Those obsessed with fragrance are familiar with the particular stare some sales assistants give anyone who displays a suspicious enthusiasm for and knowledge of perfumery. “It is made entirely from organic essential oils,” the sales representative might say, and when you reply: “Even the civet?” there is a look of flustered irritation. If you are a woman, the look implies you have taken too seriously the bothersome duty of pampering and perfuming your flesh. But if you are a man, things are much, much worse — you are unnatural.
North Americans have come only recently to the idea that men should smell like anything more than an honest day’s work, or, God willing, soap. Once it was decided that something more was needed, we encouraged young men to smell fresh and elemental, like rocks, wood, mountain air and sea spray. Older gentlemen were allowed to get away with the smell of proper, civilized luxuries, such as fine spirits or cocktails, leather car interiors and cigar boxes. Now we are in a transition period: some impertinent experts somewhere suggested that there might be a male market for some different fragrances.
These fragrances are being made, but we are not entirely comfortable with them yet. If you are female, you will note that the Gaultier saleswoman looks faintly relieved when you reply that you are interested in purchasing Fleur du Mâle for yourself. If you are male, the woman at the Dior counter may twitter when you comment on the powdery quality of Dior Homme. “That’s the iris,” she will tell you. “Very classy and perfect for the office.” When pressed, she might admit that iris is a flower. Do not try to point out that we are dealing with the iris root, here — let alone a synthetic! — because this will only embarrass her. In any case, some things have changed since Kevin dared the Lâncome counter: no retail worker will jeopardize a sale by openly implying a man is an eccentric metro- or homosexual for wanting to purchase a fragrance or skin care product. Regardless of your sex and sexual orientation, when you are cross-gender shopping at a department store, it might be best to hope for help from the male counter attendant. My experience is that male sales assistants do less scent policing, in terms of both target gender and age.
Say, then, you are a man blessed with a sense of adventure and the wisdom to ignore the word “femme”.* Which female fragrances do you wear? Here are my recommendations — please comment with your own.
Caron Acaciosa: A golden green, fruity jasmine nectar seeps through the base of resinous, sweetened wood in this urn perfume. Rich without sacrificing brightness, Acaciosa is a thoughtful alternative to the fabulous Caron masculines.
Chanel No. 19: When wearing a fragrance intended for the other gender, I am a staunch proponent of choosing the best concentration. No. 19 in Parfum is a lush, wild, but strangely quiet scent, beginning with a vegetal note of beautiful clarity and drying down to the smooth smell of oiled leather boots. (The dry down is reminiscent of the butteriness of Chanel Cuir de Russie, which is another wonderful choice for a man.)
Jean Patou Moment Suprême: Angela wrote that Moment Suprême could “see you through most days when you have to wear panty hose” – and oddly, yes, the scent almost has the tactile feel of nylons, simultaneously silky and textured. Since that is likely not an endorsement for you fellows out there, I hasten to add that it is a great classic, perfectly balancing the herbal, airy rasp of lavender with a caramelized amber that reminds me of Caron’s Tabac Blonde.
Gucci Rush: This is an arresting perfume: milky, intimate and soft, it nevertheless packs an aggressive, chemically heady sillage. One of my all-time favorites, Rush is an abstract marvel, a scent that smells equally weird on man, woman and child.
Ormonde Jayne Ta'if: Unfortunately, my skin chemistry turns this fragrance oddly sour, but sprayed on a piece of clothing, it is hypnotic. Dark, seductive and an excellent example of how to properly use the now ubiquitous pink pepper, Ta'if is a fragrance I would love to smell on a man.
* Even the original version of Rochas Femme has masculine possibilities. Like Mystère from the same line, Femme is a perfume that is difficult for most young women to wear, but I think a discreetly dosed man could carry off this scent’s rare and solemn warmth.
Note: the comments for this article were not imported properly when we switched domains in 3/09, so I’ve copied them below in 2 chunks.
On March 18, 2008 marchlion said:
You’re right, it’s not fair — I can wear any butch thing I want to, but a man buying a (femme) for himself at the local dept store would get some looks.
I think “Honest Day’s Work” would be a fine name for a men’s cologne. I’d borrow it. 🙂
In general? Having smelled fairly “femme” fragrances on men (like rose, tuberose or jasmine) I think most men could pull off almost anything, as long as they didn’t admit what they were wearing.
Bal a Versailles, Velvet Rope and Mitsouko smell great on everyone (although not at the same time, please.)
I forgot you share my love for Gucci Rush. Sigh. Did you see Chandler Burr’s Sunday review? He likes it too.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
See, that’s the key with Femme – don’t give the name unless you’re prepared for the looks. Perhaps as you suggest men could just say they were wearing “Honest day’s Work” – the old Femme has those slightly sweaty, vaguely turpentinesque notes, so that would be credible. Man, I have to try that Velvet Rope, keep forgetting. I didn’t see the Rush review before, but I looked ‘er up and I like it. Like the bit about “yoghurt and a bit of the plastic container it comes in”… so true!
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On March 18, 2008 jolene said:
Of course it reflects more of our gendered society and maybe even homophobia more than anything perfume-centric. It reminded me of an off the wall topic – in dance, if a woman imitates a man (ex.: twyla tharp’s ‘eight jelly rolls’), it’s always always serious, while if a man imitates a woman, it’s always comedic and funny (the stepsisters in Cinderella usually played by men, the whole “ballet trockadero” troop that are male dancers in drag). In the same way, women who try to “imitate” men by wearing men’s cologne is considered serious and experimental, while men who try women’s perfume would not be taken seriously. Disturbing, no?
