Women Wearing Men’s Fragrances
Fragrance for men, loved by women. (Photo: Frédéric Malle)
If you’ve embraced your favorite female friend lately, you might sense that something is a little different about her. It’s not her hair or the new top (although it is rather fantastic.) No, she’s changed something about her fragrances, and if you press her a bit, she’ll tell you: She’s started playing with men’s colognes.
Whether blended with their own signature perfumes or applied solo on bare skin, more women are embracing the other side of the fragrance counter, and perhaps with good reason: Fragrance makers around the world are experimenting in the unisex category and infusing traditionally female notes into men’s fragrances. Some luxury brands have started stocking their scents on both men’s and women’s counters in department stores. It appears that gender assignment in scents might be slowly disappearing as we adopt whatever suits us best.
“The same woman that wears a men’s watch or shirt likes men’s fragrances; it creates a nice contrast and a way to enhance their femininity,” says Frédéric Malle, legendary perfumer with an eponymous brand. “It is also a sign of independence and a hint that they might have borrowed the scent from someone.”
There is a deeper reason why women are drawn to scents typically designated for dudes. “Men’s fragrances are often fresh, and women have a larger selection of those notes within that category,” says Malle. “Also, with the rise of smaller perfume houses like us that do not associate gender to fragrance, many of these fragrances are now considered unisex.” Le Labo, D.S. & Durga, and By Kilian are just a few of the unisex brands on the rise.
Thinking about testing the waters and adding cologne to your repertoire? The best rule is, quite frankly, there aren’t any. “Men’s and women’s fragrances use the same notes, they are just used in different proportions, and so mixing them is not a problem,” Malle explains. Citrus and woody notes work well on both men and women. Today, people of all genders want to demonstrate their uniqueness, so fragrance is a great opportunity to do just that. There are no rules as far as notes are concerned.”
Actress Kate Walsh once described her signature fragrance, Boyfriend ($35), as the scent of a woman wrapped in a man’s shirt. Whether it’s a dab of scent to remind you of someone special or a blend of notes that gives you a signature fragrance all your own, feel free to make your own rules when it comes to olfactory magic.
Related:
The Men’s Colognes You’ll Want for Yourself
