Ever been mesmerised by a stranger passing by? Or hit with a sudden whimsical passion? The likely culprit? Our sense of smell.
Undeniably the most powerful of the five sense, our sense of smell is heavily intertwined with our emotions – a quick whiff has the ability to conjure anything from a nostalgic childhood flash to strong food cravings.
Have you ever wondered why you can’t stand your ex’s signature scent? It has nothing to do with musk or sandalwood. In fact, emotional associations are the driving force behind our favoured fragrances and this is deeply affected by life events.
Funnily enough, the most powerful of all scents is actually odourless. Sex pheromones might seem like an urban legend (and a bad pickup line) but scientists have since found receptors in the nose that pick up these hormones, triggering an innate animal attraction between certain people. You’re probably repulsed by the idea of smelling someone else’s BO, but science says that both men and women fall powerless against the scent of our counterpart’s sweat.
Middle Eastern countries are known for their cultural fascination with different fragrances, dabbing scented oils on areas of the body that excrete pheromones to signpost them to their partner. Even though our pheromones are already individually unique, there is definitely something sexy about customising our glandular excretions for our lovers.
But it’s not just humans pouncing on each other at the allure of signature scents. A recent survey in the Guatemalan jungle has seen scientists successfully use Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Men as a lure to make the usually elusive jaguar linger long enough to be photographed and observed. Whether these big cats have a genetic inclination towards bergamot, lavender, mandarin, clove, nutmeg and amber is not known (and a tad unlikely), but the research gained from this experiment has proved invaluable – not to mention profitable for lion tamers.
So, how do we capitalise on scents for our own animal misadventures? The attraction of perfume has a lot to do with how we wear it and how much of it we wear. Drowning ourselves in our favourite perfumes is not the best way to create a subtle allure. Often an extremely potent perfume only needs half a squirt to get going. Take a cue from the cats and experiment with different scents on a park bench – we just never know who will linger.
Points of contact
Dabbing perfume behind the ears, in the crease of the elbow and just below the navel are subtle areas that scent the entire body.
Avoid splashing perfume across a bare chest in summer – because perfume contains alcohol, it attracts the sun and causes the skin to burn more easily.
Perfumes are designed to be worn on the skin, not on a little piece of cardboard. When testing perfumes, allow the scent to settle on the skin for about an hour before judging it straightaway.
Which scent says what?
Floral – These pretty scents are the epitome of femininity. Spritz scents such as lavender, peony and orange blossom when you’re feeling girly and flirty.
Hot and spicy – Charismatic tones such as ginger, sandalwood, nutmeg, musk, bergamot and blackcurrant are intriguing, alluring and denote confidence. These combinations make for a sultry scent on the décolletage and are worn best with a slinky dress.
Citrus – the anti-anxiety and anti-depressive effects of citrus scents are proven to work wonders in aromatherapy. Wear when you want to communicate a positive and energetic aura.
