Use perfume to attract the opposite sex

In the world of love, lust and sex, think strategically with fragrance. Spritz lick-able fragrances, light scented candles and perfume your locks: You might just get lucky.

Perfume is personal, but one can definitely use fragrance strategically to attract the opposite sex. For our appearance on tonight’s Cat & Nat show, we’re dishing on how to use scent to make your man want you. ‘Cuz sometimes, you want to get right to the point. 

To capture the attention of your object of affection, we offer up the following five tips:

1. Choose fragrances with edible notes.

Lick-able, edible, tasty-smelling fragrances that make someone want to take a nibble, or a bite on the neck. Think gourmand scents with notes of vanilla, chocolate, marshmallow, candy, nuts. The groundbreaker was Angel some 20 years ago, but then there are so many more that have come in its wake. It was ground-breaking then. It comes as no surprise that Victoria’s Secret, a brand that understands the laws of attraction well, is masterful at these “lick-able” fragrances.

Our picks: Thierry Mugler Angel, $138 (50  ml), www.sephora.com; Victoria’s Secret Tease EDP, $52 (50 ml), www.victoriassecret.com; Maison Margiela Replica Funfair Evening, $125 (100 ml), www.sephora.com.

2. Train your lover with scent—it’s Pavlovian!

If you want to set the mood, or more correctly, set his mood, you should train him—seriously. Take the Pavlovian approach. Every time you want to have a romantic evening—just the two of you—establish the setting. Pick a scented candle that you know he’ll like and that you love, and get it burning so that it has perfumed the air before he arrives. The great meal, lingerie, or whatever…can happen later, but if you always set this up and get that scent in the air, then his brain will come to expect that your chosen romance-is-about-to-happen scent will always mean that yes, there are good things about to happen. Now how’s that for an aphrodisiac?

Our picks: Jo Malone London Pomegranite Noir Candle, $65, www.jomalone.com; Diptyque Baies Candle, $32USD, www.net-a-porter.com; Nest Fragrances Vanilla Orchid and Almond Candle, $64, www.nestfragrances.com.

3. Make your hair smell great.

It’s no secret that guys love hair—well, not just guys either, of course. It’s primal—long flowing hair signals vitality, virility, sexuality on a very base, sub-conscious level. And there’s nothing sexier than great-smelling hair. ‘Cuz really, a guy does not want to smell your hairspray; not really. (Not that there aren’t amazing smelling hairsprays, but that’s another story to be posted in the future.)

Brands know this and are offering up some of their great scents in hair-mist formulas. Think classic perfumes such as Chanel No. 5, but also just-for-hair fragrances from the likes of designer hair brands such as Frederic Fekkai. So toss those tresses that have been misted with creamy vanilla or lemon and mint. Nice.

Our picks: Chanel Hair Mist in “Chance Eau Tendre,” $56, www.thebay.com; Frederic Fekkai Hair Fragrance in “Creme Vanilla,” $35, www.canadabeautysupply.ca; Byredo Hair Perfume in “Gypsy Water,” $62USD, www.net-a-porter.com.

4. Spritz on a sexy floral perfume—but make it tuberose or gardenia!

Florals are the most universally liked perfumes, even though richer spicier scents are gaining ground. But daisies or lilies of the valley won’t cut it. They can be sexy if they’re blended with other notes, but blooms with rich dark brooding smells are better. Go for tuberose and gardenia. They pack a sultry punch. And are also rather lick-able too—you want to get up close to these.

Our picks: Hermes Jour d’Hermes Gardenia, $110 (50 ml), www.sephora.com; Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gardenia, $280USD (200 ml), www.chanel.com; Aerin Gardenia Rattan, $170 (100 ml), www.sephora.com.

5. Wear musk. It smells like naked skin but better.

The Victorians outlawed musk and ambergris; they said they were too provocative and scandalous for nice ladies to wear. The word “musk” it should be noted too is Sanskrit for “testicle”. Just saying.
In the Victorian era, it was only “working women” who wore those types of scents. Those who made it their business to know the pleasures of the flesh. Sign us up, we say. Fragrances with musks are timeless and always sexy.

Our picks: Kiehl’s Original Musk, $54 (50 ml), www.thebay.com; The Body Shop Red Musk, $38 (100 ml), www.thebodyshop.ca; Clean Reserve Skin, $125 (100 ml), www.sephora.com; Narciso Rodriguez Musc Oil, $175 (50 ml), www.thebay.com