Interesting topic, I’m hoping things are changing for the better. My favorite male fragrance? Issey Miyake for men.
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On March 18, 2008 Robin said:
Great topic, Erin! I wanted to add that another terrific “manly” Ormonde Jayne is Tolu, with all that wild, heady — and dare I say, masculine — Peruvian tree sap going on.
I’m not sure where Frederic Malle sits on the male/female issue vis-a-vis Une Rose — I know he has his opinions — but a male friend I know wears it and it smells very, very “right” on him.
I like the fact, in fact, that so many of the modern niche houses release their scents along gender-free lines. It frees me up, too, as a woman, to think of scents without those arbitrary male/female delineations. Good progress!
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
You know, one of the many things I like about the OJ line is that so many of her LP’s scents are wearable for the other sex. My fave, Champaca, is very unisex and I thought of Tolu, too. And of course I love wearing Ormonde Man, myself…
I thought it was kind of funny when I read Frederic Malle himself considers the fragrances very gendered: you’d think with the packaging and presentation, the line had a very unisex aesthetic. I adore Une Rose and think anyone could wear it (maybe not Lipstick Rose, though?) I know a man who wears L’Artisan Voleur de Roses, and wears it well. I would be tempted to suggest that there is more traditional gender-segregation in the French lines, but, of course, the French were at the vanguard of the unisex movement, too, so that’s probably poppycock.
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On March 18, 2008 Robin said:
Yes, Erin, it’s an interesting paradox, that the French are both quite traditionally gender-segregated AND instrumental in the fostering of unisexuality (!) in scent. I can respect that. I’m the same, myself: I love the thought of truly girls-only scents, classically masculine scents, and lots and lots of cross-over between the two! It’s all part of the fascination of fragrance. Speaking of OJ, I find Ormande Man far less “manly” than Tolu. Case in point, huh?
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
I guess I love the thought of girlie-girls wearing classically masculine scents and macho men wearing girly florals. 🙂 But I know what you mean…..
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Very interesting points. I’ve always noticed the divide in imitation: it’s supposed to be funny that men would bother to dress, dance or act like women, while we’re supposed to believe it should be obvious for women to aspire to male characteristics. While I am disturbed by the implications of this for both women and gay men, I have to confess to feeling particularly unique and individualistic when I wear my men’s faves (see tomorrow’s post!) Things do seem to be changing, though – so many more unisex lines and releases out there.
I forget what IM for men smells like! Will have to sample again. I like Bleue….
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On March 18, 2008 ahtx said:
Agree with you Jolene, except that I’d say it’s really about misogyny rather than (or in addition to) homophobia. It’s about dismissing femme (as in, the opposite of butch, rather than the Rochas, which actually leans towards butch 🙂 ), no matter the gender or sexual orientation of the person, though of course the beautiful sissies and queens of the world always get the worst of it, since they’ve made the longest leap from one end of the spectrum to the other. Sigh.
Femme power!
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
a, that was what I was trying to suggest myself in my own muddled reply above. Thank you for making the point in clear, warm-hearted prose, so I don’t have to take another desperate stab at it! 🙂
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On March 18, 2008 rosarita said:
Okay, I’m female, but you have touched on some great scents. I think Gucci Rush is underappreciated in general. I’d not thought of it for my husband, but now I wonder why I haven’t; I think it would smell marvelous on him. I love Rochas Femme (the new one, in edp and dabbed judiciously) but I’m not sure how this formulation would work for men, at least for my man. That’s a lot of potentially sweaty cumin. However,I was gifted w/ a sample of vintage Mystere recently and I agree that it would smell great on pretty much everyone. Fun post as always, thanks!
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Thank you! I agree that the new version of Femme, while I enjoy it, is a little more brassy and obvious in its femininity. And Rush is such a great scent, that I’m kind of surprised I don’t smell it out in public more often. It was very successful when it launched, but maybe after a while it suffered for its initial popularity.
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On March 18, 2008 KevinS said:
Erin: a few others that are worth “borrowing”: Molinard’s Habanita (parfum) and its (Aedes) Histoire de Chypre. I’ve worn both recently to wide acclaim — from men and women.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
You know, Habanita is one of those weird scents I seem almost completely anosmiac to in EdT form. It smells like classy air to me. I’ll have to seek out the parfum, because it seems like the sort of thing I *should* love. And I’m impressed you get wide acclaim! Since I started wearing fragrances for myself, I often speculate that I don’t wear enough to really get either compliments or weird looks.
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On March 18, 2008 delfina said:
hi!,
once I was at the Shiseido counter in a big department store in my city and I was telling a friend of mine (male) that Feminite du bois is wonderful on a man, too, which I still think is true. The SA looked at me is if I were too green to be true and said, more or less (in Italian), “yes, on a man who is very “woman””…
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Yes, well, maybe there are some SAs still out there who will jeopardize your business by saying such a thing. (Although perhaps you and your friend sensibly ignored this and were not very offended.) FdB is great on a man, and is an ideal scent for swapping/sharing, since it is one of the first/few feminine scents to really highlight cedar.
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On March 18, 2008 Mikeperez23 said:
Great article and topic to discuss Erin.
As a man who wear anything he damn well pleases, it’s nice to discuss this topic with others who do not ‘compartmentalize’ fragrances into gender classifications so strongly.
