Best fragrance for males: I’ve examined dozens of fragrances, these are the 12 scents ladies LOVE (together with a shocking unisex choice) – and the aftershaves to keep away from

This might just be the most luxurious fragrance I’ve ever worn in my life – and I don’t say that lightly.

Inspired by the warmth and luminosity of the tiger’s eye gemstone, this scent opens with a citrus burst of Italian grapefruit accord and a flash of warming ginger.

This is soon softened by ambergris heart and ambrette, before giving way to creamy, resinous benzoin Siam and Peru balsam.

The dry down leans into leather and oud – the biggest departure from the lighter, fruitier Tygar that came before it.

Extrait is darker, heavier and more long-lasting too – making it perfect for evening wear.

I’ll be wearing this to black tie events: awards ceremonies, gala dinners, basically the fanciest events in calendar.

It’s a pleasure to wear and to top it all off the bottle looks stunning on my bathroom shelf.

As the priciest fragrance among the list it’s of course it’s a splurge, but if you enjoy decadence and are willing to treat yourself (or someone else), this is truly the crème de la crème.

Inspired by the energy of New York City, this scent is vibrant, aromatic and sensual.

Juicy blackcurrant – used in men’s fragrance for the first time here – along with creamy vanilla bring a distinctive gourmand flair, but not one that ever feels sickly sweet.

Perhaps this is because luminous green mandarin and invigorating bergamot bring an air or brightness for balance.

Meanwhile heady lavender, velvety moss and bourbon geranium round things out with and air of the fougere, underscored by Australian sandalwood.

In layman’s terms, this scent is hedonistic, decadent and unapologetic, perfect for the charmer or loveable rogue.

I’ll be wearing this on the dancefloor, at house parties or dousing myself it in after a day in the office when I want to shift from work to play mode.

This beautifully balanced fragrance oozes quiet confidence and sophistication, a true gentleman’s scent.

In a world of gimmicks and shock factor, Paradigme is understated, classic and tempered in the best way.

It opens with warming amber and woodiness thanks to Peru balm, benzoin resin and Guaiac wood.

However, it’s the floral freshness that follows which really elevates things, with green bourbon geranium and Calabrian bergamot heart bringing aromatic brightness as the heart notes emerge.

I challenge anyone not to enjoy this fragrance, which in my opinion, makes it a great option for gifting or buying blind.

It may not be reinventing the wheel, but it’s clean, soft and elegant in a way that makes it great for everyday wear.

This reboot of Gentleman Society is the most opulent and flamboyant yet, cutting creamy vanilla with smoky tobacco absolute and sandalwood.

The brand describes spritzing yourself with this as ‘shrouding yourself with gold’ and it’s fair to say that the scent evokes decadence and luxury, event down to chic black bottle.

Juniper berries and nutmeg bring sweetness and warmth, which are tempered by the woody notes in the form of Peru balsam.

If you’re thinking this sounds a bit ‘Christmassy,’ fear not –

orris, narcissus and vetiver bring an aromatic, almost powdery quality that ensures the scent steers clear of any festive connotations.

That being said, I do think this is a scent that will shine in the colder months, cutting through cold nights with its resinous heat.

This also makes for a sensual, seductive undertone – one that would work well for date nights, which is when I’ll be reaching for it.

Unisex fragrance is booming in 2026, with more and more buyers wanting access to a full range of scent profiles that aren’t restricted to exclusively masculine or feminine blends.

Miller Harris – a boutique, London-based brand – groups its fragrances by scent family rather than gender to great success.

I’m a huge fan of Mìneir, an aromatic-marine fragrance meant to evoke cold, dark water.

It’s fresh and aquatic, with herbal sage offset brightened up by eucalyptus, mint and patchouli.

Meanwhile moss and myrrh add a depth reminiscent of the forest floor, with just a whisper of white flowers.

For me, this is the perfect scent for the office – clean, professional and not too overpowering.

After all, no-one wants to be flooding a meeting room with a leathery or musky scent in my humble opinion.

If you’re a literary buff, you may be intrigued to know this scent was inspired by To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, which explores themes of nature, solitude and quiet contemplation.

The original Davidoff Cool Water might just be most iconic aquatic men’s fragrances on the market, but this rebooted version is a far cry from the light, fresh original, and is all the better for it in my opinion.

With a botanical blend of oud accord base notes, lavandin absolute middle notes and rose oxide top notes, the result is opulent and aromatic.

