Floral fragrances are usually linked to female perfumes. However, there are many floral fragrances that work really well with men as well. One of the floral notes that might be regarded as feminine the most, is the note of ylang ylang. But there are many great fragrances with this fragrance note for men as well. But what are the best ylang ylang fragrances for men?
What Is The Note of Ylang Ylang And How Does It Smell
The note of ylang ylang is a fragrance note that’s often associated with women’s perfumes, and there’s definitely some truth to that. However, fragrances are a form of art, meant to be enjoyed by everyone. A fragrance note should not be excluded to just half of the fragrance lovers. Instead, men should go out and enjoy it as well.
The note of ylang ylang is a yellow floral note with a rich, sweet, and slightly narcotic scent. There’s even a slight resemblance to the note of jasmine, which is a white floral note. On its own, the note of ylang ylang already smells amazing, but due to it leaning slightly more feminine, most men’s fragrances use it as a supporting note. The note of ylang ylang actually does that quite well, giving many fragrances its sweet and narcotic qualities without taking over the scent.
Even though the note of ylang ylang might not be used in that many men’s fragrances, the ones that do use it can be amazing. Below are some of the best ylang ylang fragrances for men, in no particular order!
1. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien
Scent: Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh, citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with a stunning scent of lemon, supported by a powdery, soapy undertone. There’s also a touch of aldehydes present, giving the fragrance its clean feel, but there’s also the note of ylang ylang, providing the fragrance with a fresh and floral scent. Overall, you get a simple, yet beautifully smelling fragrance with a fresh, but also heavy scent.
Notes: The notes of Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien are citron, ylang ylang, lemon, aldehydes, orange, grapefruit, and cypress.
Best for: Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. The fresh scent of citruses, combined with the floral note of ylang ylang creates such a bright and uplifting scent that just works perfectly with the warmer temperatures. During the warmer months, this fragrance is great for casual everyday wear, but its also luxurious enough for formal wear as well. Besides smelling amazing, this fragrance is also fairly affordable as well. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
2. Cerruti 1881 Men
Scent: Cerruti 1881 Men is a fantastic fragrance with a classic barbershop-like scent. This fragrance opens with a bright scent of citruses, supported by the floral note of lavender. The combination of those notes is responsible for that classic barbershop-like scent and sets the tone for the remainder of this fragrance. After the opening, a woody, slightly spicy influence comes forth, giving the fragrance a bit of weight. This leaves you with an overall aromatic barbershop scent with an undertone of woods.
Notes: The top notes of Cerruti 1881 Men are juniper, bergamot, elemi resin, galbanum, cypress, carnation, and lavender. The middle notes are cassis, lily of the valley, rose, vetiver, and ylang ylang. The base notes are cedar, oakmoss, pine tree, pepper, patchouli, sandalwood, and musk.
Best for: Cerruti 1881 Men is a fantastic fragrance for the spring, summer, and fall. This fragrance is fresh and bright, but it also has some weight behind it. This makes it work during both the warmer, as well as the cooler months. Throughout these seasons, the barbershop scent is perfect for casual everyday wear, as it smells bright, uplifting, and happy. However, its also safe enough to wear to the office, if you’d like. And not only is this fragrance versatile, but it’s also very inexpensive. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
3. Acqua Di Parma Colonia Assoluta
Scent: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Assoluta is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh scent of woods and citruses. This fragrance opens up with a cocktail of fresh citruses. These citruses are accompanied by some floral notes, including the note of ylang ylang. This creates the fresh and luscious scent his fragrance is known for. When this fragrance starts to dry down, a few fresh spices are added, giving the fragrance a nice edge. In the base, an undertone of woody notes makes itself known, blending in perfectly with the fresh citruses from the opening.
Notes: The top notes of Acqua Di Parma Colonia Assoluta are lemon verbena, sweet orange, bitter orange, and bergamot. The middle notes are cardamom, cedar, paprika, ylang ylang, pink pepper, vetiver, and jasmine. The base notes are white musk, oakmoss, patchouli, and resins.
