I've noticed that there are some people who I respond to on a very basic olfactory level. Some people's skin just naturally smells good to me.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Or am I absolutely the world's biggest freak?

-A

-- Amanda (amanda@nonsequitur.net), August 21, 2000

Answers

Weeellllll...being a heterosexual male, I hate to say this, but it usually takes some doing to get through the rainbow haze of perfume, usually enough doing that bare and non-reodored (?) skin is simply an added bonus. Of course, I'm certainly not one to brag...in my lifetime, there have been much less than a handful of women with whom I've been there.

But yes, some people just smell good. It is without a doubt a seriously sexy thing, too.

Smell ya later, Raphael

-- Raphael (grebq@yahoo.com), August 21, 2000.

I wonder though, if it might be an entirely subjective thing. I know that there are certain men, who don't particularly smell like anything... but for some reason, it's intoxicating to breathe them in.

It's not even really necessarily a sexual thing per se. I've noticed that some of my friends have this effect on me. And for some reason, I feel very comfortable with them. Very at ease. In a way that I don't feel with people who don't have this effect.

It's an odd thing and perhaps I've done a very poor job of explaining it.

Of course, the sense of smell is strong and tightly tied to memory. I often smell certain things and am instantly transported somewhere.

For instance, I cannot STAND the smell from deployed air bags in cars, it strikes fear into my soul. Whereas other smells remind me of pleasant memories.

Ahh well.. sigh..

-A

-- Amanda (nonny@nonsequitur.net), August 21, 2000.

Could very well be a subjective thing. Actually, reading the first sentence of your response, kind of triggered an understanding of what you're getting at. "Breathing in" someone is a tender and intimate thing, too, regardless the person. I still think that there has to be a real attraction there first, though, even if the attraction isn't a sexually-related one. You know, the charisma of a great leader. But I understand what you mean, and agree.

-Raphael

-- Raphael (grebq@yahoo.com), August 22, 2000.

When I was in highschool I once went out with my next door neighbor; what a hunk! He had red hair and blue eyes and he had that scent... I can't describe it. It wasn't artifical or anything, like out of a bottle, know what I mean? It was kinda sweet... @#&@! I can't even describe it!!! Anyway, I couldn't really date him cause he was half Arab and that was a no-no in my family and he eventually moved away, but I will never forget the way he smelled...

-- Shira (eviljewess@yahho.com), August 22, 2000.

See! You know EXACTLY what I mean... it is kinda sweet... and clean... and just so very real... and compelling. I know this all might sound strange but at least some people do understand!

-A

-- Amanda (nonny@nonsequitur.net), August 22, 2000.

It's called Pheramones. I once saw a documentary on it. They took T- shirts that men had sweat in, and had different women smell them. Some women were related to some of the men who sweated in the T- shirts. The women were told to smell the shirts and tell wich ones stunk and which didn't. In all cases the T-shirts worn by the men who were related to the women stunk. And those that were not found to have an offensive odor thought they smelled... nice. Hope that makes sense. I had a long term relationship with a man who always told me he was an alpha male. He felt that as an alpha male he had those pheramones that made him smell attractive to women. I just felt he really had no smell at all. I have noticed that one of the first things I do when I get close to a man, is to smell him. I smell him past any cologne they wear. And I have found that men I am not sexually attracted to, I guess for a better word.... stink. And those I have been sexually attracted to have this odor that I can't quite put my finger on but not really there at all. *shrugs*

-- Anjaleen (anjaleen@earthlink.net), September 22, 2000.

I found this b-board while doing a search on pheremones, and 'evesdropped' on the conversation.

I've often wondered if women trigger the mating search, based on odour because most men I've discussed this with concede it's only an illusion that we are the active initiators of successful matches! We note that we are apt to respond more positively to women who initiate attraction signals, than those who don't, and sometimes we just can't figure what someone sees in us! (sight may have little to do with this...) Pheremones may explain why an absolutely beautiful woman is not infrequently attracted to some humuncleaus.

Denis

-- Denis (d1gertler@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.