Here’s my theory: Maybe we decide what smells masculine based our childhood memories of what the men in our lives smelled like. For example, my dad wore Aramis when I was growing up in the 70s. So I associated leather and oak moss fragrances with masculinity. When I first started dating my husband, he wore Red for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills-a leather and oak moss fragrance! I remember thinking it was very masculine, probably by association with my dad’s fragrance. Good memories.
Association is everything, I totally agree Barb. I think I did a video on it sometime last year. Our memories are molded by our experiences...or lack thereof! For example, I didn't grow up smelled Dior Fahrenheit on anyone older than me, so it doesn't smell dated to me like it does to others.
There is a really good paper written on smell and associations with memory. For the life of me, cannot recall whom the author is. That being said, Joel the Nose , here on TH-cam, with his fragrance channel, did a video on this subject 》》 and, I am thinking he has the link or information to that study, that was written by a PhD. Excellent point Barb
Best is subjective but I am LOVING Sauvage Elixir way more than I thought because of the hybrid of being both classic and modern! As far as "man" mine would be YSL Rive Gauche Pour Homme and Dior Homme as covering the spectrum and shades of masculinity. You hit the nail on the head Justin 😎👍
Well said comment's. I'm absolutely loving Elixir. Thanks to watching Justin doing the review, pulled the trigger and bought it. 183 dollars for 60 ml here in Ontario Canada 🤬🤬. But so damn worth it
Great historical lesson about the revolution of what is defined as “‘mens” fragrances. I’m loving your new style of fragrance reviews. Bottega Veneta Pour Homme EDT is one of my favorite comfort fragrances of all time. I was hooked ever since I put my nose on it in 2016. Beautifully blended, very sophisticated, timeless and uplifting scent that I can’t get enough of. That pine note is to die for!! I have the Pour Homme Extreme and the Parfum as well, both of which have been discontinue (why??😢) a fragrance masterpiece.
Dior Homme was such an insane scent back around that time. Nobody could understand it and the divisiveness was on every forum and TH-cam video but it was making top 10 lists every year. One of my most used in my collection. Iris has become very popular in men's compositions since then. Demachy did a great job.
I loved this video! I think the history of how fragrances evolved, what notes were popular when etc. is such an interesting topic! Thank you for putting this together! I’d love to see more videos like this, perhaps also with a focus on the noses behind the fragrances
Interesting topic Justin, not sure what a man should smell like, but to me there are certain ingredients that if dominant would make a perfume lean more towards the feminine side. To me those are sweat, powdery and floral scents like: rose, jasmine, iris, vanilla, coconut, tuberose, gardenia, anise, saffron, tonka bean, fruits in general, iris root, etc. Having said this, there are feminine - defined perfumes and ingredients that I love to wear such as most Costume Nationale perfumes, white musk (body musk), YSL's Opium pour femme (I love the pour homme as well). So yes, it is very subjective.
To me "men" are the men who were around (even on media) when I was a kid. So my dad, my grandfather, uncles, and teachers. Then on TV: Magnum PI and Hannibal Smith and Sonny Crocket, in movies: Indiana Jones, Schwarzenegger, Stallone etc. So growing up I also fused the scents of the people who were actually around me, with the imaginary scents of who was on screen too. Even as an adult I find it hard to think of some sweet shower gel scent as masculine. The change in manly fragrances didn't come about because we stopped liking "green" scents. Everything changed because focus groups showed that men are more concerned with being liked by women and getting compliments from them than the actual fragrance they're wearing. Just look at the most popular youtube videos, all about "compliment getters." Women like sweet notes, so adding those notes to men's fragrances increased sales. It's as simple as that.
I agree, Keith. I never said we stopped liking green scents. Everything overlaps though, it's not completely linear. Green scents are still being created and enjoyed, just as sweet ones are!
To me, a man's fragrance will have aquatic notes when used as a gym scent but I am honestly drawn to boozy, leathery, smokey scents with that punch of gourmand - on myself and on my man.
PERFECT VIDEO.. ive been talking about this specific topic forever. There is no such thing as a men or womens fragrance anymore. I approach it simply as what can I pull off or what I cant.
There are definitely fragrances that are unmistakably masculine (gucci guilty absolute looking at you) but as others have said fragrances go with the energy you carry, the clothes and front you put on. I have that roberto cavalli uomo and wore it once and I've come to the conclusion I just cant wear it casually. Its too soft. While encre noir a l'extreme that stuff is pure mad men to me. I wore it to an interview (over zoom during the pandemic) and I just find it calming reassuring and boss like. plus I got the job so I have fond memories of it now.
Your personality plays a huge part in my opinion. Some fragrances just fits certain people regardless of it being a women or men’s fragrance. Just amplify what is already in you.