At the same time your post brings up a question in my mind: Perhaps some perfume companies are intentionally releasing fragrances to one gender to actually get the opposite gender interested in it. One example that comes to mind instantly is the Tom Ford Private Blends. Ford opens up his luxury MEN’S clothing and furnishings flaship store in Madison Ave. New York with a big splashy opening, and introduces simultaneously twelve (12) scents. In a MENS store. Of course, most WOMEN go crazy and buy, sample, discuss, blog, decant all twelve. The fragrances are good (I sampled all 12) but somehow I think most women got excited about them simply because they were all marketed in a men’s store. Just my two cents.
Womens scents that smell great on a man:
– Kingdom by Alexander McQueen (guys, this smells incredible when worn to the gym…the way this scent mixes with sweat is incredible…the trick is LIGHT application)
– Kelly Caleche by Hermes
– So many of the Guerlain’s…I’m not even going to list them all
– White Linen by Estee Lauder (the EdT version)
– Tabac Blond by Caron / Cabochard by Gres / Bandit by Piguet – the ultimate leather/chypre trifecta. 🙂
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On March 18, 2008 marianne winia said:
Superduper article Erin! Preparing dinner first, brainstorming in the meantime and will come back a little later. :-))
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Didn’t even know the Tom Fords were launched in the context of his men’s lines!! But I was pondering some of the points you mention as I was writing today and tomorrow’s posts. A number of SAs in well-stocked independant stores have mentioned to me that they have more women buying men’s fragrances for themselves than men. I am interested in whether you shop for women’s scents in person and whether you let SAs know you are buying for yourself? In any case, it is a pleasure to have male commenters like you and Kevin making great suggestions for other pioneers!
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Bandit really works perfect on men’s. The leather is very pronounced, in an elegant way.
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On March 18, 2008 megank4 said:
Hehe. I am just thinking of my husband smelling like a rock. He wouldn’t buy a perfume (oh sorry, cologne 🙂 for himself, but will pretty much wear anything I buy for him. The earlier comment about women wearing men’s fragrances is interesting- I would like to see a post on it.
That being said, I have a wonderful cedary perfume oil that I bought for me but smells better on him. So he has one woody fragrance.
Now if I can only convince him to rub perfume oil on himself without my having to tackle him and forcefully do it myself…
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
There’s a great moment in the Lorrie Moore short story “Terrific Mother” where a new wife is teasing her good-humoured husband about how he smells scented after a bath. He plays along with the macho stereotype when she asks him whether it was a bubble bath. He says something like “Yes, but I made my own bubbles by pounding the water with my fist.” And she asks him whether he used bath salts and he says: “Yes. Rock-scented ones.” That part always makes me laugh. Also Terre D’Hermes is a great, new male fragrance that smells like rocks…
I’m posting on men’s fragrances for women tomorrow!
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On March 18, 2008 Kelly Red said:
I recently got my husband to use a little SL Daim Blonde. He smelled wonderful and his assistant at work apparently went nuts! (She’s about 60 so no worries there). He wasn’t going to try it at all and now he’s using MY bottle almost everyday! Of course this winter I mostly wore Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanilla so I guess we’re the exchangable couple.
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On March 18, 2008 marianne winia said:
Some of my choices are:
Jill Sander ‘Bath and Beauty Eau de Toilette’,
Rochas ‘Fleur d’Eau’,
Chanel ‘Coco’,
Chanel ‘Allure Sensuelle Eau de Parfum’,
Tommi Sooni ‘Tarantella’,
Frederic Malle ‘En Passant’,
Sisley ‘Eau de Campagne’,
Estee Lauder ‘Knowing’
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Great suggestions! Rochas is one of those lines that has a lot of strangely androgynous scents, like Chanel, Dior, Patou and Caron. Interesting, I would have never thought of Coco for a man, but I think I can see how it would work. And Knowing – what an interesting scent, glad it’s still around. Thought of the original Lauder Azuree for this post, but ran out of list spots…
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
If think Coco works fine on a man, specially because to me its a less shiny version of Gaultier 2.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
With my husband, you know you’ve convinced him when others start complimenting him. Suddenly, he doesn’t mind wearing a flamboyant tie, facial moisturizer, merino sweater, etc. I’m kind of nervous about trying to get him interested in my perfumes, though – I’m a bit possessive! If he had some Tom Fords to swap with me, though, I’d welcome some experimentation…
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On March 18, 2008 marianne winia said:
Erin, make sure he buys some fragrances that you would love to wear…:)
Then I have a few more for HIM namely:
Etat Libre D’Orange ‘Rossy de Palma’
Estee Lauder ‘Pure White Linnen Light Breeze’
Prada ‘Infusion d’Iris’
Chopard ‘Mira Bai’
Montale ‘Chypre Vanille’
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
M, have you tried Rose Poivrée from The Different Company? I find RP very close (in abbreviation as well!) to Rossy de Palma, and I believe TDC markets their scents as unisex. And drat, there’s that Montale Chypre Vanille again. Have to make a mental note to get myself a sample pronto…
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On March 18, 2008 marianne winia said:
Erin, will see if I can get a sample 🙂
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On March 19, 2008 Mamabear said:
I did the same with my husband last night, only it was YSL’s Elle (he has NO idea what Elle means and never thinks to ask:-). It smelled great on him – his chems brought out whatever’s smoky in that fragrance but left just enough sparkle to keep it interesting.
