TL;DR Popular unisex fragrances include CK One, D&G Light Blue, Tom Ford's private line, and Maison Margiela's Whispers in The Library. These scents are praised for their versatility across genders.
Popular Unisex Fragrances
Several fragrances were frequently mentioned as favorites among users for their unisex appeal. CK One by Calvin Klein is a classic choice that continues to be popular [3:3],
[5:1]. D&G Light Blue was highlighted for its genderless quality, with both versions being suitable for men and women
[2:1],
[2:2]. Tom Ford's line, including Noir de Noir and Black Orchid, offers rich, complex scents that many find appealing regardless of gender
[2:6],
[4:2].
Citrus and Fresh Scents
For those who prefer citrus or fresh fragrances, Nest Seville Orange and Replica Under the Lemon Trees were recommended [3:1]. Acqua Di Gio was also mentioned as a standout fragrance for its fresh scent
[5:3]. These fragrances are often favored for their light and invigorating qualities, making them ideal for warmer weather.
Unique and Niche Options
Some users shared unique and niche fragrances that they enjoy. Maison Margiela's Whispers in The Library, though discontinued, was praised for its warm vanilla woody scent [1:2]. Baccarat Rouge 540 was noted for its universal appeal despite being on the sweeter side
[4:2],
[4:3]. Additionally, fragrances like Nishane Wulong Cha and Diptyque Orpheon offer distinct profiles that cater to diverse tastes
[1:5],
[1:4].
Fragrance Philosophy
A recurring theme in the discussions is the idea that fragrances do not inherently possess gender. Many users advocate for wearing what you love, regardless of marketing labels [5:6]. This perspective encourages exploring a wide range of scents without being constrained by traditional gender norms.
Recommendations Beyond Discussions
If you're new to unisex fragrances, consider starting with sample sets from brands known for their versatile offerings. Brands like Atelier Cologne and Jo Malone provide a variety of scents that can help you discover your personal preferences. Additionally, visiting fragrance boutiques or stores that offer personalized consultations can be a great way to explore new options tailored to your taste.
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I prefer unisex scents, my three favourites (and only full bottles I own):
Soleil Blanc by tom ford and bond 9 tribeca
Diptyque Orpheon
Current favorite is Nishane Wulong Cha (but Orpheon is really high on the list)
Most of mine are unisex. For summer Profumum Roma Ichnusa is high up. Yesterday I got Creed Delphinus. Such a beautiful almond amber. But also Xerjoff Starlight is up there. And BDK Creme de Cuir and Gris Charnel
Some more loves:
The one in your mind that really straddles masculinity and femininity perfectly?
I nominated D&G Light Blue for women on MEN. Yes, you heard me right. I used to wear D&G LightBlue for men, but its heavy Black Pepper cause people to sneeze around me. I later discovered that the women version is actually SUPERIOR, and without the annoying black pepper. Many other YouTuber reviewer have discover this as well. The women's version is better on MEN and for MEN. It is the most unisex fragrance in my collection.
Agreed! It's a nice fragrance and I've smelled it on both and wasn't surprised by any of them wearing it.
I’d probably say the Light Blue range, I find them to be pretty genderless. But I sell a surprising amount of Boss Bottled to women. It’s the fragrance I always to go first when I have a couple come in asking for one fragrance to share.
Also boss bottled is one of my favorites (I'm a woman)
The confusion on customer's face when they pick up the "wrong" light blue always tickles me. I just tell them if they like it, it doesn't matter who it was made for.
secretions magnifique: nobody likes it
I asked a SA once if they had it. She said yeah....we keep it hidden away. When I asked to try it, she gave me the bottle, said "good luck," and walked away. It's hideous
Noir de Noir
Black Orchid, dependent on your taste.
D&G Light Blue and its variations
I love CK One
CK One Summer 2020. Citrus at the beach
Altelier california clementine
I second this one! Best summer scent
My hg🥰🥰
Phlur Tangerine Boy
I like Nest Seville Orange, Clean Reserve Acqua Neroli, Replica Under the Lemon Trees, and Abbott's Montecito.
All the ones I was gonna name :)
Great minds think alike!
I’m about a year into my fragrance journey and I’ve discovered that, although I’m a dude, I don’t really like fragrances that scream “masculine.” For example, the leather note in Halfeti (even though that’s technically unisex) feels waaaaay too manly for my personal style. I should also say, however, that I’m not a fan of fragrances that are overly sweet (eg Khamrah/Khamrah Qawah).
For example, Toy Boy and Noir de Noir are two of my all time faves, though I’ll still rock Dylan Blue occasionally.
Can anyone recommend what they think are the best unisex fragrances, or even fragrances marketed to women that a not-too-manly man could rock? I know many say that all fragrances are ultimately unisex, but like, you know what I mean.
