Need help choosing a men’s fragrance?

When choosing a fragrance for your man, it can be tempting to pick one that appeals to your tastes rather than one that appeals to his. While this means you get to give yourself a good spritz of the stuff when you’re sick of your own go-to (a big thank you to the beauty Gods for inventing unisex fragrances), it might not be the best scent for him. We spoke to Mary Hayward, National Training Manager at COTY Australia, for some expert advice on men’s perfume. Selfish girlfriends and partners (ahem, guilty) be warned: here are our tips for choosing the right men’s fragrance.
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Fragrances differ between the sexes
Back in the day, the majority of men’s fragrances were colognes and aftershaves. Now you’re more likely to find eau de toilette sprays on men’s fragrance shelves. ‘How is this any different to our shelves?’ I hear you ask. Mary explains, “The key differences today between men’s and women’s fragrances are the styles and [the] perfumer’s ingredients or notes. The most popular women’s style is the floral category… whereas the popular men’s style is currently the woody/warm/spicy category.”
Notes to look out for
Men’s fragrances are loaded with different notes. While woody and spicy scents may be the most popular (and the most likely to get his senses tingling), Mary outlines the specific notes to look out for in these types of fragrances. She’s snuck in a couple of other categories too, just in case your man likes to go against the grain.
Citrus – bergamot, mandarin and lemon
Spices – ginger, peppers, cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon
Aromatic – sage, lavender, geranium, patchouli and fig
Woods – cedarwood, cypress, sandalwood, vetiver, incense, benzoin, ambergris and tonka bean
Flowers – orange flower, iris and violet
Food for thought
“Think about the age, fashion, style, personality [and] lifestyle of the man and choose the fragrance to suit that. For example – mid 30s, works in finance, fashion-conscious, well-groomed – would love a rich-smelling fragrance,” Mary says. If this sounds like your man, we recommend X by Rocawear.
If your man is more of a laid-back surfer dude, who looks his best in a plain white T-shirt, you can’t go past a crisp, fresh scent. Try DKNY Men The Original or Ermenegildo Zegna Forte EDT.
For the jetsetter who travels for both business and play, and feels at home in jeans and a button-up, we recommend an uplifting scent like Aramis Adventurer or Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger.
Men’s fragrances we love:
5. Crabtree & Evelyn Indian Sandalwood Cologne
6. LYNX Black
And now you've got your man sorted, why not treat yourself to a new fragrance too? Right now we can't get enough of Impulse Goddess and The Body Shop British Rose Eau de Toilette. These floral scents are bang on trend.
Do you buy your man his fragrance? What do you usually look out for?
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79 Member Comments
My son generally gets his fragrances as gifts from his Aunties, they have excellent taste.
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Great article! I am looking to buy men's fragrances for birthday presents!
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Any tips to choose a perfume which suits you? I tried from CK, Hugo, Sol Invictus and now I'm using Versage. Though I still like the Versage i bought, but I'm wondering how to choose the perfume to suit myself.
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i prefer male scents, gosh they smell so good
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I like CK even Joop smells great on him.
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Joop smells amazing and ages well on the skin so the longer its worn the more yummy it smells.
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Hubby has just switched to the beard oils. So no longer wearing eau de toilette, i do miss the Ralph Lauren polo black, but the oils smell incredible.
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Interesting! Haven't gotten any of these for hubby must try :)
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Oooo, some good options! Love mixing up scents for the boyfriend.
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Oh I like that Crabtree & Evelyn perfume bottle. Its got a vintage feel.
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Some good hints here. Thanks BH. I remember these next time I go after shave shopping
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My partner has some really lovely colognes. I don't dare use them unless he sprays me when he sprays himself lol
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I think Fahrenheit smells awesome on all men.
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I love a few different smells rotated to mix things up!
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My partner & I discuss his fragrance choices because I'm so prone to headaches from any smells.. he loves cedar wood & sandal wood though.
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I'm the only one who buys my Hubby fragrance because I like him smelling nice. I choose a fragrance based on his personality. He loves David Beckham "Intimately" and he's nearly out of it. Luckily I have another one stashed under my bed once he completely runs out of it :).
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My husband gets his own fragrances but they are lovely. There is one favourite one he likes but it's so expensive and hard to find these days.
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I love my men's fragrances as much as my own, I buy them for hubby all the time!
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I get my husband what I like but I do think he uses too little of his colognes.
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I don't have a man so can't really comment, but if he chose Paco Rabanne's Invictus Aqua (which I love) from the cologne section, he'd get lucky. #justsayin
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I sniffed Sauvage by Dior recently, and it's absolutely divine!
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I prefer woody men scent, because i wear them myself. Not a fan of florals
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I have bought a few for my partner and he likes Cool Water. And he loves his body sprays .
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Calvin Klein Eternity is our favourite and has been for some time.
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I like the addition of the 'write review' at the bottom of the article
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