Finding The Perfect Pheromone Cologne: A Guide

Pheromone colognes are designed to amplify your sex appeal and, in theory, emphasise your natural scent. While there is no scientific data to back up the theory that adding pheromones to perfumes can attract sexual attention, perfume can make you smell sexier to others. A great perfume can positively affect your mood and your confidence, which can be very alluring, says Beckielou Brown, founder and perfumer at Altra.

Some pheromone colognes contain synthetic pheromones, while others are traditional perfumes designed to enhance your allure. Here are some of the best pheromone colognes on the market, from viral TikTok fragrances to luxury splurges.

Best Overall

Moodeaux Worthy Eau de Parfum: Best Overall

This Black-owned brand's vanilla perfume is a blend of traditional gourmand notes, including cinnamon and a subtle bourbon scent, enhanced by delicate florals. Its warmth makes it ideal for winter, especially if spritzed on before unwinding in front of a roaring fire. The fragrance sits nicely on the skin, and only one spritz is required for a full day of wear. It also lasts a long time on hair, although it may stain fabric.

Although the packaging is gender-neutral and modern, the scent inside is quite feminine and more youthful than the bottle suggests. If you're looking for a perfume that will create comforting and cozy vibes, this is the one.

Key Notes: White tea, orange blossom, red rose, lavender, dry musk, amber, vanilla

Fragrance Family: Warm floral woods

Size: 1.7 oz

Other Notable Mentions:

• Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower: One of the sultriest scents available, with lusty notes of tuberose, jasmine, and musk.
• Venom Scents Original Scent: A gorgeous white floral scent, especially for the price. It has significant staying power, likely due to its jojoba oil base.
• Pure Instinct Pheromone Unisex Perfume Oil: This essential oil-infused perfume is quite strong, with a scent trail that can be smelled from 2 feet away. It features an unusual blend of fruity, floral, and spicy notes that eventually mellow into a vanilla-y floral aroma.
• Byredo Blanche: Perfect for daytime, this perfume smells like fresh sheets washed with a subtly floral and feminine laundry detergent. It wears close to the skin and lasts for hours, making it very inoffensive and easy to wear.
• Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 Eau de Toilette: This perfume is fresh, clean, and sophisticated. The star of this scent is iso e super, a lab-made aroma reminiscent of sandalwood.
• Juliette Has a Gun Not A Perfume: This perfume completely evolves on the skin throughout the day, making it almost like multiple fragrances in one bottle. It's a versatile scent personalized to your body's chemistry.
• Diptyque L’eau Papier Eau de Toilette: This fragrance is sensual without being sexy, impactful without being overpowering, and totally soothing. It's a long-lasting fragrance that can be worn to bed, to the office, and other intimate settings.
• Pure Romance Basic Instinct Pheromone Perfume: This is a very straightforward and playful fragrance that’s easy to wear. It's quite strong at first, but it mellows out nicely throughout the day.
• RawChemistry Delight Pheromone Perfume: This purple-packaged fragrance features floral, fresh, fruity, and spicy notes that make for a very unique and appealing blend.

Best Budget

If you're looking for a pheromone cologne that won't break the bank, Venom Scents' Original Scent is a great option. This fragrance has a fresh floral scent with notes of orange blossom and jasmine. It's an affordable yet shockingly high-quality fragrance with a heady blend of white florals and a sultry, spicy touch from the pepper note. The perfume is spicy at first, but the white florals soon take centre stage, making this a wearable scent for all seasons.

The Original Scent has significant staying power, likely due to its jojoba oil base, and the aroma is very strong—it can be smelled from over five feet away. The bottle looks like it has a rollerball or mini atomizer, but it actually has a stopper, so be careful when opening to avoid spills. At such a reasonable price, it's definitely worth a try!

Best Unisex

Juliette Has a Gun Not A Perfume ($150 at Amazon)

This perfume evolves on the skin throughout the day, almost like having multiple fragrances in one bottle. Two testers tried this scent and had completely different experiences. One found that it smelled a bit pungent, with a sour smell that reminded them of sweat, before becoming more powdery and somewhat cardboard-like, as well as masculine. The other tester found that it smelled plasticky and synthetic at first, then wore down into a floral, feminine, and musky aroma that sat close to the skin—earning them lots of compliments. It lingered well on skin, hair, and fabric (though it left an oily residue behind) and the wide-spraying mister and luxe, weighty packaging were appreciated.

