We discussed sandalwood in The Smell of a Hero, now we’re going to talk about two other scents associated with romance heroes: leather and horse. If a hero doesn’t smell of sandalwood or another woodsy scent, he smells of rich leather and hot horse.
I guess that means… At base, all men are cowboys! Yum...
Oh and can we say ew on smelling like a horse? Nothing like the smell of hot sweaty horse flesh for your hero. Grimace. So why is it used as an indicator of manliness in romance? Because those who are horse lovers associate that scent with something else. They say a horse smells warm and earthy. Both words are indicators of comfort, trustworthiness, and wholesomeness.
Leather is a family of fragrance. You will find leather as a middle or base note in many fragrances. It’s a soft, deep, buttery sort of scent. In masculine fragrances it is often stronger--sharper.
Now, if you pull out the adjectives from both horse and leather you have a wealth of implied base descriptors for a hero. Rich. Hot. Comfort. Warm. Earthy. Trustworthy. Wholesome. Strong. Sharp. Soft. Deep. Buttery.
Are authors as guilty of attributing personality traits through the smells associated with their heroes? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Smell is a hard thing to describe because our olfactory sense is not very developed in comparison to other species. I can only think of two other descriptors for sexy men off the top of my head: patchouli and spicy. That doesn’t give authors a lot of leg room.
And real men like to smell masculine too. Their cologne must evoke a unique, cultured and classic feel. They must exude sexuality, power, strength, and confidence. Can we say yuminess? This means men gravitate toward woodsy, spicy, leathery, warm and earthy scents for themselves. Authors got it right.
One more cowboy for the road...
What other sexy manly scents can you think of? Let's start a list!
Take a Look at These Fun Posts - Top 50 Romance Blogs, part 2
- Kiss and Tell: Jill Shure on Her Hero
- Review: The Princess and the Pea by Victoria Alexander
- Why the Hero Pursues – The Thrill of the Chase
- Review: Some Like it Wicked by Teresa Medeiros
Potentially Related Websites - How to Buy Cologne for a Man
- Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume Review
- Designing Cologne is not just for Designers
- Cologne for Men – What Women Like on Men
- Eau de Cologne by Yuri Gutsatz Review
- Soft Acoustic Guitar Cases Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Soft Pool & Spa Covers Pools & Spas Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Green Leather Straps Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Steel Very Low Base Acoustic Guitar Strings Acoustic Musical Instruments
- For Overhead Compartment Soft, Gig Bags Acoustic Guitar Cases Acoustic Musical Instruments
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2 comments ↓
Smell like a man, man.
I wish smells were more realistic. Like Axe body spray or something.
That would probably date the novels faster than a more “generic” type smell.
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