Do you wear perfume? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you wear perfume?

Aleta

Are you a signature perfume sort of girl or do you have a wardrobe of fragrances for different occasions?

I've been looking for a new perfume for months now and it is'nt easy! There are so many different ones to consider and what they smell like on the testing paper can be very different to what they smell like on your skin. Of course there are only so many you can spray on yourself on one visit to the store without getting totally confused! I like having a signature perfume but when your old favourite gets discontinued or impossible to get (I am very wary of buying fragrance online) then you have to start again.

What draws you to try out a new fragrance? If you like a designer do you try their perfume or do you prefer a scent from a true cosmetics house? Do you prefer a heavier or light scent? Do you take into account your partners opinion or do you just wear what you like?

General

58 replies

Latest reply was from farmermom

gryffin

Veteran

I am a Dior J'Adore girl!! I do go in phases, they sometimes last up to 10 yr. I loved Oscar, Red and now J'adore. Usually I get those samples which I toss but every once in a while you hit one out of the park. They do smell different on the skin. It's always magic when it happens. Something that just makes you feel more you!! Good luck on the hunt!

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

Signature perfume. I have two - one for the summer (L'Eau d'Issey) and one for the winter (Allure). I switch once the weather starts looking like it will stay (warm or cool). Both have been my signature scents since the mid-late 1990's. I've tried other perfumes but never liked one longer than a week or two so I stopped trying years ago. My husband likes both but it wouldn't make much difference if he didn't - I had them first.

Anonymous

I have a sensitivity to a lot of those floral aldehyde notes, so I generally choose to not wear perfume. My favourite scent is a classic cologne like Jean Marie Farina by Roget and Gallet. I use their scented soap instead of the cologne.

viva

Veteran

I never used to wear perfume but about five years ago I began wearing it. I'm not sure what drove me to begin, but I now I love scent. I'm not sure I would say I have a signature but there are three scents I love the most.
Summer: Marc Jacobs Cucumber
Winter: Chloe
Recent discovery: 1509 pure fragrance oil, Man
If I had to choose one of these scents to wear for the rest of my life, it would be the 1509. And the odd thing is, I bought it without smelling it, and it is totally different from my other scents which I would say are pretty pedestrian although I do love them. I follow a beauty blog called Into the Gloss and I completely fell for the article they did on the NYC company that makes this perfume oil. On a whim, I ordered a mini set of Man and Woman, the two scents. Man is amber and sage and I absolutely adore it.
http://intothegloss.com/2013/0.....rance-oil/

Lisa

Veteran

I always have Ralph Lauren Romance and Casmir by Chopard perfumes in my arsenal. After that I go for one or two new scents to mix it up. I usually have 4 at a time in total to select from at a time. I wear perfume daily.

LACeleste

Veteran

More of a cologne fan as I prefer a lighter scent. I wear what I like.

I like Jo Malone Orange Blossom most of the year. Sometimes In fall/winter I switch to her Blue Agava Cacao.

There is a company that provides mini vial fragrance samples 10 or 20 at a time that people really love. It is in my 2,000 bookmarks. I will dig it up.

ETA Here is is:

http://www.myperfumesamples.co.....me-samples

Also, at holiday time Sephora usually has a 20 fragrance sampler gift pack that you can add to an order for a small fee. It is a fun way to try new scents.

I like to try them at the cosmetic counters. Even wonderful ones smell like laundry detergent in the magazine paper inserts.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I only wear perfume when going out as my work environment is scent free. My current fave is Flower Bomb by Viktor & Rolf.

Adelfa

Veteran

I used to be a Chanel No. 5 gal, but now I have a collection.

Right now this is my fav for work:

http://www.sephora.com/baiser-.....i_sku=1429

and I like this one for weekends:

http://www.sephora.com/un-jard.....il-P375126

Amy

(website)

Veteran

No. I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes. They make me sneeze and give me horrible headaches. I used to take daily allergy meds when working in an office where a lot of employees wore perfume. It was awful.

minimalist

Veteran

http://www.basenotes.net is a resource you might want to check out, and might come to love.

Also/but, what Amy above me said. Please don't wear perfume on days when you're going to be in low-ventilation environments like offices, trains, the opera. Even scented body washes the wearer doesnt notice any more can be overwhelming to others. /soapbox(unscented)

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Every day. The original Kenzo Flower. Going into my 18th year.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm a Happy girl by Clinique. I have Happy classic, Happy To Be, Happy In Bloom and am waiting for Happy Summer to come out in a few months I don't care for Happy Heart which came as part of a set once.

E

Veteran

I've gotten so sensitive to scents over the years that now I even have to buy scentless hand soap/shampoo/body soap and only burn plain beeswax candles. I use a solid lotion bar (http://www.etsy.com/listing/61.....ome_active) and even though it has no scent added it's made of lovely natural ingredients that have a super subtle smell when I apply. I content myself with that!

Diana

Veteran

I don't use any. Most scents give me a headache. There are some that I like, and I even own a couple, but the truth is that constantly smelling anything for more than a few minutes starts to make me feel ill.

