Before Calvin Klein introduced Calvin Klein CK One, all fragrances were classified as either male or female. Nowadays, the unisex category is just as large as the feminine or masculine ones. But what are the best unisex fragrances?
What Makes A Unisex Fragrance So Appealing
In these rapidly changing times, trends tend to change as well. Back in the 1980’s en up till 1994, fragrances were generally classed in two categories; feminine and masculine. The house of Calvin Klein changed that with the release of Calvin Klein CK One, the first-ever unisex fragrance released by a big brand. This fragrance contained a clash of masculine and feminine notes, making the fragrance suitable for everyone.
In the fragrance world, it’s a common theme nowadays to disregard the gender appointed to a fragrance. Admittedly, some fragrances are definitely more masculine or more feminine, but the vast majority of fragrances can easily be worn by anyone who likes it. A lot of the ‘higher end’ fragrance lines actually only make unisex fragrances.
Take the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection, for example. Every single fragrance in that line-up is unisex. Some definitely lean more feminine and others more masculine, but you can wear every single one of them. The same goes for the Private Line of Christian Dior and many other high-end niche brands
Unisex fragrances are actually a lot more convenient when you think about it. They will work on any person, regardless of gender, which makes them great to borrow, lend or gift.
Nowadays, there are many different unisex fragrances. Listed below are some of the best unisex fragrances of all time, in no particular order!
1. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01
Scent: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 is an incredibly interesting molecule-based fragrance. When you apply this fragrance, you’ll notice a very subtle scent that almost smells like nothing. However, this quickly turns into an incredibly alluring scent that smells like soft, warm woods. You yourself will get a beautiful whiff every now and then, but the people around you will definitely notice this beautiful scent. Overall, this is an incredibly unique fragrance that almost smells like nothing, but at the same time, has an incredibly nice scent.
Notes: The only note of Escentric Molecules 01 is Iso-E Super.
Best for: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 is one of the easiest fragrances to wear. There is simply no place or time where this fragrance will not work. This is simply due to the inoffensive nature of this fragrance. When you’re wearing this, you’re assured to not smell too strong or offensive. Instead, you’ll have this wonderful, clean aroma hanging around you. Safe to say you can wear this during any season, to any occasion.
2. Calvin Klein CK One
Scent: Calvin Klein CK One is the first-ever mass-marketed unisex fragrance in the world and to this day, it’s still a fantastic one. This fragrance opens with an incredibly fresh scent of citruses and green notes, creating a safe and likable scent. Shortly after the opening, some floral notes are added, again providing the fragrance with some freshness. When the fragrance starts to dry down, some soft woods can be detected, however, this fragrance is mainly about the clean and green scent from the opening.
Notes: The top notes of Calvin Klein CK One are bergamot, papaya, lemon, mandarin, cardamom, pineapple, and green notes. The middle notes are lily of the valley, jasmine, freesia, orris root, rose, violet, and nutmeg. The base notes are oakmoss, cedar, musk, green accord, green tea, amber, and sandalwood.
Best for: Calvin Klein CK One is a classic unisex fragrance that can not only be worn by anyone, but also practically all the time. Due to the rather fresh scent, you’re best off wearing this fragrance during the spring and summer, but during those months, there really are no restrictions. You can wear this casually throughout the day, to the office, while you’re working out, or during any other activity. This is such a clean and inoffensive fragrance that you simply can’t go wrong with.
3. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
Scent: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is part of the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection. It’s a fantastic fragrance with a sweet, vanilla, and tobacco-based scent. This fragrance opens with a sweet, slightly spicy scent with a nice tobacco influence. This then dries down to a sweet vanilla scent. The base of this fragrance adds a nice scent of dried fruits. This all comes together to form one of the best vanilla scents. With hints of tobacco and dried fruits, this fragrance has an irresistible, sweet, almost dusty-like scent.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille are tobacco leaves and spices. The middle notes are tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla, and cocoa. The base notes are dry fruit accords and woods.
Best for: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the colder months. The sweetness in this fragrance paired with the dusty-like feel makes for such a warm, comforting scent. This is exactly what you should be looking for in a winter fragrance. This fragrance is perfect for casual wear, however, this fragrance also shines when worn to any festive event, like Christmas. The only downside of this fragrance is its price. A Tom Ford Private Blend is quite expensive.
