Smell Gorgeous

Smell plays an important role in how others perceive you, but also how you perceive yourself. As a result, ensuring that you smell good can have a positive impact on how others view you, but it can also help you feel more confident, attractive, and powerful. Keep reading for advice on how to smell gorgeous by maintaining good personal hygiene, using scented products, and being prepared to smell great at any time.

Steps

Smelling Gorgeous with Good Personal Hygiene

  1. Stay fresh and clean by showering or bathing daily. Showering or bathing daily is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make sure you smell gorgeous. It’s important to wash areas that produce odor such as the feet, groin, and armpits.[1]
    • Bathing right before you go somewhere will keep you smelling gorgeous during your outing.
    • Adding a few drops or spritzes of your favorite perfume or body spray to the bottom of your shower creates sweet-smelling steam.
  2. Wash your hair. Like the rest of your body, your hair also has sweat and oil glands, which can produce bad odors. To prevent this from occurring, wash your hair daily so it looks and smells its best.[2][3]
    • When you regularly wash your hair, your scalp will be healthier and your hair often grows faster.
    • Many shampoos and conditioners have great scents that will help you smell gorgeous. Pick a shampoo and conditioner you think smells divine.
    • If you want to wash your hair less often but also avoid greasy, smelly hair, try applying a dry shampoo.
  3. Use a clinical-strength antiperspirant. Applying a clinical-strength antiperspirant in the morning and before bed reduces sweating, helping you smell gorgeous. Clinical-strength antiperspirants offer stronger odor protection than regular antiperspirants.[4][5]
    • If you are wondering if you should also apply a deodorant, there's no need to buy an additional product. Most antiperspirants have built in deodorants.
    • If you have sensitive skin, look for a product that is fragrance free or hypoallergenic. [4]
  4. Shave with a great-smelling gel or cream. Hair traps bacteria and odors, so shaving areas like your armpits will reduce body odor. Scented shave gels and creams will also keep you smelling great throughout the day.[6]
  5. Practice good dental hygiene. Not brushing and flossing your teeth can result in bad breath and more serious dental problems. Dentists recommend you brush twice per day or after each meal.[7][8]
    • Flossing your teeth daily will also prevent bad breath.
    • Carry mints and chew gum to keep your breath smelling gorgeous when you are away from home.
  6. Eliminate foot odor. Foot odor smells less than gorgeous, so shake a little foot powder inside your shoes or socks to keep the bad odors under control.[4]
    • Crumpling newspaper and placing it in smelly shoes should make them less stinky the next day. Other people recommend filling a clean sock with baking soda or unused cat litter and leaving the sock in the shoe overnight so it will absorb bad odors.[9]

