A unisex perfume is a fragrance created without a gender label: it isn't designed for men or for women, but for whoever connects with it. Instead of following the usual codes (sweet florals for her, woods and lavender for him), it blends ingredients from both sides and lets your skin decide how it comes across.

If you already know that label-free scents are your thing, head straight to our unisex perfumes collection. If you'd rather understand first what makes them different and which ones are worth it, keep reading: further down you'll find eight divain fragrances explained note by note.

Why are unisex perfumes so popular?

Unisex fragrances are among the most searched-for scents, and that's no accident. They fit a far more personal way of choosing perfume: you focus on how it smells, not on which shelf it sits on.

• Freedom to choose. You pick by scent family and by feeling, without wondering whether something is "for him" or "for her".
• Compositions with more character. Since they don't have to fit a mould, they play with contrasts: spices with flowers, salt with citrus, leather with honey.
• They can be shared. One bottle works for two people, which is very handy if you live together or want a fragrance in common.
• They suit more occasions. Many unisex scents are balanced, neither too sweet nor too dry, which makes them easy to wear every day.

There's one more detail: every skin has its own chemistry. A unisex perfume never smells exactly the same on two people, and that's a big part of its charm.

The most common scent families in unisex perfumes

Almost every unisex perfume falls into one of five territories. Knowing which one draws you in saves you a lot of testing:

• Dry woods and citrus. Cedar, vetiver or cypress with an opening of bergamot or lemon. Clean, elegant and very easy to wear to the office.
• Aromatic florals. Jasmine, iris, violet or orange blossom paired with herbs such as lavender or rosemary. Flowers, yes, but without cloying sweetness.
• Oud and spices. Dense woods, saffron, cardamom and resins. The most intense of all and the ones with the strongest trail; ideal for the evening.
• Aquatics. Marine notes, salt and seaweed over a musky base. They bring to mind skin after a swim in the sea and shine in spring and summer.
• Orientals and gourmands. Tobacco, vanilla, tonka bean, cocoa or amber. Warm, enveloping and perfect for the colder months.

8 divain unisex perfumes worth trying

We've picked eight unisex fragrances from our range that cover those families. Here are the notes in each one and the moments when they shine.

divain-196: tobacco, vanilla and cocoa

Our best-selling unisex perfume, and you understand why the moment you try it. It opens with tobacco leaves and spicy notes, moves into a very gourmand heart of tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla and cocoa, and finishes on nuts and woody notes. Warm and enveloping, made for autumn afternoons, dinners and winter nights.

divain-611: jasmine, saffron and amber

A luminous oriental. The opening combines jasmine and saffron, the heart rests on Amberwood and ambergris, and the base brings fir resin and cedar, giving it an almost forest-like finish. For anyone after presence without too much sweetness; it works by day and by night.

divain-682: bitter almond and saffron

It opens with bitter almond and saffron, a pairing that grabs your attention from the very first moment. Then Egyptian jasmine and cedar appear, and the base settles into ambergris, woody notes and musk. Elegant and a little mysterious, very much one for special occasions.

divain-593: leather, honey and resins

It starts fresh and green with cypress, iris and juniper berries, but quickly gains depth with patchouli and myrrh. The base is the richest part: honey, leather, amber, musk, vanilla, woody notes and resins. A full-bodied woody scent for anyone who loves intense perfumes.

divain-315: sandalwood, leather and violet

A creamy, sophisticated woody scent. Sandalwood, leather, cardamom and iris in the opening; sandalwood again with violet and Egyptian papyrus in the heart; amber and Virginia cedar in the base. It stays close to the skin and smells clean and polished. Very versatile: from work to dinner without changing perfume.

divain-560: citrus, neroli and orange blossom

The freshest option on the list. Bergamot, mandarin, lemon, lavender, myrtle, rosemary and bitter orange in the opening; African orange flower, jasmine, neroli and orange blossom in the heart; amber, ambrette musk and angelica in the base. Bright and cheerful, ideal for daytime, after a shower and for the hot months.

divain-292: cedar, salt and seaweed

Minimalist in the best sense: Virginia cedar, seaweed, salt and myrtle. It smells of wood by the sea, dry and mineral. If you like understated perfumes that never tire, this one is for you. Perfect for everyday wear in any season.

divain-765: bergamot and marine notes

A true aquatic. It opens with bergamot and lemon, continues with seaweed, calone and hedione, and settles on ambroxan, cedar and musk. Fresh, clean and with that salty touch that recalls a sea breeze. Made for spring, summer and trips to the coast.

How to choose your unisex perfume

There's no unisex perfume that suits everyone, but there are a few guidelines that help you get it right:

• Start from what you already like. If you usually wear fresh scents, begin with a citrus or an aquatic. If you prefer sweet ones, go for an oriental with vanilla or tobacco.
• Think about the moment. For daytime and warm weather, citrus and marine notes. For evenings and cold weather, amber, spices and dense woods.
• Test it on skin, not on paper. Base notes take a while to come through, so wait at least half an hour before deciding.
• Pay attention to intensity. If you spend the day indoors, a soft woody or an aquatic is a better bet. Save orientals and leathers for when you want to make an impression.
• If in doubt, have two. A fresh one for the day and a warm one for the night cover almost any plan.

Unisex perfumes to give or share as a couple

A unisex perfume is a low-risk gift: you don't have to guess whether the other person prefers something "masculine" or "feminine", only whether they lean towards fresh or warm scents. If you want to play it safe, take a look at our best-selling unisex perfumes, the ones our customers buy again and again.

They're also a great idea to share as a couple. One bottle in the bathroom, two different skins and two different results: many couples discover this way that they like a fragrance more on their partner than on themselves.

Frequently asked questions about unisex perfumes

What is a unisex perfume?

It's a fragrance created without a specific gender in mind. It combines ingredients traditionally associated with men's or women's perfumes, such as woods, citrus, flowers or spices, so that anyone can wear it.

Does a unisex perfume smell the same on men and women?

Not exactly, but the difference comes down to skin rather than gender. pH, hydration and body temperature change how the notes develop, so the same perfume can come across sweeter on one person and drier on another.

What is divain's best-selling unisex perfume?

Our best-selling unisex perfume is divain-196, an oriental with tobacco leaves and spicy notes in the opening, tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla and cocoa in the heart, and nuts and woody notes in the base.

Which notes are most common in unisex perfumes?

The most frequent are woods such as cedar or sandalwood, citrus such as bergamot and lemon, flowers such as jasmine or iris, spices such as saffron or cardamom, marine notes and warm bases of amber, vanilla, musk or tobacco.