If you smelled (insert perfum) on a man? (add your own)

[Miket]

Or a woman, for that matter.

OK. I hope I can get a good number of people participating in this thread because I feel it is an interesting subject. For my part I know that there will always be people, whether a minority or a majority, who may think a certain scent odd when I wear it. In the case of ostensibly femenine fragrances I'm happy to wear certain things even if they're described by the women I know as girly, femenine, odd, etc.

Even so it's nice to know you're not alone when you spray something and think, 'I can pull this off. This works.' so I'm asking anyone who wants to participate to make a list of fragrances which you wear that are ostensibly for the opposite gender. Or fragrances you're interested in buying. Or fragrances which you think have unisex potential. Then hopefully people can comment on your list with a word or two about how they might react to smelling that composition on a man or woman.

I can do a bit from both sides. Two of my sister's most commonly worn fragrances are Chopard's Noble Cedar and Kenzo Jungle Pour Homme. Partly because she is allergic to a great many things and these do not effect her. Partly because she simply enjoys them. For my part I think unless I was quite familiar with either scent I doubt I'd even recognize that they were masculine scents if I smelled either on a woman.

For my part I'm kind of shameless when it comes to wearing women's fragrances. Often it's simply because I like them better or because EDP concentrations are more readily available.

A good number of these are very basic and fairly common designer scents, some not so much. I'll only make a partial list: Bvlgari Blv, Obsession, Gucci EDP, Molinard and Annick Goutal's vanillas, Arpege, BAV, Kelly Caleche (most recent addition to this lineup) D&G La Roue de la Fortune (next most recent and I'm currently in love with it) Chloe Eau de Fluers Capucine, a number of scents from the Aqua Allegoria series, Guerlain SDV, Annick Goutal's Tuberose and Rose Absolu, Habinata, Fracas (EDP), Chanel Cristalle eau verte, Agent Provocatuer, and Lalique le Parfum.

The majority of those I'm pretty comfortable wearing, or I like them so much it doesn't matter.

Anyone care to add their views, or throw out some cross-gender fragrance choices for others or themselves to remark on?

[Twolf]

The majority of those I'm pretty comfortable wearing, or I like them so much it doesn't matter.

Absolutely, you have figured it out. Wear what you like. We have quite a handful of gentlemen wearing what's marketed as feminine scents and proudly letting the world know on our SotD threads.

[donna255]

I wear lots of fragrances aimed at men. Never cared what anyone else thought, as Twolf says, I like it, I wear it.

[southerngardens]

I love wearing feminine fragrances too for the same reason as you Miket. The selection is greater and they have so many more EDP's and parfums available and I am comfortable with wearing a good deal of them. I am still exploring the feminine frag field though. Currently I am wearing:

Hermes Calache PdT
Chanel no 19 EDT
Mitsouko EDP
L'heure Bleue EDP
Gres Cabochard EDT
Shalimar EDC

I want to buy:

Balmain Amber Gris EDP
Bottega Veneta EDP
Jicky EDP
Midnight Poison
Chanel no19 EDP
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Bandit

[cloud atlas]

I routinely wear the following gems:

Jicky edp
Shalimar edc
Vol de nuit edt
Une fleur de cassie
En passant
Carnal flower
Bois de iles

Funny, I realized as I was listing them that they are primarily from those two houses!

[iivanita]

I love wearing feminine fragrances too for the same reason as you Miket. The selection is greater and they have so many more EDP's and parfums available and I am comfortable with wearing a good deal of them. I am still exploring the feminine frag field though. Currently I am wearing:

Hermes Calache PdT
Chanel no 19 EDT
Mitsouko EDP
L'heure Bleue EDP
Shalimar EDC

I want to buy:


Jicky EDP

Chanel no19 EDP
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Bandit

all those you have numbered are unisex! there is nothing exclusively feminine in them ...if you said you wear fracas or sacrebleu, or lou lou or No 22 then i would say ok he wears something really feminine

but shalimar EDC is shalimar made for men!! believe me! i have it and i got compliments i wear grandpas cologne from 2 people hehe

and carnal flower is probably the one on the edge, the only tuberose i can imagine on a man

[yellow_cello]

None of the guys I know are into perfume So I don't have the opportunity even to smell most "masculine" fragrances on guys, let alone more "feminine" ones!

