Ask The Expert - Universal Fragrances
The House of Creed is a fragrance house proud of its tailoring heritage and is renowned for its beautifully crafted scents loved by all. Although the rise of universal fragrances is ever growing, this is not a new concept and one that generates back to the 19th century.
What is a universal fragrance?
Universal fragrances are classified as neither masculine nor feminine, yet they embody elements of both. Often referred to as unisex fragrances, universal scents are considered transitional and adaptable for both men and women. Blending a variety of ingredients commonly found in both men’s and women’s fragrances, unisex fragrances are often highly classic in nature and admired universally. The House of Creed presents a variety of universal fragrances to explore, most notably, the iconic Silver Mountain Water, vibrant Aventus Cologne and exotic Virgin Island Water.
What ingredients are typically found in unisex fragrances?
It’s important to note that unisex fragrances, like all other fragrances, can span across a variety of different fragrance families from aromatic and woody to floral, marine and green. With that in mind, universal scents often contain some of the most admired olfactive ingredients, including bold musk notes, warming woods like sandalwood, clean and neutral floral notes like jasmine and invigorating citrus fruits like bergamot that can really lift the scent.
What are the best unisex scents from The House of Creed?
The House of Creed presents a whole variety of fragrances that are perfect for if you’re looking for something gender-neutral. I’ve broken them down by category to help you explore these favourites based on your own tastes.
Fresh Unisex Scents
Exploring one of the House of Creed’s most popular unisex scents, Silver Mountain Water, you’ll find notes of bergamot, blackcurrant, ozonic accord, sandalwood and musk all nestled within, making it the ultimate palette pleaser for all. This fresh and marine fragrance leaves an icy air of freshness to this uplifting and energizing unisex fragrance.
Spicy Unisex Scents
A blend of rich and earthy ingredients, Royal Oud, a fragrance inspired by the Persian palace architecture is suited to both ladies and gentlemen. Combined base notes of oud, frankincense and wood infused together with lime, galbanum and bergamot form a modern fragrance with a twist on a classic and sophisticated scent.
Aromatic Unisex Scents
Original Santal uses warming ginger, aromatic geranium, tonka bean and oakmoss to capture tranquillity and opulence for the wearer. This spicy blend makes for the perfect evening scent for both men and women. Equally, for a more uplifting daytime aromatic blend, Aventus Cologne is the ultimate universal scent of choice. Taking the very best from its more classic male and female counterparts, Aventus Cologne combines pink pepper, mandarin, pineapple, birch and musk for a revitalising and contemporary fragrance.
Marine Unisex Scents
Erolfa, a fresh and crisp versatile scent, will carry you effortlessly through from morning to evening. A fragrance made up of bergamot, mandarin, ginger and basil, conjured up by a blend of fresh citrus and musky base tones, form a sophisticated, uplifting and aromatic fragrance for men and women. Equally invigorating and comforting, Erolfa will transport you to a salty sun-baked boat deck in the heat of summer.
When it comes to fragrance and gender, are there rules to follow?
There are no rules when it comes to universal fragrances. Whilst we categorise fragrances by men’s and women’s perfumes, this is simply to help narrow your searches, but we always encourage our customers to explore across the full collection. A scent should be about how it makes you feel. In fact, in the world of universal scents, rules are there to be broken. And The House of Creed has a history of breaking rules dating back to the 1800’s when tailoring ancestor Henry Creed created riding habits for women that, controversially for the times, featured trousers for ladies.
Something to consider when choosing a fragrance is that “A fragrance doesn’t have a gender, it has an attitude!” A quote I adore and one that I truly embody myself. One of my favourite scents to wear from the women's collection is Acqua Fiorentina, with the delicious opening of Pineapple and Grapefruit. The edible heart of apple, rose and plum with the intoxicating base of cedarwood and white musk instantly transports me to a warm summer evening, when the sun is beginning to set, and the sky is filled with clouds of purple and Orange. Bliss!
A typically masculine scent that is just outrageously wonderful and a very popular choice for ladies, is none other than our blockbuster, Aventus. This bold and adventurous scent with the opening of luscious lemon, pink pepper and blackcurrant beats with jasmine, pineapple and patchouli, drying down to a charming base of oak moss, cedarwood and birch. Many women have been wearing this scent since the fragrance was first launched in 2010 and continue to do so, even after the creation of Aventus For Her in 2016. Softening the masculine tones with a layer of Virgin Island Water provides a fruity, universal twist for the wearer also.
Something to consider when choosing a fragrance is that “A fragrance doesn’t have a gender, it has an attitude!” A quote I adore and one that I truly embody myself. One of my favourite scents to wear from the women's collection is Acqua Fiorentina, with the delicious opening of Pineapple and Grapefruit. The edible heart of apple, rose and plum with the intoxicating base of cedarwood and white musk instantly transports me to a warm summer evening, when the sun is beginning to set, and the sky is filled with clouds of purple and Orange. Bliss!
A typically masculine scent that is just outrageously wonderful and a very popular choice for ladies, is none other than our blockbuster, Aventus. This bold and adventurous scent with the opening of luscious lemon, pink pepper and blackcurrant beats with jasmine, pineapple and patchouli, drying down to a charming base of oak moss, cedarwood and birch. Many women have been wearing this scent since the fragrance was first launched in 2010 and continue to do so, even after the creation of Aventus For Her in 2016. Softening the masculine tones with a layer of Virgin Island Water provides a fruity, universal twist for the wearer also.
What should I opt for if I’m buying a gift and are not sure whether they’d prefer more of a masculine or feminine scent?
My number one rule when buying a gift for someone is to think of their personality. However, a safe bet would be to consider a universal scent when gifting a scent. Millésime Impérial has a wonderful way of transporting you to world of opulence and luxury. The juicy opening of blackcurrant and bergamot wrapped around the salty tones of the heart, that warmly recline into the rich sandalwood and musk in the base.
Another wonderful gifting idea would be one of our beautiful leather wallet sample sets. Each leather wallet features 8 different 1.7ml fragrance samples for you to discover. One I would recommend would be the Universal Leather Fragrance Wallet or our Red Leather Fragrance Wallet which houses the very best creations from The House of Creed, spanning both the male and female collections.
Another wonderful gifting idea would be one of our beautiful leather wallet sample sets. Each leather wallet features 8 different 1.7ml fragrance samples for you to discover. One I would recommend would be the Universal Leather Fragrance Wallet or our Red Leather Fragrance Wallet which houses the very best creations from The House of Creed, spanning both the male and female collections.
