THE SCIENCE OF SCENT AND ATTRACTION

Fragrant Attraction

Scientists show how you smell is key to being attractive

By Rachel Herz, PhD, Scent Expert

Do you ever feel a little disappointed when you look in the mirror? Your abs aren’t quite as cut as they used to be? You’re benching half the weight of the other guys at the gym? Your buddies all make or have more money? Well, stop worrying about the dude with the six pack and fat wallet…he doesn’t have anything on you. As it turns out, it’s not your looks or money that will lure the ladies, it’s actually your scent!

Scent Rules
Looking like David Beckham won’t guarantee that you’ll get the girl—but, smelling like a star could increase your game. In numerous studies of hundreds of college students, girls consistently rank how a guy smells as the most important feature for determining whether she’s sexually attracted to him. That’s right. How you smell is more important than your abs, height, weight and income.

Don’t be fooled though; making sure you don’t smell bad isn’t enough to ensure she’s going to be into you. You actually need to smell good if you want to get the girl. In general, women have a better sense of smell than men, and scent has been shown to play a much bigger role in helping girls chose a guy than it does helping guys choose a girl. Which means, guys, you need to start paying closer attention to your scent.

Women say they’re more attracted to guys who smell great than those with striking good looks—and new research shows that you look better to girls when you smell great too.

Fragrance Attracts Women
In a recent study, scientists at Oxford University asked women to rate the attractiveness of men based on their headshots. While they were reviewing and rating each guy’s photo, the female participants were simultaneously exposed to pleasant or unpleasant scents. The results showed that women rated the male faces as being significantly less attractive in the presence of the unpleasant odors. And they rated the guys as being most attractive when they judged their looks in the presence of a pleasurable fragrance – in this case, AXE Deodorant Bodyspray.

Find it hard to believe? Attractiveness isn’t the only thing that’s influenced by scent. Studies conducted across the globe have shown that we evaluate many things more positively—from paintings to people—when we judge them in the presence of a good smell. And don’t forget, smell is the strongest sense linked to memory. If you’re trying to make a lasting impression, make sure it’s a good one by applying a nice fragrance before you sweep her off her feet.

Long story short, this research shows that women are more attracted to men who smell good. This means you’re not going to kill your game if you skip that last rep of sit-ups or slow down your run from time to time. As long as you’re wearing a fragrance she likes, she’s going to find you more attractive than the guy who isn’t wearing a fragrance.

Download a PDF of the Full Facial Attractiveness Study