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For many years, the scent felt like it was working. How to express something: femininity, masculinity, seduction, strength. But that script is loose. More and more, we reach for fragrances that feel intimate instead of impressive. Perfumes that don’t ask us to be anything but ourselves. Enter the rise of the best unisex perfumes: subtle, understated, and deeply personal.
These gender-neutral scents are more about choice than neutrality. They blur the line between woody fragrances for women and leather fragrances typically marketed to men, creating something very different in between. Warm musks melt into the skin. Soft woods that are calm rather than commanding. The smell that is always close, reveals itself only when you lean.
Featured image from our interview with Mari Llewellyn by Michelle Nash.
That philosophy is one that Rosie Jane Johnston, founder of by/rosie jane, has built her name around. For her, a unisex fragrance isn’t about subverting your identity—it’s about subverting expectations. “A unisex fragrance is freedom,” she says. “It doesn’t ask you to be soft or strong, sweet or sweet. Ahead, Johnston shares how scent can change our mood, tune our nervous system, and why the most ubiquitous fragrances right now are the ones that feel like a second skin.
Rosie Jane Johnston
Rosie Jane Johnston was a celebrity makeup artist, born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Now a mother of three and lover of simple living, Rosie draws on a deeper understanding of how ingredients and fragrances can affect our mood and sense of well-being. “I build myself in such a personal space—these are the products I use every day to feel beautiful, happy, connected and confident. It’s all about making self-care easy, and I love creating fragrances and products that make it easy for people to take care of themselves.”
Why We’re Obsessed With Unisex Perfumes Right Now
What we really respond to with a unisex fragrance is nothing like a consent slip. It’s permission to choose something just because it sounds good, rather than signing anything for someone else. When people reach for gender-neutral perfumes, Johnston explains, they tend to choose authenticity over expectation—breaking from the idea that perfumes need to make you soft, bold, sweet, or attractive. Instead, it supports what you already are.
Fragrance becomes less about how others perceive us and more about how we want to feel on our skin. An understated scent can calm your nervous system before a long day, and a warm, familiar note can feel like protection when the world feels overwhelming. “Smell is an understatement,” said Johnston. “Or sometimes, silent protection.” That way, the best unisex perfumes aren’t meant to advertise themselves—they’re meant to go with you, shaping your energy as the day goes on.
The Fragrance Shift of 2026
That desire for something personal creates where the perfume is headed. According to Johnston, 2026 is less about spectacle and more about integrity. “People want authenticity,” he says. “Instead of bold, room-filling fragrances designed to be noticed across the street, there’s a growing gravitation towards scents that feel familiar and warm.”
We are seeing more leather perfumes. Many oil formats. More refillable bottles and ingredient visibility. The scent becomes something you build throughout the day rather than just use once and forget. It was laid out. Re-applied. Chosen based on emotion rather than event.
In that context, a unisex fragrance doesn’t feel classy. It feels like a reflection of where we are. Not interested in impressing. More interest in feeling connected—to the body, to the memory, to ourselves.
What Makes a Whole Smell
There are certain notes that we connect when they touch the skin. They don’t announce themselves or ask for interpretation—they stay and create a sense of ease. When it comes to truly universal fragrances, Johnston points to soft musks, soft woods, and warm ambers as a base. He says: “Those notes sound at home. They don’t shout, they don’t want attention, but they stay in a very good way.”
This is why woodsy perfumes for women have become a permanent entry point in unisex fragrances. Woods like sandalwood and cedar bring a base quality without being heavy, depth without being harsh. When mixed with musks or resins, they soften into something almost like leather.
Johnston also notes the power of contrast in making a scent feel human. The touch of the fruit with something milky, salty, or sunburned can cause that mysterious “second skin” effect. It is this balance that makes certain perfumes feel like all bodies and identities. They don’t pretend. They connect. In a world that often asks us to be more vocal, sharper, or more descriptive, it’s comforting to find a scent that lets you settle into yourself.
The Best Unisex Fragrances to Buy Now
The best of Mood Lift
There’s a kind of fragrance that’s not overpowering—it’s bright. The kind you reach for when you want to feel a little lighter, more open, without announcing yourself in the room. MATILDA by/rosie jane fits right into that category. With its blend of passion fruit, mango, and golden musk, it feels happy and sunlit, but still wrapped in a soft, skin-encapsulating finish.
What makes it particularly compelling as a unisex fragrance is its emotional level. It is neither sweet nor spicy; instead, it wears like warmth—uplifting without feeling, comfort without fading into the background. Perfect for days when you want to feel positive, present, and fully yourself.
The Best Woodsy Perfumes for Women (and Anyone Else)
Woodsy perfumes are often mislabeled as heavy or masculine, but the best versions do not exist. When the cedar, sandalwood, and amber are softened and blended well, it becomes incredibly wearable.
For women who are attracted to woody fragrances, these scents offer depth without drama. They stay close to the body and change gently throughout the day.
The Best “Second Skin” Fragrances.
Some perfumes don’t smell like perfume in the best way. Built around warm musks and ambers, these “second skin” scents melt into your natural chemistry, creating something intimate and personal.
This is a perfume you wear yourself. The ones that make you feel comfortable—whether you’re going out or spending the day at home.
Great for Culture and Layering
As smell becomes more emotional and intuitive, culture plays a big role. These are perfumes that live on your vanity or in your purse, meant to be reviewed instead of saved for a second. Spread them, refresh them, make them your own. In this way, the scent is reduced over time and increased through self-care—a small, sensory practice that helps you re-evaluate how you want to feel.
The Takeaway
When it comes to choosing a fragrance, there is no more reliable formula than how you want to feel. Instead of asking what is appropriate for the season or what impresses others, consider what your body is asking for. Some days require a scent that helps your nervous system to unwind. On other days, you may crave light or warmth—something that makes you feel awake and alive.
Johnston says his approach is guided less by rules and more by intuition. Circumstance, memory, and energy all play a role. Scent is deeply transporting, able to change the way we live in our bodies in an instant. A good fragrance reminds you of who you are, rather than turning you into someone else.
And maybe that’s the real appeal of unisex fragrances at the moment. Not that it erases your identity, but that it makes room for you.
This post was last updated on February 12, 2026, to include new information.