I’ve got a long list, so here it goes:
This may be too sweet for you, but Rouge 540 is such a banger anyone can wear it.
Black orchid is a bit played, but a fantastic unisex floral that in a lot of people’s opinions tilts just a bit masc.
Tom fords entire damn private line can be worn unisex, but my top picks are santal blush, Tuscan leather, plum japonais(for my fellow plum lovers), and basically anything from the Blanc flankers. Great stuff all around. Hell, you could even give vanilla fatale a chance if you are brave.
Odd pickup for me, but I’m absolutely in love, but Michael Malul Westloop is on here. If you’ve ever smells Jo Malone’s myrrh and tonka, you’ll get a hefty reminder of that from this. Saving my breakdown for a discussion thread at some point after I’ve had more time to wear it, but I can already see this being a fantastic unisex oriental fragrance. If you can get your nose on it and like ambery resinous scents, this could be a winner.
Oh! Nearly forgot, Gris Dior from that newer drop from Dior. I freaking love this stuff. If liked toy boy, get your nose on this. It’s a wonderful woody rose scent. It’s much “prettier” and less loud than toy boy which is what I was wishing for, so this is an automatic cop the second I can get the money for a full bottle.
Final on the list I’m willing to share cus… wel it’s really out there, but concrete by Comme des Garcons. I’ve had 3 testers of this stuff so far and it’s a winner for me, but it’s weird. The vibe it gives is the smell of wet pavement after a storm, ozonic and watery with that unmistakable wet concrete smell. It’s really interesting and is a reach for me on days where I’m feeling quite melancholy but content. It makes me very contemplative. ANYONE can wear this, but it’s odd. Not mass appealing by any means, but I think it’s beautiful
Do you mean the Gris dior esprit ?
I do not :p haven’t tried the esprit flanker. It’s probably good considering the dna it comes from, but I wouldn’t know. All I’ve ever gotten was the Gris Dior EDP.
This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for! Thank you for this detailed post. I’ll definitely be checking out the Dior!
baccarat rouge 540
1 million Parfum is exactly what you need ! I also recommend you these : Prada L'homme, Azzaro Chrome, YSL Myslf and DHI !
Chrome just never worked for me. Just smelled like cheap detergent to me. Luckily it’s cheap. All the others you listed are A+
Regular chrome is, flankers are all gas though. Most flankers they took the sharp metallic note out and it just smells like an adg flanker imo.
Thanks!
Kouros :)
Haha!! I’ll layer it with Polo Green!
Ck one
I've been exploring unisex fragrances lately and I'm curious are there any specific scents that when worn makes me stands out from the crowd but in a good way. Whether it’s something fresh, woody, spicy, or completely unexpected, I’d love to hear what unisex fragrances you find most appealing on man.
Here’s a hot take: fragrances don’t have gender. Wear what you like regardless of the marketing
They don't have gender but they are for opposite gender. Females don't want to smell like leather and males don't want to smell like Paris hilton.
Yeah. I don’t think that’s it. Like most other things gender-related, there’s a lot of societal influence at play. There are plenty of “men’s fragrances” that are too floral for me. That doesn’t mean they’re feminine. It just means I don’t like them.
Likewise there’s plenty of “women’s fragrances” that would have men buying them in droves if they were marketed/labeled differently.
This whole thought process sure has changed from back when I was in my late teens early 20's. Back then, CK One was the only unisex, and I hated it.
Fast forward to the last 3 years when clones started dominating the market and made me realize there are much better fragrances than the typical "designer brands" I grew up with and now there are clones making them affordable. Yep, you heard me correctly, I can now afford to buy a replica of a fragrance I didn't even know existed a few years ago, but know they're hundreds of dollhairs, not the $40-60 price tag I was used to for what I thought was high end fragrances.
When I bought my first batch of clones it came from an ad on FB and from the company Alt Fragrances. Settled on a 5 scent starter pack, and picked 3 I knew I wanted and let them pick the other 2 for me based on popularity. One of those 5 I wore a lot, and still do all while not knowing the whole time it was a unisex. That clone fragrance was, and still is my go to, BR54O. Alt calls it Crystal but I have and still own 2 other clones of BR54O. someday maybe I'll get the real thing.
But yes, wear what you like is the moral of the story. I also found being a straight male that scents that are more feminine get more compliments from women than masculine scents do.
GOAT Acqua Di Gio
oud satin mood
MYSLF le parfum
I kind of like Black Orchid.
Just looking to expand my collection. I love anything from sweet to musky fragrances and will pretty much wear anything regardless of what gender it is marketed towards. Most of my fragrance collection is unisex leaning masculine but will also wear women's fragrances if it suites the occasion.
