Quick answer: A unisex perfume is a fragrance that the brand makes and markets for anyone, rather than for men or for women. The label is a marketing convention, not a rule about who can wear it: notes have no gender. In our store, 38 of the 77 Mykonos perfumes are listed as unisex, and they run from marine citrus to smoky vanilla, so the scent family tells you more than the label does.
What is unisex perfume, and does the word on the label change anything about what is in the bottle? This guide explains what "unisex" means, where the for-him and for-her labels come from, how the unisex perfumes in our store differ from one another and how to pick one. We are an authorized Mykonos retailer for Europe; the notes, labels and ratings below come from the brand's product data and handbook.
What is unisex perfume?
A unisex perfume is one that is presented to everyone. The brand does not show a man or a woman as its wearer, the name and the bottle are kept neutral, and shops list it under "unisex" rather than in a men's or a women's section. "Genderless" and "shared fragrance" mean the same thing.
What the label does not describe is the liquid. No ingredient makes a perfume masculine or feminine, and a unisex scent is not made in a different way. Strength and staying power depend on the composition and the concentration; our guide to extrait de parfum vs eau de parfum covers those.
Why "for him", "for her" and "unisex" are marketing labels
The division into men's and women's perfume is a habit of the trade. Sweet florals and fruits were advertised to women, dry woods, aromatic herbs and sharp citrus to men. They are conventions, and they shift from one country and one generation to the next: a rose or a vanilla that one market sells to women is worn by everybody in another.
So the label tells you who the brand pictured when it designed the bottle and the campaign, not who the scent suits. Anyone who likes the notes can wear a perfume listed for him or for her.
In our store unisex is the largest group: 38 perfumes are listed as unisex, 27 for her and 10 for him. You can see them together in the unisex collection.
What makes a fragrance unisex?
In practice a perfume ends up with the unisex label for one of two reasons. Some are built around notes that were never strongly tied to one group: citrus, tea, clean musk, light woods, amber. Others take a note with a reputation, such as vanilla or a tropical fruit, and balance it with something from the other side of the convention, like smoke, spice or dry wood.
That is why "unisex" does not describe a smell. The 38 in our range cover all six scent families we use in the store, which we describe in fragrance families explained. Fruity is the biggest group among them, followed by woody and vanilla; citrus, floral and gourmand are about equal in size, and musky is the smallest. Most of them are extrait de parfum.
How the unisex perfumes in our range differ
Six examples, one for each direction, show how far apart two unisex scents can be.
| Unisex perfume | Family | Listed for |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Citrus | Spring, summer, autumn |
| Penthouse | Musky | All four seasons |
| Dreamscape | Fruity | Autumn, winter |
| Milk Drops | Gourmand | Autumn, winter |
| Bonfire Vanilla | Gourmand, woody and vanilla | Autumn, winter |
| Marbella | Floral, fruity | Summer |
- Fresh and marine: Mykonos Reflection sets grapefruit, ginger and bergamot over marine notes, cardamom and lily of the valley, on musk, patchouli, amber and ambroxan. Mykonos rates its longevity at 10+ hours, with moderate to strong sillage and projection; how long it lasts on you depends on skin and climate.
- Clean and soapy: Mykonos Penthouse has aldehydes and sparkling blackcurrant on top, a white soap accord and white tea vapour in the heart, and clean musks, amber and cashmeran in the base. Mykonos rates its longevity at 12+ hours.
- Juicy and spiced: Mykonos Dreamscape puts mango, Italian lemon and rhubarb over ginger, pink pepper and praline, and dries down to cedar, grey amber, tonka bean and moss: a sweet fruit balanced by dry wood. The handbook rates its sillage and projection as strong and its longevity at 12+ hours.
- Soft and milky: Mykonos Milk Drops is a gourmand of milk, a floral bouquet and green notes on tonka bean, white musk and white wood. Its intensity is listed as moderate, for daily wear, work and evenings, and Mykonos rates its longevity at 12+ hours.
- Smoky and warm: Mykonos Bonfire Vanilla moves from clove, nutmeg and pink pepper through smoked wood and burnt brown sugar to vanilla, marshmallow and caramel. It is listed for evenings and special occasions, with a rated longevity of 10+ hours.
- Tropical and floral: Mykonos Marbella combines passionfruit and mango with frangipani and solar notes on vanilla, benzoin, musk and labdanum. It is a summer scent in 100 ml.
How to choose a unisex perfume
- Start with the family, not the label. Decide whether you want fresh, clean, fruity, sweet or warm.
- Match the season and the occasion. A light citrus is easier in heat and at work; smoke, vanilla and praline ask for cooler air and an evening. See choosing a perfume by season.
- Decide how much presence you want. The handbook ratings for sillage and projection tell you whether a scent stays close or fills a room.
- Wear it before you judge it. Skin changes a perfume, which is why one bottle can smell different on two people who share it. Our guides on how to test perfume and why perfume smells different on skin explain what to look for.
If you would rather answer a few questions than read note lists, find your scent gives you a shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Can men wear women's perfume, and women men's?
Yes. "For him" and "for her" describe how a perfume is marketed, not who it works on.
Is unisex perfume weaker than men's or women's perfume?
No. Strength depends on the composition and the concentration, not on the label. Most of the unisex perfumes in our range are extrait de parfum, and several carry a brand rating of 12+ hours.
What are the best unisex perfumes?
A top 10 only helps once you know which family you like. For something fresh, start with Reflection; for clean, Penthouse; for fruity, Dreamscape or Marbella; for sweet and soft, Milk Drops; for a warm winter scent, Bonfire Vanilla.
Is a unisex perfume a good gift?
Often, because you do not have to guess which section the other person shops in. You still need to know what they like to smell; our Mykonos perfume gift guide shows how to work that out.