4. Creed Virgin Island Water
Scent: Creed Virgin Island Water is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh and tropical scent. This fragrance opens with a beautiful burst of fresh citruses, supported by a boozy undertone of rum. Quickly after the opening, a fresh touch of ginger is added, as well as the note of sugar cane. These come together to create a scent that’s reminiscent of a tropical cocktail, such as a mojito or pina colada. In the dry down, a touch of coconut is present, giving the fragrance a creamy finish and strengthening the tropical feel.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Virgin Island Water are bergamot, mandarin, coconut, and lime. The middle notes are ylang ylang, hibiscus, jasmine, and ginger. The base notes are white rum, sugar cane, and musk.
Best for: Creed Virgin Island Water is an incredible fragrance with a fresh and bright scent, making it perfect for the spring and summer. During those warmer months, this fragrance is best worn in a more casual setting. The boozy undertone gives it a more casual, laid-back feeling, which makes it great for a day in the city or on the beach. And because this fragrance is somewhat strong, you can also wear this to a nice party as well.
5. Tom Ford Noir De Noir
Scent: Tom Ford Noir De Noir is part of the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection. This fragrance is a true masterpiece with a dark, rich, and mysterious scent. This fragrance opens with a dark, slightly spicy, and floral scent. After a little while, this dark scent goes more into a gourmand-like direction. The scent becomes a little sweeter and you can make out a strong scent of dark chocolate. All the while, there’s the note of black truffle, adding a layer of depth and mysteriousness.
Notes: The notes of Tom Ford Noir De Noir are saffron, black truffle, rose, patchouli, tree moss, oud wood, and vanilla.
Best for: Tom Ford Noir De Noir is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the colder months. With its dark and rich scent, you’ll find this fragrance to be extremely comforting and cozy. This fragrance also has quite a classy and luxurious scent to it, making it great for any dressed-up occasion. However, this fragrance also works great as a casual scent. As this fragrance is part of the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection, it is quite expensive but definitely worth it.
6. Le Labo Santal 33
Scent: Le Labo Santal 33 is a beautiful unisex fragrance, often linked to the scent of New York. This fragrance opens with an incredible scent of rich sandalwood, supported by a few other woody notes. Shortly after the opening, some powdery floral notes are added, blending in beautifully with the woods form the opening. After a little while, a soft scent of leather makes itself known, which almost comes across as a cucumber-like scent. Overall, this is an incredible fragrance that fits anyone.
Notes: The notes of Le Labo Santal 33 are papyrus, violet, iris, cardamom, amber, cedar, leather, and sandalwood.
Best for: Le Labo Santal 33 is a fantastic fragrance that you can actually wear all year long. This fragrance is neither too strong nor too soft, making it work well in all temperatures. Throughout the year, this fragrance is perfect for everyday casual wear, but it also works fantastic in a more formal setting. Wearing this in the office or to a business meeting will make you appear clean and professional, as this is a rather luxurious and sophisticated fragrance.
7. Jo Malone Grapefruit
Scent: Jo Malone Grapefruit is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh scent of grapefruit. This grapefruit scent is immediately noticeable in the opening and is supported by a slightly sweet touch of tangerine. This lifts up the grapefruit scent and makes it a little more interesting. After a little while, a cooling scent of mint is added, giving the fragrance another layer of depth. When this fragrance starts to dry down, some soft green notes make themselves known, elevating the initial freshness from the grapefruit.
Notes: The top notes of Jo Malone Grapefruit are tangerine and grapefruit. The middle notes are jasmine, paprika, mint, and rosemary. The base notes are oakmoss, patchouli, and vetiver.
Best for: Jo Malone Grapefruit is an incredible warm-weather fragrance with a bright and refreshing scent. Due to the rather inoffensive scent of grapefruit, you can easily wear this fragrance to the office or any other formal setting. However, it also has enough character to be worn casually as well, provided by the mint and tangerine. And because of the citrus-based scent, this fragrance can easily be worn by anyone.
8. Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil
Scent: Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is a rather interesting fragrance with a fresh and green scent. This fragrance opens with a dry and fresh scent of tomato and green mango, which makes for a rather interesting and unique scent. Shortly after the opening, a few floral notes are added. These give a freshness to the scent and balance out the vegetable-like scent from the opening. When this fragrance starts to dry down, it won’t really change too much anymore, leaving you with a beautiful scent that almost smells like a vegetable garden in a warm Mediterranean place.