D.S. & Durga I Don't Know What ($300 at dsanddurga.com)

This perfume features notes of iso e super and ambrox, as well as bergamot and vetiver, which make it suitable for both men and women. It was fresh, clean, and musky, with a touch of greenery. It was one of the best lightweight scents tested; it wasn’t always easy to detect on the skin (though others could!) but it was easy to smell on fabric, paper, and hair. While it was only tested solo, it would probably work well layered with other fragrances. The bottle is very attractive and has a nice heft, but the short nozzle wasn’t easy to mist and the bottle’s shape and size made it a challenge to hold and spray—requiring two hands to do so.

Moodeaux Worthy Eau de Parfum ($169 at Credo Beauty)

This vanilla perfume from Black-owned brand Moodeaux has a blend of traditional gourmand notes and is comforting and mood-lifting. It has a genderless blend of white tea, lavender, and musk. The fragrance sat nicely on the skin—only one spritz was needed for a full day of wear—and lasted especially well on hair, though some slight staining was noticed when spritzed on fabric. While the packaging is very modern and gender-neutral, the scent inside was quite feminine and more youthful than the bottle would imply.

Best Longevity

When it comes to the longevity of pheromone colognes, several products stand out for their long-lasting effects.

ANDROSTENONUM MAX Pherolec Global Male Pheromone Perfume Oil is a premium pheromone cologne designed for men, offering a discreet and musky scent. It claims to last up to an impressive 48 hours, providing an extended effect. The product contains a high concentration of pheromones, ensuring a lasting impression.

Raw Instinct Pheromone Cologne for Men is another long-lasting option, with a formula that is said to be long-lasting and pure. This cologne comes in a compact roll-on format, making it easy to apply and reapply as needed.

For a budget-friendly option, Venom Scents Original Scent is a great choice. This affordable fragrance has significant staying power, likely due to its jojoba oil base. It leaves a slight film on the skin and hair, providing long-lasting effects.

If you're looking for a pheromone cologne that will create a comforting and cozy vibe, try Moodeaux Worthy Eau de Parfum. This scent features a blend of traditional gourmand notes, including vanilla, cinnamon, and a subtle bourbon scent. It only takes one spritz to get a full day of wear out of this fragrance.

Lastly, RawChemistry Midnight Pheromone Infused Cologne for Men is a long-lasting option that comes in a convenient spray format. With a formula that includes sandalwood, musk, and exotic fruits, it provides an extra-strong concentration of pheromones.

Best Natural

If you're looking for a pheromone cologne that works with your body's natural chemistry, there are several options to consider. One popular choice is the D.S. & Durga I Don't Know What, a lightweight and understated fragrance that enhances your natural aroma. With notes of bergamot, iso e super, vetiver acetate, and ambrox super, it's a versatile scent that can be worn by both men and women. However, some users have found the bottle design a bit awkward to hold and spray with one hand.

Another option that aims to enhance your natural scent is the Glossier You Eau de Parfum. This gender-neutral fragrance is composed mostly of base notes, keeping the focus on the wearer rather than the scent itself. With notes of pink pepper, iris, ambrette seeds, and ambrox, it's a warm and intriguing scent that lasts without being overpowering.

For a more subtle approach, the Riddle Sphinx 8ml Roll-On is a base notes-only cologne that works with your body's warmth and chemistry to enhance your natural scent. Egyptian musk and sandalwood create a warm, inviting, and sophisticated fragrance that has garnered numerous compliments from reviewers.

If you're seeking a pheromone cologne that is simple and understated, consider the Altra Skin by Altra. This perfume contains only one accord, a blend of white musks, creating a sheer and translucent veil that enhances your unique skin scent. It's an alluring fragrance that draws people in without being overpowering.

Lastly, the RawChemistry Delight Pheromone Perfume is a unique blend of floral, fresh, fruity, and spicy notes that come together in a well-balanced and appealing fragrance. With just one spritz, you'll enjoy long-lasting coverage, and it won't leave any residue on your hair or skin.

Frequently asked questions