Astrid

Veteran

I also don't use perfume. I had problematic skin in the past and my dermatologist advised me to stop using anything that isn't necessary. Nowadays I only use soap, organic oils and sunscreen in summer and my skin is much better.

I like some perfumes on other people, when they are used sparingly.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I love perfume, but after working in healthcare I don't wear it to work and then forget to wear it in my off hours. My holy grail was L'Issey Miyake Feu, it's a very weird perfume straight but totally works with my body chemistry. I have a few stashed bottles as it was discontinued a long time ago. I haven't found anything to replace it.
So now I get my weird scent fix with super fancy shower gels. I shower at night so any lingering scent gets rubbed off on my pajamas and sheets.

rebekahphoto

Veteran

My perfume is Samsara. I tried it on in duty free on a ferry overseas years ago, shortly after got a compliment & within an hour just feel in love with the scent. I dont wear it daily anymore, as I used to work in a scent free office

Scent in public can be challenging. There is a woman on my morning bus who overwhelms the bus with her fragrance when she gets on. It makes me sneeze & sometimes I have to move. I see others bothered as well. I think sometimes after a while people get de-sensitized to their fragrance and put on more than they used to...

Anonymous

There's one grad student who is one of my TAs this year that I swear bathes in perfume. I can tell if she has been in the lab in the morning, and the room smells like her perfume for almost an hour afterwards.

One year I had a student come in, who loved patchouli. My office chair smelled like patchouli for about 4 days after she came in. My eyes were tearing and watering the whole time she was in my office. It was like a scent bomb had gone off.

shedev

Veteran

My current favorite is True Star by TH.

retailgirl

Veteran

I wear Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps, and have since I was 13. A few years ago, a SA at nordstrom suggested I try Bellodgia by Caron because it had the same carnation and rose notes. It's my second fave and I like it for winter. It's a little richer than L'Air and I always get compliments on it. I check out new scents because I don't want to be an old lady stuck in a time warp, fragrance wise, but these two are the ones I love.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

Back in the 90s, I used to wear everything from Calvin Klein's Eternity to Calyx to Tresor but the past few years my allergies have acted up I don't tend to wear parfume that often unless for a special occasion. I still like Happy from Clinique.

jennifer

Veteran

I'm definitely ,I should say DEFINITELY NOT a signature scent girl .I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-500 .I see it as a art appreciation for the nose just as a sculpture can please the eyes & sense of touch,or a musical composition can be plesant to listen to. I wouldn't limit myself to one food,beverage,color,or one shape/cut for my wardrobe. If someone else likes a more minimalist approach more power to them. I tend towards a more mood dresser/maximalist tendancy personally.
I like to collect scents created by certain noses . Citygirldc apparently your favorite Nose is Sophia Grojman .She did all the scents you named -except Happy.Annagybe have you ever tried Gucci Rush (first one not the flanker Rush II ) ? It's supposed to have some similarities to Feu from what I've read.

Thistle

Veteran

It gives me a headache, and some of the perfumes make my skin break out in an itchy rash.

I stopped wearing them ages ago.

Even DH can't wear cologne. If he doesn't get it all off of his skin at night, it can make my eyes swell up and the skin thicken to the point it deforms the tear ducts. Not pretty!

rachylou

Veteran

No, perfume makes me really really ill. On myself and on others. And like Anna, I wouldn't be allowed to wear it in any case because I work in a bakery and cleanrooms and labs.

Nicola

Coco by Chanel. I've worn it on and off for over 20 years. I've looked for a new perfume a couple of times, had a brief affair with 2 or 3 but always came back to this one - much to my husband's relief. It's his fave on me and I agree. It just suits me.

Echo

Veteran

Every once in a while I will buy something new, but overall scents really bother me. In the morning rush it seems that everyone just dumped perfume over their heads; it is so strong I can hardly stand it. And I always seem to be seated near the person wearing far too much in a movie theater or restaurant. People seem to forget that when one wears the same fragrance for a long time, one can no longer smell it on oneself. A person doesn't need to wear twice as much because other people can still smell it just fine!

So I tend to buy something and wear it for a little while and then it just gets pushed to the back of the vanity and goes unused.

deb

Veteran

I have been wearing Amazing Grace for years and have been looking for a new one. I cannot find anything I like. A lot of fragrances go bad on me because of the meds I take, I smell like I died ten years ago. This site is a great place to find out about different scents. I ordered a set of Iris based fragrances and it was very interesting. I did not find one that I really loved though. I will order another and eventually I will find something.

http://theperfumedcourt.com/

ETA - here is a good starting point. http://theperfumedcourt.com/Ca.....-Here.aspx

Anonymous

When I remember and when I'm not travelling. I wear any of this three Marc Jacobs perfumes: DOT, Honey or Daisy. Anything else, gives me hives or I sneeze all day.

Aleta

Ladies, thank you very much for all your replies, I have throughly enjoyed reading each and every one, with special thanks to those of you that have included a link to help me on my fragrance journey.

Some of the perfumes mentioned are timeless classics whilst others are new to me. However, it has been a revelation that so many of you have problems with scent. Obviously a strong fragrance especially when applied too heavily can be totally overpowering, but it is surprising how many of you choose not to wear a perfume, whether due to allergies or not.

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