Can perfume really turn us on? There’s a scent of truth, but science says most love stories need more

Coco Chanel’s response to where a woman should apply perfume is the stuff of legend: “Wherever one wants to be kissed.” But while the notion of scent directing kisses is charming, can fragrance really drive sex appeal?. If, as Chanel suggested, the right choice of perfume can guide a lover around the body, it should also encourage us towards it in the first place. But the science around this is murky.

To a fair number of Brits, though, scent is a sensual and invaluable element of courtship. In a survey conducted by The Perfume Shop, 45 per cent confirmed that they “believe that scent is essential when it comes to attraction”, citing vanilla, fresh sheets, rose and suntan lotion amongst those that most appeal.

Mel Schilling, TV personality and relationship expert, agrees. The aforementioned smells – clean, floral, summery – are seen as attractive because they suggest positive ideas. “Smell and mood are very closely linked,” Schilling says, “thanks to the olfactory bulb being right next to where we process emotion. Scent memories are stored for life so something that accompanied a positive moment from childhood, like the smell of roses or ocean breeze, is more likely to prompt attraction subconsciously.”.

The reverse is also true, with negative scent recollections prompting “the ick, even if you don’t necessarily realise that’s what’s turned you off”. Pick wisely, then, concurs Gergely Markus, The Perfume Shop’s Retail Training Manager, who says fragrance is “the invisible accessory, emitting a scent that may be attractive to others”. A perfume’s sex appeal is linked to how it makes you feel. “Whenever you feel confident, you’re more likely to be attractive to other people,” he says, “so if you find citrus notes, say, up your vibrancy, lean into that.”.

Much has been made of pheromones lately (call it the Valentine’s Day effect) – the chemical signals that are sent from our bodies to fellow humans. Is the ongoing quest to create aperfume that enhances those signals really going to make romance and attraction easier?.

Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at the Anglia Ruskin University, categorically quashes the idea. “There is no evidence that humans can detect pheromones at all,” he tells me. “A lot of non-scientists have the belief that love can be instant, but it is much broader and involves a process of understanding someone, so it can’t happen at first sight.”.

Swami further debunks the idea that the right scent could draw someone in like a love potion. Outranking such a romantic notion are rather more pedestrian factors: a couple living geographically close to one another, for instance, plays a far greater role in the viability of a relationship. A shared love language also goes a long way (gifts; acts of care) as does similarity, more generally. “It is a myth that opposites attract,” Swami says. “Those who are similar are more likely to fancy one another and to form long-term relationships.”.

Scent is just a part of the puzzle. Other senses play a vital role: the sound of someone’s voice (“as important as physical appearance – but it’ll only get you in the room, what you say will keep you there”), touch (“which, when appropriate, releases oxytocin and dopamine”), and taste.

Swami concedes that while someone smelling good isn’t going to unlock some hidden power, smelling nice is always going to be a win as it is generally pleasing to others. Conversely, smelling bad “is a sign you don’t care enough about this person”. So, by all means, wear your favourite perfume in the hope of building up your confidence and pulling — but don’t expect it to perform miracles. A pheromone perfume is a nice idea in theory: but it’s you, not the flowers, who has to do the legwork.