I think he would be fine with wearing a ‘femme’ fragrance, as long as I don’t tell him it’s for women – he’s not quite ready to go there in any conscious way but I love that he’s fine with me trying out new scents on him!
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On March 19, 2008 marianne winia said:
Mamabear I love this 😀 So he really has no clue..
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
A good idea! Unfortunately, my husband knows just enough French that he would be suspicious of many of my feminine fragrances. He is pretty good about letting me spray him if he is not going out in public, though…
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On March 19, 2008 nlb said:
“(She’s about 60 so no worries there)”…as long as he doesn’t work for someone like Helen Mirren ;D.
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On March 18, 2008 ahtx said:
Terrific suggestions and very funny article, Erin. Your descriptions have me very intrigued — must go sniff some Gucci Rush. I adore Ta’if and hope to have more than a sample some day — I think you are very right about how it would smell on a man.
Thinking of the Ta’if and the Habanita another reader suggested, I wonder what you think of how powdery notes change/emerge on male skin? I have noticed that certain notes — musk for example — are quite strong on me, but disappear almost completely on my partner. Just individual chemistry, or is there a gender component, too?
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
That’s a very interesting question and I wish I had some kind of proper answer. Don’t know anything about the science of skin, but I had always understood that men had thicker, oilier skin than women. Perhaps this is not the case. If it is, though, I would imagine it would have some sort of effect on chemistry. Anybody else have some info or anecdotal evidence on this?
And thanks for your kind comment. Sometimes I feel bad picking on the poor SAs, but they *do* say some amusing things…
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Congratulations for the excelent article. I’m am man that 2 past years ago thought that man wearing women’s fragrances was something very strange and wrong. Then I’ve sniffed Dior Addict and fell in love with it’s complex creamy-woody-exotic quality. Since then, I’ve been apreciating more and more womens fragrances, especially the oriental ones with woody or spicy notes. My favorites:
Prada
Dior Addict Fraiche
Black Cashmere
Gucci Edp (To my nose, it reminds me of Joop! Homme)
Tomorrow Her (Avon – one of my cheapest favorites. To me is a gourgeous creamy soft light woody oriental).
Cristalle Edp (My after bath cologne)
Rochas Absolu
Kelly Caleche
And somethins that’s true is that if don’t tell anyone that you’re wearing a woman’s fragrance, the chances that someone points out this fact are very rare.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
HB, thank you very much for commenting and for your flawless list. With the exception of Tomorrow Her – which I will have to try! – I know these are excellent suggestions. Addict reminds me (and many others) of Rush, so it’s nice to hear a man mention it. I agree with your last point, too.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
I hope that you like tomorrow. It’s perfect for daytime wearing, when you want something that’s is very comfort. It has some notes in common with Addict, but here the orange flower is very sheer but beautifuly worked with a sunny vanilla and ambery touches.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Oh! I’ve forgotten another fragrance that works well on a man skin: Kingdom – Alexander McQueen. A beautiful rose scent.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Okay, that’s the second mention of Kingdom. Great! It’s such a unique scent.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Le Baiser du Dragon is another one who that works well, especialy for social events. It’s very elegant and powerful, with it’s vetiver and amarreto notes that, to me, are the key notes in this one.
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On March 18, 2008 Robin said:
Ah, and another Cartier works beautifully for me, too: Must!
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On March 18, 2008 Robin said:
I meant MEN, not ME!!
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Robin, you’re absolutely right about the Must! It’s one that i want to have someday. On my skin its gourgeous, woody and chipré in a refined way, especialy the parfum version.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Another one that I think that a man can dare to use is youth dew. It’s very dry and spicy, with some dark flowers that don’t turn it too feminine or masculine. And it also posesses a animalic aura in its final stages of evolution.
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On March 18, 2008 marianne winia said:
Henrique, I think that you have a great taste. Many of the perfumes that you chose I like as well, like Must and Youth Dew and others.
Finally a man who tells us what he likes and uses.
And Erin, Chypre Vanille is so strong and sweet and powerful, more like a gala perfume. It’s good but intensely warm and sensual. Not for every occasion.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Thank you Marianne. And I’d like to say that I also love to smell some kind of men fragrances on womens too. Dior Homme is one that I thinks is unissex in its aura.It works well on womens skin, because to my nose the iris on a woman skin is more evident.
I also think that Egoiste, Jaipur pour homme Edp and Opium pour homme edp are excelent choices for women that like oriental perfumes with gourmand and spicy touches.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
HB, I hope you’ll enjoy my post tomorrow on men’s fragrances for women. It sounds as if we have very similar taste in this regard (I cover some of your suggestions.) Jaipur Pour Homme edP is not on my list for tomorrow, but I love and own that one – very different.
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On March 18, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Well, I can only say that you have and excellent taste rsrsrsrsrs 🙂
Another two that I think women may like: Rochas Man and Declaration.
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On March 19, 2008 marianne winia said:
Henrique, I am already making notes 🙂 I have Jaipur Femme but that was not a succes on me – told my children.
Boucheron Homme I love on a man and maybe it will be nice on a woman too and maybe Jaipur Homme will be better for me then..
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Thanks, M, sounds wonderful.
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On March 19, 2008 Robin said:
Henrique, I think that if you like Youth Dew, you may LOVE Tom Ford’s Youth Dew Amber Nude. It’s even drier, more smoldering. . .
