Is Love Really in the Air?

His bedroom eyes give you thrilling shivers; her smile makes your heart thump. However, a recently published article by Bryn Mawr Colleges says that it is the nose that truly knows what's hot. According to the 2008 study, "Do Human Pheromones Really Exist?" sexual attraction isn't just based on attractive features, smell plays a significant role in making someone more appealing. Sound far-fetched? You may think so unless you've ever experienced this kind of attraction.

I went to high school in the 1980s and I remember, all too well, going to a school that constantly smelled like Coty's Wild Musk. Even the ugliest guys became attractive after a few blasts of this cheap cologne. As I got older, my scent preferences became slightly more sophisticated but colognes have certainly influenced my dating patterns. Today, I scent associate Old Spice with my Dad but a whiff of David Beckham's Homme stirs up memories of a spanking good time. (Not with David Beckham, of course.)

Reading this study caused me to think more about some of the "love" partners I have chosen over the years. I have asked myself, (and my friends have too) why I ever dated "Surfer Dude" or "Mr. Hot But Unemployed." I think my nose has led me to more bad relationships than any one matchmaker ever could. The common thread and primary source of my angst--patchouli! A good whiff of real patchouli and I'm at least slightly interested. This musky, sexy scent really does a number on my good sense, decision-making and my hormones.

So is love really in the air as the old song says? I'd say so. The Bryn Mawr study summarizes its findings with this sentence: "This research strongly suggests the presence of chemicals that cause changes in non-conscious behavior." Interpreted: good-smelling scents can influence you without even you knowing it. The paper also mentions that many variables combine to influence our romantic choices. While the human pheromone continues to be elusive, I've got plenty of good and bad evidence to show that smell does play a role in our partner selection.

Not sure the science is accurate? Perform your own tests. You will need a guinea pig, a boyfriend or husband works nicely. Visit the local department store and ask for samples of three or four colognes. Ask him to try each cologne on a different night of the week, then wait to see what happens. When you find the right one, you won't be able to keep your hands off of him.

My money is on the patchouli!