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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Science
Madeleine Spencer

Can perfume really turn us on? There’s a scent of truth, but science says most love stories need more

Heaven Scent: Actress Rita Hayworth sprays on her perfume in 1941 - (Getty Images)

Coco Chanel’s response to where a woman should apply perfume is the stuff of legend: “Wherever one wants to be kissed.” But while the notion of scent directing kisses is charming, can fragrance really drive sex appeal?

If, as Chanel suggested, the right choice of perfume can guide a lover around the body, it should also encourage us towards it in the first place. But the science around this is murky.

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