Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union early 20th century called themselves 'oologists', though the distinction between the notionally scientific discipline of oology and simple egg-collecting was blurred. Identification of any but the most common and distinctive species usually entailed the collection of specimens to be made into study skins. Modern field-guides did not exist and few people could afford the massive multi-volume, lavishly illustrated, handbooks of John Gould and Gregory Mathews. However, both Archibald J. Campbell and Alfred North had produced comprehensive guides to what was known about the nests and eggs of Australian birds, with illustrations of the eggs rather than of the birds themselves,
What Love Is Made Of extremely positive about "What Love Is Made Of", describing it as "darker than anything" from "On a Mission", while calling it "slinky". The reviewer went on to commend the "irresistibly pouty" chorus. Pitchfork Media's Katherine St. Asaph commented that, in the song, the singer "sound[ed] completely enthralled, by either her lover or the music" and complimented her voice, noting that it seemed "ten times bigger than before". Jordan Sargent of "Spin" magazine called the track "exuberant" and highlighted Katy's vocal performance, which he deemed "typically fantastic", while the team from pop music website Popjustice gave "What Love Is Made Of"