Fragrances for men have shifted many times over the years and as the growth in men’s beauty, personal care and grooming ranges grow the diversity of scents available has grown with it. So as Father’s Day is approaching we decided to take a look at some of the male fragrances we love, the diversity of applications we get fragrance requests for and some of the up-and-coming fragrance trends.
Modern Fragrances for Men
When it comes to choosing the right fragrance notes for your perfect men’s fragrances, it is important to start with the basics. There are some main fragrance families masculine colognes will fall under; aromatic-fougere, woody-amber, citrus, and fresh-aquatic. Each family has its own unique scent direction that can be used to create a variety of different colognes.
- Ambery-Woody fragrances are usually richer and more masculine, with deeper notes like sandalwood or cedar with added sweetness of Amber. They are ideal for evening wear or when you want to make a more dramatic statement.
- Citrus fragrances are bright and invigorating, with fresh citrus notes like bergamot or grapefruit. They make great daytime colognes and are perfect for summertime wear.
- Fresh-Aquatic fragrances are clean and crisp, with light notes of cucumber or mint alongside marine notes. They make great all-purpose colognes that can be worn any time of day or year.
How do Male Fragrances Differ from Unisex Fragrances?
The popularity of unisex fragrances has gradually increased over the last few years. This is primarily due to the greater awareness and openness of the public with regard to gender identity issues and to changes in the stereotypical perception of masculine and feminine attributes such as smell. In order to gain this mass appeal, the fragrances do not have the heavy fragrance profile that is usually associated with cologne or the sweeter and more floral fragrance profile of a more traditionally perceived female fragrance.
Cinnamon, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cedar are some popular fragrance notes associated with unisex perfumery. Unisex perfumes can also have deep, earthy and musky smells. These unisex perfumes and colognes can often take on an animalic impression, which include fragrance notes of leather or patchouli.
Men’s Fragrance Applications
At Carvansons we make fragrances that end up in a wide variety of final products. Obviously, we have produced a wide range of men’s colognes over the years but we also work with a wide range of men’s grooming and personal care product manufacturers.
Fragranced Male Grooming Products
From manscaping to ‘brotox’, male grooming is on the increase. The male grooming market was worth USD 55.22 billion in 2020 and is predicted to grow by 4.29%.
For decades, it has been a tough shout for brands to persuade men to go beyond basic cleansing and maybe moisturising.
But a rise in video content around male grooming and self care routines on social media featuring men using their favourite skin care and cosmetics products is opening up the idea to more men. As a result, we have left the days of basic skincare and personal care products. Beard oils and sophisticated skincare solutions continue to grow in popularity, with many men now stating that they use face masks.
TikTok has seen real growth in male grooming routine content, with multistep #GRWM (Get Ready With Me) videos by male creators proving particularly popular.
Fragrances for these products can range from dark deep and smokey fragrances to fresher, lighter, aquatic unisex fragrances. Charcoal has also become a popular direction in grooming ranges.
Fragrances for Men: Application Type
As a general rule – although not always the case, the concentration of a fragrance refers to the strength or purity of the scent. The higher the concentration, the stronger and more pure the scent will be. The concentration also affects how long your fragrance will last. A higher concentration means that your fragrance will last longer. Concentration will play a major part in the creation of these products.
Parfums are the strongest and most concentrated level of fragrance (20% and above). This means that they have the longest-lasting scent compared to other concentrations. However, they can also be more expensive than other concentrations because they use more pure ingredients. In addition, because they are so concentrated, it is easy to overdo it with parfums and end up with an overwhelming scent that can be unpleasant for others to be around.
Eau De Parfums are slightly less concentrated than Parfums (15-20%) but still have a strong scent that lasts long on the skin. They tend to be cheaper than Parfums as well, however not by much. Because they’re not as strong as Parums, some people may find them more pleasant to wear.
Cologne was originally created for men and usually has a lighter scent because it only contains around 2-5% of the aromatic compound. This makes them ideal for people who don’t like strong scents or who want to wear their perfume during the day without being too overpowering. However, because they are so light, they often don’t last as long as other types of fragrances.
A hybrid between Cologne and Parfum, Eau De Toilette contains between 5-15% perfume concentrate. This gives it a moderate sillage (amount of fragrance released into the air – leaving a scent trail like the waves behind a ship) while still being appropriate for daytime wear. It’s also one of the most popular types of fragrances since it’s affordable and easy to find.
Men’s Fragrance Trends
MSCHF
Brooklyn-based imprint MSCHF introduces its latest cheeky project in the form of a luxury perfume dubbed the Eau de Industrie. It is a fragrance that is developed with inspiration from WD-40. Creating a perfume that is modelled after the industrial lubricant, it contains notes of oud, jasmine oil, as well as rose petals.
The branding of the perfume is also just as playful as it looks like an industrial tool itself. It has a unique nozzle at the top to reference the industrial theme and a blue metallic body.
Jean Paul Gaultier – Le Male
The fragrance became very popular in the 90’s. Its iconic bottle shape combined with its unconventional vision of masculinity made it stand out. With notes of lavender and vanilla, it was said to reference the familiar and reassuring smell of shaving soap.
Sauvage – the Worlds Number one Fragrance
This was the first time a men’s fragrance has taken the worldwide first-place spot. The bestselling perfume worldwide is in fact a men’s fragrance. Surpassing big female successes such as Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme, the brand claimed to have sold one bottle every three seconds in 2021.
Modern Oud Fragrances for Men
Oud has always been a big favourite for male fragrances in the Middle East. But this trend has over the past few years grown exponentially. Derived from the tropical agar tree, Oud has become a staple in men’s fragrances. Oud Satin Mood Eau de Parfum by Maison Francis Kurkdjian is considered one of the best colognes in the world for men in this category. It is a woody, oriental fragrance crafted by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and has won several awards since its launch in 2020. Oud Save The King by Atkinsons is also a favourite with notes of Earl Grey Tea, Bergamot, Suede, Oud and Sandalwood.
Looking for a Male Fragrance for your final product?
Our team is able to help create a fragrance from scratch or adapt and recreate something you have smelled previously. Contact our team now to learn more about incorporating a Male scent into your product portfolio. Our experienced and knowledgeable team are happy to advise on all manner of fragranced products. Click here to request samples of our latest fragrances.
About Carvansons
Carvansons is a world-leading manufacturer of mass-market and bespoke aroma compounds for the UK and international markets. Founded in 1941, Carvansons design, test and manufacture fragrance oil for a wide range of industries from industrial and home care products to fine fragrance, room scents and personal care. As an experienced and dedicated team of fragrance experts, Carvansons are well placed to support and advise on the latest trends and research and provide a bespoke and tailored service that supports your needs. Working in partnership with our customers, we help create the perfect fragrances for their products and build long-term relationships.
We work with many different companies throughout the world, which include both household names and smaller, niche industries. We advise and consult with you on the perfect scents for your product through market research and new product development.
To contact our team, please click here.
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