The smell of attraction
BY GREER MCDONALDThe guy I'm currently dating and my most recent ex-boyfriend wear the same cologne.
I didn't realise it until I spotted the bottle on his chest of drawers and thought "haaaaang on a second".
I almost thought that it was just the scent that all men smelt of. (That or Lynx Africa - which almost every boy - and tomboys such as myself - smelt of during high school years!)
I've since decided the popular Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance favoured by these two guys is my kryptonite.
It's delicious, and just a whiff gets the ol' knees shaking.
Seriously, there is just something so very good about a nice smelling bloke.
That said, there's something very wrong about things that don't smell so sweetly.
(Or those who go super overboard before a night out on the town. Steady on guys!)
For the record, my sensitive schnoz dislikes the following smells: lavender, boiled eggs, the seafood section of supermarkets, sandalwood, baked beans, CK One, cigarettes (especially stale smells left on clothes or inside houses), spew, the aroma inside a butchery, white musk from The Body Shop, rotting fruit, oriental or woody type perfumes, Brut, and rotting rubbish.
Generally men don't smell of most of the above.
An unscientific poll among some of my friends revealed that their partner's "natural" smell is their favourite scent.
Burying their head into a partner's hair and taking a whiff, rolling over and smelling their aroma on the pillow - it's all very delish, and well, cave man-like.
So, is it the famous pheromones at play?
According to science, pheromones are odorous substances that are released by one animal and detected by another, causing some sort of physiological reaction.
Much like with topics such as causes of cancer and climate change, scientists are totally divided as to what these secretions actually do - but it's fair to say, there appears to be a link between our smells and how we turn on potential mates.
It seems odd then that we all (except some unconcerned bus patrons) go to such great lengths to mask our eau de natural with various soaps, moisturisers, deodorant and sprays to a) keep various multinational companies happy and b) prevent us all keeling over from the stench.
If only someone could harness some of my most favourite smells (think vanilla, fresh cut grass, coconut, fresh fruit, warm concrete after rain, baking, men's shaving gel, garlic. jasmine and other nommy flower smells) into a cologne - who knows what my knees would do?
Ok, it would probably make me spew, but you catch my drift.
What are you favourite smells? Do you think we let out pheromones to attract partners? What does your other half smell like?
Got a question for Ask Greer Fridays? Email me at greer2.0@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @GreerMcDonald or on Facebook.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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So you're not single any more? There should be some kind of disclaimer on your blog Greer! :-)
Turns out I share a favourite cologne (mine and hers) with my wife's dad. That was a little weird.
I cant help but love Givenchy por homme (in a blue plastic and glass bottle) and Ralph Lauren Polo Double Black.
i personally wear Jean Paul Gaultier Classique or the Body shops vanilla edt. the first one is amazing. the cheapie one, is pretty good, and useful for subtle.
im a sucker for a man who smells good. sometimes to my disadvantage :p
if you dont believe in deodorant or soap, please for everyone elses sake, please stay away from shops, public transport and crowded areas. thanks.
the missus she always smells great i like her "natural" amell, and she wears this dior perfume... mint, apart from that fresh bread, roasts, the bathroom after someones had a shower, grape hubba bubba, most givenchy and ralph lauren smells, petrol, buds, monteiths summer ale the list goes on...
I like the smell of new leather. Get me in an equestrian supply store and I'm in heaven, sniffing the new saddles and bridles. And, no, I'm not a pervert - lol.
@ Elsie #1
Agree, it makes me kinda gag when I smell that now too. Then I get hit with a wave of nostalgia...
I love guys cologne so living with 3 guys the hallway leading right down to my room always smells awesome. After going out with a guy that wouldn't touch the stuff i am a sucker for a nice smelling guy.
An old flame wore Farenheit which drove me crazy, and now one of my friends (a girl) wears the same things sometimes. Not sure why she's wearing men's cologne but I'm wondering if it could turn me gay, it smells so good!
I seem to remember Sir Robert Winston doing a doco on attraction or similar and conducting an experiment where a group of men perused photos of women and picked the one that they found most attractive. Then he got the women to wear the same t-shirt all week without using any fragranced product. He got the same men to sniff each t-shirt and they ALL favoured the t-shirt of the woman they'd picked in the photo line-up, even though they didn't know which t-shirt belonged to which woman. Amazing but it kinda makes sense when you think about it.
Many great smells listed above but my favourite is mmmmm... citrus. All of the citrus fruit smells. I could get really excited by a man who had just peeled himself a mandarin.
BTW, that photo of the armpit sniffing nearly put me off my coffee. Oh, I love the smell of freshly roasted and ground coffee too.
ahh its called hypnotic poison, mmmm mmmm and rachael #3 givenchy pour homme and polo d black are mint smells gud taste
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Ughh speaking of Lynx Africa... I met up with an ex in the weekend - we went out while I was at uni. He wore Lynx Africa then, which was fine we were 18 and poor. But he is now 24 and HE STILL WEARS IT. The smell was so revolting I had to have the car window all the way down just to get some fresh, non-Lynx scented air.