Yes, you read it right; the newest secret weapon in your quest to find the perfect match involves sweaty t-shirts, unshaven armpits, and lots of sniffing.

So, you ask, what's the story behind pheromone parties? The premise is that since “humans can use scent to sort out genetic combinations that could lead to weaker offspring,” you are more likely to find someone who you are attracted to (physically at least) by smelling him. The entire craze was started by a woman in California named Judith Prays, who got frustrated by online matchmaking sites.

The smell of success or desperation?

The rules are simple. You wear your plain white cotton t-shirt for at least three nights in a row while avoiding spices and garlic, and then you store your (hopefully not so stinky) love prize in the fridge; when you get the word, you take it to the party. Once there, specialised matchmakers put it in a plastic zip-lock, tag it with a number and a colour (pink for girls, blue for boys) and the sniffing games begin! As soon as you find the t-shirt with the least repulsive smell (sorry, I couldn't help it), a wild photographer appears, grabs your pic and puts it on a giant screen. The owner of the lucky tee can see you, and if they are interested, he/she can come over and talk to you.

Awkward? You bet! Funny? Absolutely! Does it work? Ahem, there is room for some debate. According to the Examiner, “Live Science reports that the science on human pheromones has yet to be confirmed to an extent.”

So far, the parties have been successful, at least for those looking for a hook-up, and you can't argue that the concept is certainly novel. So, unless urine samples or sniffing each other's butts becomes requisite, perhaps you might give it a try?