Why the smell of perfume makes faces LOOK more attractive

Scientists revealed that pleasant smells are linked in with another sense vital to levels of attraction - sight.

15:10 30 May 2014

Research from Monell Chemical Senses suggests that women become prettier when a pleasant smell is present. It added that the odour can change the way people rate attractiveness and perception of others. 

 

However, the study says that the effect does not make people appear younger – simply prettier. 

 

Janina Seubert, a cognitive neuroscientist who led the research, said: 'Odor pleasantness and facial attractiveness integrate into one joint emotional evaluation.’

 

'This may indicate a common site of neural processing in the brain.'

 

Previous studies had shown perception of facial attractiveness could be influenced when using unpleasant vs. pleasant odors. The current study was centered on the principle that judging attractiveness and age involve two distinct perceptual processing methods: attractiveness is regarded as an emotional process while judgments of age are believed to be cognitive or rationally-based. 

 

Jean-Marc Dessirier, Lead Scientist at Unilever and a co-author on the study said, 

 

'These findings have fascinating implications in terms of how pleasant smells may help enhance natural appearance within social settings. 

 

'The next step will be to see if the findings extend to evaluation of male facial attractiveness.'