Well why not, It's a well known fact that hot apple pie is an aphrodisiac for adolescent teenage virgins. There have even been movies made about it!
What makes a fragrance feminine/masculine?
- Thread starter Emmett
- Start date
Well why not, It's a well known fact that hot apple pie is an aphrodisiac for adolescent teenage virgins. There have even been movies made about it!
I wish I knew what was masculine and feminine. I do think culture is all over it.
Examples: Maja (by Myrurgia, Spanish, to me oriental and a bit citrus) I guess I have never smelled the edt, so I am going by the liquid and the bar soaps here. Very nice stuff to me. Seems masculine or at least unisex. Apparently, not so on the Costa de Brava!
Royal Violets. Very floral, but I can see how the right man can carry it off. Not so in Cuba and other places in the Latin world. From what I have read, babies are drenched in it, but middle-aged businessmen wear it with aplomb. Something about that that I just love!
Penhaligon's Elixir. Unless there are really two versions, men's and women's, Pen's does not seem to be able to make up it mind. Something of an update of Hammam Bouquet, which seems pretty mascuine to me, and I thought it was one of the really, really old school men's edt. I can see how it would work for men or women. I really like it for me.
C&S 88, Dark Rose, Rose. I would say clearly masculine, either sex, and feminine, respectively.
Examples: Maja (by Myrurgia, Spanish, to me oriental and a bit citrus) I guess I have never smelled the edt, so I am going by the liquid and the bar soaps here. Very nice stuff to me. Seems masculine or at least unisex. Apparently, not so on the Costa de Brava!
Royal Violets. Very floral, but I can see how the right man can carry it off. Not so in Cuba and other places in the Latin world. From what I have read, babies are drenched in it, but middle-aged businessmen wear it with aplomb. Something about that that I just love!
Penhaligon's Elixir. Unless there are really two versions, men's and women's, Pen's does not seem to be able to make up it mind. Something of an update of Hammam Bouquet, which seems pretty mascuine to me, and I thought it was one of the really, really old school men's edt. I can see how it would work for men or women. I really like it for me.
C&S 88, Dark Rose, Rose. I would say clearly masculine, either sex, and feminine, respectively.
Marketing is what determines whether or not something feminine or masculine. I regularly wear Hermes Eau Des Merveilles which is a feminine marketed scent but I always get compliments on it.
Case in point: I came home after shift a couple of years ago and got into bed with my ex. It's about 0830 and of course she wakes up when I climb in. I snuzzle her neck and this really nice scent hits me. It's a little spicy but it also has a slightly floral note. Whatever it was it was just awesome. I ask her what it is. She tells me she used the awesome smelling baby powder I have in the bathroom after her shower. I told her I don't have any baby powder. She says I do and it's in the little plastic container on my sink.
It was my Clubman talc that I keep in a little screw container and carry it in my dopp kit. I forgot to put it back in my kit after refilling it. She totally smelled like the sexiest old man on Earth.
Scents are just scents. If it floats your boat wear it. That's why I also wear Chanel No 5. It's a great scent but women also like it and have to take a second whiff of me because it's a very familiar scent to them but they just can't place what it is.
I did have to add an edit though, there are some scents that if I smelled them on a lady would make me do a double take. The first ones that come to mind are just about any old Bay Rum scent, Aramis, and Kouros. They do have a very hairy-chested masculine complex about them. But, if a lady had on one of those scents and carried it off well then I say "go for it." Besides, she could probably kick my *** if she can pull off wearing those brutes.
Case in point: I came home after shift a couple of years ago and got into bed with my ex. It's about 0830 and of course she wakes up when I climb in. I snuzzle her neck and this really nice scent hits me. It's a little spicy but it also has a slightly floral note. Whatever it was it was just awesome. I ask her what it is. She tells me she used the awesome smelling baby powder I have in the bathroom after her shower. I told her I don't have any baby powder. She says I do and it's in the little plastic container on my sink.
It was my Clubman talc that I keep in a little screw container and carry it in my dopp kit. I forgot to put it back in my kit after refilling it. She totally smelled like the sexiest old man on Earth.