Great topic and video, Justin. The classic 80s style men's fragrances and the 2000s/2010s YSL L'Homme, Dior Homme, and similar, are world's apart. We can choose to be influenced by marketing if we wish, but we should not be blind to the impact of marketing. I appreciate and like the entire spectrum (Drakkar Noir, original Polo Green, Dior Homme, Bleu de Chanel, fougeres, Middle Eastern influenced) and will ignore marketing in favor of what I like. "Wear what you like" or "wear what moves you" is the best guidance for a fragrance lover...Just last week, I smelled for the first time a favorite of a female family member: Estee Lauder's classic "feminine" called Youth Dew, a 1950s release. It reminds me of one of my favorite "masculines": Guerlain's Heritage EDP (1990s), which I've heard resembles Roja Dove's Danger. One could wear either of these or all three!
This is an important debate, especially for today. Like all of you should, I'll preface this by saying we are only human and our understanding of life is perception-deep at best, at any given moment, and at its healthiest; should be subject to further convincing. Guys, girls, let's stop rejecting our evolution, and if you're a creationist, then let's stop rejecting god/nature's balance (the argument applies to all). Perception is a mix of two things, nature and nurture. Even if you were born, and raised, in ABSOLUTE and UTTER isolation, you'd still have a vague, non-linguistic concept of masculine and feminine. As a man, you don't HAVE to be macho, because the very stereotype is a loose articulation of the masculine; besides, it was a (debatably) poor social representation at a given point in time, so it keeps changing. However, the difference is not only genital; hell, nowadays people are even debating THAT 😂
love giorgio for men. woody spicy carnation. i have a bottle in my collection. and i did wear it in the 90s. great cheapie. so many more could be added to this list. ysl pour homme. d&g pour homme. le male. i wear what i want. i've worn jessica mcclintock and rive gauche pour femme before. i love florals and i'm happy to see them used more liberally in 'men's' fragrances.
A lot of different approaches. One approach to manly is either 'fresh' or 'shower gel', something like Sauvage, Reflection Man or Elysium. Another approach is 'oud, animalic, leathery', something like Oud for Greatness, Suede et Safran, maybe even Layton Exclusif. Personally think there isn't a best men's fragrance since the most mainstream scents have both love and hate due to their popularity whereas the less popular ones have a better love-hate ratio, but less recognition. So we can say some people hate 1 Million, Acqua Di Gio or Sauvage while having more popularity and a more attractive pricing; less people hate Layton, Alexandria II, Jubilation XXV while having less popularity and a less attractive pricing. Just a bunch of tradeoffs that are hard to balance.
As always, beautifully put. Wear what you want (with a classy caveat of "as long as it's not choking those around you") should be the way to go, deciding for yourself what smells great/makes you feel great should be the be all, if you ask me. There's many fragrances with the Homme/L'Homme/Uomo/Man that I enjoy & for me, they all cover something very different (and I find that a great thing). My 2 favourites being Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli (I don't like aquatics/Blues generally, so nice, fresh Spring/Summer scents are hard to come by) & Ferragamo Uomo Signature, which will easily make my top 10 when I can track down a bottle. And again, as always, thanks for the video and great content. I'm so glad that I found your channel & I've got such an appreciation for your older and newer videos alike. Stay safe & be well.
Excellent video and information Justin. Blind bought Lempica Homme and not impressed. Too much black licorice and anise smell. BUT the worst is the longevity, which is absolutely horrible. About an hour, and zero...all gone..zilch...oh well, glad it was around 35 dollar price range
That YSL L'homme was one I bought in the summer of 2011. Still have it. I definitely thought it was feminine and that's probably why I didn't finish it. These days with a better nose it smells beautiful masterpiece. I'll wear it this weekend because its been 7 years at least since, probably 9 years since I wore it. Crazy
Totally agree. It's what you like smelling and the confidence you have to carry it. Two classics that I enjoy is Van Cleefs and Arpels Pour Homme, it's heavy on the Florals but the anamalic castoreum gives it a beautiful counter balance. The other is Ted Lapidus Pour Homme, this is sweet (my eldest daughter says it reminds her of a Lush boutique and I agree), dusty, and musky. At the end of the day, it's subjective.
Hello Justin, how are you? Another outstanding job 👍🏾! Great job on the video and list. Prada L Homme is really good as a man fragrance. Stay safe brother.
This was great Justin. I love that fragrances are so plentiful and enable each wearer to embrace whatever aspect of themselves that they wish through the artful use of perfumery. Definitely not a one-size-fits-all. +1 for Zaharoff Signature Pour Homme 🔥
There are definitely some notes that smell decidedly masculine to me such as Vetiver, Leather, Oakmoss. Among other things I can't share here, my ex tore my shirt off over three fragrances in particular: Eau Sauvage Parfum, Antaeus, and Aventus. So I guess those super manly throwback fragrances just work really well with who I am. Two questions for everybody: What do you consider to be the most masculine fragrances in your collection? What fragrances work best for you to get your partner to rip your clothes off?
