Real Men Smell Like Flowers; These Are The 16 Best Floral Scents For Men

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. 

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.

The best floral fragrances for men

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

Price: approx. $382AUD ($238USD)

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
Olfactory family: Oriental Floral
Scent notes: bergamot, rose, patchouli, musk

2. Liquides Imaginaires Bloody Wood

Price: $320AUD

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
Olfactory family: Woody Fruity
Scent notes: red wine, rose, violet, cherry, raspberry, woods, oak, sandalwood

3. Via Dei Mille Gelsomino

Price: $297AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral
Scent notes: mandarin, bergamot, violet leaf, jasmine, iris, sandalwood, vetiver

4. Ormonde Jayne Levant

floral fragrances for men

Price: $339AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral
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

floral fragrances for men

Price: from $388AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral Woody
Scent notes: spices, rose, oud, cade wood, cedarwood, vetiver

6. Tokyo Milk Dark Everything & Nothing 

floral fragrances for men

Price: $85AUD

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
Olfactory family: Citrus Aromatic
Scent notes: sweet orange, pressed petals, desert moss, tea leaves

7. Trudon Bruma

floral fragrances for men

Price: $350AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral Woody Musk
Scent notes: galbanum, lavender, iris, violet, jasmine, leather, labdanum, vetiver, tonka bean

8. Roja Parfums Danger Pour Homme

Price: $499AUD

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
Olfactory family:
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

floral fragrances for men

Price: $144AUD

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
Olfactory family: Aromatic Fougere
Scent notes: cardamom, basil, bergamot, iris, cypress, cedarwood, coumarin

10. Montale Paris Day Dreams 

floral fragrances for men

Price: $279AUD

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
Olfactory family: Aromatic Woody
Scent notes: mandarin orange, orange blossom, neroli, tiare, jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, coconut

11. Penhaligon’s Much Ado About The Duke

floral fragrances for men

Price: $495AUD

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
Olfactory family: Woody Spicy
Scent notes: pepper, cumin, rose, gin, wood, leather

12. Jo Malone London Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense

Price: $245AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral Oriental
Scent notes: clove, praline, rose, oud

13. Tom Ford Rose Prick

Price: $575AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral Chypre
Scent notes: Bulgarian rose, turmeric extract, Indonesian patchouli, Sichuan pepper, roasted tonk, tolu balsam

14. Aesop Rōzu

Price: $240AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral Woody
Scent notes: rose, shiso, pink pepper, bergamot, bitter orange, guaiac wood, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, myrrh, musk

15. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

Price: $410AUD

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
Olfactory family: Citrus Aromatic
Scent notes: bergamot, mandarin, lemon, bitter orange, orange blossm, jasmine, neroli, amber, angelica, ambrette

16. Diptyque Do Son

Price: $183AUD

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
Olfactory family: Floral
Scent notes: orange flower, rose, iris, tuberose, pink pepper, benzoin, musk

FAQ

Can men wear floral fragrances?

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.

What are the best floral fragrance notes for men?

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.

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Words by John Deckard