Seven Unisex Scents to Try
A night at a Parisian jazz bar, plants springing from a concrete wasteland, or a beer in the West Texan desert - these genderless fragrances have an adventure for everyone
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Seven Unisex Scents to Try
A night at a Parisian jazz bar, plants springing from a concrete wasteland, or a beer in the West Texan desert - these genderless fragrances have an adventure for everyone
“It feels like I’m wearing a well-tailored suit,” were the words of one wearer, discussing Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29 fragrance. “Like a mature, New York adult,” said another, describing Diptyque’s Orphéon. Whilst a fragrance might contain masculine and feminine notes, these days you rarely hear a scent being categorised by gender. Instead, the landscape of fragrance has become increasingly open to interpretation, relying on mood, memory and imagination instead. What’s more, unisex fragrances have an inherently mysterious quality, defying easy categorisation. Below, we’ve rounded up a few favourites from the Liberty Beauty Hall and Fragrance Lounge.
Diptyque, Orphéon Eau de Parfum 75ml, £153
This scent is named after the Orphéon jazz bar, where Diptyque’s founders would relax after work. The bar was next to their 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain address, and when it closed down in the 70s, the founders made the site part of their headquarters. The bar lives on in this fragrance, whose juniper and tobacco notes nod to the many gin and tonics and cigars enjoyed at Orphéon.
Shop nowEscentric Molecules, Escentric 01 Eau de Toilette 100ml, £120
No two people will smell the same in Escentric Molecules’ Escentric 01 fragrance, which is a unique concoction of just three ingredients - Iso E Super, water and alcohol. The Iso E Super has a subtle, velvety cedarwood smell, but is designed to enhance the natural scent of the wearer. Some have called it a ‘pheromone’ scent, due to the intimate, aphrodisiac nature. It’s also great for layering - spritz it on first to boost other perfumes.
Shop nowLe Labo, Thé Noir 29 Eau de Parfum 100ml, £230
Like Diptyque, all of Le Labo’s fragrances are unisex. One that’s particularly popular with all genders is Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29, a deliciously smoky scent made with Sri Lankan black tea. As the scent develops, the musky tobacco, cedar and fig notes unfold, revealing its inner richness. It’s also a long-lasting fragrance with robust (but not overpowering) projection - hug someone wearing it, and you’ll find this scent lingering on you long after they leave.
Shop nowAesop, Erémia Eau de Parfum 50ml, £145
Open up any one of Aesop’s famous brown tinctures, and you’ll be greeted by the Australian brand’s distinctive herby aromas. Their scent collection is no different. The Erémia fragrance was designed to mimic fresh green foliage shooting up out of a concrete wasteland - bright and determined, like a burst of herbal freshness. The industrial concrete inspiration means there’s no sweetness in this scent - a quality typically ascribed to more ‘feminine’ fragrances.
Shop nowD.S. & Durga, Sweet Do Nothing Eau de Parfum 50ml. £155
Who doesn’t love lazing around on a sunny afternoon? This scent takes its inspiration from the spirit of ‘dolce far niente’ - the Italian phrase meaning ‘the sweetness of doing nothing’, but the West Texan equivalent. This fresh, expansive scent represents slowing down amongst the landscape, tuning into the sights and smells, and maybe even cracking a crisp beer with friends.
Shop nowVyrao, Magnetic 70 Eau de Parfum 50ml, £135
Founded by fashion veteran Yasmin Sewell, Vyrao’s scents are a reflection of her keen interest in spirituality. Each 50ml bottle is supercharged with a Herkimer diamond crystal, energised by healer Louise Mita. As a fragrance, it’s a captivating vetiver scent containing cedarwood for positivity, frankincense for illumination and angelica seed for protection.
Shop nowLe Labo, Santal 33 Eau de Parfum 100ml, £230
Another Le Labo selection, Santal 33 is a unisex fragrance which has many wearers under its spell. A musky, woody, aromatic fragrance, this is one of their most popular scents - a guaranteed conversation-starter if you run into anyone familiar with this distinctive Le Labo classic.
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