There are tried and true methods to getting someone’s heart racing like flashing a little skin and running your fingertips across their knees, but wearing the perfect scent is among the most underrated.
Often described as the most primal sense, smell is tied strongly to feelings because the region that processes it is snuggled against the amygdala and hippocampus; two brain structures that help store memories as well as process and determine emotions. Perfumes can help people evoke an emotional context, and once you pick a “signature scent”, people will automatically think of you when they come across any of the stronger notes.
The human brain is hardwired to determine potential hook-ups based on smell. The body emits different odors that help signal levels of fertility, virility and health and using different perfumes and colognes can enhance their effect. The combination between a fragrance and your personal body chemistry creates a custom scent that can help attract people, but because everybody’s body chemistry is different, scents that work on you may not work so well for other people. Picking the right scent comes down to instinct. If you think something smells nice in the bottle, it will probably smell nice on you.
Boys
CitrusAs the name says, citrus scents use different combinations of lemon, lime, grapefruit, and mandarin to create slightly sweet and lively colognes. They work well in the Miami heat, whether you’re on the beach or clubbing and stay crisp and cool through wear. Typically citrus colognes, like Clinique Happy for Men, also use stronger woods and musks to create a more masculine scent.
Fougère
Pine trees, fresh cut grass and herbs all characterize fougère scents. They are classified by their use of lavender, oakmoss and Tonka bean. Fougère scents help preserve that just out of the shower smell every girl loves. Try Gucci Guilty Pour Homme if you’d like to capture that “so fresh and so clean clean” feeling.
Woody/Earthy
Earthy scents
typically have notes of leather, musk, patchouli and amber, as well as light
touches of fruits and florals. They can easily be characterized by their warm
and mossy-woody scent. These colognes typically smell very natural and subtle,
perfect for getting a girl to snuggle closer. Marc Jacobs Men is perfectly masculine without trying too hard.
Aquatic
These are cool scents that smell like
the ocean and have notes that are watery, with a woody undertone and floral
topnotes. Scents like aquatic mint, waterlily, and ginger often make an
appearance. Marine scents, like 212 Men
by Carolina Herrera, are typically sporty and give off a fun spontaneous
vibe.
Girls
Floral
For the quintessential girly-girl, floral scents are the
perfect way to let your inner flirt out. Simultaneously classic and playful, these
delicate scents are characterized by the smell of fresh cut flowers layered
together with lighter herbs and fruits. Marc
Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh is a frisky perfume that captures florals at their
best.
Fruity
The way to a boy’s heart is most often through his stomach.
Fruity perfumes act on that primal urge by blending together sweet, edible
scents like berry, mandarin, apple, coconut, and vanilla. They are fun and flirty and will have
guys leaning in for a closer sniff. Perfumes like Escada Cherry In The Air will have boys doing just that and more.
Oriental
These are warm and spicy scents that tend
to be on the stronger side. Oriental perfumes mix deep notes of amber,
patchouli and musk with heavy herbs and florals for intense, sexy fragrances. Boyfriend by Kate Walsh is a complex
scent that’s perfect for heating things up and with extended wear the
amber, vanilla and jasmine notes all meld together pleasantly.
Fresh
Fresh scents mix together flowers, fruits,
ambers and woods for clean perfumes. They are interesting to the nose because
the mix so many different elements and contrast different smells against each
other. An elegant and bright fragrance, Chloé
Eau de Parfum smells fantastic and wears well through day and night.
