Perfume for women or men? For both, of course!

This is the big question in perfumery: do perfumes have a gender? We are tempted to answer: you know very well that girls are born in roses, and boys in cabbages... Well, feminine perfumes are born in flowers, and masculine perfumes in woods! Besides, at Sephora, they are well arranged, girls on one side and boys on the other...

More seriously: a feminine perfume or a masculine perfume is above all a matter of marketing.

“ It smells like a man around here.”

For example, floral perfumes are traditionally rather feminine (at least in the West; in the Middle East on the contrary, rose is, for example, widely used in men's perfumes).

And have you heard of “Fougère” perfumes? “Fougère” are typically the masculine olfactory family. And be careful, don't imagine for a single second that they smell of fern - which actually doesn't smell much. The story is a little more subtle than that...

A talented Mr. Houbigant created a men's perfume at the end of the 19th century that he called Fougère Royale . This perfume, combining for the first time lavender, geranium, patchouli and oakmoss mainly, was very recognizable, very new - revolutionary even (and we like that at Bastille).

Since then, this accord has become a must-have in men's perfumery . When you smell it, it smells like a man! Besides, it's not complicated: even today, 50% of so-called masculine perfumes are "Fougère".

And at Bastille?

This is all very good, but it is still a bit reductive. At Bastille, we decided to free ourselves from the rules , for maximum originality. Did you think Bataille only appealed to men? False, bold people love the strong character of this woody perfume, with notes of patchouli and pink pepper. And Un Deux Trois Soleil , our gourmet oriental with almond, has melted more than one person. In short, our perfumes have no gender ... Or rather yes: yours !

Besides, know this: each perfume will react specifically with your skin , to create a unique olfactory alchemy. So we forget the marketing labels, and we reassure ourselves: you are unique , and you can freely choose the perfume that you like!