What scents are masculine? Gender-neutral?

[Jono]

I'm a dude and I like woodsy earthy stuff (including leather) I'm drawn to Rogue cause of the patchouli and earthyness or druid for earthynessness. The pics for them are ladi,es though so, there's that. Any feedback on the two i mentioned or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks folks!

[ladymeag]

I'm a female-type-person but I typically wear masculine scents and have a more typically "masculine" skin chemistry. Onward!

 

Rogue is one of my favorite scents. The notes for it are: Soft, well-worn black leather, hemp, and rosin. No patchouli here. My personal wearing notes read: Slightly sweaty, salty leather. As it ages, more rosin! Almost incense-y.

 

I have not skin-tested Druid because the fabric notes are all powdery death on me.

 

If you're looking for patchouli and masculine, I might try:

SIN - amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon. This one is very spicy, though; my own wearing notes read: Definitely has sandalwood, cinnamon fades instead of amplifies. Patchouli definitely clearly present but not sharp or annoying. Definitely strong, sexy, masculine.

 

If you're fine with hunting down last year's LEs: THE SEEKIM - Cacao absolute, hay, black pepper, patchouli, and incense ash. My own notes for this read: Definitely hay, a little incense-y, black pepper interesting and mellow, cacao definitely dry rather than sweet or foody, developed with a little bit more warmth, a little more earthy.

 

Or just full-on discontinued: THE SMILING SPIDER - Bitter clove, black musk, mahogany wood, and patchouli. My own notes read: Smells like the early stages of smoking a clove. Better still, it dries down to smelling like the paper that comes in a box of cloves.

 

I know a lot of folks like GOBLIN - Black coconut, gnarly patchouli, and sweet benzoin - but it smells like a patchouli-dirtied macaroon to me.

 

A common masculine patchouli rec is RUMPELSTILZCHEN - Firewood and ash with an oddly otherworldly blend of patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, tonka, vetiver, and myrrh. Likewise UMBRA - East African black patchouli, cedarwood, vetiver and a dribble of cinnamon.

 

 

For earthy - what kind are you looking for? I know GRAVE PIG is often suggested. I wear a lot of woods, so I can't really make a lot of good recommendations for earthy, as the scents that make that possible usually are terrible on me (mushrooms, dirt, dust, decay, etc.) The earthiest scent I wear is Mutter Museum - Ü (balsams, leathers, and raw vanilla) which smells a little like leather and that decaying leaves smell in late fall.

 

(Sorry for all of the caps - it's hard to find the actual perfumes in my teal deer here. Edited for a missing 'and.')

Edited December 9, 2012 by ladymeag

[Wren12]

VILF, Crowley and Hellboy all immediately come to mind when I think masculine. And I love them all.

[Jono]

I'm a female-type-person but I typically wear masculine scents and have a more typically "masculine" skin chemistry. Onward!

 

Rogue is one of my favorite scents. The notes for it are: Soft, well-worn black leather, hemp, and rosin. No patchouli here. My personal wearing notes read: Slightly sweaty, salty leather. As it ages, more rosin! Almost incense-y.

 

 

Sorry, Ranger is what I meant, any XP with that one? I'll take a look at the other ones thanks!

 

I have never seen anything like what is listed on this site other than the usual aromatherapy stuff so I wouldn't have any thing to pull from. By earthy I mean anything attached to or walking on the ground (leather, wood, moist rich dirt, leaves, roots, grass).

 

Edit: wow, the scents sound amazing. The Rumpel especially. There's so much to look at thanks for giving me some direction!

Edited December 9, 2012 by Jono

[Gwydion]

I love rogue and second Crowley. May I also suggest Krampus from the yule line? It's an all time favorate.

 

I've not tried Ranger, but I can recommend FIGHTER (RPG): (Company says: Leather, musk, blood, and steel.) It's a heabier leather than rogue, but you might like it if you like Rogue. (I have full sized bottles of both).

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I'm a dude and I like woodsy earthy stuff (including leather) I'm drawn to Rogue cause of the patchouli and earthyness or druid for earthynessness. The pics for them are ladi,es though so, there's that. Any feedback on the two i mentioned or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks folks!

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that the RPG blends (or some of them?) have both a female and a male version of the label art??

 

Crowley is magnificent, but personally I find it to be more 'feminine' when new.. it's only after a few months of aging that it starts to get manly and awesome

[Jono]

I'm a dude and I like woodsy earthy stuff (including leather) I'm drawn to Rogue cause of the patchouli and earthyness or druid for earthynessness. The pics for them are ladi,es though so, there's that. Any feedback on the two i mentioned or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks folks!

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that the RPG blends (or some of them?) have both a female and a male version of the label art??

 

 

 

The label art doesn't concern me just if it was tailored to be one or the other. I'm beginning to understand things a bit more and I see that much of it depends on body chemistry and personal taste.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

I'm a dude and I like woodsy earthy stuff (including leather) I'm drawn to Rogue cause of the patchouli and earthyness or druid for earthynessness. The pics for them are ladi,es though so, there's that. Any feedback on the two i mentioned or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks folks!

