Comparing Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

Santal 33 from Le Labo and Oud Wood from Tom Ford are two very popular releases that people seem to have a tough time deciding between. I have never been a mega fan of either of these fragrances, but have tested each out repeatedly over the years.

So, today I am going to try and provide my own personal in depth takes while comparing these two perfumes, to see if I can help you get some clarity in this head to head matchup.

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Quick Overview

🏆 My Verdict

Santal 33 wins overall because it has better longevity, better versatility, wider appeal, and a stronger full-wear experience after the opening.

Oud Wood wins the opening and projection categories thanks to its stronger oud-cardamom-spice start and heavier peak, but it does not hold interest or performance as well over time.

Buy Santal 33 if you want the better daily/signature scent.

Buy Oud Wood if you mainly want the warmer, spicier, oud-heavy opening.

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Tale of the Tape: Santal 33 vs. Oud Wood

Santal 33

Notes include: sandalwood, violet, iris, amber, cardamom, leather, papyrus, cedar

Click here to try: Santal 33 on Amazon

Read my original review: Santal 33

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Oud Wood

Notes include: rosewood, sandalwood, oud, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, cardamom, and vetiver

Click here to try: Oud Wood on Amazon

Read my original review: Oud Wood

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Opening

Oud Wood starts off with a strong blast of the oud note and cardamom. Underneath that, is a peppery sort of spice. It’s warm and dry, with sandalwood and rosewood, already being prominent at the base. It’s a very spicy and woody, sort of aroma up top.

Santal also has the cardamom and dry woods. Just without the oud. It’s not remotely as spicy as Oud Wood is either. This notes are joined by leather and violet. Papyrus is a wood which distinguishes itself from the oud used in the Tom Ford scent.

Which is better? The opening act of Oud Wood is a great array of the various wood notes and spices. It’s not completely amazing, but it captures my attention.

I like the leather facets, the use of the papyrus in Santal. Though, even with that I feel the opening act is the weakest of the perfume.

Not a huge win, but I’ll give this category to Oud.

Edge: Oud Wood

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Projection

Both of these are perfumes with a moderate sillage which then turn into lighter fragrances. I don’t think either is weak and both of them are detectable for most of their wear.

That being said, the Tom Ford perfume feels heavier and like it has a further reach at its peak. Yes, Santal 33 is more sustained on my skin, but I think Oud Wood is technically the stronger of the two.

Edge: Oud Wood

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Longevity

Oud Wood has always been a strange one for me. Anytime that I’ve tried this fragrance out, I’ve gotten 4-5 hours of wear from it. The Intense version, lasted over 10 hours for me, however.

The Le Labo perfume will hit the 7-8 hour range, on my skin.

Neither of these is an absolute beast with their performance, but Santal 33 takes this category fairly easily in my experience.

Edge: Santal 33

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Versatility

Seasonally, Oud Wood always struck me as being built more for the autumn and winter months. Santal can do that too, but it also extends well into springtime. Honestly, outside of the height of summer, I think the Le Labo works.

Both of these are unisex, of course. But, I think Santal has a wider range of use cases as a signature scent or a daily wear. Neither is a nightlife beast, but Santal also just has a wider appeal than you’re going to get with the oud based scent.

Edge: Santal 33

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Overall Scent

Overall, which of these perfumes do I like more? I’d go with Santal versus Oud Wood. Which, I think that Oud Wood Intense was the better of the two anyway. Of course, it’s the one that got discontinued.

Oud Wood starts out nice, but never really interests me much beyond that. Sure, it has similar vibes at times to Santal, but I just think that the Le Labo smells better.

Santal has a weaker start. It’s never been bad to me, just kind of meh, who cares? Though, it really gets going as it transitions into the heart of the wear.

Along with the scent itself, Santal has better performance and will fit the style of a wider range of people. Plus, a more extensive use case. Santal checks more boxes and gets the win here.

Winner: Santal 33

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Who Should Buy Each?

Choose Santal 33 if:

You want the better overall fragrance in this comparison
You prefer sandalwood, violet, iris, amber, cardamom, leather, papyrus, and cedar
You want better longevity, around 7–8 hours
You need something with wider appeal as a daily or signature scent
You want a fragrance that improves more as it transitions into the heart

Choose Oud Wood if:

You want the better opening between the two
You prefer oud, cardamom, peppery spice, sandalwood, rosewood, vanilla, tonka, amber, and vetiver
You want something warmer, spicier, and woodier up top
You mainly wear fragrance in autumn and winter
You do not mind shorter longevity if you like the oud-heavy opening more

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Santal 33 and Oud Wood FAQ

Does Santal 33 last longer than Oud Wood?

In my experience, yes. Oud Wood has never been a good performer for me anytime that I’ve tested it out. Personally, I only get 4-5 hours of wear from that Tom Ford perfume. Maybe you get more, but it’s no powerhouse.

Which one is better as a signature scent?

Personally, I think that the answer is Santal 33. Yes, it became such a massive hit, that it became commonplace. However, that’s probably receded quite a bit over the past five years, and it actually is a very nice perfume.

Are Santal 33 and Oud Wood similar?

These fragrances have a somewhat similar style in terms of the types of notes that each uses. But, they don’t particularly smell the same. Each is quite distinct if you test them out side by side.