Thanks guys
I personally prefer women’s fragrances since they tend to be on the sweeter side in comparison to men’s. Now i would say that the ones that gets me most attention are Giardini di Toscana’s Bianco Latte or LeLabo’s Tonka’25.
Ugh I wanna try both of these. Le Male Elixir is one that got me a lot of compliments from people and is surprisingly extremely sweet for a male fragrance. I find a lot of the JPG and Paco Rabanne men's fragrances tend to lean sweet. Thank you for the recommendations!
👍
My signature fragrance is Dior Homme Cologne. In winter by night I like to use Mont Blanc Explorer.
I'm low key embarrassed to admit this as a man in my 30s but the cologne I have always gotten the most compliments wearing is Jake by Hollister (now discontinued as of 2024). I've been wearing it since I as teenager but the cheap juvenile mall fragrance has gotten me 10x as many "you smell good" than all the other fragrances I've used like Oud Wood by Tom Ford or Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana.
Since it's been discontinued the same $50 bottle now runs me $200 off ebay though, which sucks.
I’m a fragrance fiend but I only buy the dupes (from places like Dossier and Oakcha).
I like gourmands the most. Anything vanilla. Citrus. Coconut.
Some all time favs: Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford. Vanilla Vibes by Juliette Has a Gun. Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone. D&G Light Blue (women’s not men’s). As for as super sweet one I’m into this year? Praise the Perfume by Oakcha - it’s a strawberry cream type thing.
Oh yeah I’ve heard of Dossier and Oakcha. Personally I like buying middle eastern dupes and so far haven’t been let down by the performance of any of them… sometimes I like my fragrances to be loud lol. And most of them in my experience are pretty much 1:1 to how similar they smell to the original.
Thanks for the recommendation though! I’ll look into that for sure. Sounds yummy haha.
My friend has tons of those in his collection. I like the Lattafa one in the white and gold bottle that smells like pineapple.
Paco Rabonne’s Invictus always draws a compliment for me.
Share you favorites, whether they're "for men" or "for women"
Everything is unisex. Nothing is unisex. Gender is a social construct. Society itself is a smokescreen. This world is all an illusion. Fight the real enemy.
Edit: I forgot to answer the question. Chanel Egoiste for women and Hermès Elixir des Marvilles for men would both be lovely IMO.
Completely agree! Took me some time to realise that if I like the scent, why care what anyone else thinks? Just because they view it as a womanly then that's their choice
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb!
Agreed! This smells soooo good. I wanna get my husband a bottle so I can both smell it on him, and use for myself.
TF Black Orchid
I could definitely see this now that you mention it.
Jazz Club
Hi just looking for really good masculine/unisex recommendations? Notes I like are leather different types of alcohol, skin, roses and gourmand. Thanks in advance for the help 🖤
Hexennacht • 86 Bedford St. - cherry pipe tobacco, rum-dipped cigars, golden amber, leather banquettes, bookcover-lined teakwood shelves, barrel-aged bourbon, honey-drizzled croissants, chocolate whiskey, pipe smoke, freshly brewed coffee, smeared ink, jauntily-draped cashmere shawls. I used to wear Replica Jazz Club a lot and loved it for many of the reasons I love 86 Bedford St as well, even though they don't smell entirely similar. I think the scent is very sophisticated smelling, and definitely unisex.
Other Hex favorites for me and my husband: Kentucky Bourbon and Woodsmoke and Crowley. Crowley has notes of black tea, tobacco, bergamot, and vanilla (which thankfully isn’t noticeable because my husband hates vanilla). Also, the single note accord Tabac, which I’ve raved about on here before. If you like tobacco, OP, that one is for you. It’s one of my loves.
Grey Wolf from Nui Cobalt is one of my all time favorite unisex scents I highly recomend it.
Kelpie from Nui Cobalt is also another I would recommend its main scent profile is leather it's really nice but seasonal (currently availible) if you wanna try it out right now is good before they are taken down.
Cyberpunk from Andromedas Curse might also interest you its spicy+ leathery.
Oblivion from BPAL is also a really nice unisex scent its general catalog so no fomo and it's also a bit cheaper thanks to it. Its woodsy and deep.
First Spring from Death and Floral from this years scent of the Month for April might also be one that you might like. Its a bit more on the sweeter side because of the vanilla but overall it's fairly unisex to me. It's very leathery with wood and a hint of the vanilla softens it up a bit.
you'll be spoiled for choice in indie scent world! to be honest, i would say i see most indie fragrances as relatively unisex. lots of great options out there, but solstice scents, fantome, stone & wit, imaginary authors, black rabbit perfumes, and hexennacht are some houses that i would recommend exploring!
Thank you!!
