mmm...cookies

The Scent of Happiness
10/18/2007

When you're riding a crowded bus that's ripe with the odors of your fellow passengers, you might wish that you could turn off your sense of smell.

But think twice: You'd miss out on the aroma of fresh baked bread, the sweet scent of roses, the fragrant spice of cinnamon and clove, and so much more. In fact, hard as it is to believe, you'd probably even miss the B.O. from your fellow passengers' pits: According to a recent study, a man's scent came in second only to his pleasantness, as far as the qualities that make him sexually attractive to a woman. And yes, that includes the lovely eau naturale – though women found artificial scents equally enticing. (Guys, even though your partner might love your unwashed aroma, do the rest of us a favor and spritz on some cologne before leaving the house.)

Of all five senses, smell is most closely tied to overall happiness and wellbeing, according to psychologist Rachel Hertz. So if you're feeling down, you might want to try a smell therapy session with some fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies – though we have a feeling they probably won't last long enough to do too much good.