We can't tell you what Offred in The Handmaid's Tale smells like. At a wild guess, it's probably the squeaky clean scent of soap – certainly not a disruptive perfume such as Chanel No.5.
Not only was it one of the first fragrances to be created by a woman, but Chanel No.5 rejected the era's single-note floral scents in favour of 80 complex perfume ingredients that capture the allure, strength and compelling contradictions of being a woman.
So there's a certain irony that, today, wanting to wear a perfume that makes you feel sexy and self-empowered is increasingly being deemed as anti-feminist.
Admittedly, the way sex is marketed by the perfume industry has been problematic for feminists. Remember Evan Rachel Wood and Chris Evans in the controversial advert for Gucci Guilty?
But #MeToo caused a cultural shift and these voyeuristic adverts with their come-hither eyes and breathy voice-overs have almost become parodies of themselves. Clichéd, outdated gender constructs leave a bad smell for today's consumer, while the idea that men should waft engine oil and women roses is fading faster than a winter tan.
We investigate.
In its place, gender fluid and neutral brands such as Byredo, Le Labo and Boy Smells have flourished. Their message offers the same level of joy to all: boys, girls and the LGBTQ+ community are wearing the same scents and it's cool to do so.
These perfumes deserve a place in your fragrance wardrobe and a mindset that rejects rigid male/female categorisation in favour of inclusivity and fluidity should always be applauded.
But there is another question to consider: is the world of fragrance erasing sex from the equation all together?
It's an interesting idea, given perfumer Ruth Mastenbroek believes that a sexy scent such as Firedance emboldens you when faced with “the primal instinct to survive whatever environment you're in.”
And Azzi Glasser, the nose behind The Perfumer's Story, is quick to point out the laws of attraction: “We are all animals at the end of the day, and who would want to be with someone if they didn't smell good? That's why all my perfumes have a sense of total provocation and sexiness.” No wonder she describes her go-to scent Sequoia Wood as “a total magnet”.
Among these sexy notes, says Azzi, is jasmine, which is known as the “perfume of love” while also taking the prize for adding a certain ‘dirtiness’ to a fragrance. “Saffron has been found to increase sexual behaviour and ylang ylang has a sensual aroma that helps to boost the libido,” she adds.
And yet so many perfumes today have stripped out these carnal notes and it's easy to get sucked into an anaemic swirl of freshly laundered sheets.
It's perhaps one explanation why vabbing – making perfume, quite literally, from your vaginal secretions – went viral on TikTok; its salty, mineral concoction designed to attract potential partners.
So what constitutes smelling sexy today? While romance isn't dead, how it's represented is different. “Nowadays people are braver, the limits have been stretched and we are more sexually open-minded,” Azzi says.
There is growing interest in pheromones – airborne aphrodisiacs secreted via sweat, that leave a barely detectable vapour trail but are thought to signal our readiness to mate. Perfume brands such as Feminista are using high concentrations of ISO E SUPER because “this molecule reacts as an agent to amplify your pheromones,” says founder Ulrike Hager.
As ever, language is also key. “Sexy” doesn't have to be about attracting a partner. Though she isn't opposed to the idea, Azzi thinks a perfume's appeal lies in how confident and happy it makes you feel.
“Perfume can bring out your hidden personality,” she says. “It makes you feel great about yourself,” which, in turn, sends out sexy signals.
All of this is to say, choose a perfume that elicits an emotional connection. Perhaps you can't resist the siren call of Byredo's Slow Dance, where sweet myrrh, violet and vanilla conjure up warm silk and breathless exchanges. Or Phlur Somebody Wood, which hits the olfactory G-spot by ricocheting between earthy and leathery before anchoring itself in creamy sandalwood. While humid skin scents such as Prada Infusion de Vanille and those with a musky trail (try Furla Magnifica) are positively intimate.
Maybe on a Saturday night your perfume choice packs a flirtier punch with Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Forever, Tom Ford's Lost Cherry or Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540. Unapologetically lusty and voluptuous, they are the equivalent of a sequinned catsuit and make you feel like the sexiest version of yourself.
Ultimately, “we have an intrinsic right to smell how we want,” says Ruth, “so you could argue that a feminist should wear an animalic, sexy fragrance just to prove that she can be whoever she chooses.”
