signal sex and attraction

Make yourself irresistible with fragrance

Written by Glenn Lauritz Andersson & Denis Vasilije, fragrance experts

In human interaction, scent is one of our most powerful tools of communication. With the right fragrance as an extension of your personality — and chosen for the right occasion — you are ready to leave a lasting impression. Whether you want to signal masculine confidence or raw sensuality, your perfume becomes a loyal ally.

Key Insights

Scent is one of our most powerful senses and can be used to communicate attraction, personality and confidence in social encounters.
Choosing a fragrance starts with what you personally feel comfortable wearing, whether you want to express classic masculinity or animalistic sensuality.
Different scent profiles — from traditionally masculine to sensual or intensely animalic notes — send different signals of presence and attraction.

It may sound primitive, but sexual attraction between humans is one of our strongest driving forces, and our sense of smell is the most sensitive way we perceive the world around us. In the animal kingdom, scent-based communication and instinctive partner selection are fundamental. In perfumery, fragrance notes are similarly used to create associations and evoke emotions in both the wearer and those nearby. There are many ways to create attraction — as long as you start with what truly suits you.

signal classic masculinity

If you want to radiate masculine confidence, refinement and timeless elegance, there are many cards to play — or rather, bottles to choose from. Think Cary Grant or James Bond.

For a more old-school expression, it’s hard to overlook British Floris and classics like “No 89” — Ian Fleming’s chosen scent for James Bond. Notes of nutmeg, lavender and cedarwood create a clean yet masculine profile rooted in the 1950s, a retro classic that still works today.

Or consider tobacco blended with woods and citrus, as found in the sharply dressed Tobacco Sense from German brand Birkholz. If you lean toward a lumberjack aesthetic or envision a tweed shop in London, few fragrances are as powerful as “Sartorial”. It doesn’t get much more reassuring or masculine than that.

pheromones, sensual and daring

At the more overtly sensual end of the spectrum are fragrances that associate directly with the body, sexuality and animalic notes inspired by pheromones — the body’s own scent molecules, believed to be registered subconsciously and to signal virility and sexual attraction.

Going all in on pheromones means venturing into deeper, more challenging territory. These fragrances — often described as “dirty” or “skunky” in the international fragrance world — are not for everyone. They require confidence and the right skin chemistry, but when worn well, they create a powerful and unforgettable impression.

Italian house Xerjoff has fully embraced this approach with its Oud Stars collection, using precious oud resin from India, Bangladesh and the Middle East to create provocative scents such as “Al-Khatt”. These are not crowd-pleasers, but their complexity makes them deeply intriguing, evoking stables, leather and animalic depth fused with woods and florals. Or try the powerbomb Romulus from Benjamin Barber, combining leather, animalic oud and sweet vanilla.

For the especially bold, Bortnikoff’s natural and unconventional oud creations can settle beautifully and seductively on the skin after their wild opening.