Women and smell

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I'd say check out ones that you like. Buy one that appeals to you and be subtle with that scent.

If in doubt or worried about getting it wrong, just go for being clean with a mildly scented deodrant (I know they're hard to find for guys).

Another interesting point about pheromones. If a woman is on birth control pills, there is a risk that she will find men attractive who are more genetically similar rather than genetically dissimilar (which is preferable).

This causes problems if a woman is on birth control pills when she meets a guy and while they are dating because if she then decides to go off birth control pills (say, to try and get pregnant) she will revert back to finding genetically dissimilar men more attractive. Ooops

As for cologne, think of it this way...if you are wearing an artificial perfume, you will mask your pheromones from compatible potential mates. My husband doesn't even wear deodorant and as long as he showers everyday, I think he smells AWESOME! Even after a hard game of soccer (especially after a hard game of soccer).

I also (but this could just be me) like it when he smells like campfire smoke or like pine trees if he's been cutting firewood. Outdoorsy smells...as long as they're natural (not from a bottle).

No hardfast rules...

BO can be nice

but if it's not... Then cologne works... Whatever type you like... Just not over-powering. I think kids who wear that axe crap... Stink just because it's SO overpowering. I like being able to smell a guy 5 inches away... not 5 ft away, regardless of BO or fragrance.

Other things...

The stuff you wash your clothes in too, can add to the effect as well.

Diet contributes as well.

Not a damned thing to do about pheromones.

So people put too much deodorant on though, so it is not just up to brand. It is not just men that over does the fragrance thing. I hate cologne but if I wore it to impress a woman and that that effect, then they would probably wear lot of fragrance and expect me to.

So yes I have and aversion certain smell, so why put everyone else through it too? Personally I think this a no brainer; I don't see any evidence to suggest it is a disadvantage not to. There is research to do with sweat (not BO), and pheromones. Yes there is fragrance the claim to contain pheromones, but they aren’t human and I’m not aware of any conclusive evidence it has any effect at all.

This is the sort of question that it is pointes asking people, because beyond strong aversion they might tell you something totally the opposite of what actually happens. This is the reality with human behaviour. Most of the relationship thing has little to do with conscious thought.

Practically speaking I would avoid antiperspirant unless you have a serious problem, and even then it is a question of attitude/preference.

I just got back from my martial arts; I’m going to sweat there and today was a good work out. One of my teacher seats buckets, you are literal sliding off him he is so slippery. I know for a fact that some people are squeamish, so they wouldn’t train with us. Like somebody who was making good progress and used to be a professional ballerina, decided she didn’t want to be around sweaty hairy men, which is fair enough but I don’t think it is true of every female, especially given the setting. But we do get emails hinting about training with the same sex, etc. I’m just going to reply honestly from now on: “You have to train with everybody to gain experience, and there is going to be sweat, sometimes buckets of it. So if you have a problem with training with people of all shapes and sizes, male and female, seat, and hairiness them maybe this isn’t for you.”


Personally, even though organic decay/waste, hydrogen sulphide, etc can smell bad to very bad, I often find clinical smell even worse. I am also sorry to say, with various sanitary products, their anti-odour mechanism is pretty bad and a dead give a away. Usually what they are trying to hide isn't all that bad compared to the clinical smell. If it is bad, the combined smell of both is enough to knock anyone out.

I dont like heavy cologne. The shampoo smell is nice. A nice scented deodorant is nice. And clean, fresh sweat (if you are attracted to him) makes a womans head spin. Mine at least.

My husband uses plain Lever 2000 and shampoo's with baking soda. I like it.

I think cleanliness is all that really matters. You just need to shower everyday. I'll admit I go overboard with the deodorant and body spray.

Just knowing what does work for other guys - smell clean and, if you are going to wear something go light. I have Aqua Di Gio and Ken Cole Black, rarely wear either though both are a very subtle and nice effect, particularly the Aqua Di Gio.

I'm a NT, but I used to be with an Aspie, so I can first-hand tell you from the other side what bothered me about him and what you should do instead. Cleanliness is key. Period. That's it, that's the key. Don't analyze the details (this cologne/deodorant vs. that cologne/deodorant), because it's not about that. The guy I was with didn't always shower regularly or he'd forget to brush his teeth sometimes, or he'd wear deodorant (vs. anti-perspirant) on a really hot day. All of these things give off an impression of laziness (don't have it in them to even get up and clean themselves up) and an overall disregard for personal care and hygiene which makes a girl think that you just don't care in general about yourself (implies insecurity, which women hate).

