8 Scents That Gross Him Out & 8 He Will Go Crazy For
When it comes to men and women, it's no secret that we're entirely different species. What inspires and attracts one gender may seem like a confusing concept to the other. When we consider the common proverb, "men are from Mars, women are from Venus" we can relate so much to its meaning and many solidify it as their personal mantra for why they just can't understand or tap into the mind of the gender that alludes them. This can be painfully tricky for women to accept, as they're always trying to make sense of the male mind and work towards figuring it out.
One of the most common things that women try to decipher when it comes to men is just how to attract one! The notorious single ladies are constantly reading self-help books, shopping for the most flattering outfits, and learning about body language cues. When it comes to men, they're far more simple than we give them credit for. What can make a huge difference in attracting a man is the right scent. It may not be your personality, your looks, or your job that's turning guys away, but it may be the way you smell.
If you're a gal who wants to get to the bottom of this dating game and win with all the right tools, we've got the perfect cheat-sheet for you. Learn up on some the key scents that men hate, and the ones that will have him sniffing you out in a crowded room like a rat on a piece of cheese.
8 Smells That Will Gross Him Out:
16 “Grandma” Perfumes Remind Him Of An Old Lady
One of the worst smells that guys are, understandably, avoiding at all costs and are most turned off by is the musky, decrepit scent of "old lady". A mixture of highly perfumed products, church, and the strong and pungent smells of incense and potpourri, guys just can't get on board with any scent that reminds them of their meemaw. If you've ever entered the bathroom of your grandmother's house, you'd probably have a general understanding of the type of smell we're describing. Needless to say, no man wants to get up close and personal with his lady friend only to be hit by a whiff of a way-too-familiar memory of hugging his Nana and trying to rub the scent of cardigan off of his hair. He may love his grandmama, but not that much.
15 Sweet Scents Make Him Feel Sticky
When a woman comes in smelling like a bag of cotton candy, lollipops, or other sugary foods that remind him of when he was eight and hitting up the local candy shop, it doesn't come across as sweet or adorable, but repugnant. Since candy reminds him of a simpler time - a time in which he was young and attracted to brightly-coloured sweets and the girls who toted them - he can't help but shake that nostalgic trip down memory lane. Instead of viewing the smell as charming, he sees it as a desperate attempt by the gal to be younger. Many scents that are marketed to preteens emit similar aromas, so he can't help but feel as if he's doing something illegal by wooing a chick who smells like bubblegum. As he evolves out of his teenage years, he's searching for more mature women, and scents.
14 Overpowering Flowery Scents Cause Him To Sneeze
When it comes to ladies smelling like a rose, extremely subtle is best. Like, it should be so subtle that he can barely tell you're wearing a perfume at all! If you've got a preference for lavenders, ylang-ylang, lilacs, or other fragrant flowers, it's best to find a cologne that will provide only an essence of that signature scent. Any perfume that overloads the senses with its hit of bouquet is a no-go for any many. Guys don't want to feel like their stepping into a flower store or are holding back a sneeze from an overloaded floral arrangement that's positioned way too close to their face. When it comes to garden components, light is ideal. Otherwise, you'll wondering why your dates continue to turn up their noses after spritzing your décolletage with the purest elixir of gardenia.
13 Tanning Oils / Lotions Have Him Sniffing Out The Fakes
The mixture of suntan lotion, coconut oil, and the tropical and fruity ingredients that tend to concoct the base for the many different brands of tanning lotions are the scent combinations that men would love for women to trash, alongside their empty tubes of hair bleach. While many would argue that this smell is admired (some surfer men DO dig it), a lot of men have used it as an example for what they definitely wouldn't want their chick to smell like. This is primarily because of the stigma around self-tanning products, which tend to give off a chemical scent that is hard to cover up with all of those other ingredients. Many men also prefer a woman who smells fresh, as opposed to "bottled". If you're going to go for the bronzed look, it's best to wash off your treatment before meeting up for that Tinder date.
