Beauty

Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz

Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your perfume

Kevin Wong

Author: Julia McEwen

Beauty

Masculine fragrances will make you rethink your go-to spritz

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.

Read more: Yves Saint Laurent Noble Leather Eau de Parfum, 80 mL, $230, thebay.com.
Image by: Yves Saint Laurent By: Julia McEwen

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. 

Read more: Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum, 50 mL, $235, holtrenfrew.com.
Image by: Tom Ford By: Julia McEwen

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.

Read more: Valentino Uomo Eau de Toilette, 100 mL, $95, holtrenfrew.com.
Image by: Valentino By: Julia McEwen

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.

Read more: Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Eau de Toilette, 50 mL, $70, guerlain.com.
Image by: Guerlain By: Julia McEwen

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.

Read more: Maison Martin Margiela Replica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette, 100 mL, $115, thebay.com.
Image by: Maison Martin Margiela By: Julia McEwen

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.

Read more: The Body Shop Red Musk Eau de Parfum, 100 mL, $45, thebodyshop.ca.
Image by: The Body Shop By: Julia McEwen

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.

Read more: Prada Luna Rossa Sport, 50 mL, $78, sephora.com.
Image by: Sephora By: Alexandra Donaldson

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.

Read more: Commodity Whiskey Eau de Parfum, 100 mL, $120, sephora.com.
Image by: Sephora By: Alexandra Donaldson

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.

Read more: Ermenegildo Zegna Haitian Vetiver, 125 mL, $245, sephora.com.
Image by: Sephora By: Alexandra Donaldson

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.

Read more: Christian Dior Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette, 100 mL, $118, thebay.com.
Image by: The Bay By: Alexandra Donaldson

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.

Read more: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon, 50 mL, $107, sephora.com.
Image by: Sephora By: Alexandra Donaldson

 

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