Woody, aromatic fougère, and citrus-fresh families are the ones most commonly marketed towards men in the UK, though this is really a marketing convention rather than any rule about what men can or should wear.

The traditional “men’s” territory

Fougère, built on lavender, oakmoss and coumarin, has been marketed almost exclusively as masculine since the category was named in the late 19th century, and that convention has stuck remarkably firmly. Woody and leather-forward fragrances get the same treatment, along with sharp, citrus-aromatic colognes positioned as clean and understated. Amber and oud have increasingly been added to this list too, particularly darker, spicier oud blends marketed with masculine branding and packaging even when the scent itself has no gendered chemistry at all.

Why this is really about packaging, not chemistry

Bottle colour, advertising, and even the font on the box do far more to signal “men’s” or “women’s” than the actual fragrance formula, which is one reason so many perfumes across genders end up smelling far more similar than their branding suggests. If a scent works for you, the aisle it’s shelved in is largely irrelevant. Our men’s fragrance guide and fragrance families guide cover this, alongside the complete guide to perfume.