I wanted to puke.

Just when I thought Hollywood-style compliments couldn’t get more cringe…

A quick Google search revealed compliments like:

“I’ve never seen anything more dazzling than your smile.”

For the love of your future wife: don’t use these. 

There’s a better way. 

Truth is, not all compliments are equal. 

And many of the ones you find online (and without context) are the fastest way to Single Island.

So, in this post, you’ll discover:

When to compliment a girl’s smile

Bombarding her with compliments is never a good idea.

Using it to start a conversation is.

Why?

You’re telling her immediately what you’re after. There is no room for mistake. Also, letting her know you’re into her from the start is a good way to avoid being friend zoned. 

Other than that, you should only give compliments if they are genuine. As you’ll see, there are also certain types of compliments you should never use.

How to compliment a woman’s smile without sounding creepy

Reminder: Look at her eyes, not her breasts, when giving a compliment.

Most importantly, how you transition from your compliment to a conversation is key. You don’t want to let that compliment hang in the air and cause awkward silence or weird pressure.

Make it sound casual. Then, keep talking by asking a question. Or, if you’ve used a compliment to start a conversation with a woman you don’t know yet, introduce yourself:

“I’m not sure what to say next… I’m [name], nice to meet you.”

(Yes, it’s better to say when you’re not sure what to say rather than faking it using a memorized line.)

15 ways to compliment her smile

Here are 15 ways to compliment a girl’s smile:

1. Be ‘shameless’

You don’t want to be an ass.

But you also don’t want to give her a generic compliment like “you have a beautiful smile.” I’d consider this a PG-13 compliment. It’s ok, you can use it, especially if you’re not sure if she likes you.  

But if you want to spice up your compliment for greater effect, you can sexualize a bit.

Example: 

“You have a sexy smile.”

2. Explain how her smile makes you feel

Being specific about how you feel is key.

It adds a layer of emotion to your compliments and also makes them more believable. Women want to feel desired. Show them by expressing your emotions and watch her reaction. 

Example:

“Your smile makes me melt.”, is generic but can work.

Better:

“Your smile makes me feel nervous.”, “I feel like I’m blushing whenever you smile at me.”

3. Compliment her femininity 

I know it’s 2024. 

But despite what the media might tell you, women love to be complimented for being feminine. Imagine a woman complimenting you on being brave, adventurous, a lady’s man. 

Feels good, huh?

Example: 

“You have a very cute smile”, is simple.

Better: 

“I always feel this pulse of feminine energy whenever you smile. It’s really attractive.”

4. Be an outlier

The first three compliments are quite direct.

And there are a lot of debates going on about toxic masculinity and what you’re supposed to say and do… and whatnot.

The good news: you can use it to your advantage when giving compliments.

You see, if you’re uncertain whether you should be this direct, you can ‘soften’ your compliments without diminishing their power. In fact, it can be even more powerful this way. 

You do this by acknowledging the situation before giving a compliment. 

Example: 

“I don’t want to get into jail for saying this… but your smile is freaking hot.”

“I know it’s 2024 and I probably shouldn’t be saying this… but your smile is very sexy.”

B-B-B-Bonus advice:

One of my French clients told me how it’s now a crime to approach women in public in France. Did this stop him from meeting the woman of his dreams? Absolutely not, he used the situation to his advantage:

“I’m shitting my pants for saying this because I really don’t want to be chased by the police officers… but I think you’re absolutely gorgeous, and I’m willing to risk my freedom to say hi.”

Talk about letting her feel desired… Can it get any better than this? You decide. 🙂 

5. Compliment her smile and her eyes at the same time 

It’s the jab, jab, right hook of compliments. Instead of giving her one compliment, you give two compliments at once. 

Example: 

“I love how your eyes shine when you smile.”

6. Use this if you’re lost for words

If you don’t know what to say but want to compliment her, it’s better to be plain and simple. 

It’s not as powerful as telling her how you feel and being specific, but in most cases, it will do the trick.

Example:

“You have a beautiful smile.”

7. Compare her smile to famous people

Women tend to compare themselves to other women, famous women included. 

That’s literally the business model of the Kardashians: making other women feel horrible about themselves so they buy their crap, unfortunately. So if you tell that her smile is as good or even better than what she is comparing herself with, she’ll appreciate it. 

Example: 

“You’d sell a million magazine covers with that smile.” 

8. Use this German TV commercial line 

Here is one with humor for you:

There was a famous toothpaste commercial in Germany. 

They always used the tagline “9/10 doctors recommend [brand name].”

You can use the same line to make a compliment:

“I swear, 9 out of 10 dentists would love to have a smile like yours.”

If she asks you why only 9 out of 10, say: The last one is gay.

9. The overenthusiastic romantic

This works best if you’re seriously dating her. Otherwise, she’ll think you’re a serial killer. 

Example:

“I wish I could take your smile everywhere I go.”

Being a bit cheesy and joking around can make your relationship fun and spontaneous. But don’t overdo it.

Compliments that get you into trouble

Don’t use them! I repeat, don’t use the following compliments… EVER.

10. Compare her smile to the sun 

Nothing screams weirdo than this old line. 

But you can top that if you want… here it is:

11. Compare her smile to your mum or sister

Please promise me to never do that. Just don’t. 

Thank you.

12. Talk about her teeth 

I read one article saying you should compliment her on her teeth saying:

“Looks like you floss well.” 

Man, if anything this sounds more like a potential insult. 

She’ll go like: “Eh? What? Why?”

The only time you’ll win with confusion is when playing Pokemon on the Gameboy.

But even there you had stronger moves to choose from, lol. 

13. Saying she only smiles because she wants you

If you want to be seen as the most arrogant guy in town, you use this line:

“Smile if you want me.”

I’m not responsible for what happens next.  

Advanced compliments: The real banger to make you stand out

14. Sexual tension smile compliment 

The compliments so far were based on the smart choice of words.

But what if you could take compliments to a whole new level instead of being a word juggler?

You might have heard: words play a less important part in your subcommunication. Most of its effects come from body language, eye contact, and your voice tonality.

The following movie scene is a masterclass on almost irresistibly, sexy compliment-giving:

I wrote a full article on how to create sexual tension if you want to learn more about it. 

(If I were you, I’d open that article instantly. Just saying.) 

How to compliment a girl’s smile over text

You can say any of the compliments above, but what makes it more powerful is setting the right context for the compliment. 

Like in this example: 

If you want to understand the psychology behind it and get several more examples you can use to start a conversation online, you can get my conversation starter template for free here.

What to do when she compliments you 

FIRST:

Don’t get a bloody nose. And don’t dwell on it too long, as it makes you look like a narcissistic asshole. Look her in the eyes and say thank you. 

Then, continue the conversation.

Done.

Your Efficient Dating Advisor,

Herman The German

P.S. If you’re looking for compliment 15, you’ve found it. 

I’ve hidden it for the ones who’ll reach the end of the page like you.

Here it is: 

The most powerful compliment you can give a woman is not about her looks. 

She was born with her smile. It’s genetics. She didn’t have to do much to get it. 

What’s more powerful is to get to know her personally and compliment her about something she achieved or had to work for herself.