Florals for men? Groundbreaking. While there’s likely always going to be some tranche of the male population who argue that floral fragrances are exclusively fare for women, they would – quite simply – be wrong. Though we’ve shifted away from the antiquated notions of flowers and candy for women and woods, leather, and petrol for men; many men are still hesitant to embrace the bloom.
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Despite typically being marketed towards women, it would be remiss to suggest that a whole fragrance family has an innate gender. In reality, floral fragrances have always been for everyone. And, they’ve been incorporated in even the most masculine men’s fragrance since time immemorial. You can find notes of rose in both the timeless Givenchy Gentleman and the renowned Creed Aventus, as well as in the world’s oldest surviving cologne, Mülhens 4711; and jasmine in Dior Eau Savage, a classic since 1966.
A nuanced fragrance family with a wide breadth of options, there’s a floral for every guy, regardless of whether you’re into something rich and velvety or prefer a more clean and fresh scent. For the floral aficionados and wary experimenters alike, these are the best 16 floral fragrances for men.
1. Etro ManRose
It’s only natural that such an aptly named fragrance would kick off our best floral fragrances for men. A refined scent that centres around the rose, Etro Manrose is radiant and fresh, opening with citrus and lightly spiced notes of bergamot and cardamom. A sweet heart of Turkish rose is balanced out by a woody base of musk and patchouli, making for a scent that works on men and women alike.
Brand: Etro
Scent notes: bergamot, Turkish rose, patchouli, musk
2. Liquides Imaginaires Bloody Wood
A fragrance for the passionate and quick-tempered, florals take a backseat in Liquides Imaginaires Bloody Wood, with intense notes of sweet cherry, red wine, and woods taking centre stage. Decidedly gourmand and a little animalic, Bloody Wood is a sensual scent that evokes (or perhaps encourages) a love affair with a vampire.
Brand: Liquides Imaginaires
Scent notes: red wine, rose, violet, cherry, raspberry, woods, oak, sandalwood
3. Via Dei Mille Gelsomino
Rich and sensual, Via Dei Mille Gelsomino combines delicate jasmine flowers with verdant violet leaf and woody notes of vetiver, iris, and sandalwood. Ideal for men looking for a sunny, optimistic floral fragrance.
Brand: Via Dei Mille
Scent notes: mandarin, bergamot, violet leaf, jasmine, iris, sandalwood, vetiver
4. Ormonde Jayne Levant
Soft, bright, and sparkly, Ormonde Jayne Levant is a floral lover’s fragrance, celebrating the joyful yet nuanced notes of jasmine, lily of the valley, and peony. Opening with citrus notes of bergamot, mandarin, and tangelo, Levant quickly descends into airy florals which sit on a base of subtle woods and musk. Made to be shared, Levant works well on both men and women.
Brand: Ormonde Jayne
Scent notes: bergamot, mandarin, tangelo, rose petals, lily of the valley, peony, orange blossom, jasmine, cedarwood, amber, musk
5. L’Artisan Parfumeur 9 Arcana Rosa
Equally for the rose lovers and rose curious, the L’Artisan Parfumeur 9 Arcana Rosa reverts to the tried-and-true combination of rose and woods. Rose in this scent is dark, velvety, and mysterious, with vetiver adding a touch of earthiness while cedarwood provides warmth. A masculine rose scent if ever there was one.
Brand: L’Artisan Parfumeur
Scent notes: spices, rose, oud, cade wood, cedarwood, vetiver
6. Tokyo Milk Dark Everything & Nothing
A bright, refreshingly light fragrance, Tokyo Milk Dark Everything & Nothing starts out sweet with notes of candied citrus and white florals, before settling down into clean yet slightly earthy notes of tea leaves.
Brand: Tokyo Milk Dark
Scent notes: sweet orange, pressed petals, desert moss, tea leaves
7. Trudon Bruma
Clean, musky, and airy, iris is the star performer in Trudon Bruma, with powdery floral notes playing with crisp greens before settling down into an effortless warmth of amber, vetiver, and tonka bean. A soft and subtle fragrance, it works as a skin scent for days that call for a more understated approach or layered with other scents.
Brand: Trudon
Scent notes: galbanum, lavender, iris, violet, jasmine, leather, labdanum, vetiver, tonka bean
8. Roja Parfums Danger Pour Homme
Sensual, rich, and masculine, Roja Parfums Danger Pour Homme starts out innocently enough, with aromatic notes of lemon, lavender, and tarragon. However, these quickly make way for luxuriously seductive notes of sweet jasmine and vanilla, underscored by earthy warmth courtesy of amber, woods, oakmoss, and patchouli. A scent for made for seduction and the seduced alike.
