Scent is powerful. It can evoke feelings, stir memories, and play a major role in the sensory experience of arousal and sex. That’s probably why pheromone perfume is having a big moment right now. There are 33.5k posts carrying the #pheromoneperfume tag on TikTok and 57.5k posts on Instagram at the time of writing. But do pheromone perfumes actually work? I was keen to find out. So when I got offered some Eye of Love pheromone perfume products to try out and review, I couldn’t wait to delve into what this viral craze is all about.
What Are Eye of Love Pheromone Perfumes?
To understand what pheromone perfumes are and whether they actually work, we first have to understand what pheromones are.
In short:
Officially named in 1959, pheromones are chemical substances that are secreted outside of the body in fluids like urine and sweat. Essentially, pheromones are a hidden form of communication. They send signals from one individual to another of the same species. This triggers a response in the individual receiving those signals, such as a hormonal change or specific behavior.
– Healthline
Interestingly, there is still a gap in scientific understanding when it comes to exactly how, or even if, pheromones work in humans. According to one paper from 2013 published in Facts, Views and Vision in ObGyn, “Many examples exist in animals but their role in humans remains uncertain since adults have no functioning vomeronasal organ, which processes pheromone signals in animals.” Deb Levine, MA and Stephanie Watson, writing for WebMD, say, “It’s not clear how the [pheromone] process works in humans. We do have VNO organs, but they’re small and may be too poorly developed to process pheromones like the VNO organs in animals can. More likely, we process these signals through our olfactory system.”
Pheromone perfumes, then, operate on the assumption that—like animals—humans use pheromones to increase their sexual attractiveness to potential mates. These fragrances contain synthetic versions of the substances that are commonly called human pheromones. The idea, then, is simple: wear them and people will be more attracted to you.
Eye of Love’s pheromone perfumes utilise two key compounds that have been deemed to be human pheromones or to have a pheromone-like effect in humans: estratetraenol and androstenol.
All Eye of Love perfumes are vegan and cruelty-free. They smell yummy, as we’ll discuss more a bit later. But do pheromone perfumes actually work?
Do Pheromone Perfumes Actually Work? What the Science Says
Eye of Love’s pheromone perfume, which I’m testing and reviewing today, can supposedly help you “be more attractive. Be more social. Be more successful.” All that from a perfume? It’s a lofty claim.
There’s a lot we don’t understand about how human attraction works. And, as we established in the section above, there’s also a lot we also don’t understand about how (or if) pheromones work in humans. So whether or not these pheromone perfumes actually “work” in any scientific sense isn’t really provable right now.
And look, I’m inherently somewhat cynical. As a general rule, I don’t believe in things for which I cannot see meaningful evidence.
Anecdotally, pheromone perfumes do seem to have a positive impact for many people. You’ll hear stories about service staff doubling their tips when they wear pheromone perfume, people getting asked out at the shops, and people suddenly having way more sex with their long term partners when they start using these products.
Is that down to the perfume, though? Honestly, until there’s more robust scientific backing behind the pheromone phenomenon, I’m going to assume it’s a placebo affect. If you believe something is going to make you more attractive, you’ll act like a person who believes themselves to be attractive. This, in itself, can be highly desirable. 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. Confidence can draw people to you in a way that might make you think “wow, it’s the pheromones!” when, spoiler alert, it’s actually all you.
Let’s not forget the fact that simply smelling nice can be a turn-on to many people. Scent can be incredibly erotic, so wearing a nice perfume can itself increase people’s attraction to you. When I see a woman I find attractive, smelling a nice perfume on her as she walks by can make her even sexier.
Shawn Talbott, PhD, quoted in a piece by Charlotte Hilton Anderson, MS, for The Healthy, also points out that “We know that plant compounds, like lavender and chamomile, can be used to reduce stress and enhance relaxation. So if stress is interfering with mood and suppressing libido, then we can use ‘plant pheromones’ to reduce stress. And if you’re less stressed then maybe your sex drive increases a bit.” In other words, the perfume might be having an impact but possibly not in the way you think.
The many positive pheromone perfume reviews could also be attributed, in part, to confirmation bias. In other words, if you expect to be more attractive wearing the perfume, you might notice attention from others more than you normally would (even if the actual type or amount of attention you’re receiving hasn’t changed.)
What I’m really saying is, if you’re going to try pheromone perfumes, go in with realistic expectations. You’re not going to just spritz this stuff on and instantly become irresistible to everyone of your preferred gender(s) who lays eyes on you. (That’s fairytale love potion silliness and even if it was real, it would be highly ethically questionable!)
What you might find, though, is that you find a little more confidence. A little more of your own, internal and unique brand of sexiness. And that can be just as magical, if not more so.
Eye of Love Pheromone Perfume: Matchmaker Collection Review
The Eye of Love pheromone perfume Matchmaker Collection consists of two scents: Black Diamond and Red Diamond. Red Diamond is marketed more towards straight women and other people looking to attract men, while Black Diamond is marketed towards straight men and other people looking to attract women. (There are LGBTQ+ versions of each also available—mine both say “Attract Her”—though I’m unclear on whether there’s any actual difference in the product! I assume they contain different pheromones according to the genders of the people you’re trying to attract.)
Ultimately, though, both scents (like all scents!) are gender-neutral and for whoever feels good wearing them.
Eye of Love “Black Diamond” Review
Eye of Love describes Black Diamond as “a bold blend of cedar, blackcurrant, and lemon. Undertones of oak, white amber, and musk.” I’m kinda wary of describing scents using gendered language, but this one feels decidedly masculine to me.
