Quick answer: Cedarwood smells dry, clean and woody, like freshly sharpened pencils, wood shavings or the inside of a wooden chest, with a faint resinous sweetness. In perfume it usually sits in the base, sometimes in the heart, where it gives a scent structure and keeps fresh or sweet notes from feeling thin. It is in the pyramid of 17 of the 77 Mykonos perfumes in our store.
What does cedarwood smell like, and why is it on so many note lists when hardly anyone describes a perfume as "smelling of cedar"? The reason is that cedarwood is a supporting note: you notice what it does to the others more than the wood itself. This guide covers how it smells, how it differs from other woods, how it behaves in a composition and how it appears in six Mykonos scents. We are an authorized Mykonos retailer for Europe; the notes and ratings come from the brand's product data and handbook, and the rest is general perfumery knowledge.
What does cedarwood smell like?
Think of sharpening a pencil: dry, clean, slightly sweet wood dust. That is cedarwood's most familiar face. Perfumers also work with warmer cedar styles that are more resinous and balsamic, closer to a wooden sauna or a cedar-lined wardrobe. In both cases the note is dry rather than creamy and tidy rather than earthy, which sets it apart from the other woods you see in a pyramid.
| Wood note | Smells like | Texture |
|---|---|---|
| Cedarwood | Pencil shavings, dry planks, a hint of resin | Dry, clean, straight |
| Sandalwood | Warm milk, soft polished wood | Creamy, smooth |
| Vetiver | Roots, dry grass, a trace of smoke | Earthy, green |
| Guaiac wood | Smouldering wood, slightly sweet | Smoky, soft |
If creamy is what you are after, our sandalwood perfumes are the better place to look.
What is cedarwood in perfume?
On a note list, "cedar" and "cedarwood" are one and the same note. The name covers a family of cedar-type materials that perfumers work with, and a pyramid does not say which one is used; it names the impression. Mykonos lists the note both ways, so we treat the two spellings as one in this guide. In most of the 17 perfumes it stands in the base, in a few in the heart.
How cedarwood behaves in a composition
- It gives structure. Citrus on its own flashes and leaves little behind. With cedarwood underneath, a clean woody scent is still there once the citrus has gone.
- It balances sweetness. Next to praline, vanilla or ripe fruit, its dryness keeps a scent from turning sugary.
- It stays. Wood notes fade slowly, so cedarwood is part of the drydown, often together with amber and musk. Our guide to top, heart and base notes explains the order.
- In the heart it shows sooner. When cedarwood is listed in the heart, the scent feels drier from early on instead of only at the end.
Cedarwood in the Mykonos range
These six show the note in different company.
| Perfume | Where the cedarwood sits | What is above it |
|---|---|---|
| Inception | Base, with guaiac wood and musk | Bergamot, ginger, black tea, cinnamon |
| Sorrento | Base, with amber, musk, patchouli and orris root | Fizzy grapefruit, ginger, neroli |
| Slow Living | Base, with musk | Amalfi lemon, lemon blossom, neroli, lavender |
| Dreamscape | Base, with grey amber, tonka bean and moss | Mango, rhubarb, praline, pink pepper |
| Untamed | Base, with vetiver, black amber and cashmeran | Aldehydes, crisp linen accord, praline |
| Satin Blanc | Heart, with jasmine tea and a floral bouquet | Green apple, bergamot, black pepper |
Cedarwood under citrus
Mykonos Inception is the woodiest of the three citrus scents: Mykonos lists its accord as citrus, aromatic and woody, and the brand describes a deep woody finish of guaiac wood, musk and cedarwood. Mykonos rates its longevity at 12+ hours, with strong sillage and moderate to strong projection; how long it lasts on you depends on skin and climate. Mykonos Sorrento uses cedar more quietly, under fizzy grapefruit and beside amber and orris root; Mykonos rates its longevity at 10+ hours. We compare the two in Mykonos Inception vs Sorrento.
Mykonos Slow Living has the shortest pyramid: Amalfi lemon and lemon blossom, neroli and lavender, then Orcanox™, musk and cedarwood. Here the wood simply keeps a clean lemon scent on its feet. Mykonos rates its longevity at 9+ hours; see Mykonos Inception vs Slow Living.
Cedarwood against sweetness
Mykonos Dreamscape puts mango, rhubarb and praline over cedar, grey amber, tonka bean and moss, so the fruit lands on something dry. It is listed for autumn and winter, and Mykonos rates its longevity at 12+ hours. Mykonos Untamed does the same for a praline heart: cedarwood and vetiver sit in the base with black amber, vanilla and cashmeran, the "velvety woods" of the brand's description. Our guide to the Mykonos Untamed notes walks through them.
Cedarwood in the heart
Mykonos Satin Blanc lists cedarwood in the heart, next to jasmine tea, a floral bouquet and an aquatic note, under green apple, bergamot and black pepper. Mykonos gives its accord as floral, woody and soft spicy and rates its longevity at 12+ hours.
How to choose a cedarwood perfume
Choose by what sits on top of the wood. Citrus over cedarwood, as in Inception, Sorrento and Slow Living, is the easy choice for warm days and the office. Fruit and praline over cedar, as in Dreamscape, suits cooler months. Untamed is for anyone who wants clean linen with a soft woody end, Satin Blanc for a crisp apple that turns dry early. The full list is in our cedarwood perfumes collection.
Frequently asked questions
Is cedarwood a masculine scent?
No. It is often used in scents marketed to men, but the note itself has no gender. In our range it appears in perfumes listed for him, for her and unisex; four of the six above are unisex.
What is the difference between cedarwood and sandalwood?
Cedarwood is dry and pencil-like; sandalwood is creamy and soft. Cedarwood sharpens a scent, sandalwood rounds it.
Is cedarwood a top, heart or base note?
Usually a base note, sometimes a heart note. It is too slow to evaporate to play a part in the opening.
Does cedarwood make a perfume last longer?
Wood notes are among the slower ones to fade, so they help a scent keep its shape in the drydown. How long a perfume lasts overall depends on the whole composition, your skin and the climate.