Perfume... Is it Hot? Or Not?

Options
2»

Replies

  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    I hate perfume and cologne. Hate. I used unscented soap, unscented body lotion, unscented deodorant, unscented laundry detergent and dryer sheets, etc. My boyfriend, who is scent-free with everything like me, complains when I use a hand lotion that has any sort of scent to it.

    I take a bus, subway, and trolley to work every day (it sounds more complicated than it is; usually it takes only 20 minutes!) and count the number of awful chemicals I smell from someone who seemingly dumped the bottle on themselves. On a good day, there's 0-1, but I've counted as much as 6. Sometimes it makes me physically ill. Especially when people leave a trail of chemical stink that lingers for a minute.

    If you're going to wear it, apply a little to your pulse points and leave it at that.
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
    Options
    832162793.jpg?1389046665

    Love 'em. Most of my goal rewards have been bottles of perfume.

    My preferences tend to run towards florals or aquatics. Traditional chypres/orientals don't do it for me at all. But - everyone's different! My two best friends have tastes that are vastly different from mine and from each other. We also all have different skin chemistry - sometimes something that smells appalling on me will be divine on one of them, or vice versa.

    My man could not possibly care any less about perfume - he has a pretty blunted sense of smell - but I have a couple bottles that I have regretted the day after, haha.

    My best advice:

    - sample everything! Most perfume counters at department stores will put together sample vials for you if you ask!

    - never buy the same day you try it unless you won't be able to come back for it later

    - similarly, don't buy a bottle of anything unless you've worn it on your skin for a few hours. Perfumes change over the course of a day as the lighter notes burn off - make sure this is something that will wear well on you!

    - wear for you, not other people. Don't use this to mean "screw everyone else" and turn yourself into a scent bomb leaving watery eyes and throbbing heads in your wake, but rather: if you like how something smells and your friends think "meh" --- it just means you guys have different taste and that's okay! I hate my best friend's signature scent - it smells like soap to me. But she loves it! And she's the one wearing it, so more power to her.

    - to avoid being a scent bomb leaving death and destruction or at least misery and headaches in your wake, watch out for (a) sillage (b) amount (c) desensitization. Sillage (also known as "throw") is basically how much a certain perfume projects itself around you. Some perfumes have more, er, presence than others. For perfumes like that, one way to moderate it is to spray into the air, then walk through the cloud. It will diffuse the scent quite a lot. Amount - just watch how much you're applying. Some perfumes sit close to the skin and sit QUIET. Some need only one spray and you're good for the day. And finally desensitization - our senses adapt to ever-present stimuli so as not to overload us with information. (Imagine how intense life would be if you didn't desensitize to the feel of your clothes after putting them on, or the pressure of your butt on the chair you're sitting on!) Similarly, if you have a signature scent you wear every day, you're going to stop being able to smell it and you'll need to apply more and more to be able to smell it. Your friends, coworkers, and passers-by are not undergoing the same desensitization process to your signature scent. Be kind to them. Don't wear the same scent every day, try to have a few rotating options. And if you do just wind up having one signature scent, don't wear it every day - take a day off (or a few days) frequently so you don't lose sensitivity to your favorite smell.

    - also, don't be sad if your tastes change. That happens!
  • gettingsexy94
    gettingsexy94 Posts: 156 Member
    Options
    If it gives me a headache...it's not hot.
    If it smells "like an old lady"...it's not hot.
    If it costs more than $40...it's not hot.
    If it makes me and your other coworkers cough/gag when you walk by...it's not hot.
    If it makes me have to leave the door closed to the exam room after you leave for the rest of the day to avoid a patient going into a COPD exacerbation...it not hot.
    :noway:

    If it's a subtle scent, applied sparingly, and makes you feel more confident...it can be hot.

    Totally agree! :D

Categories