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

“Not your grandma’s rose” has become somewhat of a cliché in the perfume market—a sly nudge that while traditional floral scents tend to be stuffy and dated, this one is the crown jewel of cutting-edge interpretations. But in 2025, it’s clear that rose has far outgrown its label as a powdery, old-fashioned olfactive element. It’s a powerhouse, revered in sultry date-night potions and vibrant, subtly sweet blends. It transcends seasons, providing a fresh element in cozy, autumnal aromas and adding a sophisticated touch to juicy, summer bottles. Rose has an intergenerational pull that’s anything but antiquated, but still, it has remained largely feminine in the “traditional” sense of the word, conjuring images of petal-pink ponchos and ornate vanities plucked out of a Sofia Coppola–directed dreamscape.

Then, suddenly, rose perfumes leaned heavily on the uncanny, looping in darker, more mysterious elements that redefine rose as—dare I say—a bit more masculine. Men have always had the ability to tap into the timeless floral (fragrance has no hard-and-fast rules—remember that), but today’s multifaceted rose fragrances are quite the sweet-smelling lure. If rose is the “grandma” note of a generation, then Grandpa officially wants in.

Now, let’s not forget that rose fragrances for men are extremely common in the Middle East and have been for ages—especially when paired with oud, the smoky, sensual “liquid gold” extracted from resin-soaked wood. “Rose is famous over there,” shares perfumer Romain Almairac, adding: “[The brands] work a lot with a dry, ambery [rose] note.” Oftentimes, this note stems from Damask rose, which has a deep, spicy profile; French brands, on the other hand, primarily source from Centifolia rose, which has the delicate, powdery aroma largely responsible for the perfume’s grandma-ish reputation.

It’s when that soft, powdery rose variety reaches a male consumer that speaks to the shifting tides. According to DSM-Firmenich perfumer Erwan Raguenes, rose (no matter its classification) is somewhat of a chameleon; it can lean spicy, sweet, or earthy depending on the notes that surround it. “It still carries that timeless femininity, but depending how you contrast it, it can become bold and masculine,” he adds. “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 seems, want to tell a much bolder tale, as Raguenes has noticed perfumers using darker woods, spices, and aldehydes to reveal rose’s cooler, more complex personality. “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 only becoming more “masculine” in composition; men are also adding softer, traditionally feminine scents to their daily rosters. The concept of “men’s” and “women’s” fragrances is becoming increasingly dated—as it should! Fragrance shouldn’t be gendered, and we’ve definitely seen that pushback play out with the rise of unisex scents and, most recently, more men gravitating toward feminine scents. Consider Chloé’s Le Parfum, a rose-forward potion that’s seductive, charismatic, and unapologetically feminine—down to its pleated glass silhouette, tied off with a neat burgundy ribbon. It doesn’t exactly fit the genderless-fragrance mold, and yet Almairac (who created the blend) suggests men can and should give it a spritz.