When it comes to raising tween and teen boys, there are some universal truths: first, they grow at a rate impossible to keep up with. Second, they stink. While not much can be done about the first, the second is, mercifully, somewhat manageable.
Smellmaxxing has become the latest TikTok trend among teenage boys. Credit: Artwork: Bethany Rae It used to be that the pungent and distinct waft of a teen’s body odour would be covered by overly generous sprays of Impulse (for girls) or Lynx (for boys). Now though, tween boys as young as 10 are shaking their heads in disgust at supermarket body sprays and are instead turning to Dior and Tom Ford to mask their B.
O. Much like the Sephora tweens and teens trend that’s seen Gen Z girls spending hundreds of dollars (usually via their parents) on designer skincare and makeup products, the craze for designer cologne – known as smellmaxxing on social media – is also being widely documented by young boys and men searching for the perfect scent. Collectively, the tags for “smellmaxxing” and its alternatives “scentmaxxing” and “frangrancemaxxing” have racked up millions of likes and bred a new generation of teen content creators.
The 17-year-old Jimmy Sniffs has almost 200,000 followers, with his videos on sniffing the necks of his fans and guessing their colognes have acquired over 12 million likes. The Cologne Boy, also 17, posts videos to his 1.4 million followers and discusses fragrances that will make you feel “sexy�.