I have a 15 year old ysl lhomme and you wouldn’t believe how much stronger the original is to the bottles of water they sell today , such a shame , but good lord how beautiful is zaharoff signature pour homme is
I feel like "What makes a masculine fragrance?" could be the originating query of a Socratic dialogue that leads to cul de sac after cul de sac before ending with a shrug of the shoulders. You could just as well ask the same question of the affective qualities of colors- Why are UPS and FexEx trucks dark brown and navy blue rather than lilac or periwinkle? There's a deeper philosophical question underneath this of course, but I feel the fact we're able to form these strong associations with so few inputs and reference points actually undermines the premise that these things are social constructs. Rather I would say that what is masculine and what is feminine are fixed poles, and the threshold of what is appropriate for a man or for a woman can be nudged back and forth by culture.
And when we remove the duress of cultural norms (like some countries have), the resultant data has surfaced the idiosyncracies that form the basis of the masculine/feminine definition are pushed further to the fore
No you're not. I bought Shalimar EDP to help with my understanding and appreciation for fragrance history. I wasn't blown away - at first, but the more fragrances I smelled, the more I returned to Shalimar, the more experience I acquired, the more I liked Shalimar. My appreciation and enjoyment of that scent deepens with the passage of time. That perfume transcends boundaries, gender yes, trends and trendiness especially.
Don't want to be that guy but Dior Homme actually launched in 2005, that's really when the wrench arrived. A stunning, "gender-bending", iris heavy masterpiece by Olivier Polge. At the time it was completely revolutionary to use a feminine note like iris as the main note in a male, designer fragrance. It was because of what Dior did with DH in 2005 that gave way for the door to be opened for other designers to launch their own feminine leaning men's fragrances such as YSL's L'Homme in 2006. By 2011, DH was reformulated by Francois Demachy. That's a whole six years of Dior Homme's influence on the entire fragrance industry. Just want to make sure that Dior is truly getting their props here.
To me I like clear cut fragrances for men I don't like the concept of unisex or trying to feminine men by calling men toxic bla bla To me masculine is Gucci guilty absolute
Yeah, marketing is definitely arbitrary. BTW, Georgio BH was one of the first frags I bought back in high school in the 80s. I loved it. I’m sure if I smelled it now, it wouldn’t be anything like I remember. Sung was one of the first frags I bought when I started on my fragrance journey again in the late 90s. Still love that one. I’d definitely consider it masculine.
It does kind of depend on what your expectations are. Are you trying to smell manly for yourself from past experience or are you hoping to project masculinity to other people. id think if i wanted to impress others i wouldn’t go for prototypical masculine scents, id try to smell mass appealing. Something like one million that appeals to everyone for example.
I don't understand perfume as for men or women. In the other hand I do think a fragrance has a masculine or feminine vibe to it. Which is a completely different thing. Just because I'm a man, it doesn't mean I have to be a cliche macho man, with cavemen like tastes and behaviour. It's such an outdated idea that women cannot do a mens work or wear masculine things. And vice versa. Every human have both a feminine and masculine side to them, and depending on which one you feel more comfortable with (or with both even), meaning depending on your personality you can be drawn to more masculine, more feminine or more unisex perfumes. I've seen women rocking perfumes targeted for men and men rocking perfumes targeted for women. Personally I do tend to gravitate towards more unisex fragrances, but I also have very masculine and feminine ones that I wear when I feel like it. And what is a feminine or masculine perfume (not men and women perfume) it's simple. Traditionally society consider feminine characteristics (femininity) things like sensibility, nurturance, sweetness, affection, empathy ... Masculinity includes strength, competitiveness, power, rough. How wrong would it be to say that a man cannot have sensitivity or a woman strength. That's why it's important to stress everyone have a fem and mas side. Smells can gives us a sense of masculinity or femininity, so depending the way a fragrance is built they can be more masculine or feminine. Florals tend to be more feminine and leather, animalic or sharp aftershave smells more masculine.
I’ve only been collecting and enjoying fragrance for about 2.5 years. Because I’m so new to this I consider Aventus to be my best example of a “mans fragrance” which is probably funny to some!
Thank you! You’re right. I’ve never smelled the original formulation, and I don’t own it. I just figured that the 2011 reformulation is the codified Dior Homme, from the time it was released until today.
I hate when people say fragrance has no gender, yet I remember you saying "I would never wear Tom Ford Bitter Peach. You'd rather smell that in a woman's hair." Why not a mans hair? If fragrance has no gender Bitter Peach shouldn't invoke the image of women's hair. My most feminine frag is Lost Cherry. I still love it even though Tom Ford list it as unisex, we all know its a woman's fragrance. Also Houses like to use unisex to boost sales and appeal to all, when alot of times there are clear distinctions in masculine and feminine scents. Its not an attack bro, still have love for you!
Easy, confidence is the answer. You can wear smelly water and dress nice, but if you lack confidence in yourself you will never achieve the what you are preaching.
