10 Unisex Eau de Parfum Scents to Try: Gender-Neutral Picks

If every bottle you have tried felt like it belonged to someone else, the problem is probably not your nose. It is more likely the aisle you have been shopping in. Plenty of people new to fragrance describe getting by with a mix of whatever was already on the shelf at home before they found something that actually felt like theirs, and that is a normal place to start.

Unisex fragrance removes the guesswork of the men's and women's labels and lets the scent itself do the talking. The ten picks below come from best-seller lists, editor roundups, and fragrance award results, which makes them a reasonable first stop if you are still figuring out what you like.

What Unisex Fragrance Actually Means

Unisex is a marketing and merchandising label more than a formula. Retailers such as Sephora describe gender-neutral fragrances as scents made for everyone, and Nordstrom lets shoppers filter its best-selling perfumes by a unisex category. Ulta keeps a dedicated unisex fragrance section, and discount retailers like Perfume Direct group their unisex lineup the same way.

What the label does not do is limit what a scent can smell like. Within the unisex category you will find citrus, woods, resins, tobacco, leather, and soft florals, sometimes all in one bottle. If you have only ever shopped by gender category, the unisex shelves are a much wider door to walk through.

How to Shop for Your First Gender-Neutral Scent

New fragrance shoppers tend to make the same few mistakes. These habits help you avoid buying a full bottle you will never finish:

• Start with samples or the smallest size available rather than a large bottle. One retailer lists its unisex lineup in 50 ml bottles with samples available on request, and many others sell discovery sets.
• Test on skin, not on paper. Paper strips show the opening only.
• Wear one scent at a time for a full day so you can smell how it settles.
• Pay attention to concentration. Eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and extrait de parfum are different formats, and the same idea can behave differently in each.
• Write down what you liked and disliked. After five or six tests, notes become more useful than memory.
• Buy from a retailer that is clear about authenticity and returns, since fragrance cannot always be returned once opened.

10 Unisex Scents Worth Trying

1. Jovan I Want You to Want Me Eau de Parfum

This one appears on editorial roundups of the best unisex fragrances of all time, which says something about staying power in a category that keeps churning out new releases. It is an eau de parfum, so it is a simple place to begin if you want the fuller style of concentration rather than a light splash. Test it before committing to a full bottle.

2. Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum

Santal 33 is one of the most recognizable names in gender-neutral fragrance and turns up regularly on best-selling unisex lists, including Nordstrom's. Because it is so widely worn, you are likely to encounter it in the wild before you ever buy it, which makes it a useful reference point. If you like it, you will have a clear direction for what to test next.

3. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum sits on best-selling unisex roundups alongside Santal 33. It is an extrait, which is typically the most concentrated format a house offers, so a small amount tends to go a long way. That also makes it a good candidate for a sample rather than a blind full-size purchase.

4. Diptyque L'Eau Papier

L'Eau Papier appeared among the unisex fragrances recognized in the 2024 Fragrantica awards, which are voted on by the fragrance community rather than chosen by a single editor. Community recognition is worth paying attention to when you are new, because it reflects a scent that a wide range of people found wearable rather than one niche taste.

5. Guerlain Tobacco Honey

Tobacco Honey also landed on that 2024 unisex award list. Tobacco accords are a common thread in gender-neutral perfumery, and this one gives you a way to find out whether that direction works on your skin without committing to a house you have never tried. Worth sampling if you want something further from the fresh, citrusy end of the shelf.

6. Althaïr

Althaïr is another name from the same 2024 unisex award results. These award shortlists are handy for beginners because they gather scents that were released or reformulated recently and were tested by a large community in a single year. If you like one entry on the list, the others are a reasonable next set of samples.

7. Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill

Pacific Chill rounds out the unisex names from that 2024 award list. It gives you an option that leans in a different direction from the tobacco and amber styles above, which matters when you are still working out whether you prefer warm or cool scents. Sample it next to one of the sweeter picks so the contrast is easy to read.

8. Christian Dior Bois d'Argent

Bois d'Argent, from the La Collection Privée range at Christian Dior, was included in Vogue's roundup of the best gender-neutral fragrances to try. Designer private collections are often priced above mainstream releases, so this is a case where a sample or a decant makes more sense than a large blind buy.

9. Tom Ford Eau d'Ombre Leather

Tom Ford's Eau d'Ombre Leather topped one editorial list of the best unisex fragrances of all time. Note that the version named there is an eau de toilette, not an eau de parfum, so it is a lighter format than most of the other scents here. That can work in your favor if heavier concentrations feel like too much.

10. Calvin Klein Unisex Picks

If the niche names above feel like a lot to take on, mainstream houses are a lower-pressure entry point. Perfume Direct lists Calvin Klein among the brands in its unisex perfume selection, along with Armaf, Diesel, and Gulf Orchid. These are widely stocked, easy to find, and a sensible way to build up your reference points before spending more.

Where to Find Unisex Perfume

Beauty retailers have made gender-neutral fragrance much easier to browse. Sephora stocks unisex perfume, cologne, and fragrance options from a long list of brands. Ulta maintains a dedicated unisex fragrance category and lets you filter by store availability, which is helpful if you want to smell things in person before ordering. Nordstrom applies a unisex filter to its best-selling fragrance results.

Online specialty and discount retailers round out the options. NuMercy carries designer and niche fragrances in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette formats, with the same value-focused approach across its broader beauty and home categories. Wherever you buy, confirm the retailer's authenticity policy and return window before you check out.

A Simple First-Timer Testing Routine

1. Pick three scents at a time, no more. More than that and your nose starts blending them together.
2. Spray one on each wrist and keep the third for a paper strip so you can compare later.
3. Give each one a full day, including the end of the day when the dry down is all that is left.
4. Record your reaction in a note on your phone, using plain words like warm, sharp, sweet, or clean.
5. Buy the smallest format you can find. Fragrance preferences shift more than most people expect in the first year.

Once you have tested a handful of scents this way, patterns show up fast. You will notice whether you gravitate toward woody blends, sweet resins, or lighter citrus, and that knowledge makes every future purchase easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does unisex perfume actually mean?

Unisex is a merchandising label used by retailers to group fragrances that are not marketed to one gender. Sephora describes gender-neutral fragrances as scents made for everyone, and Nordstrom and Ulta both maintain unisex categories. The formula inside the bottle is not restricted in any way, so a unisex scent can be floral, woody, sweet, or smoky.

Is eau de parfum better than eau de toilette for a beginner?

Neither is better, but they behave differently. Eau de toilette is usually the lighter format, while eau de parfum and extrait de parfum are typically more concentrated and longer lasting. For a first purchase, sample the same scent in more than one concentration if you can, then choose the one that suits how often you want to reapply.

How do I test a unisex fragrance before buying a full bottle?

Order samples or a discovery set, spray onto skin rather than paper, and wear one scent for a full day so you experience the dry down. Write short notes on each. Retailers that stock unisex lines often sell smaller bottle sizes, and some offer samples on request, which keeps the cost of experimenting low.

Do unisex perfumes smell different on different people?

Yes. Body chemistry, skin type, and how a fragrance interacts with your pH all change how a scent reads once it is on you. That is the main reason testing on skin matters more than testing on paper. Two people can wear the same unisex eau de parfum and get noticeably different results, so reviews are a starting point rather than a guarantee.