In the 2004 movie, ‘The Girl Next Door,’ a studious boy is stunned by the sight of his beautiful neighbor undressing and is embarrassed beyond words when she turns around and catches him staring. He is consumed by immense guilt and ventures forth a series of apologies. But what he doesn’t know is that the girl knew that he was watching – the show she put on was planned seduction!!

Just goes to prove that some well-planned and well-timed tricks can get even the geekiest guy in the mood for love! The general consensus is that men are always in the mood, but those of us who live in the real world know that budget cuts, loans, bad bosses and sick kids can take the passion out of life. Also, married couples tend to have predictable and boring sex lives, and some fun cues from you can remind him of your passion-filled honeymoon days. Here are 6 fun ways to get your husband in the mood for passion. If you still need help, we’ve included some helpful movie mentions too!

1. Go vanilla

The smell of vanilla is considered a strong stimulant for men. Apparently, physicians of the 1700s prescribed vanilla for potency. Something comforting about the fragrance simulates the feeling of euphoria and gets those hormones going.

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So, try getting your home smelling of vanilla when he arrives. If you can, bake a cake or a pudding; the bonus is that you get your way to his heart through his stomach! If you can’t fry an egg to save your life, there’s always vanilla-scented perfume!

Movie Mention: Catherine Zeta-Jones in ‘No Reservations’ 

2. Play hard to get

There is something stimulating about the thrill of the forbidden fruit. The ultimate way to up the ante is to convince someone that he has something and then show that he actually doesn’t.

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There are too many Hollywood movies that’ll show you how to do this! The basic game is this – play around by getting close, then closer, and then moving away completely. Nothing like a good tease to get the temperature soaring!

Movie Mention: Sharon Stone in ‘Basic Instinct’

3. Change your appearance

There’s nothing like a new look to bring about a new feel. Change your appearance to something very unlike your usual style, but make sure it’s a big enough change to be noticeable.

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Different colors in clothes and makeup, drastically different hairstyle, different style of jewelry, different fragrance – all these make it look like there’s a slightly different version of you at home! And as everyone knows, novelty is a sure fire path to excitement!

Movie Mention: Emma Stone in ‘House Bunny’ 

4. Use food

Food has been used over the ages to get people in the mood, and lists of aphrodisiacs usually pop up around the time of Valentine’s Day. But we’re not talking about any specific ingredient. Food in itself, along with eating together, is very effective at generating a feeling of intimacy, especially in long standing couples.

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Of course, just gulping down your food or slurping your drink noisily will only succeed in getting people in one mood – annoyed! How you eat your food makes all the difference, with slow, sensual movements. Another use of food could be to use it on each other. Certain foodstuffs like whipped cream, strawberries, champagne can used creatively to make your night filled with passion. For practical advice, check out our movie mention.

Movie Mention: Penelope Cruz in ‘Woman on Top’

5. Make him jealous

Men like to mark their territory, particularly when it comes to their mates. We want what others have, the grass is always greener on the other side – these are all facets of basic human nature.

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Use this to your advantage by taking your guy out to a social event where you can mingle with your male friends. It’s bound to get his ‘jealousy’ radar pinging, which will suddenly make him see you in a new light, a more desirable one! Be careful with this trick though – avoid if you’re not sure how he’ll handle it.

Movie Mention: Katherine Heigl in ‘The Ugly Truth’ 

6. Play peek-a-boo

Showing some skin is a tried and tested way to get your husband in the mood, but it needs to be classy. Men have an increased sensitivity to visual cues, with more connections in their brain to the subcortical reward system.

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This makes eyesight one of the senses to target here. A collarbone here, an earlobe there – don’t underestimate the power of small! Of course, you can go big from there, no one’s stopping you!

Movie Mention: Denise Richards in ‘Wild Things’

Looks like you’ve got a lot of movies to refer to when in doubt! An interesting and enthusiastic relationship makes both partners feel more alive, and a dull one can feel like something you have to lug along just for the sake of it. Invest some time into your relationship and be assured of many wonderful, exciting years ahead!

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