Spray Away, Boys.

We’ve all seen those Axe commercials, and although chicks might not be banging down your door to get to your cologne doused torso right about now, there’s no denying that there’s just something about a man’s scent that really does it for women. I know, because, well, I’m a woman. But what is it about scent that attracts us to the opposite sex? For centuries, cologne has been used to mask odor, enhance one’s own scent, and attract positive attention. In very (VERY) ancient times, it was common for a woman to keep a peeled apple in the cozy nook of her sweaty underarm all the livelong day, and give the finished product to her lover. Sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? Well, many studies suggest that it is our natural scent that attracts the opposite sex. I’m not surprised- I used to have a boyfriend who really got a kick out of smelling the top of my head. Many perfumes and colognes claim to have pheromone enhancing chemicals, but the science of smell is a bit more complicated than that, according to scientists. Apparently, we all have what is called an MHC, or in super-science-speak, a major histocompatibility complex, which is linked to our immune system. The MHC is responsible for what we seek out scent-wise. We are programmed as humans to seek out individuals with MHC’s greatly different from our own, for reproductive purposes. When choosing colognes, we tend to gravitate toward smells that mimic our own MHC, so that we may broadcast our own scent to the opposite sex. Make sense? In theory, you could gather that this would mean that if a woman wearing a self-chosen perfume that smells just awful to you that you wouldn’t particularly like her natural scent, either- but I don’t know if we can jump to those conclusions just yet. The olfactory is a tricky thing. Your sense of smell is linked to brain functioning and many smells trigger specific reactions in the brain, so really, who knows what’s going on up there. But what we DO know, through a recent study, is that wearing cologne may have a psychological effect on the wearer. In a blind study, in which two groups of men sprayed on a substance, (one scented, one unscented), the men in the scented group displayed more confidence, and were even deemed “more attractive” to the women in the study, who were seated behind a glass wall. The women couldn’t even smell the cologne, yet they sensed the change in attitude, which in turn led to the attraction factor. So, from all angles, it looks like wearing a bit of the old smelly stuff really does work- even if it’s just in your head.
Here are some recent top sellers, according to Sephora and About.com :
Givenchy Play
Emporio Armani Aqua di Gio
Allure Pour Homme
HM by Hanae Mori
John Varvatos
L Eaud’ Issey pour homme


Sources:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/otodo/3576725694/
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12811377

Vignettes: Windows into our daily nightmares

She, a plump woman of forty four, had always dreamed of something big, something glorious. These days, the only thing “big” was the mass of her thighs. A sigh rattled through her lungs as she stubbed out the last of her cigarette. He had disappointed her.

Alone was a feeling he was used to. Watching the cars drive by from the roof of his flat, he gazed down at the city, so glittering and vast; and wondered what everyone else was doing.

Of course traffic was at a stand-still. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced into the rear-view mirror at the line of cars waiting behind him, hundreds of strangers isolated in their little boxes, impatient drones. For a moment, he felt compelled to put the car into park, step out, and walk away from it all. But where would he go?

Passing by a homeless man on the corner, she tried to avert her eyes, but was forced to look when she realized that the cardboard sign he held said simply, “I am alone.” Later that week, she adopted a sad-eyed dog from a shelter, which promptly destroyed her favorite pair of shoes.

Lying in the stranger’s arms she thought, “maybe this one could be it”, and sighed happily. Little did she know, he was silently searching for a reason to leave.

He had never really wanted to get married. He hadn’t asked for this. And now they wouldn’t even call him daddy.

“Will there be anything else?” she sighed into the microphone as she adjusted her paper hat. “Please drive through.”
He stood there, lanky and wavering like a reed in the wind as he watched her small form fade from sight, her perfume still lingering, a layer of sweetness shrouding his gloom. Breathing it in, he tried to comprehend how he had pushed her away.

The promotional videos were different. He had wanted to sky-dive out of planes and impress girls with his uniform. Blood on his hands, his lips trembled. This was the only job he couldn’t quit.

Reclining further, massaging his temples he said, “Take a genuinely happy person, and have them sit in a cold and barren room for an entire day-alone. They will emerge changed. Now have them imagine a lifetime of the same. That’s looking through my eyes.”

My Resume

Anne Marie Jackson___________________________
4700 N. Capital of Tx Hwy #708 Austin, Tx 78746
tel (512) 300-9294
annemarie919@yahoo.com
Education
Texas State University- San Marcos, Texas
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, Specialization in Advertising
Minor in Psychology

Previous Employment
Blank Label/Thread and Tradition
Writer/Editor Present
 Edited and created ad copy for website
 Wrote weekly blogs on men’s fashion and lifestyle
 Generated creative input for website and marketing materials

Condo Life Review Magazine
Intern Summer 2008
 Fact –checked and edited various articles for publication
 Generated creative ideas for future articles
 Contributed creative input for articles and layout

First Class Models Agency July 2005-Present
Model, Brand Ambassador
 Promoted various products in bars, clubs and promotional tours
 Acted as a representative of various brands
 Interacted with and educated consumers in real-life environments

Party Girls Promotions March 2005-Present
(seasonal)
Owner & Manager
 Organized and operated PGP for bars, clubs and private events.
 Hired, managed and trained a team of six employees for various promotional events
 Supervised promotional team during weekly assignments/events

Noode Skincare April 2003-May 2007
Account Executive, Texas Territory
 Created marketing campaigns, handled monthly promotions
 Hired and trained a team of 10-15 employees
 Maintained business and client contacts
 Managed a team of sales managers throughout Texas
Other Experience:
 Internships: VIR Productions, Intern-writer on an experimental sketch comedy pilot, 2005.
Sweetbottom Films, Production Assistant, May 2008.
Freelance: Contributing Screenwriter and Director for Storyteller Productions, Austin, Texas
Skills: Proficient with Microsoft Office, Power Point, Word, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Bilingual (Spanish)