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On March 19, 2008 Henrique Brito said:
Robin, I’ve been ansious to try this one since it was launched. But, unfortunately, Estee Lauder is not available here in Brazil =/ So I’ll risk to buy it from ebay. A friend told me it was similar in style to Organza Indecence, wich I think it’s perfect (and it’s a shame it was discontinued!.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
HB, it is funny, I have heard women call LBdD “too masculine”. I know Angela really likes this one.
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On March 18, 2008 QuarryJoy said:
My six-foot-tall husband served in Viet Nam. He’s an expert hunter with gun and bow. He drives a pick-up. He worked as a newspaper pressman on the big rigs. He wired and plumbed and roofed our homes and built our kitchen cabinets. He cuts and splits firewood to heat our house. His hands are rough as as a rasp. His scent of choice: Stella Rose Absolute. He’s on his third bottle. 🙂
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Okay, that is now enshrined in my collection of best perfume stories ever! Thank you!
This also reminds me of my brother-in-law, who is a real guys’ guy, a sports gambler and a motorcycle enthsuiast, and he works putting brake lines into SUVs. He sweats like crazy at work and swears by ladies Soft N’ Dry Fresh scent deodarant. He’s been pressing it on all his male friends, and I’m not sure he’s been getting very far.
And the rest:
On March 18, 2008 cazaubon said:
Maybe it’s a French thing, but I was rather surprised to see the “Le Labo” scents labeled as for women, men or babies. I thought, how quaint, but isn’t that rather passe in this day and age? Ironically the scents I chose were all mens/babies, no women’s at all (Vetiver, Labdanum and Ambrette).
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Hey, you picked my favorites! You smell great! But yeah, I was kind of surprised by Le Labo’s labelling, too.
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On March 18, 2008 clarestella said:
A man that smells good is so sexy. It doesn’t matter what the scent is…if it works on him, it works. I love some “masculine” scents too. I think perfume should be all unisex. Maybe that’s why people like the Demeter and I Hate Perfume lines – they’re for all of us which is the way it should be.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Everybody loves to smell like Gingerale!
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On March 18, 2008 Santemon said:
Erin, you’re welcome to come visit me on a day when I wear OJ Ta’if, one of my favourites (as is their Orris Noir). I truly love them both. Sometimes I also spritz on Annick Goutal’s Grand Amour, I think the ambery base of it works really well on me. You’ve intrigued me with Caron Acaciosa – an urn parfum I haven’t yet tried – and Chanel 19. Must try them out.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Oh dear, that’s a very tempting offer (don’t tell my husband.) I love Orris Noir as well. Do try Acaciosa if you get the chance, it has a richness that I think you would appreciate. I never really connected with No. 19 until I tried the parfum, which is almost fatty, the way nuts smell. That sounds icky, but it’s actually quite striking. The galbanum is not as pronounced or sharp as in the other concentrations, and the musk is tamped down.
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On March 18, 2008 Bklyn Fragrance Lover said:
Here are some “women’s” fragrances that I like to wear:
Tom Ford Black Orchid (always get compliments from men and women alike)
Prada Infusion D’Iris
Serge Lutens Chene
Serge Lutens Arabie
Serge Lutens Gris Clair
Frederic Malle L’eau d’hiver
La Vanila Grapefruit Vanilla
Bond 9 Chinatown
I own over 100 bottles of fragrances. These are a few of my “Femme” favs. I’ve got plenty of testorone friendly scents as well. Just depends on my mood on a particular morning.
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
Completely agree that it’s a mood thing. Love your list there. Chene is one of my all-time favourites, but I wasn’t sure if Serge Lutens labelled his scents as feminine or masculine, so I didn’t include any on my list. So great that you wear Chinatown!
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On March 18, 2008 Damie said:
I had a male customer at rhymes-wth-Spacey’s who would return again and again to buy Coco EDP, and once with some pressing I finally got him to admit it was for himself. As a result I found one of my best friends and a dear swap buddy! Thank you for this fantastic article Erin!
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On March 18, 2008 Erin T said:
What a wonderful example of how perfume connects people! Thank *you*.
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On March 18, 2008 pyramus said:
I wear men’s and women’s scents interchangeably: I just don’t care. EXCEPT. I don’t know why I have this particular block, but I cannot comfortably wear a women’s scent that’s named “woman” or whatnot. Rochas Femme? Never tried it. Miss Dior? A great scent, but no. When CSP changed Coeur de Raisin (which I was considered buying) to Princesse Muscat, I knew I would never own it. This is very stupid, and evidence of thorough socialization, I know, but there it is.
However, probably about half my collection is women’s scents. Some of my favourites have already been mentioned: Estee Lauder Knowing is a killer chypre (and Spellbound is an equally amazing oriental), Cartier Baiser du Dragon is beyond delicious, and Kingdom by Alexander McQueen is just smutty and sexy as hell. I’d also like to add:
Midnight Poison (so butch for a rose scent!)
Yves Rocher Voile D’Ambre (sunshiny, shimmery amber)
Boucheron Trouble (another gorgeous amber oriental)
YSL Nu (incense and orchids–dirty!)
Bulgari Omnia (yum. Just yum.)
L Lempicka (ditto)
Todd Oldham (the smell of happiness)
and that’s just off the top of my head.
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On March 19, 2008 Lavinia said:
YSL Nu – excellent choice!
