The phenomenon of smellmaxxing, the art of smelling better that conquered teenagers: “I give hundreds of euros on designer perfumes”

A new trend popularized on Tiktok attracts more and more teenagers: smellmaxxing. It describes the concern of young people for a pleasant body odor, obtained by luxury perfumes, whose costs are most often borne by parents.

Young people promoting smellmaxxing. Tik Tok source.

Smellmaxxing is defined as the phenomenon in which young people use perfumes to improve their bodily odor. This trend appeared in 2024 and was promoted by social networks, especially Tiktok.

Popular on Tiktok

The clips in which teenagers tell about their routine to use expensive and brand perfumes, to “maximize” their smell, have often become viral. However, those attracted to this idea end up spending exorbitant amounts on luxury products.

“Lately, teenage boys and even pre-adolescents with money to spend have become obsessed with designer perfumes that cost hundreds of dollars. If you ask a teenager why he wants a $ 200 perfume bottle, he might tell you to do smellmaxxing-a deadline for improving his own smell, which is on social networks.” inform The New York Times in an article dedicated to the phenomenon.

Many teenagers have told online about their obsession with smelling better, and some told that they have invested hundreds of dollars in small perfume bottles. Some bought them from their pocket money, while other smellmaxing fans have asked for collection gifts, on anniversaries and holidays.

$ 1,000 for a perfume

A TikToker, “The Cologne Boy”, 18 years old, publishes regularly, reviews about his impressive collection of perfumes. He has collected over 41 million “likes” for his clips about Smellmaxxing, including one of the most watched, in which he tells about the moment he bought a bottle of perfume for which he paid $ 1,000.

“How to be the best smelling man in any room. The cheap version. The first thing: take a deodorant. I know some will make jokes, because I am Indian and I recommend deodorant, but yes, it really helps! Believe me. Intense. The Cologne Boy (real name: Jatin Arora) advises young people.

However, add some recommendations of perfumes suitable for different seasons and moments of the day, and although it smells beautifully seems quite harmless compared to the culture of diet or the pressure to have big muscles, the costs involved to buy top perfumes can be extremely high, and parents are usually the ones who set them down,

“My son is obsessed with perfumes. When his friends come to us, everyone is having fun testing his own, and the house gets to smell like a duty-free”, Reports a mother for News.Com.au.

Smellmaxxing is the supreme form of “glow-up” (no spectacular transformation) or just an expensive obsession, says Ryan Barton, a popular tikker in the UK.

“If you haven't heard yet, Smellmaxxing is the trend in which teenagers spend hundreds of euros on designer perfumes, just to feel more confident, to highlight and, to be honest. They have ever smelled it ”, add it.

More expensive perfumes for an early age

It is not just about displaying a pepper price for perfume: young enthusiasts say that the real difference between boys and a little older boys is the sophistication air, informs The New York Times.

“Using terms fishing from the Internet, high school students, at pajamas, discuss luxury perfumes as they analyze wines. Hygiene to pre-adolescents has become much more elaborate than the classic deodorant on the run before sports. meant for adults ”, adds the US publication.

Teachers often remain amazed by the behavior of adolescents, and some confess that adult cosmetics have taken over the 11-15 year olds and sometimes they are not missing from their backpack.

“I do not see a big difference between young and older generations, besides the fact that, now, social networks are the ones that influence expensive tastes. When I was younger, if a teenager or pre-adolescent was interested in cosmetics and perfumes for adults, it was because he had a brother, a sister, a cousin,supports a teacher, on Reddit.

Some specialists, however

“Most children have better and more expensive phones than I have. It was different when I was a child? Yes, because there was no internet. But, in many ways, it was the same, because all the children wanted to keep up with the popular ones.”, Concludes the father of a child passionate about this trend.

On the other hand, psychologists show, this phenomenon can feed obsession for their own image and excessive consumption behaviors.