Fragrant convergence More and more women are reaching for masculine fragrances

Today, there’s no longer anything spe- Edmond Roudnitska had created a cial about being a mother and pursu- classic – and set a fragrant milestone: ing a career. On the other hand, virtu- The heart note in Eau Sauvage consists ally no man any longer has to risk of floral notes – jasmin, rose, carnation disapproving looks if he’s happy brin- and iris – which up until then had ging up his children. The barriers bet- generally been restricted to feminine ween social roles are vanishing, sex- perfumes. This was presumably one of specific delineations are disappearing – the reasons why this scent, which is and that’s exactly what’s also being said to be the best-selling masculine reflected in the world of fragrances. perfume in the past 25 years, has always had a reputation for enchan- Famous forerunners ting not just men but women as well. Many of today’s masculine fragrances Feminine fragrances are warm, evoke a masculine ideal that’s charact- Fragrant working world emotional and sensual, while mas- erized by emotion, passion and creati- In fact, it would appear that women culine scents are dynamic, power- vity – the exact opposite of the tough, who work are increasingly viewing the- ful and cool. These kinds of equa- rationally driven man. Two famous se new, soft fragrances as the ideal tions really don’t work any more masculine notes were early forerun- scent to wear at the office. Because in today. ners of this new softness: In 1965, most western countries, sexuality isn’t wanted at the workplace – and that The best indication of this trend: More includes sultry feminine perfumes with and more women are falling in love erotic undertones. The new masculine with masculine fragrances. And that fragrances smell fresh and sensual – comes as no surprise to anyone who’s without seeming provocative. That’s ever experienced the new masculine because perfumers haven’t simply notes... Gone are the days when men adopted the Oriental fragrance con- predominantly smelled like tobacco cept one hundred percent, they’ve cre- notes, light citrus nuances and laven- atively adapted it: With a yes to sensu- der. In the past, the Oriental fragrance ality and warmth, but a no to sultry concept had almost always been used eroticism. Ideal for the working world! for feminine scents. Reinterpreted, though, it has now entered the world of masculine perfumes. In addition to their freshness, these new fragrances Jean Paul Guerlain created Habit offer the surprise, first and foremost, Rouge, an Oriental-woody citrus scent of floral accents and seductive notes, in which a fresh top note is first trans- like musk and vanilla. Soft and sensual formed into an easy-going, warm is what modern men want. The result: heart note with spicy accents before More and more women are intentio- finally giving way to a soft, powdery nally reaching for masculine flacons in base note consisting primarily of vanil- the bathroom. Or even buying mascu- la and amber. Soon afterward, in line fragrances for themselves! 1966, Eau Sauvage was launched – it was the first masculine perfume from New roles, new fragrances Dior: A lemony, piquant-light scent This fragrant convergence is primarily with a tender jasmin flair. With his being driven by changing role models. "wild water,” famous French perfumer

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