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Hey, glad to see the Voile D’Ambre getting some love, such a wonderful fragrance (for a reasonable price) that would rock on a man. I love Omnia, too and Nu is cool. I’m very impressed with you if can carry off L, it’s a big salted caramel on me, smells great, but it might be too feminine for me! (“Just have to be butch enough to carry it off” as somebody once said…) And I’m not sure I’d wear anything called Princesse either… unless it was Princess Buttkicker, or something. 🙂
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On March 19, 2008 Kim said:
when and why did it become cool to put down sales professionals in the fragrance industry?
most of them know a hell of a lot more than us
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Kim, that’s why I made my comments above re: feeling bad about always picking on SAs. However, I would have to disagree with you about them knowing more than us. This might be true in Paris, or in some big city niche stores or even in small independant stores where the owners and SAs are passionate, but I have spoken to many department store SAs (including the highend ones) who are there to sell the make-up, period, or who are there to get a paycheck. I’ve also worked at book stores and libraries with people who don’t read. A person with an obsessive hobby is more often informed than somebody who is desperately waiting for the clock to hit 5:00 and that’s the truth.
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On March 19, 2008 Kim said:
Maybe I am spoiled because I lived in New Orleans and Chicago and I was born in New York, and now live near Hamburg, Germany. And most every sales associate I have dealt with was very well trained and really enjoyed not only the fragrance, but the cosmetics, and got paid a nice commission, and sometimes they waited for it to be closing time, depending on what they were doing after work. These same associate would call when new fragrances were launched (before it got so crazy with so many), put things aside, pack bags filled with samples and adored fragrance. Now where I shop, in two large cities and one small one, most of the sales associates go to school for three years studying skin care and fragrance and really know their stuff.
I have friends that work for Chanel and Lancome and they also train extensively and really know not only their fragrances, but others as well and also Niche. For years I shopped at Nordstrom and most of the people working there were helpful and very knowledgeable. I cannot say the same for a couple of other department stores that will remain nameless, but there are some excellent sales associates out there (even in the small towns). I stand by what I said before. On this we have to agree to disagree.
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Well, we don’t disagree completely! Obviously there are some *great* SAs out there. But living in North America, I have never met any SAs who have gone to school for any length of time to study fragrance. I have applied for SA jobs and been told that, because of my university degrees in an unrelated field, I am “over-qualified”. Most SAs in Canada in department stores have training only from the lines and this training is aimed at presenting the fragrances in the way the marketing people want it to be presented. As you can see from the comments here there are SAs who research and socialize with the online perfume community, which I think is wonderful. And Nordstroms is great. But I stand by my comment that many SAs are only in it for the paycheck. (Should add that while such SAs are not helpful to me, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with working for a paycheck, with commission or otherwise.)
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On March 19, 2008 Damie said:
Exactly! I have had some training thrugh the company, but I am mostly an auto-didact. I love fragrance , have tried to learn all I can, and had the highest sales in the store due to my repeat customers. Yet I was reprimanded for “spending too much time” on single customers. Value is not placed on knowledge or service in some places.
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Damie, it’s great to have someone who works in the industry give us their own perspective – thank you for being here! As I wrote to Kim, there are plenty of great SAs like you who really enrich the experience of buying perfume. Unfortunately, I think some lines and stores can sometimes discourage salespeople who want to go above and beyond the call of duty, because they might not being staying “on message”.
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On March 19, 2008 Benoit said:
I beleive that perfume for men or women is only marketing.
The real problem is concentration, a woman can wear a perfume or an EdP … which is difficult for a man. Even if at my work in full meeting I would certainly appreciate to smell No 5 …
Concerning component let s say that since the beginning there are beautifull perfume who break the rules since the beginning
No flower in Men Perfume … really ? (Fahrenheit … )
No Vanilla in Men Perfume … ? (Pour un Homme …)
Of course Fahrenheit is not called “Violette Magnifique” … even if it is.
As a Man I have tried quite all kind of perfume … here is my short list of pure “‘women perfume” that I often wear. (I dont count the unisex SL and so on …)
– Mitsouko (guerlain) … at low concentration please … : wonderfull on my skin.
– Nuit de Noel (Caron) : Soft, clean I like it
– Maharanih (Parfum de Nicolai) .. very sweet
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
B, I am so glad to see someone (and a man!!) mention Maharanih. What a fabulous fragrance! Even though the name means “Queen” in Sanskrit and now Hindi (although why the wrong final ‘h’?), this is a scent that would really suit a man, I think. (And as a woman I’d rather be a ruling Queen, rather than a princess – see our discussion about that above! 🙂 Fahrenheit I almost put in the upcoming Men’s Fragrances for Women list, but I went with my heart and chose Dior Homme Eau Noire, which is probably more conventionally masculine. Dior has great options for sharing. And I went for Third Man, even though I love all of the Caron masculines, including Pour Un Homme.
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On March 19, 2008 Kim said:
Honestly, I have never lievd anywhere that a man or woman could not try or buy what he wanted regardless of what the gender was on the label and this has been for over 25 years.
I wear a mix of both feminine and masculine fragrances.
One of my first fragrance loves was
Lanvin (for homme and I am a woman)
I like
Hermes Terre
F24, (geared to women)
most Kenzo for woman, men or either
SJP Lovely which is geared to woman, but smells woody to me, my husband also has worn it
MR (unisex I think) (Musc Ravageur)
Rance Josephine as well as Rance Vanqueur (made for Napolean, but I adore it)
Rance Eugenie, and also the Rance made for Napoleans son, but I cannot find my bottle nor the name
Fahrenheit 32 (love this)
and the list goes on,
oh RSVP, new this season I think
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Kim, I’d like to live where you do! 🙂 Hey, maybe Canadians are unusually segregated when it comes to perfume. (I’m a Canuck.) I love Terre D’Hermes, almost all the Kenzos and the original Fahrenheit (can’t remember trying the new 32, unfortunately.) I thought about putting SJP Lovely on my list, as I really like it and think it could work for men, too. Actually, it reminds me of a more mainstream version of Parfums de Nicolai’s Maharanih, discussed above: green opening, with a rich, chocolately drydown (whether it is woody or ambery).
