What scents are masculine? Gender-neutral?

[Tess]

Oisin really is hot on man. The musk isn't over powering but brings out that sultry scent on them. I do recommend it for women, though, if they're looking to project a sex-appeal to other women. I find it works very well for that.

 

...I just wish they'd come up with a scent for Niamh.

[Rinadoll]

I did a search and found a lot of people talking about scents to get their guys, but that's not a problem I currently have. (Sigh.)

 

In my last order, I got several frimps that came up as masculine in the search results. At least one of them, I utterly adored. For me!

 

How many gals wear these suggested or traditionally masculine scents? I know that no one but me and any BPALers I very randomly run into would realize that it was labled for guys, but still. I'm pretty sure I'll keep it and wear it happily, but it still feels a little weird to be wearing a "guy scent."

 

Rina

[CLFilm]

I've always been a fan of "men's" cologne. I've not found a BPAL yet that is labelled "traditionally masculine" that I've fallen in love with, but I wore things like Colors de Bennetton Men for years (yes, I'm a girl ). But then, I've never been a particularly "girly" kind of girl. Nor a particularly "traditional" person. I say wear what you like and the rest of it be damned!

[nineveh]

I'm another girl who unabashedly wears the traditionally masculine blends. I'm just not very interested in light, cheerful, or floral scents.

 

If it works with your skin and you like it, then wear it! It would be a shame not to just because it's suggested for men.

 

Which one do you adore, by the way?

[Rinadoll]

I adore Laudanum. A really lot.

 

I also fell madly in love with Dracul upon first sniff. The catalog calls it gender neutral, but it kept popping up in the guy's thread.

 

Well, at the very least, if I can't *have* a guy, I can at least smell like one. But I really do love these scents, and I'm glad they came my way. I was just surprised that I loved these "traditionally masculine" scents.

 

Rina

[WidgetAlley]

Jolly Roger's a great blend for daytime wear, on me. I loff it so much, and be damned with the "traditionally masculine"!

[racheline]

The BPAL I wear most often are all men's scents. King of Clubs is probably my all-time favourite, and I wear Whitechapel very often as well. I just got hooked on Les Infortunes (not sure how the Lab labels it, but it smells masculine to and on me, as does The Hesprides, which is another of my favourites). I own many many of the more female BPAL scents, but I find I wear them more when I'm in a situation where I think being quietly and prettily feminine will do me some good, then for any intrinsic to my nature reason. Otherwise, it's the men's scents all the way for me.

[nineveh]

Ooh, Dracul is wonderful. One of my favorites.

 

I doubt that anyone here would think you're weird for liking them. It seems that the traditionally masculine/feminine labeling has gone by the wayside now anyway; none of the new blends have been anything but gender neutral, at least. I agree with what the FAQ says, that it's just a matter of taste and preference.

[Malista]

For many years all I wore was pure sandalwood oil -- traditionally a very masculine note. I wear a lot of wood notes, still, although my taste in perfume is all over the map, and I'm just as likely to turn up wearing something floriental and lushly femme, or something foody, as something woodsy or leathery. I fit my scent to my mood and the occasion. I don't really care what other people think, as long as they aren't having an allergy attack from whatever I'm wearing.

[coulrophobe]

I have chemistry that tends to sweeten up whatever I put on my skin... so a lot of "traditionally masculine" scents end up smelling pretty darn feminine on me.

 

I tend to like the spicier ones like Dracul, or leathery ones (mmmm, Dee!), or a few of the woody/earthy scents (the dearly departed Typhon comes to mind). And musk, always love the musk. Some of the cleaner masculine scents like Wilde just end up smelling soapy-gender-neutral on me, however.

[zenvodunista]

i *wish* i could wear some of the more "masculine" scents. sadly, thoses tend to have a lot of wood in them, and while i love cedar and cypress, on me they turn into bad B/O.

 

too bad we can't swap skin chemistry

 

that said, some of my favorites are worn by men too - i'm thinking in particular of Tezcatlipoca (Blue Star and i share a favorite!)

 

meanwhile, my BF likes to wear pretty darn girlie stuff. his favorite to wear (not to smell on me, to *wear himself*) is Antique Lace!

 

don't impose gender on your perfume! free perfume from the constraints of gender! free your perfume and your mind will follow!!!! (giggling)

 

n.

[Polly]

I LOVE Dracul on me. And I got a frimp of Dee with my last order and hot damn is that ever nice on me too!!

[Diana]

I love the "masculine" scents. I almost prefer them at times. The only one that hasn't worked on me was Casanova, but everything else has been fantastic. =)

[Xiabelle]

Fenris Wolf is the sexiest smelling thing ever on me. Damn. Unfortunately, it's a bit masculine on me -- the sandalwood is a bit strong -- but god it's gorgeous. I immediately informed the boy he was trying it.

 

Laudanum is gorgeous, as well. Again, not quite what I'd wear, but so so close if it were just a hair softer. It smells like fires in winter to me. Mmm.

 

The main one I wear is Whitechapel, which is gorgeous soft lilacs on me. Lime? Where?

