I've used calling a girl cute as an opener 100s of times and it usually gets me instantly rejected. It's better than nothing because at least you'll approach rather than thinking of what to say. I don't know why the direct approach sucks. Is it because it's dehumanizing or gives the girl the dopamine she needs or puts too much pressure on them. None of these matter because it rarely works anyway.

For me it's not about avoiding rejection. Rejection is always better than doing nothing. It's about actually getting tangible results from cold approach.

What works more for me is creating some context "I know this is random..... I saw you from over there....." and then saying she's cute later in the conversation to make intentions clearer. By that point I can get across enough of my personality and looks to make a good impression. This has been more conducive to getting numbers and text replies.

Does anyone have any authentic openers in general? Related to the woman. Like "I like your tattoo, did you get yours locally?" or "Nice... leather instead of denim. Any special occasion?" Good openers in general that can get my mouth moving.