12 Baby Powder Makes Him Scared Of Babies
This one probably isn't too hard to accept as being a turn off for men. Baby powder - while comforting and preferred by women - is seriously despised by guys, and for good reason. The smell of baby powder reminds them of babies, grandmas, hospitals, as well as the common treatment for heat rashes and smelly shoes. While it can make women's ovaries scream in excitement, it has the opposite effect on men. They run and hide from ladies who wear perfumes that replicate the smell of baby powder. While the desire to have kids one day may not be entirely foreign to them, they will not be attracted to a woman who smells like a baby. Period.
11 Pink Grapefruit Isn't Quite As Nice As You Might Think
While pink grapefruit is a refreshing and light scent that goes great in the kitchen and bathroom (and in your eos lip balm!), it's shockingly not as admired by dudes. Dr. Hirsch studied men and their reactions to certain scents, and the smell of grapefruit ranked low in his study. While guys weren't exactly volunteering for a date with a lady who smells like pamplemousse, one of the insights that the doc uncovered was the fact that men seemed to view women as about six years younger than their actual age. Which means that the smell might be great if you'd wish to appear younger in any social situation, but it may not be the best spritz to apply before meeting up with a beau you'd like to seduce.
10 Any Scent His Ex Used To Wear
It doesn't come as a shock to us to learn that any future Mrs. Right should stray far away from scents that may remind your new honey of his ex. The last thing any woman wants is for their man to be attracted to her because of a smell that reminds him of a girl he can't let go of. Similarly, no man wants to commit to someone who makes him think of a chick he's dropped and has unfortunate memories of. A lot of men just don't want this reminder in their life and so they'll either avoid women who smell like their former lovers, or will flat-out ask their new gal to get rid of the products that are creating this memory for him. If it means abandoning your Chance Eau Fraiche by Chanel, do it. You'll find something better suited for you than the essence of your man's former lover.
9 Foul Body Odour Remains To Be A Terrible Scent
This is obvs not pleasant for anyone. Disgusting B.O. is a foul odour that we can all agree on as being the smell that nobody wants to sit next to, let alone endure during a makeout sesh. However, there is a difference between the smell of sweat and the smell of body odour. When a man smells his partner's sweat after a run or lifting weights, it can actually be quite alluring for him. However, if the smell she's putting out is not one that is produced by a hearty workout, but is a stagnant smell that is the result of not showering, sweating, and eating a poor diet, he'll be avoiding it - and you - at all costs. So be sure to invest in a great deodorant or antiperspirant if your pit stench tends to rival that of a city bus.
8 Smells That He'll Go Crazy For:
8 Get Baking With Pumpkin
That's right, ladies! You aren't the only basic b who loves the smell of pumpkin come the turn of the season! Men also dig this rich, warm, and aromatic smell. The combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and general reminder that things are about to get hella cozy up in here, is a huge engine revver for guys. What is perhaps a little unusual is when the pumpkin smell is combined with lavender! This mix is a big turn on that is kind of unexplainable, but some claim that they both remind him of happy memories. According to one Cosmopolitan writer, she wore this smell combination in the form of Eau Flirt and received a very positive response everywhere she went by air-sniffing men.
7 Fruity Scents Are A Simple Win
While we previously knocked the effect of pink grapefruit off of the good list, other "fresh" and uncomplicated fruity scents like orange are a win when it comes to men. Orange is an aphrodisiac for the fellas, especially when combined with scents like bergamot, wood, and other earthy fragrances. It's a clear win to ignite your man's senses and libido, which is why so many sprays and perfumes tend to incorporate this crisp scent into their products. So instead of taking your man apple picking, locate an orange grove and get plucking those vibrant globes of juicy and scent-a-licious flesh! Of course, locating an orange grove might take a trip to Florida or other southern landscapes, so maybe just prepping some freshly squeezed OJ will be just the trick you need to impress your man.