Notes: The top notes of Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil are green mango, tomato, grapefruit, and carrot. The middle notes are lotus, hyacinth, bulrush, peony, and orange. The base notes are incense, musk, cinnamon, iris, and labdanum.
Best for: Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is a rather fresh fragrance, which makes it perfect for the spring and summer. During those months, this fragrance is best worn in a more casual setting. This fragrance has a beautiful scent, but it is something different, which makes it more difficult to pull off in a formal setting. Casually, though, this fragrance is perfect and will definitely get you some compliments.
9. Bvlgari Black
Scent: Bvlgari Black is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet scent of leather. This fragrance opens with a gorgeous scent of powdery, creamy vanilla, supported by a few fresh florals and citruses. Shortly after the opening, a subtle hint of green tea is added, giving the fragrance a cool and calm feel. After a little while, a strong dose of leather can be detected, blending in beautifully with the sweet vanilla. In the end, you’re left with a beautiful fragrance that’s neither too masculine, nor too feminine!
Notes: The top notes of Bvlgari Black are bergamot, rose, and green tea. The middle notes are jasmine, cedar, and sandalwood. The base notes are oakmoss, vanilla, musk, amber, and leather.
Best for: Bvlgari Black is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the colder months. The rich and sweet scent of leather and vanilla could be a little too strong for the warmer months, but during the fall and winter, it’s perfect. During those months, you can wear this fragrance either casually or formally. The leather gives this fragrance a luxurious feel, while the vanilla makes it great for casual wear. This fragrance is also rather affordable as well.
10. Byredo Bal d’Afrique
Scent: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is a beautiful fragrance with a bright and happy scent. This fragrance opens with a few sweet fruity notes, supported by some citruses. Quickly after the opening, some floral notes are added, and all of these notes come together to what can be best described as the scent of a sunset. When this fragrance starts to dry down, some soft woody notes start to appear, giving the fragrance a rich and warm finish.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Bal d’Afrique are blackcurrant, tagetes, lemon, African orange flower, and bergamot. The middle notes are cyclamen, jasmine, and violet. The base notes are cedar, vetiver, musk, and amber.
Best for: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the spring and summer. This fragrance has such a lively, happy, and fresh scent that fits in perfectly with those warm days. During the warmer months, you can easily wear this fragrance casually throughout the day, but it will also work well in a semi-formal setting as well. However, casual is definitely the way to go, especially if you’re going someplace nice.
11. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is a gorgeous fragrance with a sweet and airy scent. This fragrance opens with a sugary sweet scent, supported by a spicy hint of saffron. Shortly after the opening, a warm scent of amberwood is added, strengthening the sweetness while still ensuring it’s light and breathable. When this fragrance starts to dry down, some more woody notes are added, leaving you with an overall sweet, warm, and almost sugary fragrance with a light and airy scent.
Notes: The top notes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 are saffron and jasmine. The middle notes are ambergris and amberwood. The base notes are cedar and fir resin.
Best for: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is a wonderful fragrance that you can actually wear all year long. Even though this fragrance is rather sweet, it’s done in a very light and breathable manner, which allows it to be worn during the spring and summer as well. Throughout the year, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, but will also work well at night. Besides casual wear, you can also wear this fragrance formally as well, as its rather luxurious.
12. By Kilian Moonlight In Heaven
Scent: By Kilian Moonlight In Heaven is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet and tropical scent. This fragrance immediately opens with a fruity, tropical scent of coconut and mango. Shortly after, a unique scent of rice is added, giving the fragrance a fluffy undertone. This is also the moment where some fresh citruses are added, balancing out the tropical sweetness. In the end, you’re left with a luxurious, tropical scent of fruits, citruses, and that unusual rice note.
Notes: The top notes of By Kilian Moonlight In Heaven are pink pepper, lemon, and grapefruit. The middle notes are mango, rice, and coconut. The base notes are vetiver and tonka bean.
