They say different strokes for different folks, and when it comes to what turns us on, that couldn’t be more true. In fact, it's not just traditionally sexy things that put most of us in the mood (a dirty text or well-placed caress, for example), but plenty of other visual and sensory cues according to research from Superdrug Online Doctor, an online sexual health and education portal.
Turns out, there’s a variety of kinda random things that get us hot and bothered, but the top turn-ons are pretty interesting. Of the 2,000 people, 10.9 percent (1,000 Americans and 1,000 Europeans) studied are into perfume — perhaps hearkening back to the pheromone attraction that rules us all — and a sexy foreign accent comes in a close second at 10.7 percent. For anyone who's traveled to exotic locales, you know how sexy it is when you hear a local speak the language even if you have no idea what they're saying.
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Also high on the list were maid uniforms (kinda cliché), suits and military uniforms. Reading also turns on women, while men are drawn to things like pigtails or stretching. It’s interesting to note that both sexes are turned on by certain things, such as scent, but while women see the appeal in maturity and responsibility — like a suit or holding a baby — men are simply attracted to the sensually alluring. (No surprise there given that a woman's lust is thought to be tied up in emotions, whereas men are biologically programmed to focus on the physical.)
The study also found that often, it’s the little things that turn us on. Men, for instance, tend to respond to a welcoming smile, and both sexes love being approached by someone in a good mood. And we all really get turned on by being attracted to a stranger.
Ultimately, what turns us each on is super-personal and unique, but it's kind of fun to know that some things you probably don't give a second thought — putting your hair in a ponytail, for instance, or wearing glasses — can make you infinitely more attractive to certain people. Kinda hot.