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Men's Cologne for Women

post #1 of 35
Thread Starter 
I am curious to hear your impressions. I have always enjoyed wearing men's scents, but lately I find myself wearing more masculine things than ever..because I just love to smell myself all day.
I wear:
Fendi Uomo
Habit Rouge vintage
Rive Gauche
Insense
Idole
Givenchy Gentleman vintage
Antaeus vintage
among others

I am curious, what do you think of men's fragrances on a woman, that are clearly men's fragrances?
Of course I understand that everything is potentially unisex, and most of you are pretty enlightened. But I want more of a first impression, instincts on the matter type answer.

I can tell you as someone who knows perfumes, I am very tickled to smell a woman's fragrance on a man. I love the sans souci and obvious scent appreciation it implies. Does that go both directions, though?
Not that I could care less if anyone perceived me to be lesbian, but I am inclined to add that men's fragrance is a very real aspect of lesbian culture, whereas women's scents don't play a discernible role in gay men's culture. (Correct me if I am wrong.)
(My husband has no opinion. He really can't smell much.)
Any comments are appreciated.
post #2 of 35
I say, just as a woman looks incredibly sexy in your shirt, she can smell incredibly sexy in your cologne.
post #3 of 35
I find women with the confidence to wear powerful men's scents very sexy. Not all women should smell like candy and flowers.
post #4 of 35
Yes, please. To me it says intelligent, confident, sense of humour, unpredictable, provocative - all sots of good stuff . . .
post #5 of 35
My gf loves to wear DKNY Men (original) and it smells amazing on her skin...It doesn't smell the same on mine but I always keep a bottle in my wardrobe and spritz it on days when she's out and we can't meet.
post #6 of 35
One of my girlfriend ( she's about 5years older than me ) love my Prada pour homme on her. She's so sensitive, weak, but also clever and attractive. I love my Prada on her. So inviting, so sexy.
post #7 of 35
My girlfriend often borrows my Roberto Cavalli Black to wear around the house and it smells extremely nice on her.
post #8 of 35
One of my friends wear Aqva Marine and it smells good on her.
post #9 of 35
I mainly wear men's & unisex scents. However, I try to avoid fragrances w/ an overly "cologne-y" vibe & stick to stuff that just smells good w/o people thinking "Hey, she's wearing a men's cologne." Some of my favorites that are marketed toward men:

Lolita Lempicka au Masculine
Clinique Happy
Burberry Brit
Rochas Man
Kenneth Cole Reaction
John Varvatos Artisan
post #10 of 35
Thread Starter 
Xeryus Rouge smells great on my wife. I don't like it on me, but it works on her.
post #11 of 35
Le Dandy by D'Orsay was worn by flappers of the 1920s, according to "The Perfume Handbook." This is one of my all-time favourites.

I always liked gender-bending in my scents, but, all told, I just wear what my nose likes--label or no label. One must understand, too, that gender lines were blurred in the 1920s. The ideal girl was the "garconne," or tomboy, with her boy-cropped hair and flat chest.

I also like YSL L'Homme, which is a delicate floral.
post #12 of 35
I've mentioned it in another thread - Silver Mountain Water on a woman is sexy, sexy, sexy.
post #13 of 35
Although I repeat myself, since I have already mentioned it in a few other posts, I have a good female friend (NOT my gf) who stands out through one particular defining feature- several classic male scents smell much better on her, than on any man I know to be their wearer, some of these scents being: Antaeus, Guerlain Vetiver, Knize Ten, Eau Sauvage, Armani PH, Esencia Loewe, Envy for Men, Ungaro III, most of them also happening to be some of my favorites. Pity that although these scents smell steaming hot, flawless, extremely distinguished and classy on her, she wears them seldom, preferring much more feminine ones .
post #14 of 35
My wardrobe is mostly fragrances marketed to men, but I love them. I agree with the previous viewers, it depends on the woman, circumstance, your personal mood, and climate... The salespeople are just trying to sell... So,e of my favorites are:

Burberry, the original for men. I think it is good anytime, but fall and winter is best. not offensive great for work.
amber and lavender, jo malone- great lavender, can't beat it.
duruo, penhalligons- citrusy and last a long time
zagarosk, KDG- for when you need incense in your life, actually a unisex fragrance...
aveda por homme- herbal and fresh
drakkar- not always, and usually in winter, but its cheap and it smells great, a classic power with longevity of days...
post #15 of 35
Lancome's Miracle L'aquatonic
In a way similar to Muglers Cologne, but much more 'perfumy'
I like the smell, but in my opinion it is better suited for women than men

Another one would be Dior Homme
And Cacharel pour Homme smells great on women
post #16 of 35
Thread Starter 
A big thank you to Cologne Junkie, Lyn Faust, and Nout for some great suggestions. I am eager to try these out. I agree about the Burberry man, the Lancome and the Lempicka already!
post #17 of 35
On the general question of what I think about women wearing men's fragrances: I like fragrances based on how they smell and not on whether a man or woman is wearing them. I, therefore, tend to wear what I like regardless of what it is considered in terms of applied gender categories. As a result, I tend to wear both men's and women's fragrances based on whether I like the way they smell and not on their gender designations. I am always very happy when women wear men's fragrances, particularly ones that I like. Great thread by the way.

Here are some specific suggestions you want to try at some time Hillare:

Ambro de Jacomo
Aramis 900 Herbal EDC
Balenciaga Pour Homme
Dior Eau Sauvage (vintage formulation)
Dior Farhenheit (vintage formulation)
Dior Homme Cologne
Dior Homme EDT
Domenico Caraceni Pour Homme
Eau de Rochas Pour Homme
Escada Magnestism for Men
Guerlain Coriolan
Guerlain Héritage EDP (vintage formulation)
Lancôme Sagamore (1985 vintage formulation)

Lanvin Vetyver
Léonard Pour Homme
Marc Jacobs Men
Nina Ricci Signoricci (1980s vintage reformulation)
Nina Ricci Signoricci 2 (1976 vintage formulation)
Paco Rabanne XS Pour Homme
Prada Amber Pour Homme
Ungaro Pour L’Homme I
Van Cleef & Arpels for Men (vintage formulation)
Zino Davidoff

scentemental


post #18 of 35
Burberry Original, Fragonard Concerto (seems unisex to me)
post #19 of 35
I am a girl who sometimes wears mens cologne. Here are the ones I like in no particular order
Angel for men
Pi Givency
Fleur De Male Jean Paul Gaultier
Blue Jeans Versace
Rochas Man
post #20 of 35
Yatagan
post #21 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossant View Post

I say, just as a woman looks incredibly sexy in your shirt, she can smell incredibly sexy in your cologne.


hmmm... it's nice to know that men actually want girls to wear their scent..
post #22 of 35
An SA told me that Coco Mademoiselle is worn by a great number of young men. The Juliette Has a Gun line now has Calamity J, which is sold as a "female masculine" scent.

Some men are irresistably drawn to the tomboy or French "garconne." She can play the same "games" the men play: talk about sports, ride a motorcycle, and enjoy television sports. Even devoted fathers get bored when their wives talk ad nauseum about what the children did all day. The garconne is just like a man--with male romantic desires. Appropriating male desire is what made a woman desirable about 150 years ago--the great courtesans (who sent male admirers to ruin) understood this.

Women all in pink ruffles were not always interesting to men, who turned their heads to see a top-hatted woman in a riding habit handle a horse like a jockey and smoke a cigar. The borrowing of "maculine" scent can be seen in this way, too.

At some point in the exploration of fragrance, it really does not matter.
post #23 of 35
my wife + knize ten = pure sex.
post #24 of 35
I dont want to meet a woman who wears stuff like Rive Gauche personally,

but something like Rochas Man or Pi might be sexy
post #25 of 35
I think women wearing heavy patchouli scents, especially with animalic notes, would be VERY sexy (e.g., Mazzolari Lui, Yatagan, Givenchy Gentleman, etc.).