CocoaPink's Homicidal Girlfriend is a leathery dream! (although I think it's only a fall/wintery offering): "The sweetness of vanilla pancakes & boo-berry blueberries; the piquance of black leather and musk; a whisper of woods and spicy florals; and through it all the threat of gunpowder."
I am also in love with "I Am Trash" by Etat Libre d'Orange! (Not indie but worth the money!): "Apple Essence Upcycling, Rose Absolute Upcycling, Cedarwood Atlas Upcycling, Bitter Orange, Gariguette Strawberry" I swear it is the best smelling thing I have ever put on my body!
Also recommend TokyoMilk's dark line of fragrances. I lived in "Tainted Love" for years: "Not for the faint of heart, a fragrance sparked by the complexities of love with warm notes of Dark Vanilla Bean, sensuous Sandalwood, provocative spices and an unexpected kiss of sweet Orchid." And their "Bulletproof" is amazing as well: "A smoky combination of sultry Teas and warm Coconut. Smoldering and seductive, this fragrance enrobes the wearer in the rich forest scents of Ebony Woods and exotic spice. Transcending traditional male or female fragrance, this unisex scent is irresistibly intriguing on all." Really, any of the dark line is worth a try!
Good luck on your scent journey! There are so many awesome indies to try!!
Solstice Scents does unisex scents really well IMO. If you check out their master scent list, I think unisex fragrances are marked with a *. I tend towards spicy scents so I don't know about the notes you're interested in, but she does have some masculine/unisex perfumes with leather and roses for sure. If you like herbal or spicy fragrances, I'd recommend Seance or Fires in the Night.
Thanks ☺️
Listen. Bal d’afrique is sexy on me. I smell sexy. I am a sexy man
Nope, there should be men’s fragrances and women’s fragrances, men should still smell like men and vice versa, this gender neutrality has gone way to far!
I didnt say that gendered fragrancess should stop existing. I just like smelling faboulous. Gendered perfume or not. I feel Secure about my masculinity, unmlike you
I’m perfectly secure about my masculinity! But the whole unisex bullshit is a blatant money grab and if you can’t see that then your not secure about anything!
Agree
It really depends on the person and even the time of year. No point in wearing a heavy, spiced, warm wintery scent in the middle of spring.
I have a few I like.
Prada - Luna Rossa Carbon (floral but makes a mark, great all rounder, will get noticed)
Valentino - Born in Roma (Great for Spring)
Carolina Herrera - Bad Boy Cobalt (Quite new, great for spring/summer)
Hugo Boss Bottled Night - (very clean smelling and refreshing, almost soap-like) this is what I'm wearing today.
Tom Ford - Ombre Leather (I'm dying to get a bottle of this (Leather, tobacco, warm scented, quite masculine)
Best thing I can suggest is go into a shop and try some samples, see what you like: light and refreshing, strong and punchy, warm and spiced, floral, crisp and ask for more examples of the type of fragrance profile you're after.
Get one signature scent, an every day wear.
Get one special occasion, big night out, make an impression scent.
One for more intimate occasions, not too overpowering but that has some longevity to it.
Then build a collection from there.
Men wear cologne, not perfume which is for women
It’s gotta be manly, musky, but not too strong. I wanna smell him too. Rabanne Invictus Ded Cool Xtra Milk Emporio Armani 🫠
best unisex fragrances
Key Considerations for Choosing Unisex Fragrances:
Scent Profile: Look for fragrances that balance floral, woody, citrus, and spicy notes. Popular unisex scents often feature fresh and clean profiles.
Longevity: Consider how long the fragrance lasts on the skin. Look for options that offer good staying power, ideally 6-8 hours or more.
Versatility: A great unisex fragrance should be suitable for various occasions, from casual outings to formal events.
Skin Chemistry: Remember that fragrances can smell different on different people due to individual skin chemistry. Testing before purchasing is ideal.
Brand Reputation: Choose fragrances from reputable brands known for quality ingredients and craftsmanship.
Top Recommendations:
Creed Aventus: A luxurious fragrance with notes of pineapple, bergamot, and musk. It's celebrated for its versatility and strong presence.
Le Labo Santal 33: A cult favorite with a woody and spicy profile featuring sandalwood, cedar, and cardamom. It's known for its unique character and lasting power.
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino: A fresh and vibrant scent with citrus and floral notes, perfect for warm weather and casual settings.
Byredo Gypsy Water: A blend of fresh and earthy notes, including bergamot, juniper berries, and vanilla, making it a great choice for everyday wear.
Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club: A warm, spicy scent with notes of rum, tobacco, and vanilla, ideal for evening wear.
Recommendation: If you're looking for a versatile and widely appreciated option, Le Labo Santal 33 is highly recommended due to its unique scent profile and broad appeal. It's suitable for both men and women and has garnered a loyal following.
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