Conversations around sexuality and gender fluidity have been a critical aspect of the current zeitgeist and brands are joining in by aligning their offerings with the discourse. To remain relevant, perfume brands are challenging the norm when it comes to the fragrances they offer consumers. For a long time, fragrances have been assigned male and female scents where the former is musky and rugged and the latter is floral and gentle. While this may seem innocuous, it has played a role in perpetuating toxic gender definitions that pigeonhole masculinity and femininity. By only associating a floral scent with femininity, brands have been unwittingly perpetuating a notion of masculinity that is devoid of gentleness, a characteristic that is innate in all human beings.

 

“Fragrance is so personal it reflects style & taste & the time of year. Fragrance really says a lot about your personality.” – Liz the Fragrance Queen

 

Your fragrance doesn’t have to determine how you are in the world; you decide what works for you and best reflects your personality. Brands such as Gucci are realising this shift in men’s fragrances and have set out to challenge the conventional. This also challenges men to think of themselves outside of the traditional definition of masculinity. Gucci’s Guilty and Oud are examples of fragrances that throw convention out the window.

 

 

Breaking with traditional men’s fragrance ingredients, Gucci Guilty For Him’s heart of floral, sensual Orange Blossom, heightens the scent’s allure, intensified with seductive notes of Lavender and Patchouli at the base. The scent emphasises individuality, freedom and a modern declaration of sexuality.

Mysterious and elegant, Gucci Guilty Oud is imagined through a walk in a forest. There, the scents of nature infuse into one another, with an undergrowth ripe with wild blackberries and woody, earthy nooks that meld into a deep and intense perfume.

Masculinity is being redefined to include gentleness; this frees men and allows them to unabashedly explore and express all aspects of their being.

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