Best for: By Kilian Moonlight In Heaven is a fragrance that’s best worn during the spring and summer. This fragrance, although sweet, is better suited for the warmer temperatures, due to the tropical scent. During the warmer months, you’re best off wearing this fragrance casually, as the tropical feel doesn’t really work too well in a formal setting. Casually, though, there are no limits to this fragrance. Wearing it on a date, casually throughout the day, or when you’re relaxing at home are just a few places where this fragrance will shine.
13. Thierry Mugler Mugler Cologne
Scent: Thierry Mugler Mugler Cologne is a fragrance best known for its clean and soapy scent. Immediately from the opening, you can pick up a beautiful scent of fresh and clean white floral notes, supported by some citruses. These come together to create the most beautiful and realistic scent of an expensive bar of soap. After a little while, a clean hint of musk makes itself known, adding to the fresh and clean feel. From here, the fragrance stays relatively linear, but the scent is truly perfect.
Notes: The top notes of Thierry Mugler Mugler Cologne bergamot, neroli, and petitgrain. The middle note is African orange flower and the base note is musk.
Best for: Thierry Mugler Mugler Cologne is a gorgeous fragrance with a fresh and soapy scent. Due to the freshness, this fragrance is best worn during the warmer months, where it will provide you with a clean feel. During the warmer months, there really is no time or place where this fragrance won’t work. The soapy scent is extremely inoffensive and will work well in casual settings, in the office, or even when you’re working out.
14. Maison Martin Margiela Replica By The Fireplace
Scent: Maison Martin Margiela Replica By The Fireplace is a gorgeous fragrance with an appropriate name. This fragrance opens with a beautiful, warm scent of woods, supported by a sweet hint of chestnut. This gives the fragrance such a lovely, nutty, and sweet scent that goes perfectly with the warm woods. Every now and then, you can notice a hint of cloves, giving a spicy undertone to the scent. In the dry down, a warm and sweet scent of vanilla makes itself known, ensuring a lovely finish for a lovely fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Maison Martin Margiela Replica By The Fireplace are cloves, orange blossom, and pink pepper. The middle notes are juniper, guaiac wood, and chestnut. The base notes are cashmeran, Peru balsam, and vanilla.
Best for: Maison Martin Margiela Replica By The Fireplace is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the colder months. This fragrance truly lives up to its name, as it smells warm and sweet, like a true fireplace. Such a scent is, of course, best worn when the temperatures are lower. During the colder months, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, but will also work perfectly on dates or fancy dinners. This fragrance does not only smell fantastic, but it also has a luxurious aura around it.
15. Byredo Velvet Haze
Scent: Byredo Velvet Haze is a fantastic fragrance with a unique, musky scent. This fragrance opens with a rather beautiful scent of soft coconut and musk, giving the impression of a warm beach in the early morning. Shortly after the opening, a hint of cacao is added, giving the fragrance a playful sweetness. This sweetness becomes stronger with the addition of patchouli, which gives off a sweet and spicy scent. All the while, there’s still this musky undertone present, leaving you with a truly unique fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Velvet Haze are bergamot, coconut, and hibiscus. The middle notes are tuberose, osmanthus, and patchouli. The base notes are cashmeran, patchouli, cacao pod, musk, and ambrette.
Best for: Byredo Velvet Haze is a great fragrance to wear during the spring, fall, and winter. This fragrance is on the sweeter side and the musks can be a little strong, which makes this fragrance work best when the temperatures are a little lower. During those months, this fragrance is best worn in a casual setting. Whether you’re hanging out with friends or going to the city, this fragrance will be great. And as an added bonus, this fragrance has a very unique scent, so you’re sure to stand out and not smell like the rest.
16. Creed Silver Mountain Water
Scent: Creed Silver Mountain Water is a gorgeous fragrance with a smooth and soothing scent. This fragrance opens with a beautiful scent of blackcurrant and green tea, creating a sweet and soothing scent. This is then accompanied by some citrusy notes, adding a little freshness to the fragrance. When this fragrance starts to dry down, some woods start to present themselves, as well as a beautiful, clean scent of musk. This leaves you with an overall lovely fragrance with a soothing, calm scent.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Silver Mountain Water are mandarin and bergamot. The middle notes are blackcurrant and green tea. The base notes are petitgrain, sandalwood, musk, and galbanum.
