What scents are masculine? Gender-neutral?

[LexieBlom]

Crowley is amazing and should be on everyone's to-try list! I think it's a unisex scent (I certainly wear it), but it has a smooth, smoldering, sexy-confident quality that is irresistible on a guy, in my opinion. The leather and musk are beautifully balanced with the vanilla and lilac, so it's neither too sweet or too aggressive, just rich and deep and gorgeous.

 

Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk.

Crowley is one of my favorite frimps I've ever gotten

[Diogenes]

I'm not quite sure where else to put this, but seeing as everyone here is discussing scents appropriate to men and I'm a guy, I thought I'd share my experiences with BPAL scents as a guy with everyone. I'm recently having this MASSIVE confusion because for some weird inexplicable reason I've somehow fallen under the spell of Languor. I know. It's not by any stretch a masculine scent by description, and yes, there have been reviewers saying that it reminds them of old lady perfumes, which isn't wrong because just the other day there was an old lady sat next to me on the Tube and I swear that I smelt a vague hint of what smelt like Languor. It was very confusing.

 

And I'm even more confused now because I hated Languor when I first received it. I loved the description when I first discovered BPAL so I thought I'd order it the first time I ever ordered from BPAL (it was a very exciting moment in my life). For some reason, the initial rush of the scent to me vaguely reminded me of medicine, and it was a touch too acrid for my liking. Instead I started alternating between Tzadikim Nistarim and Yggdrasil, though the former would often get just a touch too sickly for my liking. Eventually I started leaning towards Yggdrasil more because I'm a massive fan of woody scents (though my mum doesn't like them much because apparently they smell like old men to her, lol), but the one scent I really fell in love eventually was Adam, which I ordered the moment it came out. I'd watched the film, fell in love with it, and simply had to have the scent. There's this beautiful woody scent that's elegantly muted with what I can only best describe as the smell of old plastic cassette tapes (it's mentioned in the description, of course). On the skin it develops into this wonderful multi-layered incense-y smell. Puts practically any Tom Ford scent (which I do like, even though I don't personally own any because £££) to shame. It's a pity Adam's out of stock, but I reckon it's perfect especially for men with a slightly Romantic/rock Gothic edge to them (or at least that's how I like to think of myself sometimes) — just like the character.

 

The past week, however, I started reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, and for some absolutely frustrating reason, I started thinking of Languor. I don't know why I made the association (it could be the poppy), but it having been a while since I last tried on the scent (it's been sitting in my drawer for a long time), it was inexplicable why I was thinking of the scent. I decided to try it on again, and I don't know if my body chemistry's changed or if it's a weird psychological effect, but for some bizarre reason I actually liked it. I probably need some help from friends to shake me out of it and remind me that I don't want to smell like an old lady but at the risk of sounding like a sad nutter, there's some weird, possibly evil part of my brain simply going, "NO, IAN, IT'S PERFECT."

 

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with that?

 

Also, has anyone tried Palmyra yet? I really want to get it, but the price (it's great that the proceeds are going to charity though!) is a touch more expensive than the usual scents and I'd like to make sure that it's at least vaguely workable before committing to it.

[forspecial_plate]

There's nothing wrong with that at all. Those are my favorite scents, the ones that at first I don't like, but they grow on me and I end up loving them. There have been quite a few. A great example for me is Dzongkha by L'artisan, I didn't like it at all at first, but I kept thinking about it, and wore my sample over a stretch of time, and ended up falling in love with it and bought a bottle. And have received compliments on it.

 

The thing about bpal - I think the majority of the scents could be worn by a man or woman (as has been said many times). Just because something is flowery or powdery, doesn't mean a man can't wear it. It's just because of traditions or mindsets or whatever - once upon a time all men smelled powdery, and women's scents were more mossy and thus could perhaps be considered masculine by our modern standards. I wear what I want although sometimes I am a little more self-conscious if I'm wearing a very floral scent, but in the end it doesn't matter - most people passing you in your day-to-day life aren't going to think more than once about what scent you're wearing, and if they think you smell like a woman, maybe they think you just hugged a woman or something. But really, forget about what other people think, especially if you love it, just wear it for yourself! Langour is a great scent and you should wear it if it makes you happy.

 

And the weird thing about "powdery", is that different people are going to have different perceptions about what is powdery and what isn't. I have one friend who, whenever I wear Snake Oil he says I smell like baby powder, and I'm like....hmmm, ok, I disagree, but in the end I don't care, because I'm wearing it more for me than for anyone else! And I personally like scents that are a little "powdery", but that grew over time, I didn't always like that.

