Fragrance Friday: Best Unisex Perfumes That Work Equally Well For Men & Women

Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week we’ll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of men’s fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning man’s style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent. This week, we’re rounding up a few of the best unisex fragrances that work just as well for men as they do for women.

Men and women in a relationship never used to share fragrances, but in the past few years, brands are becoming more used to the idea of just marketing new perfumes as unisex. As such, it’s rare to find such a black-and-white idea in the world of perfumery nowadays and while there are definitely perfumes that skew either a bit too feminine (like Kilian Love, Don’t Be Shy – Rhianna’s favourite perfume) or a bit too masculine (like Amouage Interlude Man), for the most part, most modern perfumery can, and should, be considered unisex.

As such, I’ve decided to round up some of the best unisex perfumes I’ve been loving lately – a simple, straightforward list that you should get across if you need to get over your stuffy sense of traditionalism.

RELATED: Best Perfumes & Colognes For Men

Best Unisex Fragrances

Casamorati Lira

Let’s start off with Casamorati Lira. It’s a powdery, sweet profile helmed by master perfumer Chris Maurice, who has handled plenty of Xerjoff’s finest expressions in the past. For Lira, he has produced a cake-y smell reminiscent of a sweet chocolate-orange treat, lifted by the nuances of lavender flowers.

If you like gourmand perfumes, Lira is an unfailing crowd-pleaser.

Top notes: Bergamot, blood orange, lavender flowers
Middle notes: Rose, jasmine, cinnamon, licorice blossom
Base notes: Vanilla, musks, caramel

Tom Ford Lost Cherry

Upon first smell, many men would write Tom Ford Lost Cherry off as too feminine. Wrong. That’s also an archaic attitude that really makes you miss out on one of the label’s finest Private Blends. Lost Cherry smells like, as you’d imagine, cherry, and is a sweet, gourmand stunner that’s perfect for layering onto woody scents.

I usually use this on top of Tom Ford Black Orchid and it’s one of my personal favourite scent profiles.

Top notes: Bitter almond, liquor, black cherry
Middle notes: Sour cherry, plum, Turkish rose, Jasmine sambac
Base notes: Tonka bean, vanilla, cinnamon, Peru balsam, benzoin, sandalwood, cloves, cedar, patchouli, vetiver

Bond No. 9 Scent of Peace

This expensive New York-based brand is one of those very rare examples where a non-European perfumer really nails the art of consistency and creativity in the industry. Bond No. 9 has the excellent Scent of Peace for Him and Scent of Peace for Her, but the unisex version is arguably the best.

Top notes: Grapefruit, black currant
Middle notes: Lily of the valley, hedione
Base notes: Cedarwood, musk

Who Is Elijah? Haze

Smoked vanilla is what defines Haze, and while the rich billow of sweet smoke might be a bit too much for a lot of women to pull off, you’d easily consider this a unisex perfume on par with Who Is Elijah’s other excellent bottles like His | Her and Nomad.

Top Notes: Pink pepper, orange blossom, clove
Middle Notes: Chestnut, guaiac wood, juniper
Base Notes: Cedar, vanilla, Peru balsam, cashmeran