[Miket]

I do care what people think. I find it interesting. Generally speaking I'm not going to let it stop me wearing what I want, but it's always fun to know what other people think. Especially when it comes to fragrance and gender. Opinions can vary so wildly.

I wear lots of fragrances aimed at men. Never cared what anyone else thought, as Twolf says, I like it, I wear it.

I know many more women who think this way than men.

I love wearing feminine fragrances too for the same reason as you Miket. The selection is greater and they have so many more EDP's and parfums available and I am comfortable with wearing a good deal of them. I am still exploring the feminine frag field though.

Another factor for me is bottles. Though to be honest I don't really like 'girly,' bottles, but some bottles for femenine fragrances are just porn. Like Lalique le Parfum, and really I don't see anything especially femenine about it.

Currently I am wearing:

Hermes Calache PdT
Chanel no 19 EDT
Mitsouko EDP
L'heure Bleue EDP
Gres Cabochard EDT
Shalimar EDC

Nice list. I sampled Mitsouko recently, thinking I'd like it, but the EDT was all they had and it was really, criminally dissapointing. Simmilarly I can't come at most of the Shalimar reformulations. Though I've never tried the Parfum. Some of the limited editions are nice though.

I want to buy:

Balmain Amber Gris EDP
Bottega Veneta EDP
Jicky EDP
Midnight Poison
Chanel no19 EDP
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Bandit

For my part I want to get the Fracas parfum but it seems like a lot of money when I like the EDP already. Bandit is really good. I think it's very unisex. Germaine Cellier did another leather, Jolie Madame, which seems much more femenine to me. But that could just be the reformulation.

all those you have numbered are unisex! there is nothing exclusively feminine in them

Even L'heure Bleue?

Quite a few of those in my list are fairly unisex as well. I like unisex fragrances that balance in the middle. Even though I own a lot of fragrances which are ostensibly for women I think many of them could have been marketed to men, or made unisex without too much drama.

None of the guys I know are into perfume So I don't have the opportunity even to smell most "masculine" fragrances on guys, let alone more "feminine" ones!

You should buy some popular scents like Curve, Fierce, etc and empty them. Then refill them with femenine fragrances and give them to guys you know :P

[dianabi]

It is interesting when a man wears a scent targeted to women and vice versa, but it has to be the right mix of personality and style too. I know a guy who can wear the most incredible florals very well (I don't even go near florals personally), and a girl who wears Carbone de Balmain beautifully, but then I have seen less pleasant examples of a woman who wore suffocating amounts of Habit Rouge - do not like it, too sharp, too dusty; and a man at work reeking of Black Orchid: I have worn it in the past and still own the bottle but his take is just too much.

[southerngardens]

It is interesting when a man wears a scent targeted to women and vice versa, but it has to be the right mix of personality and style too. I know a guy who can wear the most incredible florals very well (I don't even go near florals personally), and a girl who wears Carbone de Balmain beautifully, but then I have seen less pleasant examples of a woman who wore suffocating amounts of Habit Rouge - do not like it, too sharp, too dusty; and a man at work reeking of Black Orchid: I have worn it in the past and still own the bottle but his take is just too much.

I agree with you on the Black Orchid. A man should be careful how he wears this one or it can be too much or cloying. A light trigger finger on the chest and to the arms is all that's needed. I did not mention I have tried this one on before and heeded the warnings and I don't think I offended anyone because it is so strong. I will probably never be buying this one because I never want to become a niche whore even though it's lovely,

- - - Updated - - -

And to iivanita. I don't see L'heure Bleue or Calache as ever being unisex; especially LHB! I know a few other male basenoters that wear LHB, but not many and Calache is a floral wonderland for the most part!

