The guys say: Cheetos dust, rotten cheese
In my experience, guys love pizza. Logically, it would seem that Demeter's cheese- and sauce-laced fragrance would be a slam-dunk. Not quite. Turns out, some delicacies are better left on the plate. "Just no," said one Crave staffer of Demeter's imaginative scent. Between groans, another compared it to -- there's no way to put this lightly -- farts. "Who would want to take pizza and rub it on their neck," another tester wondered. Though they all agreed it would make a great prank or gag gift (emphasis on the gag, apparently).
Photo courtesy of Demeter
The guys say: Cinnamon, fireball, Red Hots
Pizza may not have been a winner, but science says pumpkin pie should be: A 2011 study conducted by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research foundation found that the smell of pumpkin pie aroused men. With our testers, it wasn't quite love at first sniff. "It's not offensive, but it's weird," said one Crave staffer. Most of our testers quickly picked up on the fact that they were sniffing something inspired by a food, comparing it to Fireball whisky and Red Hot candies. "It's not human," said another tester.
Okay, we get it. Baked goods aren't the turn-on we'd hoped they'd be. On to more traditional perfumes...
Photo courtesy of Demeter
The guys say: Overwhelming, soapy, doctor's office
As one might expect, this musky Victoria's Secret fragrance totally screamed sex to us. But not loudly enough for this group of guys, apparently. Crave staffers found it overpowering. "This smelled like straight-up hand soap," said one reviewer. For another tester, it summoned the image of a doctor's office. Not so sexy.
Photo courtesy of Victoria's Secret
The guys say: Tangy, sharp, teacher, grandma
Made with floral notes found in wedding bouquets, this "sophisticated" fragrance is meant to evoke the "flush of new love." And, indeed, the sophistication of this perfume certainly comes across -- perhaps a little too clearly. Crave staffers say Love Story was reminiscent of an "unhip grandmother" and something a teacher would wear. "It's not for young people," said another tester. "You'd have to be elegant to pull this off." In other words, it'd be a hit at grandpa's nursing home.
Photo courtesy of Chloé
The guys say: Heavy, sweet, department store
This Indiegogo-funded unisex fragrance aims to replicate the 0.2-second endorphin rush that accompanies love at first sight with its full-bodied and earthy scent. For our testers, it didn't quite conjure up that loving feeling. "Substitute teacher popped in my mind," said one Crave staffer. "I didn't like it much," he clarified, ruling out the chance that this fragrance had a "Hot for Teacher" effect.
Photo courtesy of 0.2