Perfume as a shield: women weaponize scent to drive cheaters away
It's scumbag-be-gone. Across the world, women are turning to perfume as a weapon, a 'man repellent' meant to keep cheaters away. In New York City, beauty influencer Sofya, who has nearly 200,000 TikTok followers, asks, "Do you want to smell so good that men are literally chasing you down the street just to ask what you're wearing?" Then she adds, "Neither do I."
In This Article:
The spark that exploded online: TikTok, Rick Glassman, and a viral rebuttal
The movement gained momentum after context creator Mikee stitched a video quoting comedian Rick Glassman: "[Men] don’t want you to wear perfume. We don’t like it. It smells like poison." Rather than tossing her perfumes, Mikee wore them and captioned the clip, "Perfume is man repellent!!!" The post was met with gratitude from cheater-weary women. Commenters offered theories: some say wives can smell it later; many men prefer sweet smells like vanilla, so women are advised to wear woody, smoky, or spicy notes that men tend to dislike.
Scent choices and glitter: how to deter and set boundaries
Some users describe perfume as a kind of 'life hack' to wear on nights out, a subtle warning to would-be admirers. Glitter has surged as another deterrent: it’s hard to wash off and easily transferable. Dalia Grande even sprinkles glitter on her body to keep adulterers away. A viral video captioned, "Going on a first date because I’m at the age where they could be married (married men HATE glitter)," has racked up millions of likes as proponents argue it’s just to be safe.
Real voices, messy truths: dating, cheating, and the search for boundaries
These are women in their 20s who worry about how hard it will be to attract decent men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s as dating pools age and rot. The dating landscape, they argue, grows harsher with time. One reader adds, "Don’t waste your time and energy with someone who isn’t attractive to you on many levels." Personal stories follow—some painful, some empowering—about cheating and the moments that tipped them off.
A mirror of desire and risk: where does agency end and harm begin?
The trend reveals real pain, fear, and a desire to reclaim agency in dating. It also raises questions about whether scent and glitter are solutions or signals of deeper issues. The piece closes by inviting readers to weigh in: "What do you think? Post a comment." It also notes that aging and life changes complicate dating, and that many people are navigating the same uncertainties.
