Fragrance has a magical quality, but surely it’s a stretch to say that pheromone perfumes can make strangers fall in love with you? Interestingly, the answer isn’t black and white.
If I went back to my teenage days at an all-girls school, when my only exchange would be a quick waft past the boys from the grammar next door, I’d be praying for this sentiment to be true. Because of course, circa 2003, there was nothing better to do on weekends than make a beeline for Superdrug and test the line-up of Charlie fragrances, in the hope that one of those boys might take a liking to Charlie So Kiss Me or one of the So…? Miniatures I’d stuff in my blazer pocket.
No, it never happened (I did get a boyfriend but it wasn’t down solely to smelling nice – but maybe it helped?). However, the idea that perfumes can intoxicate someone so much that they’d become instantly attracted to you hasn’t gone away. In fact, right now, according to TikTok, it’s never been bigger and it’s all down to this peculiar breed of fragrances known as pheromone perfumes.
TikTok’s viral pheromone perfume craze
Videos related to #pheromoneperfume on TikTok have racked up a whacking 107.7 million views with thousands of content creators hailing these fragrances as “sexiness in a bottle.” In one viral video, TikToker @erinduganjurchak tries out the trending Pure Instinct Roll-On, a “pheromone-infused essential oil perfume”, available at Amazon. In the video Erin says, “Have you ever heard of pheromone perfume? It’s supposed to mix with your own body’s pH and just make you irresistible.”
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On the fragrance notes, Erin tells her followers as she applies the roll-on, “It’s fruity, there’s definitely a musk” and goes on to talk about the product’s varying Amazon reviews where buyers have said “It’s raining men!” to “My husband says I smell like a cucumber.”
There wasn’t much of a reaction from Erin’s husband in the video but her comments section quickly amassed. One wrote: “Girl beware!! I put it on and then I had to work (I’m a nurse) and omg it was raining men of all ages 😂😂.” Another said, “This stuff works! I am a cosmetologist and the days I wear it my tips are way better than when I don’t.” One TikToker said: “In my early 20s, my bestie and myself would put it on before going out. We wouldn’t pay for drinks all night 🙌🏼.” However, the magical powers of this pheromone perfume didn’t work on everyone. “My ex asked me why I smelled like an old lady!!! 😳 🥺” said one TikToker, while another added: “Wear it everyday. still don’t have a man.”
What are pheromones?
So what exactly are pheromones? They refer to a chemical substance secreted by your own body via sweat and are thought to signal our readiness to mate. Think of them as airborne aphrodisiacs, but the sort that leave a barely detectable vapour trail so it’s not like you’re consciously huffing on your own body odour all day.