To the average person, piney smell of the 80s will smell classy but dated. You cant go wrong with Prada Lhomme as its an inoffensive scent. Yes, it doesnt smell as manly as an 80s fragrance thanks to its soapy clean iris note but i guess its all about what society dictates as acceptable. At the end of the day, lets wear what we like so long as its not our intention to offend the people around us :)
Very subjective... some of my favorite fragrance, that are marked as men's, my wife says are too sweet and not masculine... and in contrast, I have men's fragrances that I like better on my wife because they are too floral for me (Moschino ToyBoy being one)
A man's fragrance would be Dior Fahrenheit enough said. This is one fragrance strictly for MEN, any women attempting to wear this would be unsexy and a huge turn off.
So I have mixed emotions about this topic. In my opinion yes yes yes wear what you want. I own Ani , BR 540 , grand Soir. However I love my absolute male targeted fragrances. Again it’s just an opinion that this whole wear what you want is in fact marketing by the niche companies to make sales. Perhaps there are more metrosexual men in the world that need metrosexual fragrances. Like the ones I mentioned above but I’d love to see these people that say fragrances have no gender wear Jovoy private label or Fahrenheit or Gucci guilt y absolute even Tom Ford Fougere Platine . I guarantee they will not. I don’t necessarily feel we need to be sympathetic to say there is no gender in fragrances when clearly there still is and honestly I think it’s fine to do so.. I challenge one of the female reviewers that say fragrances are gender free to wear private label by Jovoy. Also the same niche companies that say there are no gender in fragrances pretty much all make specifically female targeted fragrances and then unisex. Little male targeted. I guess to make male targeted niche fragrances and blasphemy in 2021
There are many women who wear fragrances like Jovoy Private Label, Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Absolute, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, Creed Viking, etc. I believe that men are men and women are women, when we’re speaking biologically. But I do think that the “things” of this world that we don’t really need (like fragrances) have been gendered on a broad scale for the sole purpose of industry and profit. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but we have to be real: it’s arbitrary. Everything that humans create is arbitrary. “Why do we do it this way?” “Because it’s the way we’ve always done it” Fragrances have personality more than they have gender. The jasmine flower doesn’t have a vagina and breasts, and cypress doesn’t have testicles…
Hey good evening thanks for the reply back. Just to make it clear. I love and own most if not all aside from the Giorgio I wear them all at different times based on mood and situations I do get most compliments when wearing both the BR 540 and ani although many people ( not into fragrances) ask why I’m wearing perfume. My absolute favorites however are Amouge beloved Boise du Portugal And now recently Chanel sycamore
Tuscan Leather is a mans Fragrance...Amouage Overture Man is a mans Fragrance....Very Nice Justin! Polo Green is very very man like! Polo for men! Old Spice is a manly Fragrance....Pardon bye Nassomotto is man like! And this is just my lonely Opinion...
Here’s my theory: Maybe we decide what smells masculine based our childhood memories of what the men in our lives smelled like. For example, my dad wore Aramis when I was growing up in the 70s. So I associated leather and oak moss fragrances with masculinity. When I first started dating my husband, he wore Red for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills-a leather and oak moss fragrance! I remember thinking it was very masculine, probably by association with my dad’s fragrance. Good memories.
Association is everything, I totally agree Barb. I think I did a video on it sometime last year. Our memories are molded by our experiences...or lack thereof! For example, I didn't grow up smelled Dior Fahrenheit on anyone older than me, so it doesn't smell dated to me like it does to others.
There is a really good paper written on smell and associations with memory. For the life of me, cannot recall whom the author is. That being said, Joel the Nose , here on TH-cam, with his fragrance channel, did a video on this subject 》》 and, I am thinking he has the link or information to that study, that was written by a PhD. Excellent point Barb
Wear what makes you happy and fills you with confidence. Take the marketing as suggestions rather than law. Simple as.
What a great overview about the changes over the years. But the best is the summary in the end of this video.And I totally agree with that!
Best is subjective but I am LOVING Sauvage Elixir way more than I thought because of the hybrid of being both classic and modern! As far as "man" mine would be YSL Rive Gauche Pour Homme and Dior Homme as covering the spectrum and shades of masculinity. You hit the nail on the head Justin 😎👍
Well said comment's. I'm absolutely loving Elixir. Thanks to watching Justin doing the review, pulled the trigger and bought it. 183 dollars for 60 ml here in Ontario Canada 🤬🤬. But so damn worth it
Agree
Great historical lesson about the revolution of what is defined as “‘mens” fragrances. I’m loving your new style of fragrance reviews. Bottega Veneta Pour Homme EDT is one of my favorite comfort fragrances of all time. I was hooked ever since I put my nose on it in 2016. Beautifully blended, very sophisticated, timeless and uplifting scent that I can’t get enough of. That pine note is to die for!! I have the Pour Homme Extreme and the Parfum as well, both of which have been discontinue (why??😢) a fragrance masterpiece.
