To some kids, the thought of going back to school next week stinks.
But not Dean Scarangello.
To the 12-year-old Staten Islander, nicknamed the “cologne kid” by his fellow Little Leaguers, the new academic year is heaven scent.
“Azzaro Wanted Eau de Toilette,” the incoming seventh grader told The Post. “Definitely.”
The $105 mist, which boasts a woody bouquet, is the cologne he’s earmarked for his first day back in the classroom.
“You know what they say, ‘smell good, feel good,’” said Scarangello. “It’s true.”
And with a collection of over 42 fragrances, each from swank fashion houses such as Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, the pint-size perfume pro nose from whence he speaks.
But having a nose for A-list aromas isn’t exclusive to the kiddie connoisseur. Instead, it’s becoming a Gen Alpha attribute.
Much like the “Sephora kids” craze that recently sent little girls tearing through makeup marts for anti-aging creams and cosmetics, donning designer odors is now all the rage amongst boys ages 14 and under.
In fact, a recent study from investment bank Piper Sandler found that young guns are spending 26% more on choice colognes than they did last year.
It’s an olfactory fascination rooted in the “smellmaxxing” movement, a TikTok-birthed trend with over 48.4 million vids, to amplify — or maximize — one’s musk with posh sprays as a hygienic practice. For tikes and tweens, the goal is to smell mature beyond their years.
And the junior gents don’t seem to mind paying through the nose in order to stay up to snuff — with financial help from their parents, of course.
New Jersey mom Sen Little, 36, tells The Post she regularly spends upward of $300 on haute colognes for her 5-year-old son, Reggie Jr. Showering him in fine fragrances is how the glitzy mama bear’s pampered her cub since he was in pampers.
“Once he turned 1, picking out a special scent of the day became a part of our routine,” said Little, a commercial cleaning entrepreneur and content creator. “Now, smelling good is his obsession.”
And when it comes to luxe labels, the soon-to-be kindergartner doesn’t play.
“Some of his favorites are ‘Imagination’ by Louis Vuitton,” said Little of the $320 goody, a pre-school graduation gift she and his father bestowed upon Reggie this spring. “Prada Black ($110), Creed Millesime Imperial ($345) and ‘Percival’ by Parfums de Marly ($365).”
But he plans to swagger onto the schoolyard in the Louis Vuitton scent come September.
“I love smelling good ’cause the ladies love when I smell good,” the precocious tot joked to The Post, sending his mom into a fit of laughter.
California Bay Area mom Monica Pacheco said she was “shocked” by her 11-year-old son Noah’s sudden interest in high-end oils, especially since the millennial mama, 39, remembers when middle school boys of yesteryear barely freshened up with Axe Body spray.
“Noah and I were doing some back-to-school shopping and he wanted to go to Macy’s for cologne,” Pacheco, a customer service manager, told The Post with a laugh. “He spent $100 of his own money, money he makes doing chores and getting big hits in baseball, on Le Male Elixir by Jean Paul Gaultier.”
Noah said caught a whiff of the smellmaxxing lifestyle while scrolling through his “For You Page” on TikTok late last year, but smelling good to him is more about building up his self-esteem than it is about impressing his schoolmates.
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“It makes me feel confident and cool,” said the rising sixth grader, whose suite of sweet spritzes includes Versace Eros, Jimmy Choo Man, Blue de Chanel, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio and Prada Ocean.
“I like having a different scent every day.”
And sometimes, Noah’s parents spoil the preteen with surprise additions to his growing collection.
“He typically gets a new cologne once a month,” admitted Pacheco, who regularly takes her boy to Macy’s, Sephora and Ulta for the treats. “But there are times he works his magic and gets two bottles in a month.”
Brooke Benson’s spoils son, Luke, 14, with stellar sniffs, too. But when local perfumeries in their hometown of Orlando, Florida, just won’t do, the kid gets to shop scents in Italy.
“I got [Orto Parisi] Megamare on our trip,” said the high school freshman of the $175 bottle he bought while overseas with his family in June. “It smells very musky in an aquatic, fresh sense.”
“I like it because it feels like I can smell masculine,” Luke added. He first learned of the manly must-have on TikTok, where he was digitally drafted into the ambrosial army last November.
“Social media, and my dad, definitely influenced my love for cologne,” said the sprouting enthusiast, listing puffs from Dior Homme, Extreme by Tom Ford, and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Beau and Le Male as some of his favorites.
“Smelling good is good for my confidence,” Luke insisted. “I’m just glad I don’t stink like some of the other guys.”
