The New Intimacy

What smell really gets you going?

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Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
“Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains...”
—Diane Ackerman

Between today's Sexis article on recycling tires into fetish items and strap-on harnesses and doing a review of a deliciously scented massage candle, I have been thinking about the smells that turn us on...
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
Leather
55
PCV
3
Rubber
9
Lavender
21
Pumpkin Pie
17
Licorice (A recent study showed answers #4, #5 and #6 aroused large numbers of men and women)
2
A favorite perfume (please list below).
58
The fresh, clean smell of the person I love.
142
Other (Quite obviously, the variations are endless here - what's your favorite aphordasical smell?)
64
Total votes: 371 (218 voters)
Poll is closed
03/15/2010
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Contributor: Sammi Sammi
Poison - my absolute favorite perfume.

Cinnamon and vanilla are great smells for me as well
03/15/2010
Contributor: Miss Cinnamon Miss Cinnamon
Perfumes don't usually do anything for me. The boyfriend, however, goes crazy for the Opium scent. I got a generic knock-off of the perfume for two dollars and spritzed it on one evening. I'm not a huge fan of the scent myself, mostly because it's so overwhelming, but when I saw the look in his eyes when he caught a whiff of my new perfume, I knew my bottle would be getting semi-regular use after all.

For things that turn me, personally, on though, I go with the "clean" smell and also the smell of awesome food. Pumpkin pie's way up there, but so is the smell of baking bread and juicy chicken in the oven. Stir fry gets me going too. I don't have a food fetish; food makes me feel at home, it makes me comfortable. And when I'm comfortable, it's easier for me to get in the mood.

Aaaand, now I'm hungry.
03/15/2010
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
Well, that was interesting - I was editing my post and I couldn't save it

I was going to add that I love when my husband wears Oscar, although there's a few colognes he has that I love.

Cinnamon and vanilla are great smells for me as well
03/15/2010
Contributor: SydVicious SydVicious
I love my husbands smell right after a shower with a tiny bit of Acqua Di Gio. He loves when I wear Love Spell. When we first met Love Spell was all the rage and I used to wear it all the time, so he still loves when I drag that out.
03/15/2010
Contributor: Sir Sir
Leather, of course, since I am a leather fetishist.

HAHA! I like your response, Miss Cinnamon, that was cute. I feel the same way, sometimes. I enjoy the smell of cooking, especially desserts and bread. I believe that my favorite, actually, is my mum's cookies. They're the only cookies that I will eat, so whenever I smell anything that smells remotely like them, I get taken back in time and feel very comfortable. I am not sure that it makes me become turned on, though...
03/15/2010
Contributor: Red Red
Super cheesy, I know, but damn, Calvin Klein Escape on my husband *does* things to me. There are other calognes that smell similar on other guys (I call it 'that wonderful man scent' and I don't really know how to describe it, but it ALWAYS does things to me when I catch a wiff of it. I would probably consider sleeping with a guy based on that scent alone.

Leather does me in too. What's the 'standard' leather jacket store in the US? I have no idea, actually... Anyways back in Canada the store was 'Danier' and it was in every mall. I used to really enjoy going for browses in the store - I would close my eyes and lets my hands run along the rows of jackets and I would smell, deeply. Only when appropriate and on the sly, of course.
03/15/2010
Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
After showering my wife uses a Shea Cashmere Body Cream moisturizer from Bath & Body Works link - the aroma just says 'are you ready big boy?!'
03/15/2010
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Red
Super cheesy, I know, but damn, Calvin Klein Escape on my husband *does* things to me. There are other calognes that smell similar on other guys (I call it 'that wonderful man scent' and I don't really know how to describe it, but it ... more
Here in FL, there are no standard leather stores. In New York, there was not really either, but it was generally a given that there was one somewhere around. So it depends on the place in the U.S.

I do the same thing, but I will literally pick the article of clothing up and inhale it, then put it back and walk away. A bit creepy, yes, but hey, what can I say. This is why I have leather gloves that I can smell whenever I need to. HAHA!
03/15/2010
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
My husband right after a shower - when he smells all damp and fresh and manly product goodness...mmm. I also love the new massage candle we got (SO MUCH) the Sweet Water & Absinthe by Jimmyjane is intoxicating. I wish they made a cologne of that! Gary really loved when I wore Flowerbomb, but I ran out and that stuff is damn expensive, so now I wear a dark vanilla-y orchid scent that he nuzzles and likes. I like green and citrusy smells as well, so those are arousing I guess. Just having a good smelling house can improve my mood, so that counts!
03/15/2010
Contributor: Sundae Sundae
Like Victoria, I wear Flowerbomb and totally love it. On a man for some reason Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren and there are a few other colognes that really get me going. Especially if he's power dressing in a suit, I have a definite thing for office men!

As for other scents there are definitely a few that I like, but no particular ones that spring to mind right now...
03/16/2010
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
Yeah...Opium or black Opium scents and I'll pretty much make you whatever you want in the kitchen...turnabout is fair play?

Also, the smell after fresh rain...
03/16/2010
Contributor: removedacnt removedacnt
I love the way my husband smells with one of the colognes I pick out for him. I love Obsession for Men, Gray Flannel & Halston Z 14. But I love the way he smell with no cologne on even better. He has this nice hairy chest and I could just nuzzle my nose there and breathe in his scent all day.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Carrie Ann Carrie Ann
Cotton candy. My guy likes a cheap, ridiculous cotton candy scented body spray. After 8 years of putting it on to turn him on, it turns me on, too.
03/16/2010
Contributor: EffinSara EffinSara
I really hate to say it, but my partner wears Old Spice deodorant and I've come to associate it with all the crazy monkey sex we've had.

