Like some fashion trends (think wedges, drop-crotch trousers and pretty much maxi everything), there are some beauty looks that guys just don’t get. But while a man’s approval will never give you the same confidence as wearing what you like, how you like, here’s an insightful heads-up on what’s in their heads.

OTT Fragrance

Match.com asked over 5000 single people in the US about their biggest dating turn-offs and personal hygiene came top, with 96 percent of women and 91 percent of men seeing it as the most important factor. That’s hardly surprising.

But while body odour is a no-no, being spritz-happy with an engulfing perfume is too. Like when men majorly overdo the aftershave and end up reeking of insecurity, too much of a heady fragrance can be a bad thing.

Less is more with perfume and instead of clouding yourself in it try spraying some on your pulse points, like the inside of the elbows, which fluctuate in temperature. When warm, this will help to release the scent. Or spray some into your hairbrush so it deposits onto your locks for a subtle way of wearing perfume that doesn’t announce your arrival before you enter the room.

Our Pick: No woman wants to smell – even if it is the smell of lilies – from all the way down the office corridor. Nor does she want to have to reapply perfume at her desk. Cool and light with citrus and floral notes, Cool Water by Zino Davidoff is light smelling yet long-lasting on the skin. Perfect for the busy woman who doesn’t want to be bothered with re-applying a fragrance throughout the day.

Get Cool Water By Zino Davidoff For Women, $13.97 on Amazon

Make-up That Masks Your Features

Most men aren’t educated when it comes to makeup. For them, it’s simple: Too much of it can make a girl less attractive, and sometimes not enough of it can do the same.

As our video below notes, studies show that men tend to prefer a more natural look—but what does that even mean? While that’s easy for men to say, women are the ones tasked with applying—or not applying—that natural look. More on the subject below:

Our Pick: For a seriously minimal yet flawless complexion, look no further than Nivea’s Tinted Moisturizing Day Cream. With SPF 15 (a must-have of any moisturizer) and Vitamin E, it brightens up any skin tone without feeling heavy like a traditional foundation. Perfect for the makeup minimalist that still wants an added glow.

Get Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Tinted Moisturising Day Cream, $6.99 on Amazon

Stamped on Eyebrows

The #strongnotskinny brow trend—spearheaded by Cara Delevingne—has made us all recognize the face-framing power of our eyebrows, but there can always be too much of a good thing.

Whether it’s the Instagram effect, or the beauty industry’s endless supply of bolder brow products (from thick pomades to gloopy gels), nowadays some eyebrows seem to enter the room before the wearer. When asked, guys aren’t afraid to say they’re not into the overtly drawn-on look.

Well, the countertrend has hit and this season it’s all about softer brows that are feathered and still “full”, but without being stencilled in.

This may put an end to eyebrow tattooing, too, which often results in hairs being drawn on that are too thick. If you’ve got sparse brow hairs you could try microblading or the Epibrow technique instead, which uses ultra-fine blades to apply strokes of pigment for delicate, multidimensional looking hair.

Our Pick: Eyelashes are the slowest growing hairs on the human body. Luckily, Hairgenics Lavish Lash – Eyelash Growth Enhancer & Brow Serum promises to speed up the process. Its secret sauce incorporates botanically-derived compounds that are hypoallergenic, non-irritating, and allergy tested that penetrate hair follicles to stimulate growth. If you’re not happy after 60 days, get your money back guarantee.

Get Hairgenics Lavish Lash, $29.99 on Amazon

Obvious Fake Tan

No one likes bad fake tan. Patchy tea-hued stains and the aroma of artificial coconut are not the only reasons why. Wrongly or rightly men tend to assume that it means the wearer’s not overly comfortable in their own skin.

However, guys claiming not to like fake tan come with a touch of hypocrisy. According to a recent beauty survey of 2,000 people commissioned by aesthetic treatment provider Centros Unico, men are now getting more spray tans than women. Spray tan man to the stars, James Harknett, isn’t surprised. He confirms “half of my clients are male”. Seriously.

I use Fake Bake Darker on them and the smell is like a coconut aftersun. Most professional solutions have incredible or very light fragrances these days.

We should all take note.

Our Pick: Try a gradual tan at home if you’re not interested in being pale and interesting. Dr. Dennis’s Self Tanner For Face comes with 20 towelettes – and all you need is 1/4 to 1/2 pad every few days for a heathy glow. The natural finish and is near-impossible to make visible mistakes with so you won’t end up orange no matter how hard you try.

Get Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad Self-Tanner, $37.99 on Amazon

Bold Lipstick and Sticky Lipgloss

It’s the ultimate beauty trend that we love, but men seem to hate.