6 Head To The Theatre For Some Popcorn
Apparently, this movie theatre snack food is as tempting to his tastebuds as it is to his state of arousal. This salty and buttery snack may seem like a greasy and unpleasant scent to wear for women, but men really find it tempting. In fact, it has the ability to increase his libido by 10%, over any other scent. So. Weird. We don't get it, but there seems to be a trend happening here. When it comes to foods, men can't help but be drawn to some of their favourites (and the positive emotions they feel surrounding them). Popcorn is not only tasty AF, it is a pleasant reminder of a pastime of movie watching and getting cozy to his favourite gal. Who hasn't opened the doors to their dating lives by taking their date to a movie? We've all been there and have experienced the first-time kiss, and have most likely tasted the smooth, buttery lips of a post-popcorn bite.
5 Lily Of The Valley Flower Is A Breezy Scent He'll Swoon For
Another contradiction to the no-no's we mentioned earlier is the fact that, while men don't love the smell of overly flowery perfumes, they DO love the light and airy scent of lily of the valley. This very specific floral scent is subtle, cool, and fresh, which is the hot-button combination to get your guy hot. It has the odd ability to raise a guy's state of arousal by 11%, which is enough to have us searching the perfume aisles for elixirs that contain this adorable and enticing plant. In case you're apprehensive to opt for this flower, given the chance it could come off as overpowering, there are many spritz's that have included the scent without it being too much. Just ask your closest perfume guru for a recommendation and they'll be able to produce something that will make all the dudes in your life perk up and pay attention.
4 Black Liquorice & Doughnut (Mix 'Em Together & KABOOM!)
Alright, so get this. We've got another crazy combination for you that men can't get enough of: black liquorice and doughnuts. Individually, these scents won't do much for bringing the boys to the yard, but together, they had the ability to jumpstart a guy's libido in more than 30% of men who were put under observation by the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. Black liquorice is an especially tough smell (and taste!) to fall in love with, which is why we're so lost when it comes to its unlikely combination with doughnuts (a scent we totally understand - c'mon, it's doughnuts). Whatever it is that is triggered by this bizarre mix, we can't deny the research that went into uncovering this little bit of insight.
3 General Smells Of Cleanliness Make Him Think Dirty Thoughts
When it comes to "homey" smells, like clean sheets and fresh laundry, there is just something inside of a man that gets lit when he comes in contact with a gal who's smelling like a batch of tees that have been hung out to dry. As we've mentioned before, light and subtle scents are sure bet when it comes to men, so something as simple and breezy as laundered linens is an obvious choice. The combination of fresh air that attaches itself to clothes that have been hung out on the line and the nostalgic scent of laundry detergent is something that comes across as "natural" to him. Men have described the scent as reminding them of "the girl next door" and claim that it's "sexy" in a way that makes them want to "jump into bed and mess up the sheets".
2 Chocolate Is Just Plain Sensual…
For a long time, chocolate has been a natural and virtually understood aphrodisiac, so it's certainly ranking high as one of the top scents that men crave. This comforting food item has been used as an inspiration for lust in many forms: chocolate-covered strawberries, body "paint", cocoa-scented massage oil. Feeding each other chocolates have also been a popular form of foreplay for both men and women, opening up fantasies of being submissive or dominant. It's also a scent that ladies also tend to opt for and appreciated when setting the mood. While it is a rich and decadent scent, it's best to bust out only in the most intimate of occasions. It has an ability to make men quickly think of bedroom play, so it's probably not something you'll want to wear to the office.
1 … But Vanilla Is Your Best Bet
Vanilla has got to be the top smell that men just go nuts for! It's the base of many of the scents we've already mentioned, including pumpkin pie and doughnuts (and even chocolate can contain hints of this popular essence!), but as a standalone, it's dynamite! This simple extract is the ingredient most used in classic comfort foods that remind him of his childhood and of popular baked goods that make him feel warm inside, including cakes and cookies. It reminds him of home, Christmas, and has a peaceful, inviting essence to it that just makes him feel good. This feel-good energy transmits further than a simple happiness, but is actually translated into it becoming a powerful aphrodisiac for men. So the next time to want to attract a man, bake some cookies and hide them in your purse!
Credits: YourTango.com, Glamour.com, FoxNews.com, Cosmopolitan
