Lush, Spicy, and Unexpectedly Edgy—Masculine Rose Perfumes Are Suddenly on the Rise

“Not your grandma’s rose” has change into considerably of a cliché in the fragrance market—a sly nudge that whereas conventional floral scents are typically stuffy and dated, this one is the crown jewel of cutting-edge interpretations. But in 2025, it is clear that rose has far outgrown its label as a powdery, old school olfactive aspect. It’s a powerhouse, revered in sultry date-night potions and vibrant, subtly candy blends. It transcends seasons, offering a contemporary aspect in cozy, autumnal aromas and including a classy contact to juicy, summer time bottles. Rose has an intergenerational pull that is something however antiquated, however nonetheless, it has remained largely female in the “traditional” sense of the phrase, conjuring pictures of petal-pink ponchos and ornate vanities plucked out of a Sofia Coppola–directed dreamscape.

Then, all of the sudden, rose perfumes leaned closely on the uncanny, looping in darker, extra mysterious parts that redefine rose as—dare I say—a bit extra masculine. Men have all the time had the skill to faucet into the timeless floral (perfume has no hard-and-fast guidelines—do not forget that), however right now’s multifaceted rose fragrances are fairly the sweet-smelling lure. If rose is the “grandma” word of a era, then Grandpa formally desires in.

Now, let’s not neglect that rose fragrances for males are extraordinarily widespread in the Middle East and have been for ages—particularly when paired with oud, the smoky, sensual “liquid gold” extracted from resin-soaked wooden. “Rose is famous over there,” shares perfumer Romain Almairacincluding: “[The brands] work a lot with a dry, ambery [rose] note.” Oftentimes, this word stems from Damask rose, which has a deep, spicy profile; French manufacturers, on the different hand, primarily supply from Centifolia rose, which has the delicate, powdery aroma largely chargeable for the fragrance’s grandma-ish repute.

It’s when that mushy, powdery rose selection reaches a male client that speaks to the shifting tides. According to DSM-Firmenich perfumer Erwan Raguenesrose (regardless of its classification) is considerably of a chameleon; it may lean spicy, candy, or earthy relying on the notes that encompass it. “It still carries that timeless femininity, but depending how you contrast it, it can become bold and masculine,” he provides. “The ingredients you pair it with can completely transform its personality, which, to me, makes the rose so fascinating. It adapts to the story you want to tell.”

Brands, it appears, need to inform a a lot bolder story, as Raguenes has observed perfumers utilizing darker woods, spices, and aldehydes to disclose rose’s cooler, extra advanced persona. “I think rose is being rediscovered through a more modern, textured lens,” he shares. “Blending rose with saffron or cardamom can highlight its spicy side, while notes of patchouli, vetiver or oakmoss bring earthy tonalities that ground its floral character. … [It] takes on this quietly powerful, and even masculine, elegance that really resonates with consumers.”

Rose perfumes aren’t solely changing into extra “masculine” in composition; males are additionally including softer, historically female scents to their every day rosters. The idea of “men’s” and “women’s” fragrances is changing into more and more dated—because it ought to! Fragrance should not be gendered, and we have positively seen that pushback play out with the rise of unisex scents and, most not too long ago, extra males gravitating towards female scents. Consider Chloé’s Le Parfuma rose-forward potion that is seductive, charismatic, and unapologetically female—right down to its pleated glass silhouette, tied off with a neat burgundy ribbon. It does not precisely match the genderless-fragrance mildew, and but Almairac (who created the mix) suggests males can and ought to give it a spritz.