Using Products that Make You Smell Gorgeous

  1. Select a gorgeous-smelling fragrance. Picking a fragrance or perfume can be overwhelming, but it is an effective way to enhance how you smell. Here are a few tips that experts recommend when selecting a perfume:[10]
    • If you know there’s a certain perfume you like or a certain scent, ask a sales associate for assistance finding a similar fragrance. They should be able to help you narrow down the list and identify the notes in the fragrance that you are attracted to.
    • It’s important to test the product on your skin because your unique skin pH affects the fragrance. Experts recommend wearing it for at least 20 minutes to get the full impact.
    • Test out perfumes and fragrances in small batches so you don’t overwhelm yourself with too many scents at once. This might involve multiple trips, but it will help ensure you pick a product that smells gorgeous.
    • Bring samples of the perfumes you like home so that you can test it in your own environment and when there is less pressure to purchase something.
  2. Keep your perfume from dissipating upon application. Perfume can quickly dissipate, so try these tricks to increase the longevity of the products you apply:
    • Apply perfume right after you shower, when your skin is moisturized and it easily absorbs the fragrance.[11]
    • One of the best places to apply perfume is the hair because it holds the perfume well and will leave a gorgeous-smelling scent in your wake. Instead of spraying your hair directly with perfume, which can dry it out, apply it to your hairbrush prior to brushing.[12]
    • Avoid rubbing the fragrance once it’s on your skin because this makes the top note of your perfume fade, minimizing the full effect.[13]
    • Use a dab of vaseline or petroleum jelly on an area of your skin before applying perfume or fragrance to make the scent longer-lasting. Moisturizing your skin with unscented lotion before applying perfume also helps preserve the scent longer.[12]
    • Fragrance oils are longer-lasting formulas, so choose these when you need to smell gorgeous for a longer period.[13]
  3. Don't overdo the perfume. Applying too much perfume can make you smell overwhelming rather than gorgeous, so keep these tips in mind to make sure you apply it properly:[14]
    • Body splash, eau de cologne, and eau de toilette, have lower concentrations of fragrance oils and are usually more subtle, so if you tend to over-apply products, these might be a better choice.[12]
    • If you are worried you put on too much perfume or body spray, use a makeup wipe on the area and start fresh.[15][12]You can also sprinkle a little baby powder on the affected area, which should absorb the fragrance.[16]
  4. Store your fragrances and perfumes properly. Many people store their perfumes and fragrances in the bathroom, but the increased humidity, heat, and light in these locations can actually decrease the potency of these products. To keep your products smelling gorgeous, store them in dry and cool locations.[17]
  5. Use a gorgeous-smelling lotion. Scented lotions can often be more fragrant, cheaper, and longer-lasting than perfumes.
    • If you’re someone who worries about where to apply the perfume or how much to apply, using a lotion may require less guesswork. Just smooth an even layer of the lotion over areas you would like to moisturize.
    • You can add a few drops of your favorite perfume or body spray to unscented lotion for a gorgeous smelling version of your perfume that is usually more affordable.[12]
  6. Use great-smelling bath products. Scented bath products are also an easy and inexpensive way to smell gorgeous because they are often more affordable than perfumes.
    • If you are going to use a strong-smelling perfume or lotion, a lighter smelling body wash or shower gel might be a better choice so these scents are not competing.[18]
  7. Combine scented products carefully. When you use multiple scented products, it’s important to consider how the scents will mix. Here are a few tips for choosing products that go together and compliment each other so you don’t choose a combination that leaves you smelling less than gorgeous:
    • Many companies release lotions, perfumes, and body sprays in the same line that are intended to work together. These are known as ancillary products, and if you are worried about how best to combine different products, these are often a safe bet.[13]
    • Choose products in the same scent family so they go better together. For example, if you use a floral-based perfume, choose a floral-based shower gel or lotion.[18]
    • Products with vanilla, amber, and coconut layer well together and often pair with a wider range of products and scents.[18]

