As the longtime authority on all things dating, sex, and relationships, Cosmo can confirm: the vibes out there are… bleak. Every single person I've talked to over the last year (myself included) is fed up with dating apps and craving an analog meet-cute. In fact, IRL dating is having a moment—like singles events, mixers, crush parties, and speed dating—in attempt to get us all off our phones. Unfortunately for me, my rizz is perpetually turned off, which means I need reinforcements when I'm out trying to find the LOML. Enter: pheromone perfumes.
After a particularly gut-wrenching situationship, I feel ready to dip my toe back into the in-person dating pool. But IRL dating also means IRL rejection—arguably the scariest kind. Simultaneously, pheromone perfumes are blowing up everywhere from TikTok to Reddit threads, promising heightened attraction, magnetic energy, and an onslaught of unsolicited compliments with just a few spritzes. The science around human pheromones is still murky at best (more on this below), but the cultural obsession is so real, it's become a major 2026 perfume trend. In fact, many brands are incorporating the concept into their launches for sexy perfumes. So I figured: if a perfume could even slightly tip the odds in my favor—getting people to linger, strike up a conversation, or just notice me without a forced pick-up line or fake bump-in—why not try it? Right?
What is pheromone perfume?
First, let me explain the science behind pheromones. “Pheromones are a form of biological, nonverbal communication,” says dermatologist Karan Lal, MD. “These are scents that come from bodily fluids—like sweat, urine, and breast milk in humans—that are excreted out of the body and involuntarily evoke a certain response in members of the same species,” he explains. In certain species, pheromones can help ward off prey, and in others (aka humans), pheromones can help attract a mate.
This is why everyone has their own unique scent. “Many women are attracted to men after a workout in part due to their body odor from sweat,” Dr. Lal says. Ever heard of vabbing (aka rubbing your vagina juices on your pulse points like perfume to give off ~sexy~ pheromones)? Same concept here. This is why people sell and purchase worn underwear. The more ya know!
Typically, pheromone perfume is filled with essential oils that are meant to work with your natural scent chemistry and either recreate or enhance your body’s pheromones, making you more sexually attractive. I’d seen countless videos on TikTok of people swearing by the attraction powers of the Pure Instinct Pheromone Perfume Roll-On—one person even called it “catnip for men" (however, it also allegedly works for women too—so all genders and sexualities can enjoy). Applying it sounded like the perfect way to get me out of my house, off the apps, and talking to suitors.
Or try one of these other pheromone perfumes:
How my experiment went down
I rolled on my pheromone perfume at the gym, the bar, the office (hehe), the grocery store, my yoga class, a few work events, a dinner out with friends—literally everywhere I could potentially seduce a partner. For a month straight, I rarely wore anything but the Pure Instinct roll-on (which is a feat considering I own over 150 different perfumes and tend to mix and match three to four every day).
A little about the perfume while we’re here: It’s a roller ball, which is great for swiping on when you’re out and about. I’d just dab some on my pulse points before walking in somewhere. It has a light, fruity scent on me that smells sweet and fresh. I really like it, but it’s not the unique, layered, niche perfumes I’m used to (I like my expensive perfumes, what can I say?). I find the scent a little juvenile, TBH, but in a childlike, cutesy way. I also can’t complain because this clocks in at under $20, which is about the same price as the cocktail someone will hopefully buy me while I’m wearing it. So it’s basically a net zero if it works.
The results
Welp, I found no such evidence that pheromone perfume actually made me any more attractive. I chatted with a guy at a bar who sexily carried four beers in one hand (à la Adam Driver palming this casserole in this SNL sketch that had me drooling), but he was certainly more interested in the Chiefs game happening on the TV than me. I made eyes at the trainer in the gym when I asked him where the mats were, lingering a little longer to see if he’d notice my pheromones and fall head over heels in love with me. He answered and immediately stared back at his phone. Womp.
I told one of my friends I was embarking on this experiment, and she sniffed me and said she liked the scent because it was so light, but didn’t find it particularly arousing. Which makes sense—the scents we find sexy and desirable vary from person to person. “A lot of these attractions come from olfactory memory,” says Dr. Lal. “Essentially, when we are exposed early in life to certain scents, we recognize them and our brain retains this memory,” he explains. So while some might find vanilla to smell decadent and rich, others find it sickly and nauseating.
Part of the reason I don’t feel like this perfume works as well as others in my collection for garnering compliments and praise is that the sillage is pretty poor. You have to be so close to my skin to catch a whiff of it after I roll it on, so I can’t imagine too many people around me in public can even smell it unless they are uncomfortably close to me. So many of the TikToks worshipping this perfume oil’s sex-inducing abilities are those who have partners already, which now entirely makes sense. Your person is already all up in your business, so they can really sniff this on you, whereas the hot trainer at my gym prob could smell my Secret deodorant spray better than this perfume.
At the end of my experiment, I was exhausted. I had met exactly zero people and missed my beloved perfumes. This got me thinking I should just try mixing my Pure Instinct with one of my other favorite scents. I also had no luck here, but at least I enjoyed how I smelled a bit more.
Try the Pure Instinct Pheromone Perfume yourself
Final verdict
Wear whatever scent makes you feel the most confident if you’re trying to meet a partner in the wild. And if that scent is a roll-on filled with pheromone-boosting essential oils, then amazing! But for me, I think I feel the sexiest when I’m drenched in a gourmand perfume that makes me smell like gummy bears and ice cream and cake. Or a spicy combo of cinnamon and vanilla. Here are some of my go-tos, btw:
Walking into the bar already smelling like a delicious cocktail is kinda half the battle if you want someone to approach you, and this velvety, spicy fragrance is exactly that. Orange brandy and cinnamon give it a kick of something in the back of your nose, while the dry down of sandalwood, chocolate, and amber make you all warm and fuzzy. Just like a stiff drink.
I've worn this on countless first dates, and every time, I get compliments on how good I smell. It's soft and a little spicy (it's got vanilla, sandalwood, and tonka bean, FYI), but not too strong. And while I prefer to spritz a perfume on rather than dab it, I do notice this has a much stronger sillage than most rollerballs.
This is—hands down—my most complimented perfume. It's soft and majorly sweet, making me smell like a pistachio ice cream topped with whipped cream. But it's not too overly realistic, either, also incorporating bergamot and jasmine for some brightness.
An Uber driver turned out, asked what perfume I was wearing, then ordered it on the spot for his wife when I hopped in wearing this sweet, fizzy scent. The berry notes make it feel really cozy, while peach nectar adds a freshness that is perfect for the spring and summer, IMO.
With a name like Lover, it obvi had to be sexy. This one's got juicy fig and fresh jasmine notes, but also a really warm, enveloping oud that gives this so much body and spiciness. Cosmo actually gave it a Holy Grail Award. “If you’re in a Folklore or Evermore era, this should be your scent," says executive director; site, Alexandra Whittaker. "The warm earthy notes are strong but don’t tip overtly ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine,’ and one spritz has real lasting power.”
Worthy is, technically, also a pheromone perfume actually, as its filled with notes that are meant to mimic your skin's natural scent. On me, it smells clean and fresh—essentially the embodiment of the "clean girl aesthetic." I wear it at the office often because it's not overpowering or intense, but still catches the nose of my coworkers who shower me with compliments.
Meet the expert:
- Karan Lal, MD, is a double board-certified adult, pediatric, and cosmetic dermatologist at Affiliated Dermatology in Scottsdale, AZ.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing fragrance stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
