Make no mistake. Our sense of smell is a truly remarkable thing — capable of evoking all kinds of emotions and conjuring memories while bypassing other senses to go straight to the heart of who we are. We have all experienced passing someone on the street who smells simply irresistible, beckoning for a second take.
This power is one we all have within our grasp. The human brain is wired in fascinating ways; our noses and pleasure centres are designed to help us seek out the perfect partner, and our innate preferences for different perfumes assist us in this search.
Can seduction be found in mass-market scents?
According to Johanna Monange, founder of bespoke natural perfumery brand Maison 21G, the only way we can truly magnify our individual seductive appeal through scent is by crafting perfumes that express our unique personalities. As she claims, “Big perfume houses are interested in mass appeal, as this is the quickest and easiest way to sell large quantities and make the biggest profits. However, there are eight billion of us on the planet, and each and every one of us is different. How can a perfume designed to appeal to the majority help us express our individuality?”
This is a valid point and one that is driving significant changes in the perfume industry. With luxury brands such as Maison 21G putting the art of perfume creation in the hands of its customers, we now have the ability to craft scents that showcase our inner selves in the best possible light. The result? An increase in our seductive powers, and the key to unlocking the kind of confidence which never fails to make us irresistible!
Pheromones: Our own elixir of attraction
Chances are, one has already heard of pheromones, the chemical substances we all release into our environments that are perceived sensually. In the animal kingdom, pheromones do a significant amount of the heavy lifting in mating calls. Certain butterflies, for example, can detect a breeding individual from miles away by reading pheromone signals in the air — which is not wholly different among us humans.
As Johanna explains: “pheromones compose a real individual identity card, presenting an olfactory signature that can attract or repel a potential partner. For example, it has been proven that human beings are attracted to people who smell differently. It’s one of nature’s ways of ensuring we don’t end up marrying our cousin!”
While perfume does not behave in exactly the same way as our pheromones do, there are key similarities. Our choice of perfume — or the perfumes we craft from our favourite ingredients — says a lot about ourselves. Remember that person who passed you in the street, stopping you in your tracks? That single olfactory interaction and the messages carried in their choice of scent have already flooded your brain with positive information and piqued your curiosity. With the right choice of scent, we all have the ability to achieve exactly the same effect on the right kind of person.
Are opposite genders attracted to similar scents?
As you might expect, the answer to this is a solid ‘no’. While we all have individual and unique preferences, Johanna is keen to highlight a couple of ingredients that seem to tap into the pleasure centres within each gender’s brains.
“Certain ingredients undeniably enhance feminine sex appeal. Natural vanilla, with its sensual, creamy sweetness — and a touch of leathery carnality — is always a winner, as are the more hypnotic and enveloping white florals. In fact, tuberose was once banned in Victorian England for being too erotic, and lavender was said to be used by Cleopatra to seduce both Mark Anthony and Julius Caesar… No wonder it’s such a popular ingredient for bespoke perfumes at Maison 21G!”
Johanna also points out how spices — including black pepper, incense, tobacco notes (Havana), and chilli — and bright, zesty citrus scents have the potential to unlock your seductive youth side. They raise arousal, positivity, and thus increase your aura.
As for men’s perfumes, Johanna has an equally fascinating suggestion for blending ingredients. Fresh spicy notes and warm orientals such as ginger and tonka have the ability to elevate your sensual and attractive side, and she notes how sandalwood has been used for centuries as an aphrodisiac scent that marks men as confident, seductive, and elegant. Interestingly, Johanna points out how some floral scents — perhaps traditionally associated with women’s perfumes — can have a remarkable impact on women when worn by men.
“Rose, when combined with leathery or tobacco notes as part of a modern masculine blend, has a powerful aphrodisiac effect on women, as does patchouli, which shows off your liberated, open-minded, and sexy side!”
Find your seductive fragrance match on Maison21G!
RELATED ARTICLES
The AI-fication Of Facial Treatments
Fashion Is Yearning for More