 

I ordered Palmyra but haven't received it yet. Can't wait! I love cinnamon and it always catches my interest.

[azurephoenix]

I'm not quite sure where else to put this, but seeing as everyone here is discussing scents appropriate to men and I'm a guy, I thought I'd share my experiences with BPAL scents as a guy with everyone. I'm recently having this MASSIVE confusion because for some weird inexplicable reason I've somehow fallen under the spell of Languor. I know. It's not by any stretch a masculine scent by description, and yes, there have been reviewers saying that it reminds them of old lady perfumes, which isn't wrong because just the other day there was an old lady sat next to me on the Tube and I swear that I smelt a vague hint of what smelt like Languor. It was very confusing.

 

And I'm even more confused now because I hated Languor when I first received it. I loved the description when I first discovered BPAL so I thought I'd order it the first time I ever ordered from BPAL (it was a very exciting moment in my life). For some reason, the initial rush of the scent to me vaguely reminded me of medicine, and it was a touch too acrid for my liking. Instead I started alternating between Tzadikim Nistarim and Yggdrasil, though the former would often get just a touch too sickly for my liking. Eventually I started leaning towards Yggdrasil more because I'm a massive fan of woody scents (though my mum doesn't like them much because apparently they smell like old men to her, lol), but the one scent I really fell in love eventually was Adam, which I ordered the moment it came out. I'd watched the film, fell in love with it, and simply had to have the scent. There's this beautiful woody scent that's elegantly muted with what I can only best describe as the smell of old plastic cassette tapes (it's mentioned in the description, of course). On the skin it develops into this wonderful multi-layered incense-y smell. Puts practically any Tom Ford scent (which I do like, even though I don't personally own any because £££) to shame. It's a pity Adam's out of stock, but I reckon it's perfect especially for men with a slightly Romantic/rock Gothic edge to them (or at least that's how I like to think of myself sometimes) — just like the character.

 

The past week, however, I started reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, and for some absolutely frustrating reason, I started thinking of Languor. I don't know why I made the association (it could be the poppy), but it having been a while since I last tried on the scent (it's been sitting in my drawer for a long time), it was inexplicable why I was thinking of the scent. I decided to try it on again, and I don't know if my body chemistry's changed or if it's a weird psychological effect, but for some bizarre reason I actually liked it. I probably need some help from friends to shake me out of it and remind me that I don't want to smell like an old lady but at the risk of sounding like a sad nutter, there's some weird, possibly evil part of my brain simply going, "NO, IAN, IT'S PERFECT."

 

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with that?

 

Also, has anyone tried Palmyra yet? I really want to get it, but the price (it's great that the proceeds are going to charity though!) is a touch more expensive than the usual scents and I'd like to make sure that it's at least vaguely workable before committing to it.

1. You are not going cuckoo!! It's de BPAL that brings de cuckoo! One of the reasons I love it, is because it's so complex!

2. BPAL ages - classic example is Snake Oil, a many year old SO is coveted by many here on the forums... As it gets older, the oil blends/ages and can get deeper and richer over time. Aging can also smooth out rough edges in scents.. like the acrid, mediciney feeling that you got from Langour originally.. There is a section HERE that talks about it.

3. You skin chemistry could have changed and thus the scent is changing on you.It's a normal thing, something as small as starting to eat garlic all the time can change how you smell.. or in a woman's case, her period can change how her skin reacts or how her nose perceives scent. (I know you're a guy.)

4. Also, don't forget that your specific skin chemistry will affect the oil. For example - just because a bunch of reviews mention smelling strong lemon... and you try it and get no lemon...it's not necessarily that your nose is blind to the lemon, it could be that your skin just sucks it in, and the lemon note doesn't show up. Another example in the opposite direction - I amp Cedar, like a mad bunny.. a scent can have a faint barely noticeable trace of cedar in it, and I will turn that perfume into one note pencil shavings... >.< So though some reviews say it smells like old lady - on you,it could just be sexay man scent!

5. That lady probably smelled like one of the notes in Languor... and because she was an old lady you automatically associated that scent with an old lady...if that makes sense? But don't forget that sometimes an unexpected scent on someone can actually be considered EDGY! Kinda like when a guy wears pink.

 

WELCOME TO THE MADNESS!!!

