erfume is one of the most erotic beauty products. Along with red lipstick, few things are more effective at putting a certain spring in your step. With the rise of the sex-positivity movement and the stigma around female sexuality being erased, the sensuality of scent is only becoming more apparent in the new perfumes launching on the market. “Perfume, of course, taps into our sense of smell which is our most primal sense, and plays a big role when it comes to our own sexuality and who we choose as partners,” says perfumer Maya Njie. “I believe it can truly make us feel both sexy and sexual.”
Perfume can definitely be a playful bedroom tool for those taking time to explore their sexuality, says Chicago-based perfumer Bambi Montgomery of Hive fragrances. “Once a consumer finds which fragrance stimulates themselves and their partner, it can be used as foreplay. From sitting across from a lover during dinner as he takes in their fragrance, to having it linger on the bedsheets the next morning.”
While female pleasure and sexuality has always been taboo, the tide is certainly turning. Over the past few years, we’re seemingly on the brink of a pleasure revolution with more women buying sex toys and consuming female-focused porn than ever before, as well as increased funding for companies focused on female sexual wellness. A lot of this has been born in the wake of of the #MeToo movement, which mobilised different groups of women to speak out on a number of other issues, including the orgasm gap and why sex should not just be consensual – but pleasurable too.
These changing attitudes are also being reflected in the world of perfumery – with scents that are more primal than sweet and as multifaceted and nuanced as female sexuality itself. Montgomery acknowledges that perfumers were historically, predominantly male, and had a penchant for making women smell like pretty flowers. “It reminds them of their mothers and grandmothers, giving them feelings of comfort, support and love,” she explains. “However, like in my fragrance Love Child, there are undertones of floral, but also some heat included to stimulate other feelings.”
“Many women are being drawn to the ‘fleshier floral’ scents which seem to mimic the warmth and texture of skin and body,” says James Craven of London-based perfumery Les Senteurs. “As a result, they often go for scents like Frédéric Malle's Carnal Flower or Andy Tauer's damp, dark Gardenia Sotto la Luna.”