Survey throws up perfume differences between the sexes
A study of the perfumes favoured by the French has thrown up some differences between the sexes but confirms the French preference for mature perfumery and particularly the Chanel brand - at least when buying gifts for others.
A study of the perfumes favoured by the French has thrown up some differences between the sexes but confirms the French preference for mature perfumery and particularly the Chanel brand - at least when buying gifts for others.
The study, undertaken by Promise Consulting and Huffington Post, was part two of an earlier study and looked at the top 10 fragrances French men would most like to receive, and those that women were likely to buy men as gifts. Conducted online just before Christmas, the survey questioned over 1,000 respondents over 18 years of age.
In order of preference, men opted for Boss (Hugo Boss), Hugo (Hugo Boss), Le Mâle (Jean Paul Gaultier), Eau Sauvage (Dior), Azzaro pour Homme, CK One (Calvin Klein), Acqua di Gio (Armani), Fahrenheit (Dior), Boss Signature (Hugo Boss) and Allure Homme Sport (Chanel).
Those that women chose for men were: Boss (Hugo Boss), Allure Homme (Chanel), Acqua di Gio (Armani), Allure (Chanel), Dior Homme, Hugo (Hugo Boss), Azzaro pour Homme, Allure Homme Sport (Chanel) and Le Mâle (Jean Paul Gaultier).
Both men and women evidently prefer 'masculine' fragrances for men, but men are equally happy with the more androgynous Le Mâle, while women showed a strong preference for Chanel. The best-selling male fragrance in France in 2011 – 1 Million by Paco Rabanne - did not make the list at all.
In the earlier study, women chose a wider range of brands for themselves, while French men stuck to safe territory when buying their womenfolk fragrance. In order of preference, the perfumes preferred by women were:
J'Adore (Dior); Miss Dior; Chanel No 5; Nina (Nina Ricci); Flower (Kenzo); Parisienne (YSL); La Petite Robe Noire (Guerlain); Tresor (Lancôme); Le Premier Parfum by Lolita Lempicka; and L'Air (Nina Ricci).
The fragrances men would choose to buy for women were: Chanel No 5; J'Adore (Dior); Shalimar (Guerlain); Tresor (Lancôme); Miss Dior; Coco (Chanel); Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel); Pure Poison (Dior); Flower (Kenzo); and Angel (Thierry Mugler).
French men showed a clear preference for Chanel, along with tried-and-tested fragrances such as Shalimar, rather than risk more recent releases such as La Petite Robe Noire or brands such as Nina Ricci or Lolita Lempicka. They also chose one perfume – Angel – which did not appear in the women's top 10 list.
