What does unisex perfume mean?
Unisex means a perfume is not aimed at one gender. What the label says, what it does not, why most niche and Arabic houses use it and how to pick one.
What does unisex perfume mean? It means the perfume is not aimed at one gender. A house or a seller labels it for anyone, rather than "for men" or "for women". The label says who the perfume is marketed to, not how it smells, and it does not mean neutral or bland. A unisex perfume can be as sweet, woody, floral or sharp as any other. In our records, most of what we fill carries the unisex tag, which is why the range is a good place to browse without worrying about labels.
What the label is, and is not
"For men", "for women" and "unisex" are choices made by a house or a seller. They reflect how a perfume is marketed, and which customer the house has in mind. They are not a measurement of the liquid. Plenty of people wear perfumes labelled for another audience, and plenty of houses, especially in the niche and Arabic ranges, skip gender labels altogether. In our shop the audience tag follows the source: where it says men or women we tag men or women, and otherwise we tag unisex.
Why so many perfumes are unisex
Perfumers build a perfume from materials and moods: citrus, florals, woods, musks, resins, sweets. None of these is male or female in itself. Many houses simply let the perfume speak, and leave the choice to the wearer. A niche house often presents a perfume without audience, and the Arabic range frequently does the same. The word helps people who shop for a household, or who want a shared bottle.
Four unisex examples
Diptyque Fleur de Peau is an Eau de Parfum recorded with musk, iris, ambrette and pink peppercorn. It is tagged musky and floral.
Maison Asrar Regent is an Eau de Parfum recorded with bergamot, grapefruit, magnolia and jasmine on top, orris root, spicy notes and ginger in the heart and cedarwood, amber, musk and patchouli in the base, tagged for summer. Frederic Malle Carnal Flower is recorded with melon water fruits, vegetal notes and fresh tuberose on top, and milky tuberose with musk in the base.
Nishane Hacivat, an Extrait de Parfum, is recorded with bergamot, pineapple and grapefruit on top, jasmine, patchouli and cedarwood in the heart and clearwood, oakmoss and dry timberwood in the base. Four different families, all unisex in our records, and none of them neutral in character.
How to choose a unisex perfume
Treat the label as irrelevant and the notes as relevant. Decide what you like, as in which perfume suits me, and then try. If you want a perfume that does not stand out, look for the quiet ones, such as the musk samples. If you want something louder, the strong samples are a start. Keep in mind that a perfume smells different on each person, see why a perfume smells different on your skin, so do not assume two people will get the same result from a shared bottle.
Does the label change how it smells?
No. The same liquid in a bottle marked for men or for women smells identical. What differs is the packaging, the advertising and sometimes the way the perfume was composed to appeal to an imagined customer. Because that customer is only a guess, you can ignore it. Some people find that a label guides them to families they like, while others find it keeps them from trying perfumes they would enjoy. With samples you can drop the label and listen to the notes.
What unisex does not promise
It does not promise that everyone will like the perfume, that it will work on every skin, or that a shared bottle will suit two people equally. It also does not mean the perfume is light: several unisex samples are tagged strong. Treat the word as an invitation to try, not as a guarantee.
Sharing a perfume
If two people want to share, try the same sample on both and compare. A sample vial is the cheap way to settle it before a bottle is bought. The routine in how to test perfume on your skin works for each person separately.
Where to go next
Browse all unisex samples, or compare with the audience guides for men and for women. Questions about ordering are answered in the FAQ.
FAQ
Does unisex mean a perfume smells neutral?
No. It says who the perfume is aimed at, not how it smells. Unisex perfumes can be sweet, woody, floral or fresh, as bold or as quiet as any other.
Is unisex just a marketing word?
Partly, as are "for men" and "for women". All three are labels a house or seller chooses. The smell stays the same whichever label is printed.
How do I know a unisex perfume will suit me?
Read the notes for what you like and dislike, then try a sample on your skin. The label does not predict your reaction.
