Looking for a decent, cheaper sandalwood AS

takeshi said:

DR Harris is a perfect example of what I'm talking about in response to the first post I quoted. It's among my favorites but it's not a good representative of what sandalwood itself smells like.

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I would agree with this. I say Harris is the "king of sandalwoods" because it's my favorite of all aftershaves I've smelled that are labeled sandalwood, and seems to be universally revered by the wetshaving crowd. It's bold, yet refined, and smells like it could banish all the competition to the hinterlands, if it wanted. I acknowledge, though, it does not smell much like true sandalwood EO, if at all. It's really its own scent. The only thing I've smelled that is similar is (gasp) Men by Aveda, but the Harris is superior to my nose.

And yes...there are as many takes on "sandalwood" as there are products bearing the name. Love for one certainly does not guarantee even tolerance for another.

I recommend HBG Sandalwood every chance I get. Glad to see so many fans in this thread.

As for Sandalwood aftershaves, the best ones in my experience are the TOBS one and the AoS one (both AS balms). C&E Sandalwood AS balm is good as well.

I have the AOS balm, which I like, but it makes me break out if I use it more than a couple days in a row.

I enjoy Sandalwood scents, and found my favorite to be AoS. For some reason I don't care for C&Es, which is odd as I really enjoy most of their scents. TOBS is nice too. I need to try HBG, as I would love to find a less expensive alternative to AoS.

Got the Honeybee Garden Sandalwood and some Proraso Red for Christmas. Good smells. I like the heavier scent of AOS, but the HBG is still really good.

Jerry-built Hustler said:

I would agree with this. I say Harris is the "king of sandalwoods" because it's my favorite of all aftershaves I've smelled that are labeled sandalwood, and seems to be universally revered by the wetshaving crowd. It's bold, yet refined, and smells like it could banish all the competition to the hinterlands, if it wanted. I acknowledge, though, it does not smell much like true sandalwood EO, if at all. It's really its own scent. The only thing I've smelled that is similar is (gasp) Men by Aveda, but the Harris is superior to my nose.

And yes...there are as many takes on "sandalwood" as there are products bearing the name. Love for one certainly does not guarantee even tolerance for another.

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In comparison of DR Harris Sandalwood AS. Hear a lot of great stuff about it. How would you say it compares to the scent of AoS sandalwood products and Proraso Red Sandalwood shave cream scent?

I haven't used Proraso Red, so I can't comment on that. Comparing Harris and AOS, I'm not sure I can describe them in sufficient terms to really tell you how they smell in relation to each other. In the end, you've got to smell them yourself to know what you think.

That said, aside from the fact they are both called "sandalwood," and each one does have some characteristics common to wood-based scents, I really don't find the two to have much in common. I guess I would say the Harris sandalwood is more robust and complex, while the AOS is a bit simpler; whereas Harris is a spicy melange, I would say AOS is more uniformly sweet. I like the AOS at first sniff, but I find it annoys me after a while; the Harris just keeps on pleasing me as it wears.

Polerouter said:

Cheap and decent, HBG!
http://www.iherb.com/Honeybee-Gardens-HBG-for-Men-Aftershave-Sandalwood-4-fl-oz-120-ml/40803

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This!!!! They make a kick *** bay rum too!!

Does anybody have any experience of TOBS Sandalwood compared to HBG or DR Harris?

Jack Burton said:

I have the AOS balm, which I like, but it makes me break out if I use it more than a couple days in a row.

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the aos sandalwoods all have essential oils, eg real stuff. You might have to rotate if you're sensitive. You might also try Ogallala as.

sarimento1 said:

the aos sandalwoods all have essential oils, eg real stuff.

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One might think, but it's worth noting that the ingredients label on the AOS sandwalwood products does not actually include essential oil of sandalwood. It just lists "Fragrance/Parfum." The only place "essential oil" appears on the package is in the scent description on the front. In comparison, both the lavender and lemon products actually list those essential oils in the ingredients. The AOS sandalwood, therefore, is the one scent in the original lineup (excluding the later Sea Kelp) that isn't a true e/o-based, single-note scent, but is rather a proprietary scent blend of rather mysterious origin.