For women, there seems to be more femininity coming back. It’s going back to the ultra feminine fragrances of the ’30s and ’40s, but making them more modern and sleek, and incorporating natural elements.
What has happened recently with men’s fragrances is that they’ve started to take a little bit more of a move toward floralcy. We’ve come out of the hard woody notes, the darkness notes.
— Kellie Como of Inter Parfums talks about recent fragrance trends. Read more at An Experience Consumers Want to Make Their Own at GCI.
I’m so pleased that mens fragrances are going more floral. Yes, some of the classic “water” “woody” “musky” “[insert stereotypical ‘masculin’ note here]” fragrances are superb (Acqua di Gio being my all time fave), but let’s face it, eventually, they all smell the SAME. I spent 20 minutes at the mens fragrance counter in Dillards about two months back and, while there were slight differences, none of them jumped out and screamed for me to fork over the master card (even if it involved going home and getting it off ebay or another discounter). I’ve discovered that some of my favorite fragrances to douse the boyfriend in are actually “Women’s” fragrances because there is variation. SJP’s “Lovely,” Mugler’s “Angel,” and Christian Audigier for women (red bottle w/crown cap) to name just a few. Of course I have to decant them into a 2.5 ml vial and give them a fake name to make him willing to spray them. And what do you know? Not only did he enjoy them, he actually had one of his co-workers ask what he was wearing so he could go buy it for himself. It was the Audigier for Women, btw 😉
I’m not sure I believe men’s fragrances are more floral than they used to be, but if they are, I’m all for it 🙂
If I remember right the Prada for men is quite floral.
Oh, sure, it is. But not sure more so than an older scent — in fact, that scent smells quite “classic” to me.
too right ! you show me a new floral man’s perfume and I’ll eat shoes (kidding). everything on the side of fragrance department is just all musky, dark and boring. that’s why I tend to go towards “women’s” scents because they are more adventurous and really, you can’t always tell the difference.
Maybe this is more fig than floral, but it seems very floral to me, Marc Jacobs for Men. I just got it for the BF to see if I could possibly get him to own more than the one scent I got him last year, but he finds that too confusing and cluttered on the bathroom shelf… ANYWAY I have been wearing the MJ for Men and there seems to be very little that is traditionally masculine about it. I am one of those girls who cannot pull of the I’m sexy and I wear men’s fragrances, equivalent of wearing tuxedo pants and a rumpled white men’s dress shirt smoking a cigar straddling an office chair with tousled hair type vibe… I wear either feminine or unisex at most. And the MJ for Men is no stretch for me at all. And it is marvelous on guys, I remember when it came out someone I dated wore it and I happened to be faithful the women’s version at the time, we took this to be another que that it was meant to be and took a trip together that ended the relationship.
I’m loving the trend in womens’ frags that mimics the smell of old-fashioned powders/cosmetics/lipsticks. Lipstick Rose is an absolute comfort scent for me, and I just tried and adored Balenciaga Paris. Now the newish Chloe line is on my list to try and I’m looking for more scents like these since they are so not the typical fruitchouli chypre and so simple and lovely.
This is a big ppart of my love for Natori; it reminded me both of a soap my grandmother used to have for my baths when I was a little girl, and slightly of clean babies, both in a really good way.
They could even leave the “modern and sleek” out of it altogether and I’d be a very happy lady. 🙂
That my favorite trend too. Beats fruity florals!
Oh gosh, I don’t always want to smell feminine or soft or flowery. I love modern and sleek” and sophisticated and elegant.
Oh, there’s definitely something to be said for a good CDG or Bandit, but sometimes when I want to feel glamourous and like the lady of the manor, especially while doing something totally mundane and dull like dishes or cleaning, it’s nice to spray on something fabulous and cozy to help ease the malaise. 😉
I am a man, and I am not afraid to admit that I like flowers. I would love to find a unisex/masculine scent with any of the following: plumeria, gardenia, osmanthus, or jasmine (the last one I realize is a note in a lot of scents but I’ve never found a masculine one where it was noticeable, at least not to my olfactories…).
See my diatribe on Marc Jacobs for Men up there.
Dave, why put a label on it? Just wear what smells good. I know men who wear Carnal Flower and other fragrances marketed to women so if we can cross the aisle, why not you guys? Lots of men rock the girliest scents!
I agree with you in theory… I have no problem wearing “feminine” scents, but I can’t do just Jasmine by itself. I tried Serge Lutens A La Nuit one time, and I just had a hard time wearing something so heavy and feminine… so Jasmine might just not be the right scent for me, or maybe its just Serge Lutens.
I probably should order some samples from Lucky Scent. It’s been a while 🙂
I like feminine and flowery. I totally support your desire to smell differently, but I like vintage and I like florals… you know, a fair proportion of those old-school florals had backbone: chypre or woody structures topped with natural florals. If someone would like to re(re)vamp Jolie Madame back to the gorgeousness that it used to be, all violets and gardenia on b*tch-slap moss, THAT would be worth it.
Any trend away from Kool-Aid fragrances is a good one, in my book!
Whoops, this was supposed to nest under Dilana’s comment!
I did not intend to launch a puritan anti-floral or anti-pretty dictat. O course, just about every woman (and alot of men) have days when they just want to feel lovely. I have some fragrances for that. However, there is so little available for those sleek, elegant, suave moods, and it seems like that list is growing shorter as fragrances get reformulated into “brighter” or fruitier, or “younger” versions. (I assume, perhaps unfairly, this is because brighter, fruitier and powdery can be cheaper to manufacture and therefore sold at prices for younger buyers) .
I’m just happy if the trend is away from gourmand and frooty.
Seems like there’s plenty of modern and sleek, though? Maybe there’s just enough modern sleekity for MY taste since that’s not my usual preference…
Is “floralcy” a real word?
It is commonly used in the industry, as is “petal-y”. I prefer florality because it’s funnier.
I think “florality” somehow sounds more proper, too…. just as “normality” sounds more, well, NORMAL than “normalcy”. 😉
My ears pricked up at the section where they talk about the need to distinguish between the “heavy users” of fragrance and the “non heavy users.” I know which category I’M in, LOL! 🙂
Heh heh. And I’m right there with you.
It makes us sound more like addicts.