[Primrose]

I love wearing feminine fragrances too for the same reason as you Miket. The selection is greater and they have so many more EDP's and parfums available and I am comfortable with wearing a good deal of them. I am still exploring the feminine frag field though. Currently I am wearing:

Hermes Calache PdT
Chanel no 19 EDT
Mitsouko EDP
L'heure Bleue EDP
Gres Cabochard EDT
Shalimar EDC

I want to buy:

Balmain Amber Gris EDP
Bottega Veneta EDP
Jicky EDP
Midnight Poison
Chanel no19 EDP
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Bandit

I am glad you are so open-minded, Gardens! It is nice to see someone who follows his nose and not the marketing.

You also need to add Balmain Jolie Madame (violet/leather) and Hermes Kelly Caleche EDP (rose and carnation with leather) to that list. You will fall in love with Jicky EDP. You can sometimes find Jicky EDP at discount e-tailers in the refill bottles minus the gold "habit de fete" canister.

You will LOVE Bandit, as your tastes are similar to mine: the classics and leathers!

[uniscent]

What about perfumes or fragrances that are made for both sexes? Like CK1? (Is that even still around)? What is the general consensus for males & females to wear the same fragrance? Was that a 90's thing? Ha Ha Ha… Do people still buy them?

[Miket]

You also need to add Balmain Jolie Madame (violet/leather) and Hermes Kelly Caleche EDP (rose and carnation with leather) to that list. You will fall in love with Jicky EDP. You can sometimes find Jicky EDP at discount e-tailers in the refill bottles minus the gold "habit de fete" canister.

I like Jolie Madame, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the modern EDT is perhaps not all that close to what Cellier made. Hopefully I'll find some vintage and be able to verify this.

Also Kelly Caleche was in my list. Transparent Rose/Leather, how is this not unisex? I get a big kick out of wearing this.

What about perfumes or fragrances that are made for both sexes? Like CK1? (Is that even still around)? What is the general consensus for males & females to wear the same fragrance? Was that a 90's thing? Ha Ha Ha… Do people still buy them?

CK One and CK Be are still pretty big sellers as far as I know. Also most niche outfits do loads of unisex fragrances, and designers make their fair share too usually in the form of eaux like Eau de Cartier, Lalique, or the various Bvlgaris. Bvlgari Black was a somewhat recent unisex hit. Also many designer exclusives are unisex.

Incidentally I just paid $10 for a bottle of Diesel Plus Plus femenine. lol. Such an ugly bottle/box but the smell is a real guilty pleasure.

[gmstrack]

None of the guys I know are into perfume So I don't have the opportunity even to smell most "masculine" fragrances on guys, let alone more "feminine" ones!

I'm in the same boat, however, I wear fragrances marketed toward men, so at least I have the opportunity to smell them on someone!

[Miket]

I'm in the same boat, however, I wear fragrances marketed toward men, so at least I have the opportunity to smell them on someone!

Favourites?

[iivanita]

I agree with you on the Black Orchid. A man should be careful how he wears this one or it can be too much or cloying. A light trigger finger on the chest and to the arms is all that's needed. I did not mention I have tried this one on before and heeded the warnings and I don't think I offended anyone because it is so strong. I will probably never be buying this one because I never want to become a niche whore even though it's lovely,

- - - Updated - - -

And to iivanita. I don't see L'heure Bleue or Calache as ever being unisex; especially LHB! I know a few other male basenoters that wear LHB, but not many and Calache is a floral wonderland for the most part!

:-) i dont see l heure bleu as perfume at all:-) its an atmosphere so for me it has no connection to gender , its like hot dry sweet air, just description of atmosphere or emotions, and Caleche you are right its very floral, and yes that one is noticably exception

But i wear Timbuktu:-) breath of god, and nicolai pour homme:-) but my favourite is yohji homme:-)

[gmstrack]

Favourites?

Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense is one of my wear to work scents; I love the myrrh/patchouli combination. Speaking of myrrh, Timbuktu by L Artisan Parfumeur is one of my all-time faves, although it is marketed as unisex. Sometimes I wear a small amount of Fahrenheit--the violet/gasoline combo is irresistible...