Kevin Wong
Author: Julia McEwen
Shopping for your next fragrance shouldn't be about who the product is marketed to. Instead, follow your nose and discover the latest in unisex, masculine-inspired or straight up men's fragrance picks.
No longer designed just for ladies or gents, the latest fragrances to hit store shelves are blurring gender lines. This crop of ultra-sexy scents features notes typically relegated to colognes—think leather, rum and tobacco. Uninterested in girlie and butch labels, today's woman shops for a scent that is distinct—and it's all about personal preference. Like a masculine garment on bare skin, gender-bending eau won't dilute your feminity. Are you woman enough to try one on?
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Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Hide and seek
Rich and sensual, Yves Saint Laurent Noble Leather is a heady mix of amber woods, vanilla and tanned leather. Touches of saffron and dried fruit shake up the earthy fragrance for an intoxicating effect that's unparalleled. Spritz just a little at your wrist and you'll smell sweet all day long.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Sugar and spice
Launched in 2007, this cult-favourite unisex perfume plays the field, smelling just as enthralling on men as it does on women. The unconventional, smooth oriental scent opens with aromatic, spicy notes. Warm vanilla and just a hint of tobacco leaf keep the sweetness at bay.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Chocolat chaud
A classic scent that transports you back in time, Valentino Uomo smells like a luxe Italian chocolate shop crossed with a men's club. The tasty mix of bergamot, myrtle liqueur, roasted coffee and gianduja (a chocolate-hazlenut cream) makes this fragrance almost edible. Cedar and white leather round out the scent.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Man to woman
FOr any woman who loves strong, spicy scents, men's fragrances open up a whole new world. Take, for instance, Guerlain's L'Homme Ideal, a blend of citrus, amaretto (almond, tonka bean and vanilla) and leather. Spritz it over your soft cashmere sweater, bury your nose and inhale.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Smoke show
Fragrances often try to recreate the sensation of a time or place, and such is the case with Maison Martin Margiela Jazz Club. The masculine combination of rum and tobacco evokes the mood of a dusky Brooklyn bar filled with leather armchairs, lowball glasses and cigar smoke.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Antifloral
Most woman's fragrances contain a note or two, but not The Body Shop Red Musk. The warm scent aims to subvert tradition with a sharp hit of pepper, sweet-and-spicy cinnamon and a tobacco dry down, the likes of which appear almost exclusively in men's fragrances.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Feeling fresh
Not all men's fragrances rely on dark notes to set the mood. Try this fresh, ocean-inspired scent that's marketed to men. Aromatic lavender, sharp ginger, fresh juniper berries and a touch of warmth with vanilla and tonka bean make for a great scent on woman too.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Neat, please
This flavourful fragrance includes notes of citrus, eucalyptus, sage, ivy, amber, cinnamon, mahogany, oak and musk. The result is a scent as smooth as they come—sort of like your favourite whisky.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Go green
Zegna excels in traditional colognes, so it's nice to see the brand add some green notes to a perfected formula. Carrot seed and vetiver combine with neroli and bergamot for a stunning unisex aroma.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Oldschool
This cult classic fragrance is said to include a molecule that acts as an aphrodisiac—but regardless it's an amazing scnet for men and woman like. Lemon, rosemary, basil, jasmine and vetiver make up this delectible potion.
Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz
Straight up
This bourbon-inspired scent is a moody blend of vanilla, oakwood and tuberose for a scent that is sexy and sophisticated.
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