The mens fragrances that smell better on women's skin
You won't smell of Old Spice, promise


You won't smell of Old Spice, promise
Thumbing their nose at tradition, the best new perfumes for women include men’s scents such as myrrh, rum and incense in their ingredient line-up.
It's not a big surprise, seeing as 70% of women’ s top-voted female fragrances in the UK now contain muscular woody or spicy notes.
Men's scents smell just as good on women...
Best perfumes for women this autumn
Not too macho, not too girlie, these are some of the best perfumes for women that strike just the right balance. They play to the winter months by replacing our crisper best summer perfumes with something deep and warm. And in a very modern twist, they capture the zeitgeist of empowered, strong women, too.
With chart-topping singer Dua Lipa as the face and 'freedom to express yourself' as the campaign message, Yves Saint Laurent Libre, is a good example. It cleverly reworks fougère, a style of men’s cologne, and makes the signature herbal lavender note more feminine.
At first spritz you get a hit of seriously fresh and floral lavender before jasmine and orange blossom step in for added sensuality. 'It’s radiant, bright and powerful, which is how I want the woman who wears it to feel,' says Anne Flipo, the perfumer behind Yves Saint Laurent Libre.
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Another stand out is Bvlgari Splendida Tubereuse Mystique. Men's scents often feature tuberose buds, which are picked in the morning when they are still closed, for their camphor-like smell. But here perfumer Sophie Labbé used night flowering tuberose for the very first time ‘because the buds are open at twilight and the scent is creamy, fruity and you get more of the orange flower part.'
You still get a feminine scent but it is anything but delicate and packs more of a punch. Want in? Here’s our pick of the best men's scents that every woman should wear...
Lavender: A fresh, flowery version of this herb is blended with jasmine and orange blossom before segueing into the traditional ingredients for cologne such as musks, citrus and woods. People will stop you on the street to ask what you're wearing.
Fiona Embleton has been a beauty editor for over 10 years, writing and editing beauty copy and testing over 10,000 products. She has previously worked for magazines like Marie Claire, Stylist, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health. Beauty journalism allowed her to marry up her first class degree in English Literature and Language (she’s a stickler for grammar and a self-confessed ingredients geek) with a passion for make-up and skincare, photography and catwalk trends.
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