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that the RPG blends (or some of them?) have both a female and a male version of the label art??

 

 

 

The label art doesn't concern me just if it was tailored to be one or the other. I'm beginning to understand things a bit more and I see that much of it depends on body chemistry and personal taste.

 

That's very true - it's really all about personal taste and what works/doesn't work on your skin - and honestly that's something I really love about BPAL.. any person, regardless of gender or whatever else, can wear any BPAL and totally make it work. I personally don't pay that much attention to the label art, in terms of it influencing whether I see a blend as masculine/feminine but I guess it might communicate something.. even if it's only subconsciously. I just thought I'd mention about the different version(s) of label art - I think the RPG blends in particular are designed to be more character-specific than gender-specific

 

Jono - you might like to take a stroll through Rapaccini's Garden collection - a lot of those have that 'attached to the ground' kind of thing going on.

[Wren12]

Ranger is pretty amazing, smells like leather in the middle of a verdant wood, very masculine.

[tyroneslothrop]

Ranger is pretty amazing, smells like leather in the middle of a verdant wood, very masculine.

 

 

I would appreciate any updated scent recs...I am a guy who wears woodsy scents well, but I might have that covered now that I have (and love) Lear, Tombstone, and Cathedral. In another direction, I also have Dorian, and The Gentleman..both of which also work very well.

 

Where can I go next? One thing I have discovered is that patchouli is not ideal on me...so that might eliminate quite a few. Perhaps a cleaner, single note-ish scent rec? Ethereal or ozone-like?

[Wren12]

Crowley, its complex but has a nice masculine vibe, as does Famine.

 

Greed is super masculine, imo, very woodsy and deep. I think Whitechapel is also a nice clean masculine scent.

 

Those would be my, off the top of my head, thoughts.

[zmulls]

Two scents that I like very much that are "woodsy" are Godfather Death and Old Demons of the First Class.

 

Old Demons doesn't have any wood in it, actually, but it is perfect for a crisp winter day -- the Siberian musk and the pepper are really wonderful. It's a great guy scent.

 

Godfather Death is a very dry and crisp scent -- I pick up fennel and wood from it. It's another good winter scent for me, though there's not a hint of sweetness so I use it sparingly.

 

I quite like your screen name. I hope there aren't too many bombs dropping in your neighborhood.

[Wren12]

Ooh, Z, great rec on Old Demons, can't believe I forgot that one, It's amazing as well, definitely nicely masculine, spicy and sexy.

[tyroneslothrop]

Two scents that I like very much that are "woodsy" are Godfather Death and Old Demons of the First Class.

 

Old Demons doesn't have any wood in it, actually, but it is perfect for a crisp winter day -- the Siberian musk and the pepper are really wonderful. It's a great guy scent.

 

Godfather Death is a very dry and crisp scent -- I pick up fennel and wood from it. It's another good winter scent for me, though there's not a hint of sweetness so I use it sparingly.

 

I quite like your screen name. I hope there aren't too many bombs dropping in your neighborhood.

 

Ha, thanks. Yeah, I certainly think some scents inspired by Pynchon would be interesting and creative. "Oedipa Mass", "Brenschluss Point" etc...infinite possibilities. Thanks for the reccs.

[Balame]

A lot of the GC has already been covered here, but I figured some guys would be interested in hearing about more recent LEs that could work for them as well.

 

Haitian Vetiver SN: Obviously, you should love vetiver if you get this. It is intensely dark, smoky, sexy and earthy. People tend to love it or hate it, so try it in a few different blends before tracking this down. Certainly a very distinct, unusual smell. It may come across as BBQ when you first apply it. Do not fear, for it dries down to gorgeousness. If you like BPAL's leather notes you might like this, as it has a similar vibe.

 

Kagema: PURE SEX. This is my favorite scent on my husband. If you like woods you should like this, but be aware it is woods lite, not the in your face woods of Ranger. The bay rum is sweetly delicious and spicy, coupled with the lighter thrum of citrus and grounded with smooth tobacco. Some, including myself, feel like it is the regal scent of "sexy pirate."

 

Antique: A wonderful pick for guys from the recent Lupers. Definitely woodsy in a forest sort of way, given warmth by the darkness of leather and richly sweet (not overwhelmingly so) amber.

 

In His Hands All Thy Cruelties Thrive: From the new Lady of Pain Scents. I haven't tested it yet, but people are already saying it's a masculine, clove cigarette sort of smell.

 

Luperci: A re-release of a beloved classic. Luperci is really enticing. It comes across as simultaneously slick, dry and herbal. The benzoin gives it a resinous quality, while the beeswax/honey sweetens things up and the musk makes it sensual.

 

Voyeuristic Monkey: Very cologne-y due to the heavy musks, but the mix of notes give it a yummy, almost chocolate-y sweetness amidst the heaviness. Woodsy due to the patchouli, with a green brightness from galbanum.

