Hellmann's Mayo Cologne Is Enjoyable For All The Wrong Reasons

A deep love of sandwiches of all types runs through my veins, but wearing the scent of a sandwich spread feels like a step too far. Hellmann's disagrees — the company has decided to bottle the smell of its signature mayonnaise in a classy cologne.

The mayonnaise brand has just dropped a special new collaboration with Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. In 2023, the quarterback went viral for putting mayonnaise in his coffee. This led to Hellmann's striking a deal with Levis for a lifetime supply of the spread.

Levis's deal with Hellmann's was intended to showcase the many uses of mayonnaise. While we all know how useful mayo can be in the kitchen, this new partnership is ready to highlight the scent of a jar of Hellmann's, bringing the condiment into the world of personal grooming. Hellmann's sent me a bottle of its new Will Levis No. 8 mayonnaise cologne so I could try it myself. Mayonnaise with a little lime in it is this author's preferred mayo spread, but maybe Levis and Hellmann's can dress things up enough to convert me into a Hellmann's fan.

The brand describes this condiment collaboration as having notes of lemon, coffee, musk, vanilla, and of course "mayonnaise accord." These ingredients are sandwiched together in a way that is surprisingly pleasant.

Though I do not wear cologne myself, this collaboration smells like something you could wrap up in a nice bow and gift to a regular cologne wearer. What's most surprising is that it does not give off an egg smell. Typically, stronger, thicker mayonnaise is made with lots of egg yolks, but this scent is heavier on the musk than the mayo.

As a man who squeezed a dollop of mayonnaise into his coffee, it should come as no surprise that the professional football player wouldn't mind carrying the scent of mayo with him throughout the day. The bottle of cologne is only one fluid ounce, but just a spray or two is needed to get an immediate whiff of what the brand and Levis have cooked up.

After letting a few spritzes of the cologne sit and soak into a piece of paper, the lingering smell is closer to lemon and vanilla than it is to Hellmann's. The faintest hint of mayonnaise is barely detectable, but whether or not that's a positive is up for debate.

On the one hand, I don't think anyone truly wants to smell like a jar of mayonnaise (no hate if you do), so going light pungent scent might not be a bad decision for Hellmann's. On the other hand, as a Takeout writer, one of my biggest pet peeves is when brands do not fully commit to the bit. Take for example, when Heinz released a pickle ketchup not too long ago. Though the dill taste was present and appreciated, it just wasn't enough for a true pickle lover like myself. The same is true of this mayonnaise cologne.

All in all, this is an unexpectedly enjoyable cologne. I imagine asking someone who was wearing it, "Hey, you smell great. What do you have on?" Would you be happy to say it's Parfum de Mayonnaise? If so, then this collaboration is for you.