Maybe.
I posted before that the type of cologne women find most attractive on men is that exotic scent called "none."
This research shows that cologne can have a net positive affect on attraction because wearing it makes men feel more confident.
Just like with voodoo death curses, the placebo effect can be quite powerful...
Interestingly, the so-called Axe effect seems to actually exist. In a recent study, men were sprayed either with a deodorant imbued with an active concoction (flavor oil and an antimicrobial constituent) or with a nonactive version. Subsequently, they were asked to provide several self-evaluations (e.g., self-confidence and self-attractiveness).
Then short videos were recorded of the male participants, which were subsequently viewed by female raters, who rated the men along several metrics (confidence and attractiveness).
Incredibly, not only did the men who received the active deodorant provide higher ratings of self-confidence but also women rated these men as more attractive (based on viewing the short video clips).
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