Unisex scents tend to be woodier, cleaner, fresher as a whole. How fitting is that description for summer, when temperatures can reach above 100 degrees? A truly unisex scent is like a rare gem – so often, I find that when it comes to fragrance profiles, “unisex” is code for “masculine but anyone can wear it.”* The following are, in my opinion, scents that transcend gender; they’ll make anyone smell amazing, even in the thickest humidity.
Matin de Jade by Infiniment Coty Paris smells like a wide open sky above endless fields of green. Notes listed are bergamot, ginger, and angelica oil, but I get an earthy and grounding note of lemongrass, too. Spritzing this on in the morning is like drinking a tall glass of ice water with lemon – invigorating and refreshing, it’ll awaken the senses any time of day. This also contains a tea accord and white flowers, supplying an elegance that makes it perfect as a year-round signature scent. The name translates to “morning jade” – the inspiration here was a fresh breeze at dawn.
If Matin de Jade is a morning scent, Five Senses by House of Dastan perfectly encapsulates a summer night. Inspired by the complex relationship between the senses, emotion, and memory, it’s a unique profile that is both ambery and fresh. Opening with a breeze of apricot and pink pepper, it quickly shapeshifts into spiced woods with a hint of herbaceous moss. The lasting sillage, though, offers something else – a creamy, nutty trail of vanilla and cardamom. Somehow both green and lactonic, it would make for an unforgettable scent for an evening out on an August night. Find this scent at MaxAroma.
Eccentric Molecules offers a scent called Molecule 01, consisting only of Iso E Super, a synthetic fragrance molecule that smells woody and dry, though when settled on skin it turns into something utterly captivating. The fragrance I love is Molecule 01 + Iris, which, as expected, contains just Iso E Super and iris. The result is an elegant, creamy, clean olfactive experience that I have found creates a lovely bubble around the wearer. Those around you will smell this, but never be bombarded. They will just think you have an amazing natural scent. Check out the full range of Molecule + fragrances, from Mandarin to Black Tea.
Vetiveria from Ormonde Jayne is a new launch that marries vetiver with lime, timur pepper, and sage. Fizzy and herbal, it’s like a cool sip of Sprite soda. Timur pepper, which grows in the Himalayas, is what adds the zing. Snowbell, lavender, and orange blossom unfold as it develops on skin, giving it a depth that goes beyond the initial resemblance to the classic soda. At the base is tonka bean and moss, anchoring it so it sticks around through heat and dips in the ocean.
Henry Rose is Michelle Pfeiffer’s brainchild, a non-toxic and cruelty-free brand whose formulas choose from only 300 ingredients they’ve deemed safe according to EWG standards. Pfeiffer was inspired to start the brand as a mother who didn’t want to expose her children to toxicity. The perfume I have fallen absolutely head over heels for is Jake’s House, an aquatic musk and neroli scent that is heaven in summertime – it smells like the wind by the seaside. If I could smell like this forever, I would – which is saying something, as I’ve sampled close to a thousand perfumes at this point.
