Girls love perfume. At our age, we may still be testing out sample sizes and roller-balls of different perfumes, trying to find the right one; or you may have already found your signature scent and have the whole pretty bottle proudly displayed on your vanity. The primary reason most of us wear a perfume is just because we like the scent. But there is another demographic we are oft trying to appeal to: guys.
So I assembled a perfume panel of dudes to get a sense of what kind of perfumes guys actually like; between me and my roommates, I got together a decent assortment of perfumes. The three fellas I spoke with had differing personal tastes, but of the seven scents I had them smell, there were a couple of clear favorites. I asked them: what they would think of someone who was wearing them, would it be attractive, and how many stars they would rate it out of 5?
First, let me introduce our perfume panel:
Stephen Tinen, 22 years old, majoring in Recreation Parks and Tourism Administration.
Dan Chait, 22 years old, majoring in Business Administration.
Kyle Venell, 22 years old, majoring in Earth Science.
Scent #1: Oh, Lola! by Marc Jacobs
Product description: According to Sephora.com, “[This scent] bursts open with a bright and whimsical effervescence. At the heart of the fragrance is the playful scent of peony. As the scent dries down, a flirty and elegant trail gives you an unexpected touch of fun that makes you smile!”
HC: So what do you think?
Kyle: It’s fruitier than I would prefer
Dan: It’s too…too…it’s very…it’s fruity in an old woman type of way.
Stephen: You’re right, you’re right. I like it, but it smells like a mom. Not my mom, but you know…some 40 year old lady. But it does smell good, I wouldn’t mind smelling this.
HC: How many stars would you give this?
K: 2
D: 2
S: 3
Scent #2: Reb’l Fleur by Rihanna
Product Description: From perfumesbyrihanna.com, “Reb’l Fleur women’s perfume contains sumptuous florals, fruits and warm base notes that create a defiantly sexy impression. Experience Reb’l Fleur, it is a daring, sexy and truly memorable scent.”
HC: How’s this one?
K: I like it, it’s not as overpowering, more sweet.
D: Whoa [frowns]…actually [smiles]…it’s kinda welcoming after a few smells…yeah I would be kissing up and down that neck.
S: Ohh, me likey.
HC: How many stars would you give this?
K: 4
D: 4
S: 4
Scent #3: Dot by Marc Jacobs
Product Description: From Sephora.com, “The exuberant top captivates with a delectable blend of red berries, succulent dragonfruit, and sweet honeysuckle. The lush floral heart of the fragrance blooms with the addictive beautiful jasmine, mingled with energizing notes of coconut water and orange blossom. The scent rounds out with a feminine dry down of creamy vanilla, driftwood, and sensual musks.”
HC: What do you think of this scent?
K: That smells a little vanilla-ey. I definitely kissed a girl wearing that once….it’s comforting…it’s like an olfactory response. I must have been with someone comforting…maybe it’s the vanilla.
D: That seriously smells almost the same. But I like it. It’s more for like an elegant night on the town.
S: That is very similar… vanilla-esque, I agree with Kyle. I think you’d wear it for when you don’t want to smell quite as potent…
HC: Stars?
K: 4
D: 3.63
S: 3.5
Scent #4: Lucky You by Lucky Brand
Product Description: From theperfumespot.com, “Ruby Red Grapefruit and Crushed Green Leaves create a fresh, breezy aura while Blue Poppy and Star Jasmine infuse an elegant touch.”
HC: Well?
K: I like it. But on a girl…eh…I mean it’s vibrant, it’s nice, but not much sex appeal.
D: I feel like I’m smelling Lysol.
S: It’s very…fresh…it’s almost like a guy’s. There’s a little Old Spice in there but I like it. It is a little bit boyish, but it wouldn’t turn me off. I kinda like it.
HC: How would you rate it?
K: 2.5
D: 2.5
S: 3
HC: This fragrance is sometimes marketed as a unisex scent.
S: Boom! Called it! I said “boyish” didn’t I?
HC: Would you wear it?
K: Nope.
D: Being a guy, I would never wear that.
S: No…I mean if it was sitting there for free, I wouldn’t not use it.
Scent #5: Some no-name brand rollerball of perfume I bought for 10 bucks years ago that is supposed to be just plain vanilla scented.
HC: How’s this one?
K: I was overwhelmed with pictures of palm trees, like it’s tropical. I like it. That’s sexy to me.
D: It smells like how French vanilla ice cream tastes.
S: Kinda fruity. Old lady again. Like maybe a mother would wear it.
HC: And how many stars would you give it?
K: 4.5
D: 3.9
S: 3
Scent #6: Daisy by Marc Jacobs
Product Description: From Sephora.com, “The heart of Daisy is floral with vintage edge of violet. Sophisticated, with a touch of whimsy, violet captures the eclectic, timeless flavor of Marc Jacobs’ groundbreaking feminine designs.”
HC: Impressions?
K: Floral. I like it.
D: [furrows brow] I feel like I’m in a garden with 30 different flowers. It’s overpowering.
S: Are you just giving us the same perfume again? Is this actually a psychology experiment?
HC: [laughing] no! Do you like this perfume though?
S: I mean…yeah, I’d kiss that.
HC: And your ratings?
K: 3
D: 1.7
S: 3
Scent #7: DKNY Red Delicious
Product Description: According to Sephora.com, “This daring, irresistible floral oriental fragrance opens with a glittering lychee champagne cocktail mixed with crisp apple accord. The middle notes shimmer with velvety rose, while base notes of red raspberry mingle flirtatiously with amber.”
K: Clean and fresh but almost like…bathing, like soap
D: Oh! This has some spice to it. This girl wants attention. You’d remember this girl the next day. She hot. But it could also piss me off because it’s strong.
S: Ooh…it smells like something [Stephen’s girlfriend] has… yeah, Dan you’re right, you’d remember this girl.
HC: How many stars?
K: 2
D: 3.1
S: 4
There’s no denying that a nice fragrance can be alluring. None of us were surprised that dudes like the plain ol’ vanilla perfume (although it’s funny that they thought there was more going on in that scent than just vanilla), but who would have thought that Rihanna’s perfume would be such a big hit over more notable brands such as Marc Jacobs? Also, we should remember that different guys have different tastes—note that Kyle and Stephen both rather liked Daisy, but Dan did not. But something all three boys said at some point was something along the lines of “I would like this if I liked the girl” or “this would piss me off if the girl already had a bad personality,” so the effect that perfume has on men is nothing to get too worked up about, because really it’s the girl he’s into, not her scent.