scent sense
I don't claim to be very fashion-savvy (in fact, quite the opposite), but I do think I know a little bit about scent. At least, I have a pretty sensitive nose.
There are two women I work with who seem to have very misguided notions when it comes to personal fragrance. One is a woman who wears a very large dose of something extremely heavy, which she trails in her wake everywhere she goes. Also she sits in a cloud of it any time she is still for any length of time (which unfortunately really reminds me of the image of Pigpen from the Charlie Brown cartoons).
The other I don't smell very often--mostly first thing in the morning, which leads me to believe that she wears something that tends to wear off pretty fast. But when I do catch a whiff of it it reminds me of a men's cologne. Not one of the good ones either, but the cheapies you often find in scent strips in cheesy magazines. I know that some men's fragrances smell just as good (or better) on women as they do on men, but this woman isn't the most feminine person to begin with, and it makes me wonder.
I try to use scent to enhance something about myself. My personality, my sexuality, my social outlook, my outfit. What does that mean if you apply it to the woman who wears a scent that is clearly masculine? Perhaps that's a judgment call and she doesn't perceive it as masculine at all. Or the one who walks around in a cloud of heavy scent all the time? That woman I think must have a very dull sense of smell. No matter what fragrance I choose to wear, I wear a very little of it. It's ironic with perfume because the rule is, if you can smell it yourself, you're wearing too much...right? So why choose something you like yourself, if you can't even smell it?
There are two women I work with who seem to have very misguided notions when it comes to personal fragrance. One is a woman who wears a very large dose of something extremely heavy, which she trails in her wake everywhere she goes. Also she sits in a cloud of it any time she is still for any length of time (which unfortunately really reminds me of the image of Pigpen from the Charlie Brown cartoons).
The other I don't smell very often--mostly first thing in the morning, which leads me to believe that she wears something that tends to wear off pretty fast. But when I do catch a whiff of it it reminds me of a men's cologne. Not one of the good ones either, but the cheapies you often find in scent strips in cheesy magazines. I know that some men's fragrances smell just as good (or better) on women as they do on men, but this woman isn't the most feminine person to begin with, and it makes me wonder.
I try to use scent to enhance something about myself. My personality, my sexuality, my social outlook, my outfit. What does that mean if you apply it to the woman who wears a scent that is clearly masculine? Perhaps that's a judgment call and she doesn't perceive it as masculine at all. Or the one who walks around in a cloud of heavy scent all the time? That woman I think must have a very dull sense of smell. No matter what fragrance I choose to wear, I wear a very little of it. It's ironic with perfume because the rule is, if you can smell it yourself, you're wearing too much...right? So why choose something you like yourself, if you can't even smell it?
posted by infobabe | 9:31 a.m.
6 Comments:
i always thought the rule about fragrances was..you wear them for only those people you want to get close enough to for them to notice, so you wear just enough for them to have to get close enough to you to notice....or..somethin.
well yes darth, that's the most romantic notion..you old softie you ;)
mister u, i think i almost agree. My man wears a very nice cologne though and I never get tired of smelling it...it never seems to overpower :)
I don't wear perfume all that often. Instead I just work on a nice shower/bath gel, lotion combination. And none of those icky perfumed lotions either.
I vaguely remember learning what were the "best places" to dab one's perfume one for maximum effect in grooming class, but I forgot.
areth: yeah I agree about just smelling clean. Generally i work on that principle also. However I do like to wear a light scent as well, usually something kind of fruity or spicy, not too flowery.
asada: you SO LIE! You smell great :)
Ahhh, I'm all about flower! Well that one perfume I always use is flowery. My shower gels and lotions are usually scented anyway (coconut, sesame seed, vanilla etc.) so it's not really just a clean scent.
I always dab on some perfume when having a night out on the town though. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home