Opposed to the men-women polarity, gender fluidity evokes a universe that is neither masculine nor feminine.

In perfumery, the distinction between masculine and feminine fragrances is rather recent. For centuries, olfactory notes have been associated with power and not with genre - explains the olfactory archivist James Craven: rose was easily worn by men and the spicy notes by women. In the 1920s, the diffusion of movies has sexualized fragrances, while commercial perfumery in the 80s has launched the first unisex perfumes, then put in the spotlight by niche brands.

Francis Kurkdjian explains that perfumes, being invisible, are the easiest way to express one's own identity beyond the gender dictates. After proposing Aqua Universalis in 2009, his brand presents us today the Gentle Fluidity duo: two perfumes where the same 49 ingredients are present in different amounts, hence the woody citrus notes for the former and the woody oriental for the latter.

Another unisex universe, the one of Untitled, the first fragrance by Maison Martin Margiela. This "nameless" perfume, dressed in white (which is a non-color by definition), presents a floral universe with a powerful overdose of galbanum.

Ultimately, there’s only one thing that can make a perfume masculine or feminine: you. 

Discover below our selection of gender-fluid perfumes.