I haven't tried Demeter New Zealand (love the rest of your tomboy scents though) — going to have to go look that one up!

That said, I do have one “female” scent that I not only wear fairly often, but I get comments on, not to mention amazed responses when I tell them what it is; so I guess my suggestion for the brave man who wants to take a walk on the “pink” side is Chanel No. 19 – the crisp and raspy muttering of neroli and bergamot in the open is sort of dirty and clean all at once; once the cigar-smoke like flashes of the opening fade, you get this well-worn leather armchair scent, encrusted with thickest moss… and a bouquet of flowers, vibrant but soft, just enough to “dress” up the masculine tones; for the male image, think of a gentlemen smoking in his study, the windows open during a wet spring day and the wafting scent of the wife's garden coyly kissing about the crisp collar of his dress shirt.

That description might send some men running for their Joop! and the like, but No. 19 is one of those scents that is so sexless but still sexy, androgynous but bares a sculpted and wonderous face; when a woman wears it, it comes across etheral and feminine; on a man, so I have been told, it smells calm and classy; quietly masculine. The eau de toilette is dirtier and less prominent in my opinion – it is less likely to give away that the bearded one is wearing PERFUME. However, I have come to really like the eau de parfum, which is what I now own; it is stronger and lasts longer – yes the flowers are amped a bit, but so is everything else, so it is balanced, just more pronounced.

I still shop very much on the men's side of the counter, but I am slowly coming around to the idea that some scents transcend the sexual identities of the shopper; Jicky was originally a men's scent, was it not? Look at how it is marketed now… and most of the sales in male scents are made by and worn by female shoppers. I keep my ear to the ground, to see if there is anything out there that should be sniffed by all; if it smells great and I like it, why not wear it? Who should tell me what to wear or how to smell as long as I am happy – I think for most men it is an issue of comfort and the fear that some sexual identification would be misconstrued while doing something new or different.

I may not strut about wearing Le Classique or Le Interdit and I am likely not to ever, but I proudly spray the No. 19 whenever I want, because I can.

Eau de Cartier is another great choice. I almost listed it, but thought it was marketed to women. Thanks for the clarification!

Another easy one for women which I think was marketed to men: Eau de Cartier. Violets, earth, a bit of green. . .

True about the Gucci pour Homme being perhaps a bit of a stretch for a newcomer, but gosh, it sure is yummy!