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On March 19, 2008 Kim said:
It reminds me of one with a pink box and black lettering and I cannot recall the name NR I think are the initials, ugh. Rod or ..ugh..anyway, try the 32, very unusual. I will try the one you mentioned.
Well, Erin, I am not a typical woman, I guess, I have always kind of preferred the stuff thought as masculine 🙂 But I love all fragrance, to me it is almost genderless, almost but not quite.
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Narciso Rodriquez? You know, I’ve never tried that one on my skin, though I’ve tested it many times on their testing ribbons. I’m kind of confused by all the different concentrations and products there. Have your tried NR’s new male fragrance. Once again, there are different concentrations and I rather enjoyed the Musk oil one.
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On March 20, 2008 Kim said:
No, but I will go look for it. My husband went one day to the local perfume shop and they gave him the sample to bring to me.
Come to think of it, this was one of only two times he did this 🙂 Well, make that three times.
I didn’t even realize they made so many different concentrations, and oh yes, that was the one I had the mental block on. It smells very much like SJP lovely.
You know, I cannot find her Covet here in Germany. I wonder why? But I am coming to New York next month, so I hope I remember to smell it there.
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On March 20, 2008 Erin T said:
Oh darn, Kim, I meant *Covet* smells like Maharanih, not Lovely. Geez. Sorry! But they all have that opaque, musky drydown, so I guess we’re kind of in the same ballpark anyways. Covet is worth smelling, and it’s everywhere here.
I think the NR for women comes in EdP, EdT and oil spray or something… (can’t keep it straight!)
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On March 19, 2008 platinum15 said:
Great topic, as always!
Really don’t understand why SA give out such weird looks at anyone willing to buy anything!
Plus, as everyone knows, each person’s body chemistry will bring out something different. It may not end up smelling “femme”-like.
Fortunately, I am another one who really doesn’t give a “@#%” about what people are thinking.
The “femme” scents that I wear regularly–not every day, but special occasions–and i always get compliments–even by my own father!!! (an Old Spicer type)
-Ambre Sultan (OK, that one doesn’t really count)
-Nikki de Saint-Phalle
-Diva de Ungaro (the name should have keep me away-but i love it)
-Féminité du Bois
-CSP Vanille Passion, Vanille Banane
-Montana Parfum de peau
-Ivoire de Balmain
-Calyx de Prescriptive
On the other hand… my sister stole my Lolita Lempika and my Dior Eau Sauvage Extreme.
What a family we are…
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On March 19, 2008 Kim said:
wow, nice list, can I be your other sister 😉
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Awesome list! I can’t seem to get Calyx here, and it drives me mad. I must try it. And many of Balmains work great on men, I agree. Maybe your family could adopt me? 🙂
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On March 19, 2008 pyramus said:
I see you like chypres, as do I: Nikki de St. Phalle is really nice, and Montana Parfum de Peau is a stunner. Diva smells too floral on me (though I actually have a little bottle of it), but it’s stupendous, a big, dynamic chypre scent. I’m envious that you can wear it!
You ought to try Knowing, because I can pretty much guarantee that if you like Diva, you’ll like that one, too. It’s smashing.
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On March 20, 2008 platinum15 said:
Yeah, Montana is a stunner.
However it is the only one for which I ever got a negative comment. A female friend of mine asked it I was wearing bug repellent…!
Will try Knowing soon
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On March 19, 2008 nlb said:
Both “Opium” and “Rive Gauche” by Yves St. Laurent are utterly intoxicating on male skin. And I don’t know if I’ve commented on that Jean Paul Gaultier ad in the past, but how foxy is that? Happening upon that sweet-bath scene would melt the hardest of hearts ;).
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Good suggestions, and thank heaven somebody mentioned that ad, I kept forgetting to comment on it. Foxy is just the word. Don’t know how it plays with men, but I love it! I know that both women and men, straight and gay, have commented to me that they *don’t* like the original Le Male ads, so this is an improvement. Seems like it exactly captured what it was going for…
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On March 19, 2008 Lars Lapsus said:
Hi,
I have no time to read all the interesting suggestions now – just to add: I saw Marianne propose Sisley’s Eau de C. which I noticed is heavily marketed towards men and officially a unisex… I love it btw.
My favorites I can spontaneously think of are (I don’t own them all!):
• Cuir de Russe
• L’Heure Bleu – I have a sample of which sends me to heaven when I wear it
• Vol de Nuit – much easier to wear than the latter
• Omnia Cristalline – although the penetrating musk base scares me a bit… discussed this with Robin.
• Costume National Scent/S Intense
and still not sure about Kenzo Amour, need to try again.
