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What feminine scents could easily be classified as male scents?

post #1 of 31
3/14/09 at 8:03pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry if this question has already been asked.
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post #2 of 31
3/14/09 at 8:11pm
Diorella (Dior)

Dr. Turin said in his Guide: "...I have always seen it as a perfected Eau Sauvage and one of the best masculines money can buy." I agree with him. It's a woody citrus that he gives a 5-star rating.
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post #3 of 31
3/14/09 at 8:16pm
Bandit is awfully butch!
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post #4 of 31
3/14/09 at 8:42pm
Escada Collection is one of my favorites, a sweet, tobacco cola. What's great about these kinds of "women's" frags is that they tend to last a long longer and have greater sillage, so they last longer than most "men's" ones.
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post #5 of 31
3/14/09 at 10:40pm
The list is too long! I'm glad someone already mentioned Diorella... if released today it would be a masculine 'sport' of some sort. Many fragrances that are, in fact, unisex are marketed as feminines because let's face it, women comprise a larger portion of the fragrance-buying population. Older classics like Lanvin Scandal, Caron En Avion, Chanel Cuir de Russie, and Dior Diorling would be straight up masculines today. Once you can get past the marketing and just appreciate fragrances for what they are, a whole new world opens up. I'd encourage guys not to get hung up on marketing, and even if a fragrance is actually 'feminine', just appreciate it for itself without regard to whether or not you could wear it to the office. Just because something's feminine doesn't mean you can't wear it when appropriate, which means where you're comfortable wearing it.
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post #6 of 31
3/15/09 at 12:12am
I tentatively say Tabac Blond by Caron, but that's just from reviews I've read and my interpretation, maybe someone who has smelt it can second this?
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post #7 of 31
3/15/09 at 2:12am
I definitely second Bandit ... if that ain't suitable on a man, then nothing is. I thought I would add here too, the "feminines" that I wear ... or have worn in the past :
Guerlain - Shalimar & Mitsouko
Gres - Cabochard (the vintage one preferably)
Chanel - Cuir de Russie
Ormonde Jayne - Ormond Woman & Ta'if & Tolu & Orris Noir (I actually prefer all her F's to the M's)
Molinard - Habanita
J Desperez - Bal a Versailles
Le Labo - Labdanum 18 (In fact most of Le Labo's F scents I think of as easily unisex).
S J Parker - Lovely (Now this may come as a big surprise and the name and bottle may be offputtingly tooo feminine ... But on my skin this juz smells just fantastic).

Now there are thousands more, and your own skin will decide on many more, if only you give it a chance to. Have fun figuring out which "bloom" masculine on you or to your nose.
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post #8 of 31
3/15/09 at 8:27am
Mitsouko by Guerlain. M I T S O U K O. C'est magnifique! The finest perfume on the planet.

Chant D'Aromes by Guerlain
L'heure Bleue by Guerlain
Shalimar by Guerlain
Shalimar Light by Guerlain

Diorella by Dior
Cabaret by Gres

When in doubt wear Mitsouko.

And finally " If you like it, wear it."
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post #9 of 31
3/15/09 at 8:37am
Acqua di Parma Profumo. A wonderfully exotic journey
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post #10 of 31
3/15/09 at 8:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ++++ View Post

I tentatively say Tabac Blond by Caron, but that's just from reviews I've read and my interpretation, maybe someone who has smelt it can second this?

To my nose, Caron Tabac Blond is the best leather scent made for women that men can fully enjoy.

The fact is that I've just joined a split for Caron Tabac Blond extrait.
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post #11 of 31
3/15/09 at 10:27am
I cannot repeat this example- less known, btw - of Ispahan by Yves Rocher being classified as feminine, yet including lots of masculine notes.
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post #12 of 31
3/15/09 at 11:15am
http://community.basenotes.net/showt...ghlight=unisex
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post #13 of 31
3/15/09 at 11:29am
The question has been asked before, but that may be a clue that it's on a lot of people's minds.

Without getting into the whole scent-and-gender-boundaries issue (which has led to some pretty impressive mud slinging bouts here), I'll offer up a few scents marketed to women that I think a man who is not a connoisseur of scents might wear comrotably if the bottles weren't labeled. Besides the already mentioned Diorella, Bandit, Tabac Blond, Chanel Cuir de Russie, Shalimar, and Mitsouko (all outstanding suggestions), there are Vol de Nuit, Cristalle, Givenchy III, Bel Respiro, Coromandel, Azzaro Couture, Chaos, Dune, Femenité du Bois, and Hiris.

A lot of chypres in there, I notice. I wonder if there's anything to that?
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post #14 of 31
3/15/09 at 12:01pm
Mitsouko for sure. I need to try more myself, but of the ones I've had thus far, two really stick out for me...