Scents are just scents. If it floats your boat wear it. That's why I also wear Chanel No 5. It's a great scent but women also like it and have to take a second whiff of me because it's a very familiar scent to them but they just can't place what it is.
I did have to add an edit though, there are some scents that if I smelled them on a lady would make me do a double take. The first ones that come to mind are just about any old Bay Rum scent, Aramis, and Kouros. They do have a very hairy-chested masculine complex about them. But, if a lady had on one of those scents and carried it off well then I say "go for it." Besides, she could probably kick my *** if she can pull off wearing those brutes.
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Great post
Touché.
- Thread starter
- #26
Awesome post. I think you nailed it.
B
Bluffspot
I don't know if its cool to post here but thought I would mention Vulva Original at TheSmellofVagina.com - this smells exactly like a woman's nether-regions. This is mostly marketed towards men, or ladies depending upon preference.
You know it when you smell it.......
I use a lot of unisex frags - but I still think some scents are just more to the feminine side of things......
Same with color - a lot of the non-sex defenders also claim that color has no gender.
I say yes, but then again NO!
I own a pink polo and a pink shirt and wear it from time to time - but I certainly don't wear pink pants or a pink coat, and anyone who claims pink pants or a pink rain coat is unisex has to be gay or borderline, not that there is anything wiring with being gay....just saying........
I use a lot of unisex frags - but I still think some scents are just more to the feminine side of things......
Same with color - a lot of the non-sex defenders also claim that color has no gender.
I say yes, but then again NO!
I own a pink polo and a pink shirt and wear it from time to time - but I certainly don't wear pink pants or a pink coat, and anyone who claims pink pants or a pink rain coat is unisex has to be gay or borderline, not that there is anything wiring with being gay....just saying........
I believe that the masculine/feminine definition of a scent is relatively recent, and is a marketing construct. In the good old days, people just wore fragrances and that was it. I think I'm right that the very first fragrance specifically marketed for men was Caron's Pour un Homme, all the way back in 1934. It's still a great scent. Although aimed at women, Chanel #19 and Guerlain's Mitsuoko both work for men if not overdone.
I was just watching a review online and the gentlemen touched upon this in an intelligent way. I will para phrase. Men are a rougher gender than females physically. You take your hand and go against the grain on a man's face you feel scruff and are pricked by little hairs, we have chest hair and arm hair etc, the skin is grittier and our bodies are beat up in a utilitarian way. There is a tactile texture to a man. Versus women who are silky smooth and moisturized and streamlined.
My take is certain scents emulate texture and certain scents emulate smoothness. This is how I classify masculine/feminine scents. Imagine jasmine based fragence and now a petroleum based one. One evokes smooth and the other texture. It's not perfect but a start to classification.
My take is certain scents emulate texture and certain scents emulate smoothness. This is how I classify masculine/feminine scents. Imagine jasmine based fragence and now a petroleum based one. One evokes smooth and the other texture. It's not perfect but a start to classification.
For me, it's the sweet, gourmand, floral and powdery accords which come across as feminine.
I was testing out Yardley Sandalwood in Mustafa not too long ago. I loved it and sprayed quite a bit on myself.
At the same time I was wondering about the other Yardley lavender and rose beside the sandalwood - what the heck are those 'ladies' frags doing here?
I found out much later that I had accidentally stumbled into the ladies' section (no sign whatsoever). And the sandalwood was supposed to be 'feminine'.
At the same time I was wondering about the other Yardley lavender and rose beside the sandalwood - what the heck are those 'ladies' frags doing here?
I found out much later that I had accidentally stumbled into the ladies' section (no sign whatsoever). And the sandalwood was supposed to be 'feminine'.
Here's
my womens Old Spice
my womens Old Spice
I have to agree that Masculine vs feminine just comes down to marketing. If you like a scent and can pull it off, I'd say go for it! There are a lot of "masculine" things that used to be considered feminine, and vice versa (blue and pink, wine and beer, floral fragrances...). There's a jasmine one at my day job that I quite like myself, and most of the ladies I work with love the minty/herbal scent aimed at guys.
~John
~John
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