It’s resinous and herbal, almost like elevated tree sap, slightly sweeter than a traditional woody scent.

I think this would be great for a date and is perhaps better suited to evening wear rather than daytime.

If Cool Water gives surfer boy, this iteration gives the sophisticated gentleman he grows up into.

I was impressed by the lasting power too, finding minimal need to reapply even hours after application.

I’ll be reaching for this when I’m heading to a cocktail party, fancy restaurant or a dancefloor.

If you like your scents spicy and peppery, this rebooted version of Viktor & Rolf’s iconic Spicebomb is a match made in heaven.

The first impression is potent – with black pepper and elemi adding a sharp sting to fresh bergamot and aldehydes.

However, it’s once this initial burst passes that the real magic happens, as warming cinnamon and aromatic lavandin emerge.

Next comes leather, musk, ambrette – a powerful, masculine base that’s inescapably sensual.

I’ll come out and say it – this scent is sexy. The brand describes its duality as ‘the warmth of bare skin reflected in cold steel’ and it’s this sense of duality that makes it so alluring.

To my mind, this is for candlelit drinks, nightclubs and sensual rendezvous. A couple of spritzes on your pulse points will have you feeling seductive in no time.

I won’t be wearing this on the daily, but the grenade will emerge whenever I need to capture that special someone’s attention.

This fragrance is inspired by adventure and is perfect is you like a traditionally masculine scent.

After a brief burst of brightness in the form of bergamot, this scent moves away from its zingy top note and settles into heavier, more grounded patchouli and vetiver.

This in turn gives way to warm leather and amber accords, a strong, heavy base – one that is perfectly embodied by the black, textured bottle.

Compared to the original Explorer this is darker and warmer thanks to resinous woods. It also has better projection and lasting power, meaning less of a need to reapply.

You can get away with this as a day or night scent, although I’d say it leans slightly towards the latter.

At £69 this is also great value for money and a brilliant place to start for a man just getting into fragrance for the first time.

If you’re a gentleman with a penchant for floral scents (there’s no shame in it!) then this unisex fragrance is a delightfully decadent option.

Bergamot and coriander are the first notes to hit you upon spritzing, clean and zingy from the offset.

However, soon afterwards a bouquet of neroli, tuberose, rose, jasmine and lily settling starts to bloom – a heady floral cocktail that doesn’t feel sickly sweet or powdery in the slightest.

This is likely thanks to the base of amber and smoky vanilla, which provides warmth and woodiness, while patchouli and oud add herby, earthy dimension.

This fragrance feels perfect for Spring and Summer and works just as well by day and it does by night.

It feels utterly VIP and the brand champions it as a fragrance for success, elegance and style. Don’t mind if I do!

In case you’re wondering where the name comes from, Imperium refers to the supreme power held by the intellectual and political giants of the ancient world, and this fragrance is designed to evoke this very sense of commanding charisma.

Yes £200 is expensive, but if you want smell just as expensive, you won’t regret making this your new signature scent.

This velvety, creamy scent is like if you could bottle Bridgerton – it’s refined, floral and undercut with the earthiness of tea, reminding me of a fancy drawing room.

The brand’s scent enhancer, Iso E Super, which brings with it a warm woodiness, while champaca absolute adds rich, exotic layers of jasmine and orange blossom.

In the best possible way, this scent is a Jack of all trades, balancing notes from across the amber, woody, floral and musky scent families.

The brand describes the formulations as ‘opulent yet weightless’ and I would agree. There’s a quiet elegance here which makes it supremely wearable, never ‘too much’ or overpowering.

This turned out to be one of the most popular fragrances I tested, particularly among women.

I’ll be wearing this to galleries, museums, book shops and afternoon teas – anywhere with a hint of pomp, in fact.

This unisex fragrance is perfect for Spring and Summer days in the sun and will be travelling with me on every holiday for the foreseeable future.

Designed to evoke both the Atlantic breeze over the vineyards of Southern France and smell of distant pine forests, this scent opens with zingy lemon, apple and basil, before the woodiness of conifer and camphor wood starts to settle.

I loved how the base notes of vanilla and musk emerged from the initial citrus spitz, adding warmth to avoid the dreaded ‘surface cleaner’ connotations that can sometimes come with a lemon or apple-heavy scent.

It took the brand two years to capture this aquatic, oceanic ozone scent and I can confirm it perfectly summons memories of sunshine, the beach and the sea breeze.

If you want to tap into your inner surfer boy or Riviera slicker, you’ll want this in your travel bag.