Brand: Roja Parfums
Scent notes: lemon, bergamot, lavender, tarragon, lily of the valley, jasmine, violet, rhubarb, galbanum, clove, cumin, patchouli, oakmoss, wood notes, vetiver, cedarwood, vanilla, tonka bean, leather, ambergris, musk
9. Givenchy Gentleman Intense
The newest iteration of the classic men’s scent, Givenchy Gentleman Intense retains the iris and woody notes that made its predecessor famous, but adds further freshness though the addition of green aromatic basil, spicy cardamom, and elegant cypress, the latter of which plays well with the woodsy notes. Decidedly masculine, with a more verdant, forestiral touch.
Brand: Givenchy
Scent notes: cardamom, basil, bergamot, iris, cypress, cedarwood, coumarin
10. Montale Paris Day Dreams
Sweet, sexy, and slightly synthetic, Montale Paris Day Dreams is like the alcohol-induced hopefulness of a night out. Florals take on a background role, with notes of vanilla and creamy sandalwood standing out against a citrusy undertone.
Brand: Montale Paris
Scent notes: mandarin orange, orange blossom, neroli, tiare, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, coconut
11. Penhaligon’s Much Ado About The Duke
An archetypal masculine fragrance, Penhaligon’s Much Ado About the Duke starts off with intensely spicy black pepper and cumin, which quickly make way for sweetly fragrant rose petals and a surprising gin accord. Balancing out the delicacy of the florals is a warm, heady base of wood and leather.
Brand: Penhaligon’s
Scent notes: pepper, cumin, rose, gin, wood, leather
12. Jo Malone London Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense
Rich and dark, Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud serves as an introduction to oud for many. However, it can also be your gateway into florals. Alluring and sensual, velvety damask rose meets smoky oud wood, with each component balancing each other out.
Brand: Jo Malone
Scent notes: clove, praline, rose, oud
13. Tom Ford Rose Prick
Inspired by Tom Ford’s private rose garden, this floral scent is warm and balanced. Three breeds of roses — Rose de Mai, Turkish, and Bulgarian — combine to form a heady note, lightened by the addition of pepper and turmeric, and grounded by patchouli and tonka.
Brand: Tom Ford
Scent notes: Bulgarian rose, turmeric extract, Indonesian patchouli, Sichuan pepper, roasted tonk, tolu balsam
14. Aesop Rōzu
A rose unlike any other, Aesop Rōzu is more green than floral. Green and fresh in the opening, Rōzu is more akin to a real rose than a typical floral fabrication; there’s a slight sweetness in the middle which is swiftly tempered with smoky, woody notes of patchouli and sandalwood. The perfect first foray into florals for the somewhat hesitant man.
Brand: Aesop
Scent notes: rose, shiso, pink pepper, bergamot, bitter orange, guaiac wood, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, myrrh, musk
15. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
Citrus is laced with white florals in this fresh, slightly soapy scent. Redolent of walking through foliage-lined streets on the Italian Riviera, it’s cool and breezy with just a hint of sweetness.
Brand: Tom Ford
Scent notes: bergamot, mandarin, lemon, bitter orange, orange blossm, jasmine, neroli, amber, angelica, ambrette
16. Diptyque Do Son
Sweet scents aren’t exclusively fare for women. Relaxed and breezy yet seductive and captivating, Diptyque Do Son balanced heady tuberose with creamy orange flower and iris. Pink pepper tempers the mix while benzoin and musk provide a cosy sweetness. One for the seasoned floral wearer.
Brand: Diptyque
Scent notes: orange flower, rose, iris, tuberose, pink pepper, benzoin, musk
FAQ
Men can and should wear floral fragrances. Many archetypal men’s fragrances hide floral notes behind intense hits of woods and leather. A well balanced floral fragrance for men strikes the right balance between hard and soft, often making for a more approachable scent than headier options.
White florals such as orange blossom, jasmine, and neroli often work best for men, as do universal crowd pleasers like lavender, whose delicate notes pair well with violet and iris. While rose is not typically thought of as a scent note for conventional men’s fragrances, both Etro Man Rose and Aesop Rozu offer a nuanced masculine take on the classic floral.
Words by John Deckard and T. Angel
