The smell of excess
Get ready for huge marketing campaigns for three new men’s fragrances – just in time for
holiday shopping, of course – from Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole and Derek Jeter (yes, Derek Jeter). Here’s a preview and some famous folks we ought to spritz it on:
REACTION THERMAL: Designer Kenneth Cole keeps his clothes simple and neat. The same adjectives apply to this subtly sweet, mildly spicy fragrance that’s not nearly as rough-and- ready as its name implies. It’s warm, but a little soft. Definitely for young guys, or guys with that never-grown-up style.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Justin Timberlake
Anderson Cooper
John Hickenlooper
DEREK JETER DRIVEN: You’d expect a scent named after a world-class athlete to smell a little sporty. This one ought to be come with a free jock strap. Its woody, spicy, minty, manly aura makes it the perfect scent for guys who need to smell better, but hate to think of themselves as cologne wearers.
Emeril Lagasse
The Rock
Jake Plummer
Samuel Jackson
Bob Beauprez
POLO DOUBLE BLACK: Ralph Lauren always plays it right down the middle with designs that somehow manage to be ranch-rugged and cocktail party-cool at the same time. This scent follows that all-purpose suit. Citrus, cardamom, wood: It wants to be everything all at once, kinda like those guys who try to be bad enough to attract women but good enough to please their moms.
Will Farrell
Will Smith
Lance Armstrong
Robert Redford
Bill Ritter
The science of sniff
Researchers are all over how humans react to scents in one another. They use it to understand behaviors. We use it to make nonscientific leaps about how often to apply deodorant. Here are a couple of helpful findings from the past few years.
Finding: A Cornell University study asked people to sniff T-shirts worn for three days by themselves, friends, or strangers. Half of the people recognized their own scents, 39 percent identified the scent of their pals.
Cue: Your friends know when something smells fishy, and they know it’s you. Do laundry more often.
Finding: A University of Chicago study that asked women to smell T-shirts worn for two days of various men and then compared the results to their genetic make up, found that women inherit favorable smell preferences from their fathers.
Cue: Guys, if you are trying to woo a woman, tap into her dad’s soaps and colognes. If he likes them, she might, too.
Finding: A Rice University study found that men and women who are anxious or moody perceive positive smells stronger or more quickly than sniffers who are calm and collected.
Cue: Turn a bad couple’s day around by spritzing on a little cologne. Hey, it’s worth a try.
Sources: Men’s Health magazine, Rice University, University of Chicago
