When it comes to scents and perfumes, you have to find one that’s best suited for you, and as strange as it may sound, it must match your personality. It may take a bit of experimenting, but the result is always worth it.
What Is Science Of Scent?
The jury is still out on human pheromones, much to my disappointment. I genuinely believed in them until recently, when a study poured cold water on all researches on the relevance of human pheromones in sexual attraction. A nice scent is definitely one of the things women find attractive in men. Alas, I thought, as it shattered my theories on why I fell in love with my husband or rather why I didn’t reject him as I evaluated the prospect of marrying him. The science of smell is important to me not only because I work in the industry, but also because I evaluate all aspects of anything based on smell. How do I check the quality of mangoes? By smelling them. What was my foolproof method of checking whether my twin boys had soiled their diapers? By smelling them. How did I decide the husband was worth dating? Because he didn’t stink by the end of the day, nor did I detect a trace of bad breath as he spoke. Why do I push my children away when they come home after playtime? Unfortunately, my maternal love is defeated hands-down in the face of their sweaty and smelly clothes. I can love them only when they are scrubbed clean. Yes, I’m a bad mother. So going back to pheromones. Apparently, pheromones linked to sex and attraction in humans are too complex to understand. However, babies respond to a pheromone-like substance in mother’s milk and this could form the basis of study on pheromones. Didn’t old wives’ tales encourage new moms by saying your child can recognise you by your smell? Some people even think this to be the smell of love. Perhaps the logical conclusion is pheromones.
The scent of a man
Even if modern science trashes the existence of my favourite chemical, I have my own take on how the science of scent is important as far as my marriage is concerned. If my husband smells bad, I have no shame in telling him and ordering him to go fix it immediately. My husband, in an attempt to smell good until the end of the day, douses himself with deodorant right after a bath. During my early pregnancy, the trail of scent that he left behind would play the same role that the smell of food played for the sleeping baby and would rouse me from my torpor and trigger a bout of nausea that propelled me out of bed instantly. On the other hand, this devout man prayed every morning and evening at the household altar and applied a generous quantity of holy ash on his forehead, making it hard for me to profess sexual feelings for him as I snuggled next to him. The holy smell drove away any sexual or intimate intentions I might have had the moment I drew myself closer to him and forced me to shift away and think pure thoughts. Smelling sexy is one of the easiest ways to be romantic.
Gentle persuasion
One day, the spouse bought a certain strong smelling deodorant that ensured I could smell him before I could see him. This made me cringe with embarrassment. Being the perfume expert in the house, I advised him to go easy on the deodorant and daub himself with the Hugo Boss sitting on his shelf for an effect that would be gentler on the senses. “But that is expensive,” the spouse commented. “I use it only during special occasions.” But I knew a way to persuade him. All I had to do was use flattering names and remind him how much I loved to smell the perfume on his gorgeous body. I gave him what I hoped was a seductive look and played to his baser senses. “Don’t you want to smell sexy for me? Look, it has citrus and woody notes. It is perfect for office wear, suitable for you because you are the boss and it is my favorite scent.” I also told him about the importance of physical features for intimacy. However, he looked unconvinced. This wasn’t easy. I checked the pack date. “Anyway, it will expire in six months. You are better off using it.” I did whatever I had to do to get him to wear the smell of love and make my day. At the end of the day, seeing me happy makes him happy so it is a win-win situation.
It’s all in the senses
That did the trick. The husband learned the art of applying perfume on strategic points like the pulse points on the wrist, behind the ears and the neck and supported it with a not so generous application of deodorant. I admit this did wonders to how I felt towards him every morning as we hugged before leaving for work. I made a mental note to pick the right deodorants that would linger throughout the day without assailing the senses and another list of possible fragrances to buy for him to make him smell just right for me. So, that was how I bought Kouros perfume, which enchanted not only me but the ancient grandma of his friend. Was it time to look for another perfume? I love to smell people (in a non-creepy and subtle way), it’s the secret recipe for attraction in my book. Don’t feel offended if people steer clear of you after a sweaty day. The science of smell is a tricky subject, but once you perfect it, your level of attraction will increase multifold. A scent has the power to bring romance into the room.
