Blurred Lines

WHEN PERFUME WAS FIRST DISCOVERED in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Cyprus, none of the pharaohs distinguished between his 'n hers scents. Certainly not Tutankhamun - possibly one of the earliest known male perfume collectors - who was said to be partial to the scent of spikenard, an exotic ancient plant, after precious jars of solid perfume were found in his tomb.

Even Old Spice - the scent most associated with macho men - had "female" origins. Its creator William Schultz, developed it in 1937 after being inspired by his mother's rose jars - a potpourri of rose petals mixed with spices and preserved with salt.

Over time, in the same way that colours are associated with gender, men's scents gravitated towards wood, and women's to flowers. Sexual stereotypes followed, to the point that perfume enthusiast Anthony Huang says, "I know of guys who are afraid to smell feminine."