[merivelle]

My friend just fell in love with Wilde, then "freaked out" when she saw that it was listed as a "gentleman's scent". I told her that it makes no difference, that lots of women buy "men's scents". I am going to make sure she sees this thread. I love Villan and Highwayman, both described as men's.

[feline.by.design]

I love men's scents. I used to wear Obsession for Men while in high school, because I liked the darker scent that the women's variant didn't have.

 

With BPAL, I get especially excited about the masculine blends. Many blends in my favourites are oils that are very gender-neutral or traditionally masculine.

 

Some favourites off the top of my head include Torture King (which I get frequent compliments on), Dracul, King of Spades, Geek, Azazel (I only have one imp! Waanh!), Laudanam, Death, De Sade, Severin, the original Arkham, Fenris Wolf, Saint-Germain and Mad Hatter. Those are the more masculine picks. I'm wearing Dracul at the moment, actually.

 

I am really excited about the Come and See line from the Lab, so much so that I probably could just buy the bottles without bothering with testing out imps. My idea is that if it doesn't work on me, perhaps my boyfriend would wear it. Masculine fragrances make me feel very grounded, "steady."

 

I predict I'll be visiting this thread often.

 

-doreen

[Wrenlet]

Magus. Magus Magus Magus... even my husband said it smells masculine on me, and I? Do not care a bit

[Duck Mountain]

I don't really care what gender the scent I'm wearing is designated for--in fact I'm not sure if any of the scents I own are supposed to be 'masculine' ones, I haven't even checked. (Although I suppose I should...) Of the commercial perfumes/colognes I like, one of my favourites is Hugo Boss' In Motion, which is for men.

 

I mean, there are some guys on this forum and I'm sure they don't relegate themselves to only trying the 'masculine' blends--they'd blaze through them in one or two orders and be done with it.

 

I just wear whatever I think smells good on me.

[elphaba]

I just have to share. My husband came downstairs and pressed his neck towards my nose to sniff. He seems to have gotten bored with Jolly Roger and decided to raid the rest of my stash. I have to say...Snake Charmer smells awesome on him! Way better than it does on me. In fact, I'm going to go sniff him some more now.

[cranberry]

I tend to gravitate towards traditionally masculine or unisex scents - incense, leather, musk, resins, wood all speak to me! I too used to wear just straight sandalwood or even vetivert oil, both considered quite traditionally masculine. King of Clubs, Tezcatlipoca, Coyote, Dee, Torture King are all among my favorite scents. I say wear what you like and what moves you, and don't limit yourself to what is considered traditionally masculine or feminine!

[abberlaine]

Hey, guys! Might I trouble you for a recommendation?

 

I've got a dorky little brother who's seventeen going on eighteen. He's on the skinnier and shorter side; favours t-shirts from ThinkGeek, pullovers, and Abercrombie knock-offs (over, say, thuggish bling, slick emo wear, or otherwise flamboyant clubbing gear); hangs out on cellphone forums and eBay in his spare time, and works the front desk of a local hotel.

 

He's smart without being obsessively nerdy, polite without being pretentious, and popular without being superficial. He still throws the occasional temper tantrum at home, but he's not a bad kid in the least.

 

I'm looking to pick up some oils for him, preferably something he can wear to work. Any suggestions?

[Mountaingrrl00]

Abberlaine, I'm thinking your brother might do well with some of the lighter oils. St. Germain comes to mind, as does The Dormouse.

[valentina]

Abberlaine, I received a frimp of Ultraviolet (from a very generous forum member), because I wanted to try it, and it actually smells great on my DH, in a very fresh, clean way. It has violet, neroli, eucalyptus and mint in it and the violet and neroli serve to give a bit of sweetness under the predominant herbal scents. I find it fresh and clean smelling on a man without being femme, and without the heaviness of more traditionally masculine scents. And you know, I think Golden Priapus smells great, and it's amber, vanilla and woodsy scents, so it doesn't have the heavier scents and it smells kind of warm and woodsy. Your brother might love or hate the idea of wearing a scent with that name!

 

valentina

[hachanri]

hm, im not sure if thisd even be possibal, but what about a preffered/recomended list? in the fashion that, if the bpal site could set it up for about one week that people could go to bpal, look at a scent, and if theyre male or female, put it down. like, click the 'male' button. and then at the end of the week, see how many men/women have clicked which scents ^ ^.

itd be hard to do, but its a thought, ya know?....

[ayelienne]

I think Golden Priapus smells great, and it's amber, vanilla and woodsy scents, so it doesn't have the heavier scents and it smells kind of warm and woodsy. Your brother might love or hate the idea of wearing a scent with that name!

 

valentina

 

I sent an imp of Golden Priapus to my dad and he really liked it, but he's scared to buy it, in case anyone asks him what he's wearing, so now he's been coming up with another name for it -- this morning he said he was thinking about calling it "Golden Phoenix"

 

ETA: Luperci is great on my husband, it's his current favorite.

Edited February 19, 2006 by ayelienne