MUSK

We talk about scent a lot these days. But usually it’s surface-level. Cologne. Body wash. Maybe pits if it’s part of a kink.

But musk? That deep, warm, lived-in smell that clings to your skin and shifts with your mood?
That’s not hygiene. That’s chemistry. That’s instinct.

When I was younger, like most guys, I was shoved straight into the world of antiperspirants without ever being told what they actually were. Just grab the blue stick, smear it on, and go. No questions, no context. I didn’t even know there was a difference between deodorant and antiperspirant until my 30s. One blocks sweat. The other handles stink. Neither teaches you how to actually smell good, just how to not smell like gym socks left in a trunk.

Here’s the truth: musk isn’t a smell you add. It’s a smell you curate.

The way your body smells after a workout, a fuck, or a hot day in the sun isn’t something to hide.

There’s something magnetic about scent when it’s yours. The trick is learning how to work with it instead of scrubbing it into oblivion.

Let’s Talk Pheromones: The Myth and the Marketing

You’ve probably seen the ads. Spray this stuff on and suddenly everyone wants to jump your bones.

Spoiler: science says nope.

Pheromones are real for dogs, insects, and the animal kingdom. But humans? That whole system got phased out.

We’ve got the leftover hardware, but it’s like trying to stream Netflix on a Game Boy. It’s just not wired to work that way anymore.

Yeah, there are some sweat compounds that can subtly influence mood or attraction. But nothing close to the pheromone hype.
If you think it’s working, odds are it’s just you feeling yourself and honestly, that’s hotter than the product anyway.

Swagger always beats snake oil.

Yes, You Can Get Turned On by Your Own Smell

You ever catch a whiff of your pits and suddenly you’re half hard? That’s not weird. That’s nature.

Your scent carries testosterone, salt, skin oils, and a whole mix of compounds your body puts out naturally. Some of them, like androstadienone, have been shown in studies to subtly affect mood and arousal, even in small doses. We're not talking magic pheromone spray levels, but the real stuff your body makes on its own. That scent isn’t just a byproduct of effort — it’s a chemical signature.

And yeah, it’s primal. The scent of your own body , especially after a workout, a hookup, or just being outside and alive, can light up parts of your nervous system without you even realizing why.

Some guys get turned on by that. Others feel more confident, more embodied. Sometimes both. It’s not about being dirty or clean, it’s about presence. About catching your own scent in a shirt or jock and remembering exactly who the fuck you are.

So if you’ve ever thought “Damn” after smelling your own skin, you’re not broken. You’re just dialed in. And honestly? That’s one of the sexiest places to be.

When Is It Too Much?

This is where the line gets crossed , not into kink territory, but into miscommunication.

Musk should live close. It’s intimate. It belongs in the space between breaths — when someone’s face is in your neck, their head’s on your chest, or they’ve got your jock pressed up under their nose.

If your scent hits them before the door does?
You’ve gone full cologne uncle — or wandered into a level of funk that not everybody signed up for.

And look, I’m not shaming the guys who love that. Some people want it fermented, aggressive, almost confrontational. If that’s your scene and your partners are into it? Go for it. That’s hot because it’s intentional.

But when you say you’re into pits or musk and show up smelling like a gym bag that’s been marinating in the backseat all week — without asking, without checking the vibe — that’s where it breaks down. That’s not kink, that’s poor communication.

There’s a difference between natural scent and accidental neglect.
Old laundry, swamp ass, or that weird sour layer from sleeping in your tank top three nights in a row — those aren’t the sexy kind of raw. That’s just letting bacteria do your seduction work for you. And it’s not reliable.

Smelling good isn’t about being squeaky clean. You don’t need to scrub yourself raw or nuke every scent from your skin. It’s about knowing what parts of you are worth preserving — and what parts need a reset.

Musk is about balance. It’s curated. It’s personal. It’s something you learn over time, through your own body and how others respond to it.
Let the right parts of you stick around — the warm, the salty, the heady, the “fuck, that’s him” kind of smell.

Good musk invites someone in.
Bad funk kicks the door down before you’ve said hello.

Matching Your Natural Scent

Think of your body like a base note in a song. You want the other scents to blend with it, not clash.

Sharp or peppery guy? Lean into leather or tobacco.

Sweeter or earthy? Try cedar, sandalwood, or vetiver.

Use oils. Dab, don’t douse. Let it warm up with your skin.
You’re not trying to punch someone in the face with scent, you’re trying to whisper to their hormones.

THE PIT SNIFF CONTEST

We’ve even turned it into a game. Pit sniff contests.
I’m hosting one with Stank here soon , judged by whoever’s brave enough to lean in and take a hit.

But here’s the thing , it’s subjective as fuck.

Some guys want funk dialed up to eleven, like melted onions and gym locker stew. Others want clean sweat, maybe a whisper of deodorant left behind. Some say they like pits and musk, but really mean “a little salty, a little spicy, but still fresh.”

And that’s valid.

I’m not kink-shaming. Funk is a real turn-on for some folks. If it works for you and your partners are into it? Hell yeah.
But in my experience, there’s often a disconnect. Someone says “I’m into pits,” and then shows up smelling like they’ve been fermenting in nylon. It’s not always what people mean when they talk about musk.

First year I entered one, I lost. Mr. Kristopher was the judge and told me straight up I wasn’t funky enough.

The next year? I thought I had it. I flew to SF feeling good, maybe a little too good. I’d been saving up the scent, letting it ripen just right. I was damn close to winning , until a last-minute wild card jumped in and took the crown. Feedback was brutal: Too strong.
Apparently, I overdid it. But hey , pup Zander didn’t think so. He spent the rest of the night buried in my pits like he’d found religion.

So yeah, if you’re showing up to impress, maybe ask. Maybe test your own scent the way you’d test a fit in the mirror. Own it, play with it, learn it — but don’t assume it hits the same for everyone.

Smell Isn’t an Afterthought. It’s Identity.

Scent is one of the first things people notice and the last thing they forget.

You don’t need a $200 bottle or some trending TikTok product. You need to know how you smell and how to wear that on purpose.

Clean what needs cleaning. Let the rest breathe. You want to smell like your brand.

Musk isn’t about trying to smell sexy. It’s about not hiding the parts of you that already are.

Sometimes what makes you hot isn’t what you put on, it’s what you let stay.