Best way to get that Sandalwood smell? Cream/soap/aftershave?

[Giatros89]

Hey all,
I started my DE journey with a gift of "Art of Shaving's" Sandal wood cream. It was great and left my skin smelling amazing. When moving on to buy my own I got TOBS in sandalwood which I find to be good but not smell as potent/good as the art of shaving option. My question to you guys is which is the best budget option soap/cream for that strong sandalwood smell?

I know everyone this is subjective but assume I'm looking for a something a bit more potent than TOBS but around the same price range. Alternatively I will also entertain ideas of possibly using an aftershave cream that smells of sandalwood if that would work better since you wash of the shaving cream/soap but not the aftershave. If so, recommendations?

As always thank you B&B for advice. If you post here you should feel just as good as if you had helped a stranger jump start their dead car battery. I know I appreciate it the same.

 

[pdillon]

I received the same AOS Sandalwood cream as a gift. I also received the pre-shave oil and the balm as part of the set. I agree they are mighty expensive. But for what it is worth, I will tell you that AOS Sandalwood balm has excellent staying power. More so than any other AS I have used.

These are the only sandalwood products I have tried, but my understanding is that there are a lot of interpretations of sandalwood (if not all scents?). So if you know you like AOS, it may be safer to pay for something you know you like than buy other products solely because they are cheaper. Of course trying things out is all the fun, though.

Like I said, I haven't tried it, but RazoRock makes a sandalwood soap and an aftershave balm. RR products are always affordable and are generally highly regarded, but you may want to do some research on the sandalwood scent specifically.

 

[Giatros89]

I am definitely open to trying new scents. I doubt there is a sandalwood I don't like but trying new stuff is fun and will allow me to get to a point where I find something I can afford and enjoy regularly.

 

[blzrfn]

Cyril Salter Sandlewood cream has a nice strong/lingering scent. It also performs very nicely.

 

[i.am.zed]

As pdillion mentions, there are many, many interpretations of sandalwood. Generally though, I would say they fall into two primary categories: cologne-ish sandalwood and "true" (or what most people seem to call true) sandalwood. TOBS, for example, sits firmly in the cologne-ish camp. To be honest, I much prefer the cologne-ish sandalwoods. The "true" sandalwoods always remind me of an ashtray.

I'd recommend you get some samples. Both Trumper and Truefitt and Hill offer sandalwood in their sampler kits. Both are distinctly different but highly regarded. Proraso Red is quite inexpensive and a bang-up product (although I've never warmed up to this interpretation of sandalwood)

Just to be honest, if you are fond of TOBS, I think you will be hard pressed to find a better sandalwood cream in that price range. It really delivers a lot of bang for the buck. I'd focus on aftershave gels/balms. The scents last longer by definition. TOBS has a pretty good sandalwood aftershave gel. I'm also quite fond of Trumpers sandalwood skinfood. If I need a balm, my go to right now is Edwin Jagger sandalwood. The last two are little more pricey, but a little goes a long way. I use one of them almost every day and will most likely still be working on them a year after purchase.

 

[isaac d.]

I'm not sure how true Proraso's Sandalwood interpretation is, but it smell amazing to my nose! Woody, spicy, a little vintage, it just smells awesome. I got some for my dad for Christmas but I think I'm gonna have to get some for myself.

It makes really nice smooth, creamy lather, so it definitely performs well too.

 

[CyclingFool]

Love Sandalwood, and haven't found anything I like as much as AOS. Unlike Zed, I prefer the "true" sandalwood vs. the cologne type sandalwood.

Proraso was a bit disappointing, Razorock's Third Eye doesn't even remind me of Sandalwood that much (if at all), but is a really wonderful fresh "soapy" smell.

 

[PugslyCat]

I've been using Mama Bear sandalwood bath soap, Parker sandalwood and shea butter shaving soap, Honey Bee Gardens sandalwood aftershave, TOBS sandalwood and a cologne with sandalwood notes. Something in there works throughout the day.

 

[WoodfordReserve-Neat]

The AOS scent of their Sandalwood cream is the best thing that AOS has going, IMO..love the scent!
It is the only thing that I would spring for from the way overpriced line of AOS stuff. With that said, I think that TOBS consistently gives me better cushion, glide and smoother shaves ~ for me. TOBS, to me, smells more like a Sandalwood Incense scent- Sandalwood smoke, in other words. In short, I would love to have a TOBS that smelled like AOS sandalwood...but I like the incense smell, too.

 

[Mick]

When I really want to get slammed with sandalwood.....

I use my Crabtree & Evelyn sandalwood soap then place some TOBS or GFT sandalwood cream into the scuttle and work up a sandalwood super lather.

I finish off the shave with some Caswell-Massey sandalwood ASB

This cures me of my sandalwood craving for a little while.

 

[FlatFork]

AOS is great but TOBS cologne is a very different sandalwood that I also like

 

[Batman]

AOS is my go-to for sandalwood. I'm afraid to try others, I like it that much.

 

[Pasanova]

AOS is by far the best Sandalwood scent. Cream, soap, and balm...nice EO scent. Sometimes you just can't skimp. I'll drink less Starbucks coffee in order to use AOS Sandalwood products.

 

[Ozgun]

Edwin Jagger sandalwood cream.

 

[Giatros89]

What does "EO scent" mean?
From what I can tell I may like the "true sandalwood" better considering my preference for AOS over TOBS. Can anyone recommend some other "true" ones?
Is Proraso red true? How about CE, Cryl Indian, or EJ?
And if these come out to be expensive should I just focus on a great primary shave cream/soap and then focus on AS for scent?

 

[Giatros89]

Oh also about the Cyril Salter. Where to buy for a good price? So far Proraso Red looks like a great deal on Amazon.
Also read on another forum about QED sandalwood soap. Anyone have any takes on that?

 

[BearHeart]

Proraso Red is my favorite sandalwood. Also leaves my face feeling soft after my shave.

 

[Riff Raff]

What does "EO scent" mean?
From what I can tell I may like the "true sandalwood" better considering my preference for AOS over TOBS. Can anyone recommend some other "true" ones?
Is Proraso red true? How about CE, Cryl Indian, or EJ?
And if these come out to be expensive should I just focus on a great primary shave cream/soap and then focus on AS for scent?

As far as "EO" goes, it stands for Essential Oil. This means that the scent in the soap or cream was derived from the use of essential oils.

My exposure to Sandalwood scented soaps is limited to Crabtree & Evelyn and QCS. So I can't offer an educated opinion of which is which.

 

[Pasanova]

I've tried GFT, Edwin Jaggers, and AOS Sandalwood. Of the three, AOS is my go to. The others have an purfume smell to them.

 

[jman2]

AOS sandalwood cream and Cyril Slater Indian Sandalwood cream both have a very nice sandalwood scent.