Can I use perfume for men?

[alpacinou]

Hello.

I have checked a few dictionaries and they all say perfume is for women. But according to google, it's a gender neutral term.

I have two questions regarding perfume:

1. Can I use it for men? For example does this make sense? She bought a perfume for her brother's birthday.

2. Is perfume only made of flower? For example, would it be wrong to say a "fruity perfume" or a "woody perfume"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Google might say it's gender-neutral but generally we use "perfume" for women, and "aftershave" or "scent" for men.

Also, in this context, "perfume" isn't countable so you don't buy "a perfume". You buy either "perfume" or "a bottle of perfume".

No, perfume is not made only of flowers at all. You can Google "ingredients of perfume" to see just how many different things can be used.

 

[alpacinou]

What about cologne? Can that be used for men? Is it common to say "he bought a bottle of cologne for himself"?

My dictionary says cologne is "weak perfume"!

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, we use "cologne" too. I've never heard of it described as "weak perfume".

 

[Rover_KE]

Men also use aftershave.

 

[emsr2d2]

Men also use aftershave.

As I said in sentence 1 of post #2. ;-)

 

[alpacinou]

Thanks but after shave is entirely different in my culture.

So, are these correct and natural?

1. He bought her fruity perfume for her birthday. It had a bittersweet smell.

2. She bought him Italian cologne for his birthday. It had a heady aroma.

 

[Rover_KE]

Men also use aftershave.

As I said in sentence 1 of post #2. ;-)

 

[GoesStation]

Yes, we use "cologne" too. I've never heard of it described as "weak perfume".

I'm pretty sure that's how my mom explained it to me about 55 years ago.

 

[GoesStation]

Thanks but aftershave is entirely different in my culture.

So, are these correct and natural?

1. He bought her a fruity perfume for her birthday. It had a bittersweet smell.

2. She bought him Italian cologne for his birthday. It had a heady aroma.

With my correction, yes.

 

[GoesStation]

Your thread title should have been Can I use "perfume" for men? The quotation marks are not optional.

 

[alpacinou]

With my correction, yes.

But isn't perfume uncountable?

Bought her a fruity perfume
Bought her fruity perfume.

I know I can say a bottle of perfume. But what if I don't want to use "bottle"?

 

[GoesStation]

But isn't perfume uncountable?

Bought her a fruity perfume :tick:
Bought her fruity perfume. Not natural, or at best, not very likely.

I know I can say a bottle of perfume. But what if I don't want to use "bottle"?

"Perfume" can be countable or uncountable. It's very often used countably.

You can say "I bought her some perfume."