Have you ever wondered what Joe Paterno smells like? Probably not, but if he embodies the essence of Penn State he'd smell like blue cypress and cracked pepper vapor.
The scent of Penn State is now available in a bottle.
The university has an official perfume and cologne that captures the essence of the school's blue and white colors, according to the scent's developer.
Harrisburg-based Masik Collegiate Fragrances developed the scents. The company said the Penn State perfume exudes vanilla, lilac, rose and white patchouli, while the cologne smells of blue cypress and cracked pepper vapor. The 3.4-ounce bottles cost $60.
The products should appeal to Penn State's vast alumni and football fans, Masik president Katie Masich told the Press Enterprise of Bloomsburg.
The unique scents are based on "school colors, campus flowers and trees" and other features. Not Paterno.
Masich first got the idea of starting her own perfume company a year ago. And, while most brands of perfume are based on celebrities and fashion companies, she decided that people feel strongly about their college. Together with her parents and brother, she started Masik.
The Masiches approached perfumers who worked on brands for Calvin Klein and singer Jennifer Lopez. The perfumers developed more than 10 fragrances and asked the Masiches to pick two for PSU.
The family offered samples of their choices to Penn State alumni and received positive responses.
Masik also has perfume and cologne for the University of North Carolina, and plans offer scents for six universities next year.
The firm is licensed to sell the Penn State products, Masik said, and the company plans to donate some proceeds from each bottle to the university's scholarship fund.