The richest pigments and densest color payoffs makes for the perfect lip look in most girls’ books, but guys instantly imagine it smeared on their face and clothes, fearing a clown mouth themselves and a dry cleaning bill to boot. Ironically, we’ve also heard they think it makes you ‘high maintenance’ (when in reality it’s the quickest product to apply).

Research by Beauty Boulevard, the creators of Glitter Lips, found that of 1,000 UK women, aged 18-45, 70 percent wear lipstick. Interestingly, their results found it’s less to do with trying to look more appealing, instead it’s worn more to promote self-confidence, suggesting it really is a trend for the girls—not the guys.

We can all agree to disagree on this one. Just try not to get it on your teeth (or on theirs).

Our Pick: After all the coffees drinkable in a day, Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick is exactly the solution to everlasting lip color. An 8-hour, liquid lipstick that’s specifically formulated to be comfortable on your kisser, it’s infused with Primer Oil complex to condition lips. It’s cruelty-free, too, although you may want to apply a moisturizer underneath as it does dry down matte.

Stained Teeth

It’s not only lipstick on your teeth and food caught between them that are turn-offs (for guys and girls, of course), but yellowy stains.

In the same Match.com survey about dating turn-offs, 81 percent of women and 67 percent of men said they’d judge someone for their teeth.

Of course, stain-free teeth shouldn’t be that hard to maintain; let common sense prevail if you’re bothered and cut back on the coffees, drink green juices through straws and if you smoke—stub ‘em out.

And before you go and try some DIY teeth whitening methods, Dr. Peta Leigh at dental and orthodontic practice Elleven says to avoid over-the-counter UV kits: “Teeth whitening must always be carried out by a dentist, either as an in-chair or professional at-home treatment.”

But if that’s not an option, most whitening strips and bicarbonate of soda toothpastes are safe, but may cause tooth sensitivity if used long term.

Our Pick: Teeth whitening strips you can drink with? Yes please. Crest 3D Whitening Strips have “FlexFit” technology that allows them to stretch and hold to your teeth. Even better, they promise to shift 14 years’ worth of staining for a whiter smile – a gift for anyone who knows the embarrassment of having yellowed or unsightly gnashers.

Crest 3D Whitening Strips, $40.10 from Amazon

Make-up at the Gym

Sometimes there’s no time after work to cleanse your face before a gym class. Maybe you don’t feel confident going make-up free when you’ve got excess redness to contend with, or maybe the lure of the perfect #gymselfie is too tempting to go barefaced, but guys don’t grasp any of that—they just wonder why on earth you’re bothering to wear slap at the gym. Sigh.

Market researchers Mintel reported that 39 percent of women were frustrated that make-up didn’t survive a sweat session (of the gym kind), and apparently more and more of us are wearing it to work out in.

Men thinking it’s weird doesn’t have to put you off, but know that it is bad for your skin when you sweat in make-up. It prevents the natural release of toxins and clogs your pores – which is the root cause of spots.

Make-up artist and Estee Lauder UK makeup ambassador Lynsey Alexander says, “if you are worried about your skin being too red when you work out, a touch of BB or CC cream is fine,” given that the modern formulas let your skin breathe.

Look for pure mineral make-up like bareMinerals, which make-up artist Sarah Jane Froom says “are so pure you could even sleep in them”. Also good to know in the case of a bad skin day coinciding with an impromptu overnighter. Just saying.

Our Pick: While we’re not sure we can encourage putting a full face of makeup on for the gym, if your skin needs a little pick-me-up before a weights session, try bareMinerals Hydrating Gel Cream. It’s so light you can add layers throughout the day (or sweat session) for additional coverage, and it’s SPF 30 so after your post-workout shower you can even use it as a base layer for the rest of your day.

Try-Hard Hair

Sometimes a special hairdo can make you feel incredible, but often those complicated Pinterest hairstyles never work out when attempted without the aid of a pro – and it’s safe to say the guys won’t appreciate the effort that went into it (…if you care).

A survey by Pantene reported that 80% of men found over-styled hair to be a turn-off. Regardless of what they think, if you want to save yourself the time, keep it simple.

This year, searches for natural hair are trending, with people pinning “loose plaits” (up 70 percent since the beginning of the year) and “low buns” (up by 250 percent); two effortlessly cool alternatives to wearing your hair down that suit all mid-long hair types. Who said simple was boring?

We’ll take this as proof that try-hard hair is over—because these styles are so easy even guys could do them.

Our Pick: The classic bun never goes out of style. And neither has the hair bun shaper, a DIY contraption that rose in popularity a few years back. Because there’s nothing worse than having to continually redo your undo. Styla’s Hair Bun Maker comes in three colors (blonde, black and brown) and three sizes for small, medium and large buns.

Get the Styla Hair Bun Maker, $7.95 on Amazon