Unfortunately, the rest of my housemates wear the same deodorant as him

In general, though, I do tend to prefer spice- or wood-based scents on the people I'm with. If my partner was into wearing cologne, I would buy him a bottle of Mechant Loup by L'Artisan Parfumeur, which I smelled once and had the most incredible response. I just wanted to jump the guy wearing it.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Gary Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by Victoria
My husband right after a shower - when he smells all damp and fresh and manly product goodness...mmm. I also love the new massage candle we got (SO MUCH) the Sweet Water & Absinthe by Jimmyjane is intoxicating. I wish they made a cologne of that! ... more
You covered most of it... but I do really like the pumpkin pie smell too, although not really in a sexual way!
03/16/2010
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Carrie Ann
Cotton candy. My guy likes a cheap, ridiculous cotton candy scented body spray. After 8 years of putting it on to turn him on, it turns me on, too.
I would have never, never guessed that! Cotton candy, that is a surprise. I guess I didn't notice when you were staying at my house, because all I could smell was that lovely shampoo and conditioner you use! (PS: send some to meeee) Ha!
03/16/2010
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Gary
You covered most of it... but I do really like the pumpkin pie smell too, although not really in a sexual way!
Hubs! You literally have a dozen pumpkin scented candles in your office (some nice lady who loves you bought them for you)- you looooove that smell!
03/16/2010
Contributor: KBToys24 KBToys24
I love Bath and Body works "Sensual Amber"

Other than that the natural scent of my husband is wonderful, whether he is clean or not.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Darling Dove Darling Dove
I'm not sure if there's a scent that turns me on. There are lots of scents I like, but none that I can think of make me physically turned on except the smell of my fiance. Just his normal smell, with him having, hopefully, forgotten to douse himself in Axe.

If I had to pick a smell that turned me on, I guess I'd say amber perfume. I actually wear it myself but I loooove the smell. I have some pheromone perfumes I just bought for the novelty really and I like how they smell but I doubt its the actual scent that I like, in that case, lol.
03/16/2010
Contributor: LanaBean LanaBean
Quote:
Originally posted by KBToys24
I love Bath and Body works "Sensual Amber"

Other than that the natural scent of my husband is wonderful, whether he is clean or not.
There are so many wonderful Bath and Body Works scents!

My boyfriend always smells SO good.

Baking almost anything but I'm partial to banana muffins, babies (they can go both ways haha), and a spring day.
03/16/2010
Contributor: LanaBean LanaBean
Quote:
Originally posted by LanaBean
There are so many wonderful Bath and Body Works scents!

My boyfriend always smells SO good.

Baking almost anything but I'm partial to banana muffins, babies (they can go both ways haha), and a spring day.
Oh, and these don't turn me on. but I love them anyway.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Gardenvy Gardenvy
Quote:
Originally posted by LicentiouslyYours
“Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains...”
—Diane Ackerman

Between today's Sexis article on recycling tires into ... more
Very Valentino = SO YUMMY

When my mans natural scent blends with this cologne... grrrr! I think I'm in heaven!
03/16/2010
Contributor: Angel deSanguine Angel deSanguine
Cedar... when my husband and I first met he had a piece of cedar in his chest of drawers that made all of his shirts smell like it and, in turn, his chest so I associate it with that warm, sexy feeling. Leather as well... another warm, sexy smell.

On the other end of the spectrum, that metallic-y scent of metal. I know, it's strange.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Angel deSanguine
Cedar... when my husband and I first met he had a piece of cedar in his chest of drawers that made all of his shirts smell like it and, in turn, his chest so I associate it with that warm, sexy feeling. Leather as well... another warm, sexy ... more
I like the smell of metal and blood too. The taste, as well.
03/16/2010
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
Mulder uses Method's olive leaf body wash, so I always associate that with him and sex (any idea how weird it is to be creaming the panties in the body wash soap aisle at Target??). The olive leaf wash, his musky scent, with alcohol on his breath ... I'm ready as soon as he meets me in a kiss when I walk into his place.

He says my perfume - nag champa oil with amber body spray - is the sexiest thing he's ever smelled; it compliments my own body scent.
03/16/2010
Contributor: JEM JEM
I absolutely love when my husband gets out of the shower and put on Himalaya cologne! The smell is intoxicating!! To bad the stuff is so damn expensive! I also love in the winter when he puts on his "man" lotion. Something about it really gets me going!!
03/17/2010
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Quote:
Originally posted by Chilipepper
Mulder uses Method's olive leaf body wash, so I always associate that with him and sex (any idea how weird it is to be creaming the panties in the body wash soap aisle at Target??). The olive leaf wash, his musky scent, with alcohol on his breath ... more
Alcohol on someone's breath is one of the more odd smells that turns me on. I attribute it to far too many nights in college bars making out with drunk boys.
03/17/2010
Contributor: Carrie Ann Carrie Ann
Quote:
Originally posted by Victoria
I would have never, never guessed that! Cotton candy, that is a surprise. I guess I didn't notice when you were staying at my house, because all I could smell was that lovely shampoo and conditioner you use! (PS: send some to meeee) Ha!
Hehee! I'm having trouble finding it! Next time I hit the salon I know has it, I'll grab you some too.
03/17/2010
Contributor: Valyn Valyn
Mmm.. Old Spice. He uses it and I love it!
03/17/2010