Could a smell-based fingerprint also predict the quality of a relationship? That’s the subject of a forthcoming study, in which Sobel’s team took olfactory fingerprints from 222 couples—some of whom had been together a short time, others who had been married 35 years—and interviewed them. There was a “frighteningly strong” link between how similarly couples perceived the scents of the world and the success of their romantic relationship, Sobel says. Couples that smell together, stay together.
— Time looks at the current research on smell and romantic compatibility. Read more at Love in the Stenches.
What a fascinating article! So interesting that eyes trumped the nose at the end of her experiment. My hubby has been smelling fabulous for 30+ years. I love that he smells as good when he comes home from work as when he left. Just last weekend as I’m huffing the vintage Femme on my wrist, he tells me that I smell like an old lady. ???? I’m okay with that, and I guess he is too!
How nice that he has smelled fabulous for 30+ years!
Why does this not surprise me? Our deeper brains rule relationships, no matter what our rational brains might tell us. My DH of more than 20 years and I both love perfume and both ask each other before we wear something, “What do you think of this?”- we only rarely (like maybe only once in a few years) wear something the other despises, and our tastes run parallel about 90% of the time.
So nice when it works out that way!
Chiming in late on this one, but had to share a story. Years ago a woman was asked what most appealed to her about her partner, a powerful man who was not considered traditionally attractive. She replied, “His kisses are sweet, and his skin smells of honey.” I’ve always remembered this and felt like she was speaking an amazing truth about the power of attraction.
Lovely!