Every man loves to smell good. Whether it’s because of your own personal chemistry or because you want to project the right image, everyone has their own perfumery preferences. Perfumes are a big part of that. They help you smell good and present yourself in the best possible light. You can use male scents as an introduction or as a substitute for more traditional feminine fragrances.
From sweet floral notes to woody accords, there are many different types of male fragrance oils available to suit your personal tastes and scent preferences. What’s more, wearing masculine scents doesn’t have to be restrictive or boring if you know what you’re doing. You can do so much with them and make them into something unique and original, whether you love niche brands or standard market offerings.
What Is A Male Fragrance?
In essence, a male fragrance is any fragrance created specifically with men in mind. They are designed to smell more masculine and less floral or fruity than female fragrances. Because of this, they tend to be less sweet than the former and more woody and earthy.
What’s more, they are more likely to include musky notes than the usual floral choices. Male fragrances are often referred to as unisex scents. They tend to be used by both men and women, whereas unisex scents are more commonly seen as a product for the opposite gender.
There are a number of different types of male fragrance oils available, though they are often broken down into three main categories.
- Traditional Floral: Floral scents are usually sweet and soft, and often include rose, jasmine, or lily notes. They are a popular choice for men due to their typically feminine smell.
- Woody: Woody scents are typically earthy and woody and often smell like sandalwood, patchouli, or cedar. They are popular among both men and women and tend to be more expensive than traditional floral choices.
- Musk: Musk scents are typically musky and woody and tend to smell like vanilla, tonka bean, or amber. They are popular among both men and women and are fairly inexpensive.
Different Types of Male Fragrances
- Woody: Adored by both men and women, woody scents are typically earthy and woody and often include sandalwood, patchouli, or cedar notes. Popular brands include Gucci Guilty, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia, Calvin Klein Eternity, and Burberry London.
- Musk: Musk sceds are typically vanilla-based and smell like a sweet musk, almost like a vanilla cookie. The best-selling scents include Giorgio Armani Everything Armani and Burberry London, though Burberry London Eau de Cologne is also a good choice.
- Traditional Floral: Traditional floral scents are typically sweet and soft, and often include rose, jasmine, or lily notes. Popular brands include Tommy Hilfiger Tommy, Hugo Boss The One, and Ralph Lauren Romance.
- Herbaceous: Herbaceous scents are typically fresh and herbal, and often smell like mint, basil, or sage. Popular brands include Cruzes By Kenneth Cole, Gucci Rush, and Acqua di Parma Colonia.
Where To Find Male Fragrance Oils
While a lot of people consider these types of perfumes to be luxury goods, they aren’t really all that expensive or rare. In fact, many of them are fairly accessible to the average man. You’ll want to start by looking at the niche market area. Although many of these items are tested on the runway and marketed towards the superrich, you can often find some equally good options in department stores and drugstores.
When you find one you like, you’ll want to check the ingredient list. Some of the more common ingredients you’ll see in men’s fragrances are sandalwood, cedar, lavender, patchouli, amber, vetiver, and vanilla. You’ll also want to pay attention to the scent notes. While most of these scents will have a fairly traditional base, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t smell too much like a cookie.
The 3 Most Common Mistakes When Smelling For Men
- Not Experimenting: It’s easy to get stuck in the rut of using the same few brands over and over again.
- Not Being Wary Of Fragrance Oil Politics: Some people may assume that the scents you like are the best options for you out of convenience. That may not be the case.
- Not Being Wary Of Price: It may seem like a silly thing to worry about, but you don’t want to buy an expensive bottle of cologne that doesn’t give off any scent.
Tips for Creating Your Own Male Fragrance
- Start Simple: This is a good general rule of thumb with any new fragrance project.
- Keep It Simple: Many of these scents are fairly simple to put together, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding what type of fragrance to create next.
- Look For A Scentbase: This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but many of these scents are heavily inspired by the notes found in traditional perfumes.
- Unconventional Fragrance Notes: You’ll want to keep in mind that your scent may not have any of the more common scents associated with men’s fragrances.
- Work The Fragrance: This isn’t just for women; a lot of these scents (such as unisex scents) tend to be more wearable when worn as a cologne.
Conclusion
In conclusion, from the base notes to the fragrance notes, these scents can be quite complex, so it’s important to do your research before creating your own cologne. With that in mind, you can use male scents as an introduction or as a substitute for more traditional feminine fragrances. They are also great for mixing and matching different types of fragrances to create a unique and personalized scent.
