Allure magazine has an article this month entitled \"Smells Like Love,\" by Martha Barnette, in which, without one mention of the word \"pheromone,\" they discuss the role of scent with regard to attraction.

You may remember there was a study showing that some colognes make women appear to weigh less in a man\'s estimation. Allure reports that they are the spicy florals, and lists Jean Patou 1000, Musc Ravageur by Frederic Malle, Angelique Sous La Plouie, Rouge Hermes, Celine, Guerlain L\'Heure Bleue, and Calvin Klein Sheer Obsession.

It reports that men rate women as better looking in a room scented with lavender.

It lists \"scents that women love\" as Creed Himalaya, Marc Jacobs Men, Guerlain Vetiver, and Helmut Lang.

In a sidebar article, Mandy Aftel, author of Essence and Alchemy (does that sound like a good book or what?) says that \"what makes a perfume erotic is a base note that\'s reminiscent of \"the hairy parts\" of the human body.\" He says that to find your best scent, start with scents that include the most powerful animal base notes: musk and leather (Guerlain Shalimar, Calvin Klein Obsession, and Must de Cartier are given as examples for women). He says if the scent turns, then go to an incensey amber (Yves St. Laurent Opium, Christian Dior Poison, Coco by Chanel, or Guerlain Samsara). If that doesn\'t work, the safest sexy base note is chocolate, i.e., Aftel\'s Cacao, available at aftelier.com, or Theirry Mugler\'s Angel. These are all women\'s fragrances, but I imagine the logic would equally apply to men.