I also love Hermès’ Faubourg24, which I gave my granny as a present and always meant to try on skin – I just remember now that I read this article. Wonder if I’d like to smell it on myself…
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
L’Heure Bleu, like a lot of the Guerlains (Apres L’Ondee springs to mind) would be stupendous on a man. Vol de Nuit comes close to the masculine already, as you implied, and I almost included it on the list. (Would’ve been a safer pick than Acaciosa, really.) Interesting to hear you are scared of Cristalline – me too. I like it more than I expected I would, but it’s strong! Perhaps that is Bvlgari’s response to some people saying the original Omnia didn’t smell like anything. And I love Kenzo Amour, it really grew on me with each time I tried it. I have to kind of grit my teeth and bare the opening floral bit, but the drydown is wonderful and very unisex, if sweet.
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On March 19, 2008 Erin T said:
Whoops, “bear” the opening. 🙂
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On March 21, 2008 Lars Lapsus said:
Erin,
I had this little Omnia discussion about the fact some people find Omnia so weak while I had a strip on my desk which I still was able to smell from a meter distance after a month or so. But I preferred Crystalline. Robin suggested they use this “iso e super” musk which some noses just can’t smell. I certainly can, and I recognised it in other scents, which ,when I realised this, put me off Omnia a bit. Still really like it though.
I can’t believe I forgot to name Prada INFUSION D’IRIS!!! Currently in my top 5. In my nose it’s character is so unisex that I don’t think of it as a female which it actually is marketed as.
Caron I only like – adore, that is – Pour un Homme. Don’t know the females but will try Acaciosa!
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On April 28, 2008 Erin T said:
That’s interesting – I find all perfumes with iso e super extremely strong – Feminite du Bois pops to mind. Perhaps they put a real whack in there (as well as other musks) because so many people are anosmiac to musks and they’re trying to catch everybody. In the meantime, they’re blowing you and I right out! I love all of the Caron masculines (except perhaps L’Anarchiste, which I find a wee bit “meh”) and interested to see all the men into Infusion D’Iris. I find it rather delicate, but I’m glad to see you don’t find it so.
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On March 20, 2008 joe805 said:
“Say, then, you are a man blessed with a sense of adventure and the wisdom to ignore the word “femme”….”
Ha! I love the concept of this pair of articles. In general, I’m more comfortable buying fragrances — including sample sizes — online. SAs tend to freak me out and make me start to sweat. I once was in a situation where I felt I had to make my move quickly to test some Chanel No. 5 before the SA swooped in to “help” (an offer that I refused), even though I was with a female friend. Truth is, I don’t like sampling even True He-Man Scents (if there is such a thing) under the glare of an SA’s eye.
That being said, I’ve been enjoying a wide spectrum of scents for both genders for the past year or two since I’ve rediscovered my love of fragrance — though most of my choices seem clearly in the male/unisex camp. The more “femme” creations I’ve been smitten with include:
– Bois d’Iris
– Voleur de Roses
– Hermès Jardins — sur le Nil & en Mediterrannee
– Mûre et Musc
I’m also on the verge of developing what I think may be a complicated relationship with L’Heure Bleue, and occasionally I want to douse myself with Tubereuse Couture, though if I did so, I’m not sure I’d go out in public.
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On March 21, 2008 Lars Lapsus said:
Hah, complicated relationship is exactly what I experience with L’HB! She can be such a such a snob and really choosy… but once you found a common topic to chat about – or rather meditate and philosophy about – you’re at the mercy of her cold, haunting beauty…
Sorry for being a smart-ass, but the Jardins are really absolutely unisex and also marketed as such. But yes, they are gorgeous. UJ en Méditerranée is in my top 5!
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On March 21, 2008 HDS1963 said:
Glad to see people mentioning Infusion D’Iris because I think that’s a great cross-over scent.
It’s the only one in my iminently ex-wife’s collection that I covet.
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On April 28, 2008 Erin T said:
My L’Artisan guy tells me he sells more Voleur de Roses to men than to women. Good! Bois d’Iris is one I love and perhaps I love it most for the unisex/masculine feel to the opening. Very rugged and virile.
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On April 8, 2008 youneko said:
I might be a bit late to comment on this, and it is also my first comment to your blog
but
I just wanted to agree on Guccis Rush; I love it and used to wear it and get a lot of compliments for it,
my (ex)boyfriend wears and loves it too and it suits him very well.
(although a ###### salesperson asked if he was nuts for wearing a womans perfume… needless to say I didn’t buy anything at the store – ever)
And it really lasts for a long time, most of our clothes and bedsheets smelled like it without ever spreying them with it directly..
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On April 28, 2008 Erin T said:
Thanks for commenting and sorry for the late welcome! I think Rush is one of the few perfumes I’ve ever talked my husband into trying on his skin – he loves it on me. The lasting power and sillage are fabulous. Ah, and so I’m right that some sales assistants are still causing trouble! Sounds like you ex wisely ignored the comment…
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On April 26, 2008 bo_b_h said:
My perfume passion being very recent (less than three months, really…) – ringing loudly with as much intensity as with amateurism – your thread got me to re-think the range of fragrances I should seek out: every so often, a “for women? bah! for me!” train of thought now pops up in my head as I happily sniff. Thanks so much for that!
I second the mention of the guerlains in the above replies: I would wear mitsouko any day; i think I could also pull off nose-numbing shalimar (Yes, nose-numbing, for I loved it so bad the first time I sprayed it on my wrist that I had to smell it at least once a minute…)
keep on with your fantastic posts!
borhane.
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On April 28, 2008 Erin T said:
Thanks so much B! I love your “bah! for me!” There are very few Guerlains that can’t cross the aisle. I think of L’Heure Bleue as being the most “girly” but look at all the men up there wearing it with flair! Clearly this is a line that simply appeals to human beings….