In recent years, I feel that the boundaries between men and women have begun to disappear in the world of fragrance, too.
Even so, men’s and women’s fragrances are still clearly separated. I am not objecting to the distinction itself. There are, after all, many powerful scents that are clearly aimed at men and glamorous scents with a feminine character.
Personally, for quite a long time I have not been especially comfortable with aggressively “manly” scents, and I have had fewer occasions to wear them.
For example, Kilian has a masterpiece called BLACK PHANTOM.
Combining a man’s cool demeanor with melting sweetness, I think it is the most handsome of Kilian’s scents. Its intense sensuality electrifies me every time I smell it. Yet it is also true that it is simply too sexy to fit into my everyday life, leaving me almost no occasion to wear it.
Conversely, there are times when I wear N°5, the very embodiment of women’s fragrance.
Certainly, if I were to spray N°5 around my wrists or the sides of my neck, its flamboyance would make me recoil.
But if, for example, I apply one spray of N°5 to my ankle and let its scent envelop my whole body, a fine floral-soap fragrance wafts gently around me, and it feels very pleasant.
Kilian, which I mentioned earlier, also has a decidedly feminine scent called LOVE.
When I apply LOVE to my ankle, too, its luscious neroli, as though steeped in marshmallow, spreads with a bright character. I find it highly addictive.
Now I believe that men, too, can wear women’s fragrances, provided the effect is subtle enough for their own enjoyment.
Indeed, a large part of what made me discover the pleasure of fragrance was setting aside the boundary between men and women and simply seeking out beautiful scents. Compared with fragrances for men, those for women offer a richer variety of scents and more diverse forms of expression. Once I had come to know the world of women’s fragrances, I began to feel that drawing my own boundary would be a waste.
The result has been a reversal: with men’s fragrances I particularly favor ones that are easy to wear in everyday life, while with women’s fragrances I am willing to choose somewhat bolder scents.
I believe that truly great fragrances may transcend even gender and age. Whether they suit me or not does not matter.
After all, there are scents such as NAHEMA PARFUM that let me immerse myself in a moment of bliss simply by smelling them on a blotter.