When I first put it on, the cedar is the main thing I can smell. I actually like this one more when I’ve been wearing it for a couple of hours and it’s had time to mellow out on my skin. At that point, the fruity scents start to come out a little more.
Black Diamond is definitely sexy. This one calls to mind dark corners in atmospheric cocktail bars, leaning over to kiss a soft butch girl whose lips taste of whiskey. It calls to mind the black leather and dark wood of the swankiest BDSM dungeons I’ve been to, of the tug of restraints around my wrists and the slap-slap-slap of a flogger across my back.
Ultimately, I think I enjoy this perfume best on someone else rather than on myself. Black Diamond is a lovely scent, I just don’t think it’s my scent.
Eye of Love “Red Diamond” Review
Eye of Love describes Red Diamond as “a sensual blend of jasmine, grapefruit, and amber with a touch of citrus.” There are also middle notes of lily and blackcurrent and base notes of musk and vanilla. It feels femme and flirty, and calls to mind the way that summer sunshine always makes me feel sensual and sexy.
This one feels far more at home on my skin. I like the way it softens over the hours I’m wearing it, leaving me feeling like I’m wearing a bouquet of fruit and flowers.
Red Diamond is sexy, too, but in a very different way to its counterpart. If Black Diamond is kissing in a dark corner of a cocktail bar, then Red Diamond is flirting at a wholesome coffee shop while thinking about all the terribly non-wholesome things I would like to consensually do to the pretty femme across the table.
This one smells good enough that I’ll seriously consider buying more when my sample bottle runs out.
Eye of Love Pheromone Perfume: Day to Night Bloom Set Review
I also received the Eye of Love Day to Night Bloom Set to review, which consists of two new fragrances from the Love in Bloom range: Sunny Daze and Lilac Dream. These fragrances draw inspiration from two strains of the cannabis plant: Sativa and Indica respectively. However, they do not actually contain any of those components.
These fragrances were, apparently, “specifically made to attract men” which is… not a thing my sapphic ass has any significant desire to do. However, since I don’t believe that the ways these these pheromone perfumes work actually has anything to do with gender (or indeed with pheromones), I don’t see any reason they shouldn’t also help me to feel sexy, confident and badass as I venture out attempting to meet women!
The TL/DR version is that I absolutely love both of these gorgeous fragrances.
Eye of Love Perfume: “Sunny Daze”
Sunny Daze is a sweet and floral perfume with top notes of bergamot, middle notes of Damascus rose, and base notes of jasmine. The rose comes out most strongly for me in this one, with the overall effect being super flowery. The jasmine comes through more after I’ve been wearing it for a while, softening and mellowing the rose fragrance so it’s not too overwhelming.
Sunny Daze is light and easy to wear, with just one or two spritzes needed to last me all day.
This one makes me think of strolling through a rose garden with a sweetie, or maybe sniffing a rose while wearing an ultra-girly floral dress. It evokes the pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges of blooming roses and the warmth of the sun on my back.
Eye of Love Perfume: “Lilac Dream”
If Sunny Daze is a wholesome daytime scent, Lilac Dream is its slightly more sultry twin that’s perfect for evening wear. Its top notes of vanilla and apple blossom are complemented by the middle notes of cashmere wood and base notes of musk, giving it a feminine yet warm, earthy vibe.
Lilac Dream is still light and summery, but with a hazy, romantic edge to it. This is the kind of perfume I’d spray on to have dinner at an outdoor restaurant or to head out for drinks by the beach when I’m on holiday somewhere hot.
Over time, the vanilla—which is the most prominent scent when I first spray this perfume on—fades into the background and allows the musky, woody notes to shine.
Eye of Love Classic Collection Pheromone Perfume Review: “After Dark” and “One Love”
Finally, I received “After Dark” and “One Love,” two pheromone perfumes from Eye of Love’s Classic Collection, to test and review.
Classic Collection “After Dark” Review
Eye of Love describes its After Dark scent as follows:
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.
After Dark is definitely the sexier of these two classic 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 first 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.
Classic Collection “One Love” Review
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.
How Did I Feel Wearing Eye of Love Pheromone Perfumes and Did They Actually Work to Make Me Feel Sexier?
I received Eye of Love pheromone perfume to review at an… interesting time. I’m not dating at the moment, mostly because I’m still recovering from the most brutal breakup of my entire life. So opportunities for trying pheromone perfumes out in actually “sexy” contexts to see if they’d actually work for me were few.
However, I did manage to find a few chances to try them while out with friends or Mr C&K. I’ve also been wearing them around the house to see if they can help to lift my mood amidst my endless fog of post-breakup depression, even if just for a moment.
As I mentioned up at the top of this post, I’m cynical. I’d need to see a lot more hard evidence to believe that pheromone perfume has any scientific merit behind it.
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. Who doesn’t feel more confident with a spritz of a scent that makes them feel most like themselves? Confidence is the sexiest thing of all to many people, and it’s something I have been sorely lacking in the last couple of months.
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? But it did help me to briefly remember what it feels like to see myself as sexy, attractive, and desirable. And right now? Honestly, that’s something.
Where to Buy Eye of Love Pheromone Perfume
All of these pheromone perfume products are available directly from Eye of Love:
- Buy Matchmaker Red Diamond here
- Buy Matchmaker Black Diamond here
- Buy After Dark here
- Buy One Love here
- Buy Sunny Daze here
- Buy Lilac Dream here
Thanks to Eye of Love for sending me these pheromone perfumes to try. All views and experiences are, as always, my own. Affiliate links appear in this post.