As someone who enjoys history, sociology, and fragrance this review hit the spot. Bravo!!!
Thank you!
Good video, as for the Hook, it was Fountains - Drake ft.Tems
Dior Homme was such an insane scent back around that time. Nobody could understand it and the divisiveness was on every forum and TH-cam video but it was making top 10 lists every year. One of my most used in my collection. Iris has become very popular in men's compositions since then. Demachy did a great job.
I loved this video! I think the history of how fragrances evolved, what notes were popular when etc. is such an interesting topic! Thank you for putting this together! I’d love to see more videos like this, perhaps also with a focus on the noses behind the fragrances
Thank you so much for watching!
Interesting topic Justin, not sure what a man should smell like, but to me there are certain ingredients that if dominant would make a perfume lean more towards the feminine side. To me those are sweat, powdery and floral scents like: rose, jasmine, iris, vanilla, coconut, tuberose, gardenia, anise, saffron, tonka bean, fruits in general, iris root, etc. Having said this, there are feminine - defined perfumes and ingredients that I love to wear such as most Costume Nationale perfumes, white musk (body musk), YSL's Opium pour femme (I love the pour homme as well). So yes, it is very subjective.
To me "men" are the men who were around (even on media) when I was a kid. So my dad, my grandfather, uncles, and teachers. Then on TV: Magnum PI and Hannibal Smith and Sonny Crocket, in movies: Indiana Jones, Schwarzenegger, Stallone etc. So growing up I also fused the scents of the people who were actually around me, with the imaginary scents of who was on screen too. Even as an adult I find it hard to think of some sweet shower gel scent as masculine.
The change in manly fragrances didn't come about because we stopped liking "green" scents. Everything changed because focus groups showed that men are more concerned with being liked by women and getting compliments from them than the actual fragrance they're wearing. Just look at the most popular youtube videos, all about "compliment getters." Women like sweet notes, so adding those notes to men's fragrances increased sales. It's as simple as that.
I agree, Keith. I never said we stopped liking green scents. Everything overlaps though, it's not completely linear. Green scents are still being created and enjoyed, just as sweet ones are!
To me, a man's fragrance will have aquatic notes when used as a gym scent but I am honestly drawn to boozy, leathery, smokey scents with that punch of gourmand - on myself and on my man.
I like the direction that Justin and some other fragrance youtubers are going. It’s making me want to make my own channel.
Thank you! I hope you do.
PERFECT VIDEO.. ive been talking about this specific topic forever. There is no such thing as a men or womens fragrance anymore. I approach it simply as what can I pull off or what I cant.
There are definitely fragrances that are unmistakably masculine (gucci guilty absolute looking at you) but as others have said fragrances go with the energy you carry, the clothes and front you put on. I have that roberto cavalli uomo and wore it once and I've come to the conclusion I just cant wear it casually. Its too soft. While encre noir a l'extreme that stuff is pure mad men to me. I wore it to an interview (over zoom during the pandemic) and I just find it calming reassuring and boss like. plus I got the job so I have fond memories of it now.
Great list and I enjoyed it and have a blessed night
This was a brilliant video, would love to see more content in this same vein!
More to come! Thank you!
Your personality plays a huge part in my opinion. Some fragrances just fits certain people regardless of it being a women or men’s fragrance. Just amplify what is already in you.
Chanel allure homme range is also quite good
Great topic and video, Justin. The classic 80s style men's fragrances and the 2000s/2010s YSL L'Homme, Dior Homme, and similar, are world's apart. We can choose to be influenced by marketing if we wish, but we should not be blind to the impact of marketing. I appreciate and like the entire spectrum (Drakkar Noir, original Polo Green, Dior Homme, Bleu de Chanel, fougeres, Middle Eastern influenced) and will ignore marketing in favor of what I like. "Wear what you like" or "wear what moves you" is the best guidance for a fragrance lover...Just last week, I smelled for the first time a favorite of a female family member: Estee Lauder's classic "feminine" called Youth Dew, a 1950s release. It reminds me of one of my favorite "masculines": Guerlain's Heritage EDP (1990s), which I've heard resembles Roja Dove's Danger. One could wear either of these or all three!
This is an important debate, especially for today.
Like all of you should, I'll preface this by saying we are only human and our understanding of life is perception-deep at best, at any given moment, and at its healthiest; should be subject to further convincing.
Guys, girls, let's stop rejecting our evolution, and if you're a creationist, then let's stop rejecting god/nature's balance (the argument applies to all).
Perception is a mix of two things, nature and nurture.
Even if you were born, and raised, in ABSOLUTE and UTTER isolation, you'd still have a vague, non-linguistic concept of masculine and feminine.
As a man, you don't HAVE to be macho, because the very stereotype is a loose articulation of the masculine; besides, it was a (debatably) poor social representation at a given point in time, so it keeps changing.