 

Noh Mask and Maple Leaves: This starts off almost astringent to me, but it calms down to a green, spiced incense. Nice warm clove in the background.

[Wren12]

Batty, Crowley, Wulric and WILF. So yummy man smelly.

[stellamaris]

I'm always lurking on this thread, as I love to wear "masculine" scents. Unfortunately often when I do that annoying Irish Spring lady pops up and says "Manly yes, but I like it too..."

One gender neutral fantastic thing I recently found (and am hoarding) is Antimony V9, which is a gorgeous sandalwood. So awesome, and very "neutral"

My husband tends to like sweeter things, like Debauchery and WILF, so this one languished on his side (well ok corner of) the cabinet until I swiped it from him, so happy I did, it's excellent. And if you are really nice to me I'll tell you where you can get some. OK OK there's some on Etsy right now...

[DahliaHayashi]

Jareth!

I find Jareth very masculine and sexy guy like (well its Jareth what do i expect ;p). I love it and pull it of as a girl who normally loves foody and snake oil but i personally think it does need some balls as a girl to pull it off.

Its lemony guys cologne with leather and sexy!

Edited March 17, 2013 by DahliaHayashi

[Kolayn]

Many of these have already been said, but WILF, The Bow and Crown of Conquest, Half Elf, and Raven Moon are my choices. All of these garner attention from me when my hubby wears them. It's a joke between us that if given the chose, I choose WILF. A bit cliche sounding, but it works for us.

[forspecial_plate]

I have Noh Mask and Maple Leaves on the way. I threw in imps of Dracul and Santo Domingo.

 

I tried Dracul ages ago, and ended up giving it away. Now I'm not sure why, it sounds kind of great.

 

I never tried Santo Domingo, and I don't see it mentioned a lot. One of those things I've been meaning to try for a long time, finally getting around to it.

 

Anyway.....I love the sweeter scents too, but I especially love woods and spices. Plunder and Port-Au-Prince are both fantastic.

[Wren12]

Ooh, forgot to mention, Hellboy (which also smells like clean kitten fur, which makes me sooooo happy), Old Demons of the First Class and Robotic Scarab are nice and masculine.

 

Knecht Ruprecht also has some very masculine tones.

[jsolarski]

As a guy and a purchaser bpals, my recomendations go as follows

(ones I will wear on a daily basis)

Aelopile - I love the citrus in it

Miskatonic University - an old library with a coffee house

Detestable Putrescence - butterscotch like scent

doc's, sassafras strengthener - Pure rootbeer!

coyote - woodsy and classic musk

High John the Conqueror - I cant put my finger on the smell but it is good

Hideous Heart - cherry cinnamon

 

I am sort of all over the board with ones I like, and can never really tell what is masculine, unisex or feminine....I just use the rule of if its really floral it probably wont work for me.

[stellamaris]

Ooh, forgot to mention, Hellboy (which also smells like clean kitten fur, which makes me sooooo happy), Old Demons of the First Class and Robotic Scarab are nice and masculine.

 

Knecht Ruprecht also has some very masculine tones.

 

Hellboy!! my husband has gone through four bottles of that...

That and Lady Death are his favorites, with Debauchery right behind.

[Zii]

Well, this thread pretty much backs up my idea that I gravitate towards more masculines scents! And I'll be sure to check more out!

[tapestry]

Hey, BPAListas. I've recently lucked into A Gentleman Friend with fondness for cologne, and to no surprise, am looking to turn him toward BPAL. He's currently wearing Realities ('Italian Grapefruit, Madarin, Wet Greens; Sueded Cedar Wood, Cashmere Woods; Nutmeg, Ginger, Tea'), though he's told me that his favorite cologne to date is actually Pi by Givenchy ('Citrus, Aromatic, Green, Floral; Magnetic Wood; Benzoin Crystals). Both smell nice on him, though Realities is typical-men's-cologne, and Pi felt a bit... powdery, maybe? A bit off, for lack of a better word.

 

He's repeatedly mentioned a mad love affair with sandalwood, and at one point when I had a list of BPAL Tapestry is Interested in Trying open, he expressed curiosity about Arachne of Lydia. He's tested Dracul to decent effect (though it was washed off somewhat quickly), and also reacted favorably when I've worn The Illustrated Woman, Tombeur, Liz, Intrigue and Voodoo. With all that in mind, I'm trying to hunt down a few scents which carry some warmth to them, preferably with a strongly discernible sandalwood note. Unfortunately the catalogue is overwhelming me at the moment, so I was hoping to pick the forum's collective brain. Are there any sandalwood-heavy scents which you lot would suggest for a man who also seems to like vanilla, pine, clove, almond, and (maybe) musk? I will be pinning him down and testing my own bottles of The Illustrated Woman, Tombeur and Voodoo on him, but my tastes tend to run super dark -- as in patchouli, patchouli, and maybe a drop of vanilla on top of more patchouli -- whereas his appear to lean more wide, warm and comparatively 'fresh'.

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

Edited September 11, 2013 by Tapestry