How do you get someone to adjust to your new perfume?

[TheNiteSiren]

Here is my situation: I bought some bottles of Bath and Bodywork's new fragrance Madagascar vanilla, which smells exotic to me. The problem is that everyone else says it smells like bug spray. Maybe its just because I have never worn it before. Not sure what to do. I love the scent.

 

[bailadora]

It might be a function of how that specific formula works with your body chemistry. There are some scents that I absolutely love, while in the bottle. But they just don't work well ON me.

Interestingly enough, Beautiful by Estee Lauder was my signature scent for years. But when I was pregnant, I couldn't tolerate it. Either my olfactory senses or my chemistry had changed just enough to make it smell awful! Once I went back to my non gravid state, I was fine.

As for influencing how other people perceive it? I'm not sure how you'd go about it.

 

[NippleMuncher]

To be quite honest, if others can smell you, you're using way too much, or the odor is too pungent no matter how much you use.

Fragrances are supposed to be subtle, like make-up, when done right, you don't realize it is even there, done wrong and everyone is going to notice, and not in a good way.

This goes for both men and women. Use fragrances sparingly, leave those around you wanting more, not gasping for breath

 

[fire_breeze]

Here is my situation: I bought some bottles of Bath and Bodywork's new fragrance Madagascar vanilla, which smells exotic to me. The problem is that everyone else says it smells like bug spray. Maybe its just because I have never worn it before. Not sure what to do. I love the scent.

As Baila said, it's possible that your body chemistry changes the the smell of the perfume. This is why you should also give a scent a test drive before purchasing it. This you cannot change.

What I suggest that you do is get a friend whose opinion you trust and the have them smell your inner elbow after you spritzed it on (ideally they should smell it 15 minutes, an hour and then a few hours after the spritz). If they say it still smells like bug spray, I am afraid that you cannot change it and this is the way your body reacts to the perfume.

If you really like the smell, see what other fragrance there are, especially the base notes. Then go and hunt for those perfumes that contains scents. You may want to try http://www.myperfumesamples.com/mps/, where you can order sample sizes of various perfumes and experiment to see which scent suits you the best.

You cannot change a person's perception of scent. I cannot stand the smell of lilies, and this is my best friend's favourite everything - including perfume. I have gotten used to it, but I still hate the smell and I am happy when she does not wear it when we go out.

 

[bailadora]

This goes for both men and women. Use fragrances sparingly, leave those around you wanting more, not gasping for breath

QFT! To this very day, I can't abide the smell of Drakkar Noir. The miasma of it emanating from the boys locker room after PE. Ack!

 

[Bramblethorn]

In addition to body chemistry interacting with the scent, genetics can also affect your ability to smell certain smells. Could be you're smelling something that everybody else isn't, or vice versa, and that's why you're experiencing it differently.

 

[Que]

QFT! To this very day, I can't abide the smell of Drakkar Noir. The miasma of it emanating from the boys locker room after PE. Ack!

I am from the Polo generation I HATE it. My ex loved it so I for a little while tried Polo Sport in the blue bottle instead of the disgusting green bottled one. I put it on as sparingly as possible but still couldn't really stand it.

I get very good feedback on CK1. It is very weak. You have to reapply it like every 2 hours, but that is kind of the point.

 

[BenBullben]

My lady and I go on search together and choose.
Just a waft of la vie en roses arouses me mightily, like poison did years ago....

 

[NippleMuncher]

I am from the Polo generation I HATE it. My ex loved it so I for a little while tried Polo Sport in the blue bottle instead of the disgusting green bottled one. I put it on as sparingly as possible but still couldn't really stand it.

Old Spice can be added to that list, among others.

On a similar note, I can't even go down the laundry detergent aisle in the grocery store without running and holding my breath. Good god the stench!

 

[KrazyWhiteBoy]

QFT! To this very day, I can't abide the smell of Drakkar Noir. The miasma of it emanating from the boys locker room after PE. Ack!

Drakkar Noir and Obsession for men were the two standbys back in the day. We were so clueless! We guys liked the way they smell, that's why we put it on. Duh!! Perfume, cologne, scented soap is so that we smell attractive to others, NOT for ourselves.

I let my wife choose the scent she likes on me. If I like it, which I usually do, bonus!!! Right now it's Axe, dark obsession.

