Trib tested: Eau Flirt

Ooh la la?

More like ooh la ... nah. Eau Flirt, which bills itself as a "love spell in a bottle," is supposed to be the first perfume in the world clinically proven to make men flirt with women. You probably can understand my intrigue — and skepticism.

Eau Flirt's ingredients read like a bad recipe — plum, black licorice, lavender, black currant, nutmeg, apple and cinnamon, topped off with musk. Still, I was surprised by its fresh, clean smell. I was disappointed, however, by how quickly the fragrance faded. I had to apply it to my pulse points about once an hour to refresh the scent.

OK, I know you're wondering: Did it turn every man into Pepe Le Pew• No. Guys at a North Shore watering hole only shared an opinion on the perfume after I asked. One described the scent as "good." Another said it was "OK." A third just wrinkled his nose after I shoved my wrist into his face and said, "Ewww."

Not exactly a rousing endorsement. And I have to agree. I consider Eau Flirt's results wholly disappointing. C'est la vie.

— Jill Leonard

Eau Flirt advertises itself as a magic potion for inducing romance, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn't seem to add "urgency" to my social calendar.

Now, with the claims out of the way, let's look at what was good about it. It's a perfume that has an attractive, but not overwhelming scent — a mix of herbal and floral, for the dominant notes. And I still could be around a few friends with scent sensitivities while wearing it. The rollerball applicator was a convenient way to apply just enough and not feel like I was walking around in a cloud of fumes all day. And even tucked into my luggage for a trip, it didn't spill.

— Vaunda Bonnett

Eau Flirt• Eau No! And an emphatic one at that! The result of a scientific study, this perfume is designed to "stir passions" and entice men to flirt with you. I found men running, nay, scrambling away when I applied the roll-on perfume to my wrists.

I don't think I could have had a worse reaction to this neon green love fragrance. They ranged from the absurd — "Ah, geez! Are they still cleaning the carpets in here?" — to the gentle: "It kind of smells like over-ripe fruit." And, last but not least, the silent yet effective gesture of my friends simply leaving the room. Bad news for Eau Flirt - I got all three responses by merely opening the bottle.

I began to think it might be different on my body. Perfume mixes with your phermones, and that's when you can really gauge its mettle. Let me tell you it took a full-on loofa shower scrub to get that oily, pungent concoction off of my body without any remaining olfactory trace.

I enjoy perfumes of the garden variety: Roses, lavender, gardenia, etc. It would seem that, in addition to the florals, Eau Flirt included the rest of the garden: Pumpkin, licorice, mango, cassis, plum, orange, lime, lemon, pear, apple, cinnamon, musk, vanilla, sandalwood ... the ingredient list goes on. And on.

Heavily spicy and still, somehow, sticky sweet, I give this perfume a pass. Whatever "research" the Harvey Prince company has put into Eau flirt, like the ingredient list, is overkill.

— Caroline Hirt

Additional Information:

Eau Flirt

The claim: Harvey Prince's Eau Flirt is the world's first perfume clinically proven to make men flirt with women. Using a proprietary blend of black currant, plum, raspberry, apple, black licorice and lavender carefully mixed with middle notes of jasmine, ylang, nutmeg and cinnamon and finished with musk, this love spell in a bottle was tested and proven to evoke a passionate response in males. Inspired by a study conducted by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, Eau Flirt is based on single scent and combined ingredient fusions that create sexual arousal.

Cost: $98 for 3.4 ounces, $55 for 1.7 ounces, $21 for 1 ounce, $11 for 8 ml mini roll-on