So, my advice to you is shower every day (morning and night if it's the summer or you have a sweating issue), brush your teeth 2-3 times a day (morning, after lunch, after dinner/before bed) and if you have bad breath issues regardless of how much you brush then get the special kinds of toothpastes for bad breath--don't forget to brush your tongue (my guy didn't remember to do this). Use anti-perspirant, not just deodorant. Don't worry about the kind, it's not important. If you want to go with cologne, the kind isn't so important either--just stick to something that has a "clean" smell to it or ask a lady at the cologne counter for the kind that is the best seller. Don't put a lot on, just a little. Or skip it all together and just do a nice aftershave (again, ask the lady at the counter or google this). And don't forget--do your laundry. Wear clean clothes always. That means no dirt, no holes, no bad smells.

Remember, it is not about the details, it is about the big picture. The big picture is BE CLEAN. Body odor of any kind is unappealing and it is a surefire way to deter a woman's affection.

Hope this helps someone...

you're definitely right about the need to maintain personal hygiene, and it will definitely push women away if you don't. But, by the same token, don't expect twice a day showers and 3x brushing your teeth to instantly make you attractive. I shower and brush every day at least (if I don't, I actually feel really out of it for the entire day), but I don't see the women falling all over me... I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is important, but it is by no means an end-all instant attraction generator...

I totally agree. Being clean does not make women want you or vice versa. However, being unhygienic will definitely put you behind the eight ball. Obviously, personality and physical attraction also come into play.

I agree. One thing about any colones, perfumes, etc. is that sometimes they might smell terrific in the bottle, but once on your skin, depending on your ph balance it might smell off or downright nasty.

I prefer someone who showers daily and who uses deodorant. I don't mind if someone had just gotten back from the gym, as sweat by itself isn't that bad, especially if they already keep good hygiene.

Hygiene is extremely important to me when I'm considering anyone for a relationship. Hell, it probably tops my list of important physical traits. Nevertheless, there's another smell -- as has already been mentioned here -- below the surface that is really important. I've been around very attractive people that I simply couldn't imagine getting intimate with because they didn't smell 'right' to me; their smell wasn't bad, by any stretch, it just didn't set off my desire to get closer or pursue. It doesn't happen every time because many more people simply smell neutral to me, but it has happened on the occasion. Also, the older I get, the more important it seems to be.

I really hope this doesn't sound terrible, but I've paid attention to my 'smell attraction' around guys I know that have diagnosed AS, or have all the obvious traits, and I honestly have noticed a correlation between AS and the scent of a person being 'wrong,' even if they're attractive in many other ways. NT men (and women) usually have a neutral smell to me, rarely a truly 'wrong' smell, or have an attractive aroma. This seems fairly independent of hygiene and certainly artificial scent products. I have no doubt there are also exceptions to the rule.

My boyfriend (NT, if a little bit OCD and very strange) smells amazing to me. He gets bent out of shape when he hasn't showered, but to me his lack of hygiene in that regard (skipping a day of showering) creates an intoxicating aroma. Even his morning breath doesn't deter me if his other smell is strong enough. I agree that it's like a drug. On the other end of the spectrum to him was an AS guy I met a few months back whose smell literally turned my stomach because he had extremely poor hygiene on top of an unattractive scent. What's weird is that women tend to always smell better to me, even to the point of being sexually attractive.

There's my belated input on the matter.

A few observations about smells: Once, I was riding on the bus with another girl. We kept noticing this truly awful smell, and remarked on it, several times. Finally a guy behind us apologized, and confessed that he had tried out a new cologne that was purported to contain "pheremones" that would drive women wild. Well, it did - wild with disgust. I in turn apologized, but said that the smell was truly awful, and that he would probably want to get his money back.

Another observation, is that my boyfriend absolutely loves to smell my hair, even when it's dirty. I, in turn, love his natural smell, but still require him to use deodorant, since the smell of ripe armpits is a definite turn off! Bad breath, too. Oddly enough, his breath usually smells pleasant to me!

ive had women before that have had specific smell requests, which is odd but what ever makes them happy right. this housewife i use to see, would only have me come buy after i had just off of work smelling of sweat covered in dirt and steel dust. its what got her off. women are weird that way.

guess the general answer is to smell clean, later you can fine tune with cologne that you like one spray not enough 3 sprays too much stuff like that