over its oud. Both read clean and serious.

Creamy woods are warm and smooth, like sandalwood. Mystery pairs it with vanilla and ambergris. Bakhour uses it under leather. Dunes puts sandalwood and labdanum beneath its pepper. If dry woods are a pencil, creamy woods are a polished table. To follow one note further, read sandalwood in perfume or vetiver in perfume.

Aromatics: sage, lavender, cardamom

Aromatic notes are the herbs and spices that sit beside the wood. Al-Badr has sage in the heart, with nutmeg and cardamom above it. Sahm has lavender and clary sage in the heart, with ginger and cardamom. Honour and Signature also use cardamom. These notes give a wood freshness and a kitchen-herb lift, so a woody perfume does not feel like a lumber yard.

Seasons

Coral is the only woody bottle listed for spring and summer. Al-Badr is the most flexible, listed for autumn, winter and spring. Sahm covers autumn and spring. The rest are listed for autumn and winter, evenings and special occasions. If you need one woody bottle for the office, Al-Badr or Coral.

A quick way to choose by mood:

• Clean and serious: Al-Badr, 51.99 euros, an Eau de Parfum for daily wear and the office.
• Fresh and light: Coral, 44.99 euros, an Extrait with 3 out of 5 on both scales.
• Pepper and smoke: Dunes, 53.99 euros, projection 4 out of 5.
• Warm and soft: Mystery, 54.99 euros, listed for date nights.
• Deep and resinous: Honour, 44.99 euros, longevity 5 out of 5, one of our best sellers.

For a wider pick of seasons, see the guide to choosing a FAAN perfume, and the full range lists every bottle.

FAQ

What is the most woody FAAN perfume?

It depends on the wood. For dry woods, Qasida Al-Badr or Qasida Sahm. For creamy wood, Amjad Mystery or Qasida Bakhour.

Is there a light woody FAAN perfume for summer?

Amjad Coral, with georgywood, akigalawood and cedar under pear and mandarin.

Are woody perfumes unisex?

Most are listed unisex. Sahm is written for him.

Related reading

• Sandalwood in perfume and which FAAN bottles use it
• Vetiver in perfume and which FAAN bottles use it
• Perfume families explained