Stereotypes that have strengthened over the years have taught us that women are supposed to smell like peaches and cream while men are supposed to smell as spicy as Milind Soman on a horse. However, with gender lines blurring across every industry, we don’t need to be Nostradamus to see that gender-fluid perfumes are the future of scents.
Before you ask, no, they aren’t the same thing as unisex perfumes. Gender-fluid fragrances are those which combine masculine and feminine notes and can easily flow from one to another. They hit that sweet non-binary spot between your younger sister’s overly floral perfume and your father’s Davidoff. After all, perfumes were never meant to be gendered. In fact, the way we smell is an extension of who we are. And why should that be trapped behind the thick lines of either masculine or feminine?
We scoured the world wide web to ensure you don't you get lost in the sea of perfumes. So, look no further, here are a few scents that are changing the game.
Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade
Oud, birch wood, rose, raspberry, saffron and amberwood meet to form this delectable, genderless fragrance from Louis Vuitton. Designed for people looking for a nonconforming fragrance, the Ombre Nomade marries sweet floral with earthy notes. Think, a monsoon hike along the Western Ghats.
₹4,200 for 30 ml
Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur Eau De Parfum
This perfume by Gucci is part of the new olfactive family, mineral aromatic. It’s a blend of chamomile, jasmine, cedar and sandalwood (which adds some depth and intensity to the fragrance). It transcends gender lines to become a scent that you and your SO can wear.
₹ ₹8,950 for 100 ml
Estée Lauder Pleasures
You’d think that a perfume packed with notes of lilies, white peonies and jasmine would leave you smelling like the bar of soap your grandmother used. But you’d be wrong. This fragrance has base notes of sandalwood and patchouli cutting through the sweetness with their edgy earthiness. The result? It smells utterly pleasurable.
₹ 9,600 for 100 ml
Byredo Velvet Haze Eau de Parfum
An experience of the scenes, the Velvet Haze by Byredo is a head-turning fragrance for him, her, and basically everyone. With top notes of coconut and hibiscus and base notes of patchouli, musk, and cacao pod (to name a few), this fragrance takes the wearer (and everyone around them) on an exhilarating earthy trip.
₹ 2,799 for 30 ml
Calvin Klein CK All Eau De Toilette
With playful notes of citrus followed by some soft floral mingling with amber and musk, the CK All can be considered an updated version of CK One (one of the pioneering perfumes in the gender-neutral fragrance movement). Its top notes are orange aroma, and grapefruit blossom, making this composition super fresh and warm. This is the ultimate couple-sharing scent.
The aim of CK All is for all its wearers to be free from constraints and as fluid as they want to be. And that’s what their slogan—‘Be One. Be All. Just Be’, represents.
₹5,350 for 200 ml
Tom Ford Ombre Leather
A true-blue gender fluid fragrance, the Tom Ford Ombre Leather, texturized with patchouli and vetiver, will envelop you like a second skin. It merges floral tones of jasmine sambac with layers of amber and moss that will conjure up images of wild, open spaces. It’s a bold yet comforting scent that is statement making.
₹8,500 for 50 ml