Ivoire de Balmain demands a little more confidence from its wearer - be they male of female - but the quality is undeniable. A bright green floral chypre w/some slight soapiness, plus a good slug of vetiver that really pops on my skin.

Estee Lauder's Azuree is almost identical to Aramis I think, but stronger due to its eau de parfum concentration. Plenty butch IMHO, I'd wear it in mixed company w/o any reservation. I would put Alliage in the same category.
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post #15 of 31
3/15/09 at 12:08pm
Any thing from Claude Montana for women can very easily be worn by a male.

Point in case his fragrance called "just me".
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post #16 of 31
3/15/09 at 10:27pm
I just can't wait for others....

Bois Des Iles

Anyone agrees?
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post #17 of 31
3/15/09 at 11:46pm
Aromatics Elixir by Clinique.
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post #18 of 31
3/16/09 at 12:58am
Donna Karan's " BLACK CASHMERE "
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post #19 of 31
3/16/09 at 5:41am
In January I spent some time at my parent's home, I had the chance of trying several perfumes owned by Grandmother, inherited by my Mother. So, my wife and me tried them all, and discovered that, well, most of them could be easily worn by today's men.

Among the ones that really caught our attention:

Shalimar extrait
Schocking, by Schiaparelli
Vivara, Pucci
Cuir Russie, Violet
Heure Intime, Jacqueline

These were all vintage versions of the perfumes.

We concluded that at the time those perfumes were made (1930 - 1960), men did not wear much scents, so for sure, perfumists must have worked with a wider range of essences when it came to perfumes targeted to women. The presence of indolic and animalic notes in them is quite impressive. For example, the vintage version of Schocking is very close to Kouro's base notes.

We also had the chance of smelling Bandit's talcum powder, my wife wondered how could it be a woman's scent.

So, I would dare to say that many of the scents designed before the 1960's are, quite probably, apt to be worn by men.

From today's experience, Cabochard is quite manly; it smells like a lighter version of Aramis.
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post #20 of 31
3/16/09 at 7:10am
For me the list will be:
Feminite du bois
Chaos
Shalimar
Mitsouko
Eau des Mervilles
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post #21 of 31
3/16/09 at 12:19pm
Yves Saint Laurent Opium is one of my favourites
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post #22 of 31
3/16/09 at 12:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StewartGallacher View Post

Yves Saint Laurent Opium is one of my favourites

I frankly admire you: looking for a replacement to JHL, I considered Opium pou Femme as a natural option. I tried it and liked it, but top notes are too floral and femenine for me.
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post #23 of 31
3/16/09 at 12:54pm
Vol de Nuit, Opium, Dioressence, Jicky, Mitsouko, Paloma Picasso, Bandit, Cabochard, Shalimar, En Avion, Tabac Blond, Narcisse Noir, Nuit de Noël, Infini, Parure, Calèche, Alamut, Fleur Oriental, Chanel N°19, Coromandel, Cuir de Russie, Féminité du Bois, Quartz, Ho Hang, Aromatics Elixir and some of the Jean-Louis Sherrer perfumes.

The ones I prefer on a man are Bandit, Opium, Vol de Nuit, Dioressence and Jicky. These are also the ones I wear on a regular basis.
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post #24 of 31
3/16/09 at 4:53pm
I am a recent convert to Black Orchid. Many here agree! ( thanks to all the BN-ers for the testimonials!)

I also wear Lush Ginger. Fantastic earthy scent. Too dark for my wife.
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post #25 of 31
3/16/09 at 5:22pm
Nuits de Hadrian--very men's locker room smelling to me
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post #26 of 31
3/16/09 at 8:22pm
Also, YSL's Nu.
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post #27 of 31
3/17/09 at 5:09am
Odalisque by Nicolai. Jasmin and iris over oakmoss. A chypre without a citrus top. Amazingly fresh and clear. Turin gives it ***** and I totally agree.
Donna Karan Signature. Patchouli, lily and suede. A floriental like no other.
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post #28 of 31
3/17/09 at 5:30am
Bond no.9's Nuits de Noho can definately be classified as "unisex" but, it's not really masculine.

Same thing with MPG's Bahiana!
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post #29 of 31
3/18/09 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
Whoa, thanks for all the replies everybody!
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post #30 of 31
3/20/09 at 9:30am
Many great ones have already been mentioned. I will add Calyx by Prescriptives
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post #31 of 31
3/20/09 at 9:39am
Also Robert Piguet's FRACAS and BAGHARI...after 30 minutes they are absolutely unisex and they are marvellous...
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