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Which masculine scents can be worn by a woman?

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Which masculine scents can be worn by a woman? 12 years ago 1
Probably some of you will say "all". It is not as easy as that.
I own a couple of guy's scents. In the beginning I was sometimes uncomfortable wearing them asking myself if people around me would notice it and think of it as butch (and maybe draw a false conclusion concerning my preferences...). But I'm getting used to it, lets say I claimed these fragrances, they are now part of my olfactory identity Wink
I just wonder sometimes what non-perfumistas around me may think of it if they notice at all.
My sister for instance recently complained about me using masculine scents (she's kind of conservative) - Maybe I shouldn't have told her, would she have noticed at all? For example she didn't even notice that "Égoïste" by Chanel is masculine when I wore it.
And she wears "Eternity", which is female but disgusting (I didn't tell her, but as a good sister I bought her the shower gel).
My mom seems a bit more open. She loves "Équipage" and says that she would wear it as well.
I don't know about my colleagues, they have never commented on my fragrances. But I don't think that as an engineer (incarnation of seriousness and reliablilty) it is appropriate to wear very sweet and girly stuff to work. So, I don't worry that much.

Still there are some strongly masculine scents that I think would be difficult to wear in public like "Bel Ami" or "Bois du Portugal" (which my mum also likes, maybe she's just polite).

What do you think? Are there more girls out there, that love grabbing for "Pour Monsieur" and "Eau Sauvage" for instance?
12 years ago
I have "Iris" by Odori. I like this parfum.
12 years ago
"Prada d'Homme" by Prada.
12 years ago
Niche releases marketed to men are probably the easier wear for a woman, but as difficult as some of the classic masculines would be to pull off, there are a few off the top of my head that would smell interesting on the female persuasion.

Ungaro II and MCM Twenty Four Evening feature a prominent civet note. I think women could wear both of these.
12 years ago
I seem to be in the minority on this one, but I took an immediate liking to Juicy Couture Dirty English, and even acquired a large bottle!
Cool

I also have and wear Prada Infusion d'Homme and Prada Amber (Homme).
12 years ago
Mouchoir de Monsieur, the better Jicky today! Wink
12 years ago
A few that come to mind are Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin, Dior Eau Sauvage, Prada Infusion d'Homme and Bvlgari pour Homme.

Also, I just tried Amouage Jubilation XXV and think it smells great on me Wink

Btw, I immediately know if a scent is too masculine for me as my brutally honest sixteen year-old will say, "MOOOOM, are you wearing men's cologne again?!?!" (picture eyes rolling)
12 years ago
I know many women that thoroughly enjoy "Windsor" by Creed.
12 years ago
"Pi" by Givenchy. Fantastic Parfumo for Woman.
12 years ago
To me male/female is only marketing.
Wear what you want I my motto

I want a bottle of "Carthusia Uomo" Cool
12 years ago
I don't mind a woman smelling of any male fragrance, I know a girl who uses Le Male and It smells great, it truly does. I also don't mind the smell of cigars on a lady, it looks great to see a girl with a nice big Cuban In her mouth. However There's something about a guy smelling sweet and feminine that I just can't get my head around, I don't care about marketing and all that, I just know It dosnt work. However If It's TM Angel then I will make an exception, that smells cool on a guy, well It dose on me anyway.
12 years ago
Sometimes I don´t like fragrances which are too sweet or too flowery, too soft, whatever.
Then I prefer almost neutal unsweet fragrances with less flowers and more woods instead of sweetness.

Too many spices or resinoids I don´t like either.

I found some male fragrances for me, like: "Infusion D`Homme", "Allure Homme Edition Blanche", "Black For Him", Etienne Aigner "No2", "Bulgari Pour Homme".

GOOD smelling experiences! Very Happy
12 years ago
I agree with Sonnenfee when it comes to flowery fragrances. Why the heck should a woman want to smell like a bouquet of flowers? Yeark. I refer to soliflor scents or scents which have a very dominant flower note.
If it is some rose and jasmin in combination with woods and spices, that's perfectly ok. I like the abstract composition that may or may not contain flowers.
The same thing with sweets. I hate very sweet fruity frags or sugary synthetic smelling frags in general. But if it is a well made sweet scent with interesting aspects like tobacco and/or spices, I'm fine with some sweetness (e.g. Ambre Narguilé - although I wouldn't be able to wear it every day).
12 years ago
DieNase:
I agree with Sonnenfee when it comes to flowery fragrances. Why the heck should a woman want to smell like a bouquet of flowers?

Well, this is a paraphrase of a very famous quote from Coco Chanel (later appropriated by others..), to the effect that "Women have no business smelling like flowers."

I must say that I completely disagree, as I can see no better reason for a woman choosing to smell like oud, or woods, or amber, or spices or vanilla or... whatever

Why do we perfume ourselves, if not to smell like things which we are not?
Cool
12 years ago
True, but why
woman = flower
and
man = wood?
12 years ago
DieNase:
True, but why
woman = flower
and
man = wood?

Yes, these are conventions. Of course we parfumistas refuse to observe them and wear whatever we like!!!
Cool
12 years ago
Sherapop:
DieNase:
True, but why
woman = flower
and
man = wood?

Yes, these are conventions. Of course we parfumistas refuse to observe them and wear whatever we like!!!
Cool

YES!!! Very Happy
12 years ago
DieNase:
I agree with Sonnenfee when it comes to flowery fragrances. Why the heck should a woman want to smell like a bouquet of flowers?

I feel like I've been hearing some variation of this a lot lately, and it always puzzles me. Why wouldn't a woman (or anyone really) want to smell like flowers? Flowers smell great. From time immemorial, poets have been using the metaphor of flowers to describe things (or people) that smell good, and all perfumes with a high degree of natural content are derived from something in nature. As Sherapop said, why smell of woods, spices or anything else that is not "human."?

I think sometimes people think that liking floral perfumes is cliche' or unsophisticated. Who knows? Maybe this is because children seem instinctively drawn to the smell of flowers and scents like leather, oud, etc. seem to be more of an acquired (adult?) taste. Then again, I find that there are sophisticated "adult" florals (even soliflores) and one's that seem more childish.

I do agree that the woman = flowers, men = woods is just a manufactured dichotomy, but we were asked to make some kind of distinction between masculine and feminine in this thread. I wonder how others are making this distinction. Is it simply what you think smells good on you?
12 years ago
Well, flowers smell great on the flower itself. And not all of them. Some stink - at least to my nose (flower of rapeseed, some white flowers, lily). Many flowers have a very intrusive, overpowering smell. I think that might be what I don't like without generalizing. When it is counterbalanced by some woody resinous stuff, the mixture can be great. After all, it's all about the composition.
Tomorrow, I think I'll prefer smelling like a burnt cable insteadt of a flower - I might pull of "fat electrician" - yummy Wink
12 years ago
Ahem, I think any masculine fragrance can be worn by a woman. It depends on the woman. It's all marketing after all. Perhaps an interesting question is when do you think the marketing has got it wrong?

Smile
12 years ago
Any men´s scent can be heaven on a lady and vice versa. I have learnt to ignore marketing labels and just follow my nose and taste.

As I tend to lean towards sweet and gourmandy scents I think my choices from the men´s counter are not a big challenge for a lady Smile
12 years ago
I have to confess that occasionally I run into a men's fragrance which just seems too masculine for me to wear.

Dior Fahrenheit is an example...

Cool
12 years ago
Dior Fahrenhei is a wonderful scent. But it would be difficult to wear for me - also because it is so well known - on guys!
12 years ago
BY Dolce Gabbana, it suits better on women.
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