Best for: Creed Silver Mountain Water is a fantastic fragrance that’s best worn during the spring and summer. This fragrance has an incredibly calm and smooth scent that fits in perfectly with those warm days. During the warmer months, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, but will also work nicely in the gym or even in the office. There really is no going wrong with a smooth and soothing scent such as this.
17. Le Labo Rose 31
Scent: Le Labo Rose 31 is a truly fantastic fragrance with a strong scent of rose and woods. Immediately from the opening, you’re greeted by a strong dose of fresh roses. Along with the roses are some subtle spices, giving the fragrance some depth and complexity. Shortly after the opening, the woody notes start to present themselves. One of those woody notes is the note of oud, which is known to work fantastically with the note of rose. And that’s no different in this fragrance, you get a stunning scent of fresh roses and slightly darker woods.
Notes: The notes of Le Labo Rose 31 are cumin and rose. The middle notes are cedar, vetiver, and rose. The base notes are oud, labdanum, olibanum, guaiac wood, and musk.
Best for: Le Labe Rose 31 is a fantastic fragrance that you can easily wear all year long. The perfect combination of fresh roses and dark oud allows this fragrance to be worn all throughout the year. Besides just smelling fantastic, Le Labo Rose 31 also has a rather luxurious feel to it, which makes it work great in a formal setting. Of course, you can also wear this one casually as well, as it has enough character and playfulness for such settings as well.
18. Christian Dior Ambre Nuit
Scent: Christian Dior Ambre Nuit is part of Christian Dior’s more exclusive line. This fragrance opens with a beautiful scent of warm rose, supported by a fresh touch of bergamot. Shortly after the opening, the note of rose becomes more pronounced and the bergamot starts to fade. Along with the rose is a warm scent of amber, which truly lifts up this fragrance. In the dry down, you’ll mainly get a beautiful, warm, and sweet scent of amber, supported by some faint hints of rose and citruses.
Notes: The notes of Christian Dior Ambre Nuit are pink pepper, rose, grapefruit, bergamot, and amber.
Best for: Christian Dior Ambre Nuit is a beautiful fragrance that’s best worn during the colder months. The gorgeous scent of warm amber fits in perfectly with the warmer temperatures, providing you with a welcoming and cozy feel. During the colder months, this fragrance is great for casual everyday wear but truly shines at night (as the name suggests). At night, you can wear this whenever you want. Whether you’re going on a date, a fancy dinner, or just relaxing at home, this fragrance will be perfect.
19. Initio Parfums Rehab
Scent: Initio Parfums Rehab is a wonderful fragrance with a rich scent of spices. This fragrance opens with a warm scent of woods, supported by a sweet scent of vanilla. Shortly after the opening, a nice dose of spices is added, giving the fragrance a beautiful dynamic between sweet and spicy notes. When this fragrance starts to dry down, a unique scent of cooling lavender is added, giving the fragrance smooth finish. Overall, though, you mainly get a warm scent of sweet and spicy notes.
Notes: The top notes of Initio Parfums Rehab are lavender and bergamot. The middle notes are patchouli, cedar, and vetiver. The base notes are musk, sandalwood, and guaiac wood.
Best for: Initio Parfums Rehab is a fantastic fragrance that’s best worn during the spring, fall, and winter. This is mainly because of the rich and sweet scent, which would be a bit out of place in the summer. During the other months, though, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, but will also work wonders at night. You can even wear this to a date or fancy dinner because it smells luxurious, up-scale, and intriguing.
20. Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot
Scent: Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh and unique take on the note of oud. This fragrance opens rather fresh with hints of bergamot, orange, and lemon. These citruses are quickly accompanied by a woody scent of cedarwood. The cedarwood gives off a warm scent that makes the introduction of the note of oud a little smoother. When the note of oud arrives, you’re greeted by a rich and dark scent that mixes perfectly with the bright citruses. In the end, you’re left with a fresh oud fragrance, a DNA you don’t find too often.
Notes: The notes of Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot are oud, orange, lemon, bergamot, and cedar.
Best for: Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot is a fantastic fragrance with a mix of fresh citruses and dark oud. Due to the combination of the two extremes, this fragrance is actually best worn during the spring and fall where the temperatures are neither too high, nor too low. During those seasons, you can easily wear this fragrance casually, but it’s also clean and inoffensive enough for the office or any other formal setting.