However, the difference is not only genital; hell, nowadays people are even debating THAT 😂
love giorgio for men. woody spicy carnation. i have a bottle in my collection. and i did wear it in the 90s. great cheapie.
so many more could be added to this list. ysl pour homme. d&g pour homme. le male.
i wear what i want. i've worn jessica mcclintock and rive gauche pour femme before. i love florals and i'm happy to see them used more liberally in 'men's' fragrances.
A lot of different approaches. One approach to manly is either 'fresh' or 'shower gel', something like Sauvage, Reflection Man or Elysium. Another approach is 'oud, animalic, leathery', something like Oud for Greatness, Suede et Safran, maybe even Layton Exclusif. Personally think there isn't a best men's fragrance since the most mainstream scents have both love and hate due to their popularity whereas the less popular ones have a better love-hate ratio, but less recognition. So we can say some people hate 1 Million, Acqua Di Gio or Sauvage while having more popularity and a more attractive pricing; less people hate Layton, Alexandria II, Jubilation XXV while having less popularity and a less attractive pricing. Just a bunch of tradeoffs that are hard to balance.
As always, beautifully put. Wear what you want (with a classy caveat of "as long as it's not choking those around you") should be the way to go, deciding for yourself what smells great/makes you feel great should be the be all, if you ask me. There's many fragrances with the Homme/L'Homme/Uomo/Man that I enjoy & for me, they all cover something very different (and I find that a great thing). My 2 favourites being Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli (I don't like aquatics/Blues generally, so nice, fresh Spring/Summer scents are hard to come by) & Ferragamo Uomo Signature, which will easily make my top 10 when I can track down a bottle.
And again, as always, thanks for the video and great content. I'm so glad that I found your channel & I've got such an appreciation for your older and newer videos alike. Stay safe & be well.
Thank you so much, Ward! Really appreciate the feedback.
@@stayfreshproductions My pleasure, any time
Especially interested in your review of Curl's Sirene...
Excellent video and information Justin. Blind bought Lempica Homme and not impressed. Too much black licorice and anise smell. BUT the worst is the longevity, which is absolutely horrible. About an hour, and zero...all gone..zilch...oh well, glad it was around 35 dollar price range
That YSL L'homme was one I bought in the summer of 2011. Still have it. I definitely thought it was feminine and that's probably why I didn't finish it. These days with a better nose it smells beautiful masterpiece. I'll wear it this weekend because its been 7 years at least since, probably 9 years since I wore it. Crazy
Totally agree. It's what you like smelling and the confidence you have to carry it.
Two classics that I enjoy is Van Cleefs and Arpels Pour Homme, it's heavy on the Florals but the anamalic castoreum gives it a beautiful counter balance. The other is Ted Lapidus Pour Homme, this is sweet (my eldest daughter says it reminds her of a Lush boutique and I agree), dusty, and musky. At the end of the day, it's subjective.
Morning Mr. JC 😎🤙🏽… here waiting
Hello Justin, how are you? Another outstanding job 👍🏾! Great job on the video and list. Prada L Homme is really good as a man fragrance. Stay safe brother.
This was great Justin. I love that fragrances are so plentiful and enable each wearer to embrace whatever aspect of themselves that they wish through the artful use of perfumery. Definitely not a one-size-fits-all.
+1 for Zaharoff Signature Pour Homme 🔥
Thank you Tony!
Great effort again. Unique idea that differentiates you from other contemporaries.
This was an excellent history/philosophy lesson Professor Copeland. A+
Thank you so much
There are definitely some notes that smell decidedly masculine to me such as Vetiver, Leather, Oakmoss. Among other things I can't share here, my ex tore my shirt off over three fragrances in particular: Eau Sauvage Parfum, Antaeus, and Aventus. So I guess those super manly throwback fragrances just work really well with who I am.
Two questions for everybody: What do you consider to be the most masculine fragrances in your collection? What fragrances work best for you to get your partner to rip your clothes off?
Heyyyy I got the Lolita Lempicka au Masculin a tester a couple years ago and it wasn’t bad though…. Still got a corner of it left too.
I can imagine in the Middleeast it has been oud and more oud or some rose since they started wearing perfumes like centuries ago.
I have a 15 year old ysl lhomme and you wouldn’t believe how much stronger the original is to the bottles of water they sell today , such a shame , but good lord how beautiful is zaharoff signature pour homme is
I feel like "What makes a masculine fragrance?" could be the originating query of a Socratic dialogue that leads to cul de sac after cul de sac before ending with a shrug of the shoulders. You could just as well ask the same question of the affective qualities of colors- Why are UPS and FexEx trucks dark brown and navy blue rather than lilac or periwinkle? There's a deeper philosophical question underneath this of course, but I feel the fact we're able to form these strong associations with so few inputs and reference points actually undermines the premise that these things are social constructs. Rather I would say that what is masculine and what is feminine are fixed poles, and the threshold of what is appropriate for a man or for a woman can be nudged back and forth by culture.
