Switching Scents: Fragrance Columnist Demi Rawling Explores The Links Between Gender, Social Constructs And The World of Perfume…
Demi Rawling, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s perfume expert, explores the gender game in the field of fragrance and why it should be discarded
Would you dare to wear a men’s fragrance? How about a bottle marketed towards men and women? Today, if you turn on your TV or open any social-media platform, chances are you will see many promotions featuring beautiful, well-dressed women, enticing man with their alluring scent or vice versa.
These campaigns predetermine who their products are aimed at, taking into account gender, age, occasion, outfit and even personality. But who decided that woody notes are for men and florals are for women? Vetiver, one of the most popular woods used in the industry, is typically associated with masculinity, although the raw material itself doesn’t necessarily correspond to a gentleman’s scent. Rose on the other hand, is almost feared by men when contained in a ‘masculine’ marketed fragrance.
Why are we constrained by the social construct of certain notes and smells in perfumery? Advertising immediately gives us a preconceived idea of how its subject will smell. For example, the iconic commercial for Chanel Coco Mademoiselle saw stunning Keira Knightley portraying a woman on the go – a model, enticing her photographer, giving him the notion that he may have a chance with her but before you know it, she’s gone. The commercial immediately evokes an idea that a spritz will smell feminine, flirtatious and sexy.
The first unisex fragrance considered a commercial success was Calvin Klein’s CK One, launched in 1994. It’s a very bright citrus with a subtle green freshness and a soft woody dry down. The ads show a very diverse group, all wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, enjoying the outdoors, holding hands, smiling, laughing and giving off a very liberated vibe. Interestingly, it doesn’t evoke an idea of the actual smell. It leans into an ambiguity that works well for a ground-breaking unisex scent.
Niche brands lead the way when it comes to this genderless trend. Take Le Labo, for example; their creations are 99 per cent unisex, which pairs nicely with their minimalist, neutral packaging and even their fragrances’ names. This makes it possible for the customer to let their nose lead the decision making, rather than being influenced by other factors. It is the scent itself that is the unhampered, decisive factor when making a purchase.
Circling back to women wearing men’s fragrances, I’ll share a personal anecdote of something that happened to me. You could say it was a defining moment in my olfactory journey. I used to consistently recommend Yves Saint Laurent’s La Nuit de l’Homme to my male social media followers – I absolutely loved it. I highlighted how it worked well for a date night since the scent was irresistible. It emanated soft, spicy, aromatic, woody notes with a hint of sweetness that kept you coming back fore more.
I would often head over to my own personal collection just to get a whiff of La Nuit de l’Homme until one night I decided to break the rules and wear it myself. Since then I never looked back. I choose to wear something solely based on the way it smells. I no longer consider the other factors which used to play such an important part in my decision making. I encourage anyone reading this to do the same. Some days I want to smell like a feminine goddess, other days a boss not to be messed with.
One of my favourites is considered to be traditionally in the male domain – Terre d’Hermès by Hermès. It reminds me of my childhood ballet teacher, a very well-respected former ballerina, who was quite intimidating to be honest. Every day I would smell the same fragrance on her, only to decipher what it was years later. It is a true masterpiece, formulated by Jean-Claude Ellena, former in-house perfumer at Hermès. Everything about it is perfect, very classic yet modern and it doesn’t seem to age. It screams sophistication and old money. Very spicy in the opening with a subtle citrus freshness, overall I’d consider it to be spicy, transparent woody with an enormous scent trail. It is definitely a head-turner – in fact, I’ve noticed several hotels use Terre d’Hermès as their signature, pumping it through the vents to immediately evoke a luxury environment.
Another fantastic option ladies should think about sporting is Christian Dior’s Dior Homme Intense. Many experts feel it is the best line from the maison, and I would have to agree. Slightly aromatic at the top, the heart is soft and powdery with a subtle sweetness while the dry down is warm, comforting, musky and woody. I always describe it as a warm hug. Nothing about it leads you to think it is for men so definitely consider trying it next time you’re ready to splurge on something new.
I remember joking with a fellow perfume aficionado over a particular launch and the irony behind its positioning – Jean Paul Gaultier’s Ultra Male. JPG bottles are iconic; Ultra Male is in a dark blue bottle chiselled into the shape of a well-built man. This instantly makes you think it is for a macho man. But on the contrary, when you unleash what is inside, it is is anything but masculine. An extremely sweet, spicy, fruity scent – very playful and, dare I say, feminine. If you poured the contents into a Juicy Couture bottle, women would rush to get their hands on it. A true example of why marketing and labels don’t mean anything.
In my opinion, scent has no gender. Perfumers are artists who create beautiful smells that evoke emotion – what comes after is just superfluous. So don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. I strongly encourage women to wear men’s fragrances; it will make you feel so empowered. Perfumery is a form of art – art has no gender… so neither should fragrance.
Images: Shutterstock, Supplied Images
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2022 issue