My wife wears my Gucci Pour Homme fairly often. It smells okay on her, but I much preferred it when she used to wear Green Irish Tweed and Egoiste years ago. Those smelled great on her, so much that for years I thought Egoiste was a woman's scent and that GIT was marketed as unisex.
post #26 of 35
Personally, I feel you are welcome to wear whatever fragrance you desire. However, just don't get near me nor even suppose anyone like me would ever ask you out. As a man, whenever I make love to a woman I want my lady to smell like a lady. I'll take care of the part of smelling like a man and giving her everything she wants -- including having her enjoy a sexy men's fragrance on her man -- as she returns the volley.
post #27 of 35
I was in an elavator with a young Lady recently and I caught a very familiar Sexy scent from her, I smiled at her and she smiled back and said hello. I asked her what she was wearing and she winked at me and said ''Farenheit". We spoke for about 2 minutes and I had to get off and she said "see you around". We work in the same Building
post #28 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossant View Post

I say, just as a woman looks incredibly sexy in your shirt, she can smell incredibly sexy in your cologne.

+1.
post #29 of 35
I don't pay attention to the "gender distinction" at all with scent. When I was in college, a friend had a decant of something she said she "thought was Aramis" ... the scent was so compelling that I wore the decant daily until it was gone. I believe the gender division to be more a cultural, "American", thing than a real division... so I wear what I like. Period. (having said that, I always shower off the scent before my boyfriend arrives, as he prefers the natural scent.)
post #30 of 35
[QUOTE=Hillaire;1524651]
I wear:
Fendi Uomo
Habit Rouge vintage
Rive Gauche
Insense
Idole
Givenchy Gentleman vintage
Antaeus vintage
among others[QUOTE]

I am now terribly interested to smell Rive Gauche pour homme on a woman. That might be very captivating.

My girlfriend has indirectly worn my scents when she wears my bathrobe. In that regard, her scent reminds me of myself, that is to say: of our time together, our union.

A former girlfriend used to wear my Egoiste, and it worked for her.
post #31 of 35
I bought a friend a bottle of Guerlain Vetiver for her birthday a few months ago. It works very well on her.
post #32 of 35
Quote:
Originally Posted by seasoldiermarine View Post

I was in an elavator with a young Lady recently and I caught a very familiar Sexy scent from her, I smiled at her and she smiled back and said hello. I asked her what she was wearing and she winked at me and said ''Farenheit". We spoke for about 2 minutes and I had to get off and she said "see you around". We work in the same Building

This must have been interesting. How coquettish!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Atlanta1 View Post

Personally, I feel you are welcome to wear whatever fragrance you desire. However, just don't get near me nor even suppose anyone like me would ever ask you out. As a man, whenever I make love to a woman I want my lady to smell like a lady. I'll take care of the part of smelling like a man and giving her everything she wants -- including having her enjoy a sexy men's fragrance on her man -- as she returns the volley.

I think if you look at history and explore scent more, you realise the "gender label" on a scent is really all a matter of marketing. Many perfumes were marketed to one gender, only to be taken up by the other.

The "genderising" of scent has existed for only a little more than 100 years. See the first quote in this post. A woman wearing a "men's" scent can be attractive and sexy.
post #33 of 35
I'm glad to see this thread as I love to wear 'men's' scents, and like Hillaire, also appreciate the daringness of men wearing 'women's' scents. The use of quotes is because I think of gender as a social construct.

I see the erotic appeal to have one's frag conjure images of one's desired partner, hence often the switch. I also think the trade can be intellectually / politically about breaking traditional gender boundaries and celebrating individuation from social constraint. And on a purely aromatic basis, I think fragrance preferences are volitional and personal, and often defy gender classification. I also think there may be distinctions between people using scents primarily to allure others, or to primarily please themselves, and these, too, may come into play.

I often wear men's scents with all of these ideas in mind, and as I personally adore leathery, dark, spicy, green, and woody scents that are typically marketed to men.

Some of my current faves are:
Guerlain Habit Rouge
Creed Original Santal
Creed Original Vetiver
and Burberry London for Men
I'm very interested to test Silver Mountain Water as well as Rive Gauche as others have mentioned.

I say to each their own with pleasure and freedom in mind!
post #34 of 35
A woman can easily wear Dior Homme or Dior Homme Intense. I also think a man can wear Cuir de Russe. But everyone can't wear everything. Just because a woman may look good in your shirt doesn't mean your are going to look good in hers.
post #35 of 35
I have seen women wear Body Kouros & Versace The Dreamer oh!! n yes JPG Le Male.......Do you c d similarities??
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