What a remarkably well constructed elucidation. I hope you're in the habit of writing philosophical commentary: I'd read any book you wrote.
And when we remove the duress of cultural norms (like some countries have), the resultant data has surfaced the idiosyncracies that form the basis of the masculine/feminine definition are pushed further to the fore
6:04 I may be labeled as old school, but I definitely couldn't wear DHI.
Am I the only dude who enjoys wearing Shalimar edp?....The stuff is amazing
Nope. I wear Shalimar too - but I've only tried the EDT.
@@mattysas83 You must try the EDP
No you're not. I bought Shalimar EDP to help with my understanding and appreciation for fragrance history. I wasn't blown away - at first, but the more fragrances I smelled, the more I returned to Shalimar, the more experience I acquired, the more I liked Shalimar. My appreciation and enjoyment of that scent deepens with the passage of time. That perfume transcends boundaries, gender yes, trends and trendiness especially.
No, i love it too. I did several tests with people and most of them said it's a men's fragrance ( without knowing it). So there's that.
Don't want to be that guy but Dior Homme actually launched in 2005, that's really when the wrench arrived. A stunning, "gender-bending", iris heavy masterpiece by Olivier Polge. At the time it was completely revolutionary to use a feminine note like iris as the main note in a male, designer fragrance. It was because of what Dior did with DH in 2005 that gave way for the door to be opened for other designers to launch their own feminine leaning men's fragrances such as YSL's L'Homme in 2006. By 2011, DH was reformulated by Francois Demachy. That's a whole six years of Dior Homme's influence on the entire fragrance industry. Just want to make sure that Dior is truly getting their props here.
To me I like clear cut fragrances for men I don't like the concept of unisex or trying to feminine men by calling men toxic bla bla
To me masculine is Gucci guilty absolute
Agreed wear what you like the rest is just marketing. If possible test on your skin as the scent does turn out different on the paper test strip
Yeah, marketing is definitely arbitrary.
BTW, Georgio BH was one of the first frags I bought back in high school in the 80s. I loved it. I’m sure if I smelled it now, it wouldn’t be anything like I remember. Sung was one of the first frags I bought when I started on my fragrance journey again in the late 90s. Still love that one. I’d definitely consider it masculine.
It does kind of depend on what your expectations are. Are you trying to smell manly for yourself from past experience or are you hoping to project masculinity to other people. id think if i wanted to impress others i wouldn’t go for prototypical masculine scents, id try to smell mass appealing. Something like one million that appeals to everyone for example.
I don't understand perfume as for men or women. In the other hand I do think a fragrance has a masculine or feminine vibe to it. Which is a completely different thing. Just because I'm a man, it doesn't mean I have to be a cliche macho man, with cavemen like tastes and behaviour. It's such an outdated idea that women cannot do a mens work or wear masculine things. And vice versa. Every human have both a feminine and masculine side to them, and depending on which one you feel more comfortable with (or with both even), meaning depending on your personality you can be drawn to more masculine, more feminine or more unisex perfumes. I've seen women rocking perfumes targeted for men and men rocking perfumes targeted for women. Personally I do tend to gravitate towards more unisex fragrances, but I also have very masculine and feminine ones that I wear when I feel like it. And what is a feminine or masculine perfume (not men and women perfume) it's simple. Traditionally society consider feminine characteristics (femininity) things like sensibility, nurturance, sweetness, affection, empathy ... Masculinity includes strength, competitiveness, power, rough. How wrong would it be to say that a man cannot have sensitivity or a woman strength. That's why it's important to stress everyone have a fem and mas side. Smells can gives us a sense of masculinity or femininity, so depending the way a fragrance is built they can be more masculine or feminine. Florals tend to be more feminine and leather, animalic or sharp aftershave smells more masculine.
Fabulous intro.also fantastic video
Thank you!
I’ve only been collecting and enjoying fragrance for about 2.5 years. Because I’m so new to this I consider Aventus to be my best example of a “mans fragrance” which is probably funny to some!
Makes total sense!
Hey there! Gréât vidéo, dior homme was released in 2005 though, if i remember properly, not 2011.
Thank you! You’re right. I’ve never smelled the original formulation, and I don’t own it. I just figured that the 2011 reformulation is the codified Dior Homme, from the time it was released until today.
Here’s to smelling like a man (and whatever that means nowadays)!! Thanks for the inclusion and support!
💜
Great video. All facts!
Appreciate it!!
Nice video brother.
That tune was: Essence - Wizkid x Tems
Interesting answer...it's actually Fountains by Drake x Tems
Ahh… that’s right! Great tune nonetheless!
Very good! Like a master class.
I hate when people say fragrance has no gender, yet I remember you saying "I would never wear Tom Ford Bitter Peach. You'd rather smell that in a woman's hair." Why not a mans hair? If fragrance has no gender Bitter Peach shouldn't invoke the image of women's hair. My most feminine frag is Lost Cherry. I still love it even though Tom Ford list it as unisex, we all know its a woman's fragrance.
