A year ago, I’d never heard of pheromone perfumes. Now, suddenly, they seem to be absolutely everywhere. The hashtag #pheromoneperfume has been used over 33,000 times on TikTok and 57,000 times on Instagram at the time of writing this post. In my last Eye of Love review, I tried out the Red Diamond and Black Diamond scents. This week, I also received the Eye of Love After Dark and One Love pheromone perfumes to try out.
What is Pheromone Perfume?
Pheromones are chemical substances that some animals secrete in bodily fluids (such as sweat and urine) and which play a role in attracting a mate. Some believe that much the same is true for humans though, as we’ll cover in the next section, this is far from conclusive.
The thinking behind pheromone perfume, then, is that by applying synthetic pheromones to our bodies we can become more attractive to members of the gender(s) we’re attracted to. Eye of Love has created a range of scents based on this premise, including these two from the company’s Classic Collection.
All Eye of Love pheromone perfumes are certified vegan and cruelty-free.
Does Pheromone Perfume Actually Work?
Anecdotally, a lot of fans seem to believe that pheromone perfumes work. Service staff report getting better tips, single people say they’ve been hit on more often while wearing the perfume, and some users simply describe a sense of people being unusually nice to them.
But why is that?
The science for pheromone perfumes having a direct impact on attraction just isn’t there. But even more than that, there’s actually still uncertainty about whether or not humans even have pheromones (or, if we do, if they have any impact on attracting a partner in the same way they do for some animals.)
In my last Eye of Love review, I delved into some of the relevant science relating to pheromone perfumes. I recommend having a read, because it’s interesting stuff – I certainly learned a lot in writing it!
In short, spraying some perfume on isn’t going to make you irresistible to members of your preferred gender(s.) But that doesn’t mean the perfume is useless. Here are a few things that might happen:
- If you believe in the effects of the perfume, you might carry yourself with more confidence. This means you’ll project the open, flirtatious vibe of a person who knows they’re desirable and wants to be approached. In other words, it’s a simple placebo effect in action.
- Wearing a scent that makes you feel sexy can, likewise, help you project sexiness outwardly.
- Scent can be incredibly erotic, so wearing a nice perfume can itself increase people’s attraction to you.
- Other ingredients in the perfumes might be having a positive impact on your mood. For example, some plant compounds and essential oils are associated with calmness and relaxation. This can make you come across as more open, welcoming, and approachable.
- Confirmation bias. In other words, you expect to be more attractive wearing the perfume, so you notice attention from others more than you normally would (even if the actual type or amount of attention you’re receiving hasn’t changed.)
In other words, go in with realistic expectations.
Did Pheromone Perfumes Work for Me?
Personally, I don’t believe pheromone perfumes are going to help me meet the woman of my dreams (which is probably good because right now I’m so not ready that I wouldn’t know what to do even if she fell right in my lap, but that’s neither here nor there.)
What I do believe in, though, is using cosmetics – including perfumes – to feel more like myself, evoke the kind of mood I want to project, and boost my confidence. I find scent powerful, and I do feel myself walking a little taller and smiling a little more when I know my makeup looks good and I smell nice.
There’s even something a little bit magical in spraying on something from a bottle labelled “attract her.” The perfume probably won’t, in itself, attract her (whoever she is)… but maybe, when the time is right, I can?
Eye of Love “After Dark”
With all of that said, let’s look at the two fragrances Eye of Love sent me. Eye of Love After Dark is described by the company as:
Sharp. Sexy. Bold. Want your evening to end with more than just a kiss? After Dark is the perfect scent to accompany you on a nighttime tryst or bring the passion back to life with your partner.
Eye of Love
After Dark is definitely the sexier of these two fragrances. It contains top notes of galbanum oil, lily and grapefruit, middle notes of white chocolate and jasmine, and base notes of costus root, ambergris, and vanilla. The florals don’t come out as strongly as they do in some fragrances, and the overall effect is quite sultry. It calls to mind the kind of kiss you share at the end of an amazing date, the kind of kiss that you just know is leading to a lot more.
This perfume feels quite androgynous to me, which isn’t always my personal vibe. However, I actually like this one more the longer I wear it. The initial sharpness wears down, leaving a warm fragrance with just a hint of underlying sweetness.
Eye of Love “One Love”
Eye of Love describes One Love as “refined femininity at its peak”. It contains top notes of orange, middle notes of jasmine, rose and lily, and base notes of musk, ambergris and vanilla. For me, the vanilla comes through the most strongly when I first apply the perfume. Over the next few hours as it settles onto my skin, it mellows and the rose and lily take centre stage.
One Love is a light, floral, and summery scent. It’s a fragrance I’d spritz on for a picnic date with a cutie in the park or to sit outside and drink cocktails on a sunny patio (the latter being exactly what I did with a friend the first time I wore this fragrance!) It evokes long warm evenings, long fruity drinks, and smelling the flowers on the nighttime breeze as we walk home.
This one is ultra femme and pleasingly easy to wear. It also lasts well, with a distinctive scent still detectable on my skin many hours after applying it.
Where to Buy
You can buy Eye of Love After Dark and One Love pheromone perfumes directly from the company. They each retail at £20 for a 10ml travel size tube and £44 for a full size (50ml) glass bottle.
Thanks to Eye of Love for sending me these products to try. All views and experiences are, as always, my own. Affiliate links appear in this post.