Traditionally perfumes and colognes have been marketed to men and women separately. And we do tend to separate certain kinds of scent notes with leaning feminine and certain notes with leaning masculine. Technically all scents are unisex and anyone can wear any scent. Fragrances actually smell different on men and women because the chemicals in a person's body interact with the chemicals in a perfume creating a unique scent. I've pulled together a list of my favorite scents that I truly feel could be worn by either a man or woman. They are that good and you can share them with your romantic partner.
I think perfume has the power to affect your mood and emotions. And they can be seen as time capsules because they have that power to evoke certain memories to bring you to different places. I hope you can see that I talk about fragrances in a way that is very authentic to me and not necessarily what is popular to everyone else. I hope I inspire you to discover new fragrances and see how they work for you.
I love green perfumes, think grass and rain, but I recognize that not everyone does. The first three perfumes are green perfumes that I'm addicted to!
A modern vetiver composed of hay absolute, cut grass and freshly turned earth from galloping hooves, threaded with a bright neroli top. The feeling of grass and soft powder of a polo field underfoot. If you want to smell like fresh grass, wet earth and vetiver, this is for you! 2019 release. Top notes are Bergamot and Grass; middle notes are Earthy Notes, Hay, Watery Notes and Narcissus; base notes are Haitian Vetiver and Tonka Bean. Vetiver is the root of a plant and Haitian vetiver smells clean and ethereal. Tonka Bean is from the tropical rainforests of Central America, its scent is complex and sweet like vanilla, with enticing notes of spices and tobacco. It's rich, warm and a deep aroma with notes of cinnamon spice, almond, and cherry.
Remember it's the base notes that last the longest so for the dry down you smell Haitian vetiver and tonka bean, this is such a beautiful perfume! If you tried Byredo Bal d'Afrique but it was too strong for you, this perfume is quite similar but toned down. This also reminds me of Gris Charnel in the dry down. Maison Detto's website sells large samples that are more affordable to test.
Etat Libre d'Orange - You Or Someone Like You
Etat Libre D'Orange is a relatively new French perfume house. You or Someone Like You is a unisex scent that is best worn in the spring and summer. Picture a fresh grassy summer scent, mint leaves, squeezed limes and fragrant tomato leaves. A 2017 release. Top notes are Mint, Grapefruit, Bergamot and Anise; middle notes are Green Notes, Cassis, Rose and Hedione; base note is White Musk.
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I do not like vanilla candles or vanilla perfume but Celine somehow managed to make two perfumes with an interesting take on vanilla that I like. Celine is a fashion brand that is famous for its belts and bags. Their perfumes also come in travel size which is more affordable. Dans Paris is a feminine, fresh vanilla that I also like.
A couturier’s perfume, the exact olfactory interpretation of his style in relation to fashion: his obsession with black and a tailored silhouette. An androgynous composition, around vanilla as dense and as crisp as lacquered satin. Fashioned like a dinner jacket, cedar and tree moss structure its allure, while the powdery caress of orris troubles body and mind. Notes: white orris butter, cedar, tree moss, vanilla, musk. Orris is the root of an iris flower and has a powdery earthy rooty scent, similar to suede.
Matiere Premiere - Parisian Musc
Parisian Musc is a mix of two perfumes I own: Diptyque Philosykos & Gris Charnel. Philosykos is a green scent that smells like fig orchards that I wear whenever it rains. Gris Charnel smells like Cardamom, Fig, Black Tea, Iris, Bourbon Vetiver, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean. So Parisian Musc is a green scent mixed with a warm hug. The notes in Parisian Musc are Virginia Cedar, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Musk, Ambrettolide and Ambroxan.
Note: Gris Charnel and Gris Charnel Extrait are two different perfumes.
BDK Parfums - Gris Charnel Extrait
The Extrait is the more intense version of the original Gris Charnel that is richer with the added notes of patchouli and cedar. This one is deeper, richer, and longer lasting. It has fantastic sillage! The extrait is a little darker and has a little more edge and the fig note is toned down. If you spray this on one wrist, you will smell it for the entire day! Top notes are Cardamom, Black Tea and Fig; middle notes are Iris, Bourbon Vetiver and Cistus Incanus; base notes are Sandalwood, Madagascar Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Cedar and Indonesian Patchouli Leaf. It's a creamy and deep rich sandalwood scent! The smoky vetiver adds a lot of depth, complexity and darkness to the fragrance. It's a stunning fragrance!
A unisex fragrance with notes of amber, benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean and labdanum. Grand Soir means Big Night in French. I find this fragrance to be classy, decadently rich, sophisticated and breathtaking! It lasts 8 hours and through a shower! If you order directly from the house and they will engrave the bottle for you!
Nishane is a Turkish brand and Ani is considered a unisex fragrance. It's a warm woody vanilla with an effervescent bergamot opening, then it changes over time to a spicy ginger with cardamom. I wore this every day last December because it smells like Christmas. I got lots of compliments on it as it's a stunning fragrance! It's dreamy, delicious, inviting, warm and comforting so also perfect for rainy fall days. This also comes in a hair perfume. A hair perfume has less alcohol so it's safe for your hair and your hair can hold a scent longer than your skin. There's a flanker called Ani X that I haven't tried yet.
I removed one perfume from this list after the perfumer was cancelled on tiktok in November for her racist tweets as recent as 2024.
If you look at my other perfume posts you'll see a lot of repeats of these fragrances. I'm not a perfume influencer who has a wall full of perfume in my home looking like a shop. I like to be prudent with my purchases, only buying a few new bottles a year to add to my collection.
Related posts:
7 Office Safe Fragrances You Can Wear to Work
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