If you have friends telling you it doesn't smell pleasant, I say ditch it. Keep the friends!!! Friends that are that forthcoming are hard to find!!

 

[amofiga]

Give up your new perfume even if you like it. If everyone else says it sucks, it probably does. The last thing you want to do is choke other people on the elevator. I've known some women with horrible perfume. Me, I prefer those "natural scents". Why mask what nature intended? I used to hate when women covered up natural pussy scent with all that artificial stuff.

 

[SweetErika]

TNS, if you read the reviews of that particular scent, you'll find quite a few people have thought it smelled good in the store, but didn't like it on themselves. A lot of reviewers were also disappointed in how quickly the scent faded, even if it did smell good on their skin. Perhaps it's a matter of it not working with your body chemistry and/or it fades enough that different, more bug spray-like, notes overwhelm the rest of the scent.

Can you return what you have left and find a better scent that works with your body chemistry?

FWIW, my mom always taught me to use good perfume because it tends to stay truer longer and not be quite as variable as drugstore or retail scent store perfumes. As I've grown up, I've found this to be very true. Bath and Body Works makes some nicely scented lotions that I get universally good reactions from, but the same company's perfume always stinks to my particular nose. I find the vanilla-scented lotion to be OK in very small amounts, yet when someone wears an obvious vanilla scent, I find it incredibly overpowering and reminiscent of teens. I'm not saying B&BW makes bad perfumes, only that I've found them to be less appealing and more variable than certain higher quality perfumes. And I'm guessing they're less economical in the end, as well, since people have complained about the staying power.

 

[TheNiteSiren]

Thanks for the info, Erika. I do enjoy the scent once it has aired out a bit and is not as powerful. It becomes more subtle after a bit so i think I may keep it. I also bought two others that I have already tried and have used for a long while.

 

[SweetErika]

Do you spray it and walk through it to get it on your skin? If not, that might help get it to the "subtle" stage faster.

 

[bailadora]

I am from the Polo generation I HATE it. My ex loved it so I for a little while tried Polo Sport in the blue bottle instead of the disgusting green bottled one. I put it on as sparingly as possible but still couldn't really stand it.

I get very good feedback on CK1. It is very weak. You have to reapply it like every 2 hours, but that is kind of the point.

I'm not familiar with CK1, so I'll have to give that one the whiff test the next time I'm at the mall. I don't remember Polo but I do remember Aramis, which I still like.

On a similar note, I can't even go down the laundry detergent aisle in the grocery store without running and holding my breath. Good god the stench!

I love going down that aisle!

There are very few things I have to have name brand on, but Gain (original scent) laundry detergent would be one of them.

Drakkar Noir and Obsession for men were the two standbys back in the day. We were so clueless! We guys liked the way they smell, that's why we put it on. Duh!! Perfume, cologne, scented soap is so that we smell attractive to others, NOT for ourselves.

I let my wife choose the scent she likes on me. If I like it, which I usually do, bonus!!! Right now it's Axe, dark obsession.

Obsession - wow, I'd forgotten about that one. Yeah, that was another one that I learned to hate. But with regard to wearing scent, while I certainly want to others to appreciate it, I wear it for myself first and foremost. If I can't stand the smell of it, I don't put it on regardless of what my husband thinks.

I think AXE will be the current generation's Drakkor Noir. You should hear my teens complaining about the overkill!

 

[unregistered]

 

[pete]

Baila! Beautiful was my signature perfume for years. Now, though, I'm more of a smells-like-Dove-soap gal.

Drakkar Noir was THE scent for guys I'm my teen years and I loved it!

i used my older brothers drakkar noir for a couple weeks.

no results.

 

[unregistered]

 

[pete]

A much younger me used to attack my then-boyfriend, now husband. Drakkar can take at least a little credit.

i switched to Polo, with similar success.

i haven't worn cologne in like 20 years. now i smell like irish spring soap

 

[Aphro]

I don't even bother with perfume anymore.

If the scent is too strong, wet a cotton ball, spray the perfume on the cotton ball and then wipe it on your skin. Cuts the strength down to just a hint.

 

[Que]

I'm not familiar with CK1, so I'll have to give that one the whiff test the next time I'm at the mall. I don't remember Polo but I do remember Aramis, which I still like.



