If April taught me anything, it’s that good things come in twelves: 12 secret-spilling, good-smelling friends; 12 thoughtful and helpful pieces of advice; 12 zodiac signs; those 12 fleeting minutes of sunshine we got. April was also Habits Month on Man Repeller, and we got to play voyeur on other people’s habits, get introspective about our own and, if we’re Amelia, crack ourselves up with Sister Act/habit jokes. All in all, a pretty, prettttty good April. Below were the 10 most popular stories this month on Man Repeller. Now I want to know all about your April highs, lows and in-betweens. See you in the comments spring queens!
1. 12 People Who Always Smell Good Share Their Secrets
“I asked members of the Man Repeller team to text that one friend in their lives who always smells good — whose presence they can identify by scent alone, or who they instantly associate with a certain smell. Thankfully, almost all of their friends divulged. ”
2. 12 People on the Advice That Changed Their Life
“This was her breakthrough moment, the moment she finally got some advice that cut through the crap and put her on the path she needed to be on to help herself.”
3. It’s Raining Cats and Horoscopes!
“I AM SHOUTING BECAUSE IT IS RAINING, AND IF THE NOTEBOOK TAUGHT ME ANYTHING, IT’S THAT SHOUTING IN THE RAIN IS MORE ROMANTIC THAN NOT. BESIDES, I WOULD ASSUME, SINCE THEY’RE SO FAR AWAY, IT’S EASIER FOR THE PLANETS TO HEAR ME THIS WAY. AS SUCH, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO SHOUT-NOUNCE THAT THANKS TO SUSAN MILLER’S ASTROLOGY ZONE, YOUR APRIL HOROSCOPES ARE HERE.”
4.What Kind of Friend You Are, According to Myers-Briggs
“Through meticulous (fine, obsessive) cognitive function research and near-constant behavior tracking, I started mapping out my friends’ unique roles in our group and in my life at large. This process has helped me continually notice my friends’ positive qualities and learn not to sweat differences as a personal attack on my way of being.Below, I’ve cataloged my findings of how the 16 different types translate to friendship style.”
5. 5 Spring Trends That Are Going to Blow Up, According to Zara
“Zara is a veritable crystal ball when it comes to trends. However, I’ve recently come to realize that Zara’s fortune-telling prowess isn’t necessarily about the what, it’s about the how — how to wear the trends, that is.”
6. The Problem With “Not Caring” About Pop Culture
“‘Who?’ he’ll ask, sometimes creatively framing the question as: “What’s a Kardashian?” While it is usually out of character for this particular breed of man to admit ignorance in any arena, in this case it is important that you know he is far too busy doing worthier things to know who Kim Kardashian is.”
7. How You Deal With Stress, According to the Zodiac
The hard truth is that we humans aren’t inherently equipped to handle stress gracefully; it’s a learned skill that can take years (lifetimes!) to develop. But with any luck, an extra dose of self-awareness can help speed up that process. If we grow familiar with our habits and tendencies in times of strife, we can begin to apply more productive coping mechanisms.
8. Orbiting Is the New Ghosting and It’s Probably Happening to You
“It’s now been over two months since we’ve spoken, and Tyler not only still follows me on Instagram, he looks at every single one of my stories. This is not ghosting. This is orbiting.”
9. I Need to Talk About Jennifer Garner’s Outfits in ‘13 Going on 30’
“One minute I was responding to an email about Manuka honey, and the next minute I was thinking about Jennifer Garner’s rainbow party dress in 13 Going on 30. The mental transition was swift and inexplicable, and yet wholly familiar at the same time. I’ve thought about that dress numerous times since I first saw the movie upon its release in 2004, usually while I’m doing or thinking about something completely unrelated.”
10. 10 Small Luxuries I Will Never Stop Buying
“I’m a sucker for trends and I love trying new stuff (food, beauty products, appliances, etc.), which makes me a pretty fickle consumer…There are notable exceptions, though — things that have taken root like sturdy weeds in the riverbed of my loyalties because they’re simply too excellent to be uprooted in the the rushing tide of Try this! And then this! And then this! Things that, despite being small in size, bring me dramatically great joy.”
All imagery via Man Repeller.