Also Houses like to use unisex to boost sales and appeal to all, when alot of times there are clear distinctions in masculine and feminine scents. Its not an attack bro, still have love for you!
I'm a man and i would totally wear bitter peach if I could afford it.
@@unalx I need a sample first.
Those old enough to have developed their tastes pre" Dior homme" didn't "go metro" and still like but NOT love it and it's variants
Excellent
Much better title!
Easy, confidence is the answer. You can wear smelly water and dress nice, but if you lack confidence in yourself you will never achieve the what you are preaching.
To the average person, piney smell of the 80s will smell classy but dated. You cant go wrong with Prada Lhomme as its an inoffensive scent. Yes, it doesnt smell as manly as an 80s fragrance thanks to its soapy clean iris note but i guess its all about what society dictates as acceptable. At the end of the day, lets wear what we like so long as its not our intention to offend the people around us :)
Go Floral to test things
Fountains- Drake ft Tems...dope track
Very subjective... some of my favorite fragrance, that are marked as men's, my wife says are too sweet and not masculine... and in contrast, I have men's fragrances that I like better on my wife because they are too floral for me (Moschino ToyBoy being one)
A man's fragrance would be Dior Fahrenheit enough said. This is one fragrance strictly for MEN, any women attempting to wear this would be unsexy and a huge turn off.
Emma: men should smell like my dad.
Also Emma: where's my other friend?
That would be foutains by Drake and Tems
So I have mixed emotions about this topic. In my opinion yes yes yes wear what you want. I own Ani , BR 540 , grand Soir. However I love my absolute male targeted fragrances. Again it’s just an opinion that this whole wear what you want is in fact marketing by the niche companies to make sales. Perhaps there are more metrosexual men in the world that need metrosexual fragrances. Like the ones I mentioned above but I’d love to see these people that say fragrances have no gender wear Jovoy private label or Fahrenheit or Gucci guilt y absolute even Tom Ford Fougere Platine . I guarantee they will not. I don’t necessarily feel we need to be sympathetic to say there is no gender in fragrances when clearly there still is and honestly I think it’s fine to do so.. I challenge one of the female reviewers that say fragrances are gender free to wear private label by Jovoy. Also the same niche companies that say there are no gender in fragrances pretty much all make specifically female targeted fragrances and then unisex. Little male targeted. I guess to make male targeted niche fragrances and blasphemy in 2021
There are many women who wear fragrances like Jovoy Private Label, Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Absolute, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, Creed Viking, etc.
I believe that men are men and women are women, when we’re speaking biologically. But I do think that the “things” of this world that we don’t really need (like fragrances) have been gendered on a broad scale for the sole purpose of industry and profit. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but we have to be real: it’s arbitrary. Everything that humans create is arbitrary.
“Why do we do it this way?”
“Because it’s the way we’ve always done it”
Fragrances have personality more than they have gender. The jasmine flower doesn’t have a vagina and breasts, and cypress doesn’t have testicles…
Hey good evening thanks for the reply back. Just to make it clear. I love and own most if not all aside from the Giorgio I wear them all at different times based on mood and situations I do get most compliments when wearing both the BR 540 and ani although many people ( not into fragrances) ask why I’m wearing perfume.
My absolute favorites however are
Amouge beloved
Boise du Portugal
And now recently Chanel sycamore
What is Metro Sexual? Sorry i had to ask because i am stupid in this category!
This is how Google defines it: a young, urban, heterosexual male with liberal political views, an interest in fashion, and a refined sense of taste.
@@stayfreshproductions I had no idea that Definition even existed....Thanks Justin i learned something today!
When I get a chance I'd like to send you a few gifts my brother.
Musical talent✔Reviews✔Content✔= "THUMBS UP"🥊🔔 STAY FRESH SQUAD💪🏿
Dior Fahrenheit, platinum egoist, elixir are a real mans fragrance
Fahrenheeeeeit
Gasoline and flowers ftw
_Don't everybody love the smell o' gas-o-LEEEN?_
Shhhh Justin! Mens cologne is way cheaper!! Don’t give the designers and niches any ideas!! Keep them labeled men! Hahaha
Tuscan Leather is a mans Fragrance...Amouage Overture Man is a mans Fragrance....Very Nice Justin! Polo Green is very very man like! Polo for men! Old Spice is a manly Fragrance....Pardon bye Nassomotto is man like! And this is just my lonely Opinion...
Stop with that garbage music in the beginning of every video, we are here for the perfumes not music
Umar. Whoever hurt you, you need to talk to them. Don’t take it out on me.
@@stayfreshproductions that's true 🥺 how did you know
@@stayfreshproductions 😊👍👏
@@stayfreshproductions so basically you didn't know, u were just bluffing... Meh, boring 🙄 stop with the music
@@Umar_Afridi He knew because you act like a child, and you just further proved it with your latest comment.