Being Prepared to Smell Gorgeous at Any Time

  1. Place air fresheners in your home, car, and gym locker. You want your personal space to smell as gorgeous as you do, so place air fresheners or odor neutralizers in your home, car, and gym locker to eradicate bad odors in these places.
    • You can also use baking soda and white vinegar to absorb and remove unpleasant odors. Just sprinkle baking soda in a place like the trashcan, laundry hamper, or litter box, which often smell less than gorgeous. Alternatively, you can set out a bowl with one cup of white vinegar in the room that smells bad, and leave it for a few hours or overnight.[19]
  2. Wash and dry your clothes regularly. Bathing regularly and going through the steps above won’t be effective if you put on dirty, smelly clothes. Wash and dry your clothes regularly to keep them smelling fresh, and use a nicely scented laundry detergent or washing powder so your clothes smell as gorgeous as you do.
    • To get rid of bad smells on your clothes and boost the effectiveness of your detergent, consider adding white vinegar, lemon juice, borax, or baking soda during the wash cycle.[20]
    • If you spray some perfume you like on a clean towel or wash cloth and throw it in with your clothes when you dry them, they will come out of the dryer smelling even better. You only need a few spritzes on the cloth, so don’t waste too much of your perfume.
  3. Keep your clothes smelling good even in storage. When clothes are stuffed in drawers and closets, they can acquire a musty smell. Prevent this from happening by placing potpourri, cedar blocks, or air fresheners in the locations you keep clothes.[13]
    • You can also use a bar of scented soap. Unwrap the soap, loosely cover it in tissue paper, and place it in the drawer, wardrobe, or closet for an instant clothing refresher.[12]
    • If you store dirty clothes in your closet, use an odor neutralizer or room spray to keep your closet from smelling like a pile of dirty clothes.
  4. Spritz your sheets and bedding with a room or linen spray. Lightly spritz your pillow, sheets, or bedding with a room or linen spray so that the scent transfers to you while you’re sleeping, leaving you feeling refreshed and gorgeous when you wake up.[13]
    • As a bonus, it also helps improve the smell of your room.
    • Select a fragrance that is calming to help you sleep better. Some companies sell specific formulas with essential oils such as lavender to promote relaxation and improve sleep.
  5. Try witch hazel. Witch hazel lowers the skin’s pH level, which makes it difficult for the bacteria that cause bad odors to survive. When you want to make sure you smell gorgeous and don’t have time for a full shower or bath, try applying a cotton ball soaked with witch hazel to the areas of your skin that seem smelly such as the underarms or your feet.[21]
  6. Keep a gorgeous-smelling beauty kit with you. When you’re away from your regular beauty supplies, but want to make sure you smell gorgeous, it can be helpful to keep a few products in case of emergencies. Store the kit in your car, backpack, purse, or locker.[22][17]
    • Wet wipes or baby wipes are good for all sorts of emergencies.
    • Baby powder or body powder can help absorb sweat and bad odors, freshen shoes, and keep your hair from looking greasy.
    • Include antiperspirant in case you forget to apply it or are feeling particularly sweaty.
    • Scented lotion, perfume, or body spray when you need to freshen up. If you don’t want to lug a whole perfume bottle, spray some perfume on a few cotton swabs that you can keep in your kit.
    • An extra toothbrush, toothpaste, mints, or gum to prevent bad breath.

Tips

  • If you apply too much perfume to an area, use a makeup wipe or sprinkle baby powder on the area.
  • For longer lasting perfume, dab a little vaseline or petroleum jelly on areas where you will apply perfume.

Warnings

  • If the products you use cause any skin irritation you should stop using them immediately. You may have an allergy or skin sensitivity.
  • Avoid applying too many different scented products because the combined scent may not be as good as you intended.
  • Strongly scented products can trigger asthma attacks, so be cautious when using these products if you have asthma or if you will be applying them around someone with asthma.[23]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. http://www.parents.com/advice/big-kids/hygiene/how-often-should-a-school-age-child-bathe/
  2. http://www.webmd.com/beauty/shampoo/how-often-wash-hair
  3. http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/how-to/a16091/how-to-combat-hair-odor/
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/27/how-to-fix-body-odor_n_4823712.html
  5. http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/preventing-body-odor
  6. http://www.medicaldaily.com/natural-body-odor-remedies-4-ways-eliminate-body-odor-good-hygiene-300446
  7. http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/brushing-your-teeth
  8. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/brushing-your-teeth/faq-20058193
  9. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000833.tip.html
  10. http://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/makeup/advice/a444/how-to-pick-perfume-1109/
  11. http://michellephan.com/beauty-tips-scents-the-proper-way-to-apply-perfume/
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/a34783/fragrance-hacks/
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/how-to/a4922/ways-to-smell-great-all-of-the-time/
  14. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3169620/Experts-reveal-apply-perfume-make-day.html
  15. http://lifehacker.com/how-to-tell-if-youve-put-on-too-much-perfume-or-cologn-1489114527
  16. http://www.redbookmag.com/beauty/makeup-skincare/advice/g1116/how-to-smell-good/?slide=1
  17. 17.0 17.1 http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/a34783/fragrance-hacks/
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 http://www.today.com/style/7-smart-layering-tricks-help-your-fragrance-last-longer-6162965
  19. http://www.wisebread.com/6-things-in-your-kitchen-that-get-rid-of-bad-smells-naturally
  20. http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/body-care/natural-laundry-soap-ze0z11zhir.aspx
  21. http://www.rapidhomeremedies.com/remedies-for-body-odor.html
  22. http://listaka.com/how-to-smell-good-all-day-8-simple-effective-tips/
  23. http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&cont=6