Edited November 27, 2015 by azurephoenix

[Corvid]

I just received another request for a list of scents that are suitable for a man to wear. Though I think it's a matter of taste, here's my list of our more masculine and gender-neutral blends for future reference.One of these days, I have to update the FAQ. TRADITIONALLY MASCULINE AntonyArkhamAzazelBaron SamediBluebeardCzernobogDe SadeFaustusFenris WolfGolden PriapusIagoJolly RogerLaudanumLearLoup GarouMad HatterMagusNeroOberonOthelloTitus AndronicusTombstoneTyphonVicomte de ValmontVillain WhitechapelGENDER-NEUTRALAll 7 SinsAll CelestialsAll Tarot BlendsAbsintheAnathemaThe ApothecaryAureusBacchanaliaBansheeBlack ForestBlack PhoenixBloodBloodlustBurialThe CaterpillarCathedralChimeraChypreDamnationDarknessDebaucheryDeimosDepravedEclipseEidolonEmbalming FluidEndymionEntropyHungerHurricaneImpInfernoJabberwockyLightningMaledictionNoirOmenOneiroiPenitencePhobosPulse PriapusRakshasaSaturnaliaSerpent’s KissShadowSnake OilThanatopsisTormentUmbraUndertowVoodooZombi

Can we update this list? A lot of these in the masculine section are great, but a number of the good ones have faded out of the GC at this point and are long gone.

 

Like for instance De Sade is long gone. Is there something new to replace it's scent nitche, or are we just SOL for the most part on the darker masculine scents?

[zmulls]

 

Can we update this list? A lot of these in the masculine section are great, but a number of the good ones have faded out of the GC at this point and are long gone.

 

Like for instance De Sade is long gone. Is there something new to replace it's scent nitche, or are we just SOL for the most part on the darker masculine scents?

 

 

 

An update from kebechet would be welcome, as a placeholder, but it will constantly change. And as has been said so many times, your chemistry will be the final determinant. For instance, Crowley is praised as a near-perfect "guy" scent, but on me, the lilac comes on too strong.

 

Once you try a number of "guy" scents you will get the sense of which elements work on you and which don't, and you will stop looking for "guy" scents and try to find scents that are anchored in things you like.

 

From there it's a short hop to scouring the Lupers, Weenies and Yules, looking for things that sound like "your kind of thing" and there goes your bank account.

[reclu]

Dead Leaves, Raw Leather, Bourbon Vanilla, and Clove smells a bit masculine to me, not that a girl can't wear it.

[VetchVesper]

I tried all the Unicorn part 1 line and found Of the Unicorn and Orpheus Charming animals to be masculine. Mythological Scene, St. Claire, and a King Persued by a Unicorn were more neutral IMO and it would probably depend more on your chemistry. I actually tend to like wearing scents that lean towards masculine.

[Elspethdixon]

Orpheus Charming Animals was more unisex than masculine on me, but my perspective might be skewed by the fact that my skin can sometimes turn both teak and myrrh into soft amber-y powder.

 

The three aquatics from this year's Weenies, Water Ghost, Haunted Beach, and The Drowned Man's Ghost, all struck me as unisex when I tried them at NYCC, as did A Kneeling Child (anise, amber, and wood) and Outlaw (like Tombstone with extra rootbeer and less vanilla). Przeczucie, on the other hand, is very masculine - it smells like pine needles and dirt, like a pine forest a very manly lumberjack might walk around in.

[Darkersolstice]

Red Queen: On me, the cherry scent didn’t develop at all (I might age my imp and see if that changes), but what was left was a woodsy smell that reminded me of the platonic ideal of the Mountain Lodge candle from Yankee Candle. How to smell like a strong lumberjack.

 

Server Gremlins: Do I owe this one justification? It’s an oddball scent, but one of the coolest things about it is how neutral it sits on the skin, not leaning one way or the other, regarding gender.

 

Jongleur: The blend of spices in this doesn’t go too sweet, and the result is something that left me feeling really confident and bold.

[VetchVesper]

Minna, from C2E2, is lovely and leans masculine to my nose. That won't stop me from wearing it though! White patchouli, sage, and benzoin gleaming with tea leaf, green tobacco, cognac, polished rosewood, and bourbon vanilla. Yummy!

[Pixie-elf]

Omg, Brangwy! Do you want a scent that smells like a man has been bounding through the forest, then come home simply to please you? He must return to the forest later, as it is his abode but he might stay with you just for tonight.

 

It's that. In a bottle.

[melandie]

I've been slowly bringing my husband into the BPAL madness...I started with an imp of Black Rider that I had. I loved it on me but something told me I would LOVE it on him. It's now his signature scent. Since then, he has branched out to:

 

The Black Tower

Golden Priapus

John Watson

 

I love when I place an order and there is a frimp of something that he may like...and he loves that his scent options are expanding

[VetchVesper]

Whiff Lash is a blast. It's like "boy in a bottle." A lot of the Weenie's this year seem guy appropriate. Any recs?