Best for: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Assoluta is an absolutely fantastic fragrance to wear during the spring and summer. The bright and fresh scent fits in perfectly with those warm, high-temperature days. During the warmer months, this fragrance is perfect for the office or a formal setting, as it has a classy, upscale vibe to it. However, it works just as nicely in a casual setting, just make sure you dress up a bit. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Creed Virgin Island Water
Scent: Creed Virgin Island Water is a gorgeous fragrance with a fresh and tropical scent. This fragrance opens with a bright scent of citruses and coconut, supported by a hint of white rum. This creates a tropical cocktail-like scent that perfectly fits the name of this fragrance. A little while after the opening, some floral notes are added, providing the fragrance with a fresh and slightly sweet scent. Nearing the dry down, the fragrance stays relatively similar, which is no problem at all, as the scent already is fantastic.
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 sugar cane, white rum, and musk.
Best for: Creed Virgin Island Water is an amazing fragrance for the warm summers. The bright and fresh scent, paired with the tropical vibe is absolutely perfect for those warm, summer days at the beach. During the warmer months, this fragrance works great in a casual setting or something like a beach party, but it works just as nice in a formal setting. Besides the tropical vibe, this fragrance also has a sense of class, making you smell luxurious and upscale. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge
Scent: Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge is a stunning floral fragrance. This fragrance opens with a beautiful scent of jasmine, creating a fresh, slightly sweet scent. Quickly after the opening, the iconic scent of ylang ylang comes forth, blending in nicely with the jasmine opening. This creates a rich and deep scent of florals. Over time, the scent of jasmine fades away, leaving room for the ylang ylang to shine. In the dry down, a green scent can be noticed, serving as a background scent for the florals.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge are mandarin, bergamot, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and ginger. The middle notes are clary sage, broom, ylang ylang, neroli, and jasmine. The base notes are leather, vanilla, amber, labdanum, and woody notes.
Best for: Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge is a fantastic floral fragrance that you can actually wear all year long. Even though the scent of the florals is on the fresher side, the combination of slightly sweet jasmine and the rich scent of ylang ylang actually makes it work in the colder months as well. Throughout the year, this fragrance is perfect for casual daytime wear, and in the warmer months, it also makes for a great nighttime fragrance. There’s also a sense of class and luxuriousness to this one, making it perform great in a formal setting as well. If you’re interested in this versatile fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Etat Libre d’Orange Charogne
Scent: Etat Libre d’Orange Charogne is a fantastic fragrance with a slightly sweet scent of florals. This fragrance opens with a dominant scent of lily, which will stay there for the remainder of the fragrance. Quickly after the opening, an undertone of ylang ylang can be detected, giving off its narcotic sweetness, along with an almost banana-like scent. This is also the point where this fragrance becomes a bit powdery. When this fragrance starts to dry down, a resinous scent comes forth, as well as a creamy sweet scent of vanilla. This leaves you with an overall complex, but beautiful scent.
Notes: The notes of Etat Libre d’Orange Charogne are vanilla, cardamom, musk, pink pepper, bergamot, ambrette, lily, labdanum, ylang ylang, incense, ginger, styrax, jasmine, leather, and osmanthus.
Best for: Etat Libre d’Orange Charogne is a fantastic fragrance that you can actually wear all year long. This fragrance has a fresh side with the florals, but also a warmer, sweeter side with the resins and vanilla. This allows it to be worn all year long. Throughout the year, this fragrance is great for casual everyday wear, as it has a pleasant and relaxing scent. This fragrance is quite strong on the florals, so make sure you’re in a mood that matches the scent. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Should You Have A Ylang Ylang Fragrance
Even though there are many fantastic ylang ylang fragrances for men, owning one is not a necessity. Yes, they do smell great, but they really have to fit you in order to pull them off correctly. Of course, something like Creed Virgin Island Water or Acqua Di Parma Colonia Assoluta is already proven to work amazing with anyone, but a few others on this list aren’t as well-known as those two.
A ylang ylang fragrance is best worn by a creative man who is known to do what he likes. This is important because a ylang ylang fragrance on a man will smell creative as well. It will be something that not many men wear.
On the other hand, this does make you smell unique, which is always a good thing. And luckily, a ylang ylang fragrance doesn’t have to cost you much. Something like Cerruti 1881 Men is very affordable. Overall, a ylang ylang fragrance definitely isn’t a necessity, but its definitely something nice to have if you want to smell different.