Victor Jackson smells a shirt in hopes of meeting "the one" at a pheromone party in Scottsdale on Friday. (Photo by Jenn Allen)Single men and women brought T-shirts laced with pheromones to Scottsdale’s Red Revolver Lounge for the area’s first pheromone party Friday night.
Participants took turns browsing the bags and opening them to smell the T-shirts, which had been slept in for the three nights prior to the party.
In the three days preceding the party hosted by Fascinations and Phoenix Mingles, participants were forbidden from washing the shirt or using any kind of perfume, cologne or deodorant that would mask their scent.
Sexual Health Expert’s clinical psychologist Shannon Chavez informed partygoers about the fundamentals of sex pheromones.
“This type of event really allows us to use another part of our sensory stimuli to aid in the attraction process,” Chavez said. “What is interesting about the sex pheromones is how they are as unique to each individual as their fingerprint.”
Chavez said some pheromones can emit chemical elements more inclined to emotional safety and bonding than simple reproductive urges.
“Some pheromone sets motivate people to cuddle and be emotionally available while others can simply ignite a person’s raw sexual urges for someone else,” Chavez said.
When a participant found a scent that aroused him or her, event staff took a picture that was circulated on monitors throughout the lounge.
This allowed the owner of the T-shirt to see that someone had taken a liking to his or her scent.
Scottsdale native Robert Ramirez said he felt awkward about purposefully wearing the same shirt for three nights straight without washing.
“It was very weird at first, but I think the results will be good,” Ramirez said. “I had to explain to roommates what I was doing because they were beginning to think I was a bit odd.”
Joe Lynn Bierman attended the party with several girlfriends, all of whom contributed T-shirts.
Bierman said she’d learned about the power of pheromones in an anatomy class.
“I remember learning about pheromones in class and how it influences attraction,” Bierman said. “It really seems like a fresh approach to meeting people in a social environment.”
Tempe native Evan Roberts said the idea of a pheromone party appealed to him because he had never heard of any dating mixers like it.
“I was really surprised because I found a few scents that appealed to me,” Roberts said. “The key is to put yourself out there a little bit and go for it.”
Reach the reporter at mjgordo1@asu.edu