[katharina]

I just bought Spider (White ginger, artemesia, vetiver, nutmeg, King mandarin, bergamot, and lime.) for my brother and I Want Nothing (the hiss of rage-red splinters of bile ejaculating from a haze of blood orange and a bellowing scrawl of ink-black musk on a sweat-splattered notepad.) for my nephew. I am hoping to turn them onto BPAL! 

 

My brother specified that he was looking for a scent with Artemesia, and Spider was the only one I could find. My nephew just wanted citrus, but I also wanted to do an activism scent for him, so hopefully he likes it!

[myrrhmyrrh]

Here are the frimps (himps?) that I have passed on to my fella:

 

Black Forest

El Dorado

Black Forest

The Amorous Tree 

Antony

Sin

Santo Domingo 

Wrath

Dragon's Musk

 

Now if only he would wear them (sigh!)

[VetchVesper]

Thought I'd give my two cents on the 2020 Weenies, since I decanted most of them.  Of course, fragrances can vary wildly with chemistry, and there are a plethora of tastes out there, but these are the perfumes that struck me as leaning classically masculine or gender ambiguous.  

 

Dead Leaves and Cinnamon Buns - It's foody, but the dry cinnamon and dead leaf note are far more prominent to me.

Dead Leaves Leaves on Fire - Like, really good barbeque smoke.   

Dead Leaves and Black Licorice - To me, this smelled amazing.  It's got a classic men's cologne vibe, with just a twist of licorice to make it unique. 

Dead Leaves, Tunisian Amber, and Smoked Balsam

Pumpkin Smut - This one's damn sexy, and I think, just earthy enough guys could wear it if they're comfortable with foodiness.  Same goes for ...

Pumpkin Booze - Spices, orange peel and booooze.  Definitely festive.
Bookcase Passages - Wood and book smell.

Creaking Floorboards - Woody overall, and classy.

Doleful Pipe Organ - This one's real weird, but would be fun to see how it plays on a guy.  Lot's of stuff going on here.

Endless Corridors - Another one that would be interesting on a guy.  Beeswax is vanillic and leans sweet, but the vetiver is just smoky enough that I could see it working on a dude.

Icy Drafts - A chilly, minty vibe that just seems like it would be a good aromatherapy sort of blend for a lot of folks.
Sinister Groundskeeper - Pine and earth

Toy-Strewn Attic - Leather and dust.  There's a bit of rose, but it wasn't real recognizable to me. Nostalgic, atmospheric, and interesting.

Unsettling Portraits - Another weird one that has really grown on me, and I definitely wouldn't describe as "feminine."
October and Samhain are both BPAL classics, and I would say they are gender neutral.

 

P.S.  I'm curious as to which Weenies men ended up liking, and if my list lines up.  Any guys out there want to add their two cents?

Edited February 1, 2021 by VetchVesper

[katharina]

So, I wanted to update:

 

My brother LOVED the Spider (Anansi Boys) scent and my nephew also LOVED I Want Nothing. So pleased that they approved, since I had to pick them out blind! 

[ComicCreep]

My husband is very into layering his scents but some scents he likes on their own are:

Calico Jack 

Crowley

Fuck you says the Raven

Djinn

Zombi

 

he also likes to layer with Dorian

Edited November 16, 2021 by ComicCreep

[Jarek]

I'm terribly interested in how folks are dividing scents according to gender, and in how those trends have changed over time. I'm trans and nonbinary and I started out as a pretty feminine nonbinary trans guy, for years now though I have been presenting more masculinely and I've been on testosterone for years and I am read very often as a man in look and voice, but the smallest things can get me read as a woman instead, like what hat I'm wearing or if I have a colourful face mask or a bunch of colourful pins on my bag. I don't mind that as I am a man and a woman and also a few types of nonbinary, but I'd like to know what I'm doing more on purpose!

 

Like I really think sometimes my BPAL gets me read more as a woman, or maybe as a man, and I'd like to play with that more intentionally. I also think it likely differs by culture, as in my scent might be understood as "masculine" by my western colonial culture but another different culture might read it quite differently.

 

I like some of the things listed on BPAL as "masculine" or similar, but not exclusively, and I ordered an Imp of Snake Oil because I think it sounds amazing and I'm excited to try it out.

 

So far I really like Cthulhu, Vicomte de Valmont, Famine, and Ranger, but also Cairo, Scales of Deprivation, Dee, and Imp. I think tomorrow I'll try Snake Oil and see if I like it, I suspect that I will. I'm not personally a fan of Oberon but I think that's personal preference more than it being too "feminine".