Wellness
This Pheromone Perfume Gives Me A Boost Of Confidence At Parties
Pheromones aren't just for attracting love.
As an introvert at heart, I like to put on a bright red lip before heading to a social gathering as a way to boost my confidence. But it isn’t always enough to keep me calm and collected.
Once I start mingling at a party, it’s only a matter of time before I start sweating from stress and I worry that everyone within a 5-mile radius can tell that I’m panicking internally. And my fear might be warranted: According to research, stress sweat really can put people off, and that, in turn, can impact how you feel about yourself.
As someone who will 100% cancel plans if I’m feeling nervous, I was intrigued by the idea of wearing a pheromone perfume to boost my confidence, like the kind from Eye of Love. The brand designs fragrances made with subtle scents that send an alluring message to those around you.
Once you spritz it on, the perfume is purported to help you to feel more self-assured, and it might even help put others at ease thanks to the wafting array of invisible chemical messengers. Obviously, I had to try it — here’s what it did for my confidence during the busy holiday season.
Fast Facts
- Price: $24.00/10mL
- Best for: A confidence boost, signature scent, mixing and mingling
- My rating: 4.5/5
- What we like: Light, long-lasting scent
The Lowdown On Pheromones
Human pheromones are chemicals that send subconscious scent signals to those around you. While they’re often related to sex and attraction, they can also be detected in platonic settings, like get-togethers and other social moments. In fact, studies have shown that pheromones may play a role in whether or not others view you as open, charismatic, friendly, and easy to talk to — all, of course, are nice traits to have at a party.
When you pick up on someone’s pheromones — which are odorless, BTW — it might play a role in helping you feel inexplicably drawn to them. According to Daniel Matchar, a licensed social worker and therapist with Practical Pie, everyone produces some level of these chemicals. If you’ve ever wondered why you immediately click with one person and not someone else, he says pheromones might be the reason why — and that’s especially true when anxiety is introduced into the mix.
“While research on human pheromones is still evolving, some evidence suggests that people can subconsciously detect changes in others' emotional states through scent, such as anxiety or fear,” Matchar tells Bustle. “This detection might not be overt but could influence interpersonal dynamics subtly.” That’s where pheromone perfumes can come in to help.
Eye Of Love Pheromone Perfumes
Pheromone perfumes, like those from Eye of Love, work as a sort of shortcut to this type of chemical connection.
Eye of Love adds other top, middle, and base notes, just like a standard perfume, into their vegan, plant-based pheromone sprays to help you feel confident, whether you’re trying to snag a date or feel more relaxed in a social setting. It could even help mask your own pheromones, which might be off-putting if you’re sweating from stress.
To use the fragrances, it’s best to apply a few sprays just below your neckline and on your wrists. This is where you have sweat glands that’ll help disperse the scent. They can be used daily, before a date, or whenever you want to feel confident.
The brand offers different blends depending on what you’d like to do and who you’d like to attract. You can choose between morning perfumes, after dark perfumes, and perfumes that are appealing to different genders.
The scents that contain androstenol are used to attract women, scents that contain estratetraenol are best to attract men, and other blends are meant to simply help elevate your mood. The brand also offers colognes and perfumes that are LGBTQ+-friendly.
My Experience
When I received a box of Eye of Love perfumes, the holiday season was just around the corner and my calendar was filled with social commitments. While that sounded fun to me in theory, my sweaty armpits and social anxiety had a different opinion.
To feel more confident, I spritzed on the Eye of Love After Dark perfume. While the warm vanilla, amber, and grapefruit scent is meant to snag a man, the brand says you can also wear it just because you like the smell, so that’s exactly what I did.
My first trip out was to a crowded holiday pop-up village where I planned to do some shopping for gifts. I noticed that everyone there was extra nice to me as they handed me hot chocolate and wrapped up my purchases. Was it an abundance of Christmas cheer, or my friendly pheromones gently wafting their way? I chose to go with the latter.
Next up, I wore the same scent to a big get-together with a bunch of old friends, including many I hadn’t seen in ages. Normally I’d feel nervous and awkward about venturing into an eclectic mix of people, but my pheromone fragrance made me feel more laidback and friendly as I went in for hugs and talked about life.
For a third test run, I wore the perfume while out for drinks and noticed that I felt extra confident the entire time. While I knew I smelled nice, it was reassuring to think about the multitude of little chemical messengers having my back.
The Verdict
Throughout the holidays, and now into the new year, I’ve noticed that I feel a little less anxious and introverted whenever I’m wearing this perfume.
When I asked Matchar if a pheromone perfume could have this big of an impact, he said it was entirely possible. “Whether it's the specific ingredients or a placebo effect, if a fragrance makes you feel more confident and less anxious, it holds value,” he told me.
That said, even the brand has mentioned that its perfumes aren’t meant to work as a magic potion, but more of a subtle ally. Wearing a nice scent is often enough of a confidence boost as it is, and that can impact how you carry yourself and how others perceive you.
Personally, I’ll be stuffing this perfume into my bag so I’ll have it handy for hangouts. If I’m feeling nervous — or if I’m smelling slightly funky — I’ll spray it on and bask in the positive attention.
Studies referenced:
Ackerl, K. (2002). The scent of fear. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Apr;23(2):79-84. PMID: 12011790.
de Groot, JH. (2015). Rapid stress system drives chemical transfer of fear from sender to receiver. PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118211.
Oren, C. (2019). A scent of romance: human putative pheromone affects men's sexual cognition. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsz051.
Verhaeghe, J. (2013). Pheromones and their effect on women's mood and sexuality. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2013;5(3):189-95. PMID: 24753944; PMCID: PMC3987372.
Wyatt, TD. (2017). Pheromones. Curr Biol. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.039.
Zaviacic, M. (2009). Cosmetic perfumes vs. human pheromones (natural chemical scents) of the human female and male in signalling and performing context of their sexual behaviour. Bratisl Lek Listy. PMID: 19750984.
Source:
Daniel Matchar, licensed social worker, therapist with Practical Pie