I love going down that aisle!

There are very few things I have to have name brand on, but Gain (original scent) laundry detergent would be one of them.

Obsession - wow, I'd forgotten about that one. Yeah, that was another one that I learned to hate. But with regard to wearing scent, while I certainly want to others to appreciate it, I wear it for myself first and foremost. If I can't stand the smell of it, I don't put it on regardless of what my husband thinks.

I think AXE will be the current generation's Drakkor Noir. You should hear my teens complaining about the overkill!

I am a big fan of "clean" smells to, so I like the laundry aisle.

The mighty Calvin Klein has fallen all the way to WalMart where only geezers like me buy the fragrance. I actually discovered it after it had already fallen out of favor. I found a sample bottle once. Did not even know its history or that it was (one of the first?) unisex fragrance?

For a while you could get it for $30 for a couple ozs in a gift pack with the lotion that to me does not have the same scent. Since it cost $34 for the same exact bottle without the lotion I would buy the gift-pack and give away the lotion.

I keep trying to find a scent I can stand with similar notes, but no one has any suggestions at the fragrence counters.

The review of it says: "A fresh woody fragrance unisex with a fresh opening of bergamot, mandarin, juniper, lavender, peppermint and green notes"

I don't smell the peppermint in it myself, and the "woody" notes are more green-stick to me.

I think the fact that it is unisex is why it appeals to me. I cannot stand to smell of men's cologne, its just too much, and I don't want to smell like a woman.

 

[bailadora]

Baila! Beautiful was my signature perfume for years. Now, though, I'm more of a smells-like-Dove-soap gal.

I think my body chemistry is changing again because I'm not as enamored with it as I once was. I'll still wear it occasionally, but I have to do the spritz in the air and walk under it bit. Otherwise, it's just too heavy and I end up smelling it all day/evening long.

Oddly enough, I still like it on other people. When I flew back home a few weeks ago, my seatmate had it on and it was nice.

now i smell like irish spring soap

Nothing wrong with that. While all the other boys his age are dousing themselves with Axe, my son prefers to stick with Irish Spring (original scent). The fresh scent cuts through the others. It's nice.

I am a big fan of "clean" smells to, so I like the laundry aisle.

The mighty Calvin Klein has fallen all the way to WalMart where only geezers like me buy the fragrance.

I keep trying to find a scent I can stand with similar notes, but no one has any suggestions at the fragrence counters.

The review of it says: "A fresh woody fragrance unisex with a fresh opening of bergamot, mandarin, juniper, lavender, peppermint and green notes"

I don't smell the peppermint in it myself, and the "woody" notes are more green-stick to me.

I think the fact that it is unisex is why it appeals to me. I cannot stand to smell of men's cologne, its just too much, and I don't want to smell like a woman.

So much for finding a tester, then.

Have you googled "Popular colognes from the 90's?" I think that's when most of the unisex fragrances were all the rage. It seemed like they were all water themed - agua de, acqua di, and they remind me of the ocean. Two that I like and wear frequently are Cool Water and Nautica, albeit the feminine versions.

The scent breakdown for each is as follows:

Cool Water: Top Notes - Lavender, Coriander, Peppermint, Rosemary, Orange Blossom. Middle Notes - Jasmine, Oakmoss, Geranium, Sandalwood. Base Notes - Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Cedar

Nautica Classic: Top Notes - Bergamot, Lemon oil. Middle Notes - Sage. Base Notes - Sandalwood, Amber, Musk

Geir by Geir Ness is the masculine counterpart to my newest fragrance obsession, Laila. The promo on it says it was inspired by the cool crispness of the Norwegian mountains. It is described as floral, woody, citrus,warm spicy, green

 

[quietlylooking]

I'm a huge perfume fan, but I try to make sure it never is very noticeable to others as many people can be sensitive to scents. You might try using the perfume in a scent locket to avoid any body chemistry issues. Or switch to an oil-based scent that will have less silage. Or wear perfume to bed like I do, and when hanging out at home alone to enjoy by yourself! Good luck!

Edit: Sometimes I also put a bit of perfume in my hair; the scent isn't as affected by body chemistry that way, and I like getting little whiffs when I move my head.