Perfume FAQ, Part 4

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I’ve collected some more questions over the months along with commonly confused or misunderstood information about perfume. While I try my best to ensure these answers are correct and detailed, I am but a hobbyist and if you wish to know more the community at Basenotes is very knowledgeable along with several other smaller communities if you do a little searching.

Q. I hate musk is there a perfume that doesn’t have musk in it?
A. Probably, but very few. Now, I know that when most people say they hate musk, it’s out of a misconception that a perfume that lists a musk note smells “musky” when in actuality, these people might mean they don’t like fragrances that smell dirty and over-sensual like Muscs Kublai Khan for instance. Almost every perfume that exists out there probably uses musk in some way and you likely don’t detect it or it’s too well-blended to detect. Musk is a fragrance fixative, be it synthetic or natural, and has been used in many more scented products than perfume and it’s been used in fragrances for a very long time. It’s in the soap you use, your shampoo, your conditioner, body mists, detergents. If it’s got a scent it’s probably got some sort of musk in it. So just because a perfume might list musk on its notes list, doesn’t mean it will necessarily end up smelling musky.

Q. What would happen if I “accidentally” drank some (or all) of my perfume?
A. I have no idea how this happens but a lot of people have asked what would happen to them if they drank perfume. And not just a little either. There were people who were admitting they may have drank about half a bottle–or a whole bottle. Somehow. What are you guys doing out there? Now, once again, I’m not a doctor and can’t speak for your general health but thanks to a very helpful comment (Thanks, Nina!), if you or anyone you know decided they’d like to chug some perfume, you need to call a poison control center or get them to a medical center immediately. A person’s reaction to drinking perfume varies depending how old they are, their general health, and how much they consumed. If a healthy adult accidentally sprayed perfume in their mouth once or twice (really? Twice?), they will probably be fine. But the same can’t be said for everybody, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and get medical help!

Q. Is it okay to mix and wear essential oils as a perfume?
A. Yes. A lot of people make their own fragrances using essential oils and are very happy with the results. But, these people did their research to ensure they use the essential oils properly. Like with all oils, I highly recommend you read up on whatever essential oil you might have before putting it on your skin. Many essential oils need to be properly diluted before it’s skin safe. Some essential oils aren’t skin safe at all. Cinnamon oil is one example of an oil which can cause severe reactions on the skin if not diluted and treated properly. Finally, many people do not realize there are different grades of essential and fragrance oils. Lower grade oils are meant to be used in candles and other scented items that do not come in contact with the skin–for good reason. So do your research! I am very serious about this. You can injure yourself if you do not handle essential oils with care. Don’t be lulled into thinking that just because it’s natural that it’s harmless. If you can’t find any information about your essential oil and you’re unsure whether it’s safe to put on your skin, then file it away and don’t wear it. Better safe than sorry.

Q. I don’t want to spray perfume on my wrists or neck, can I spray it somewhere else?
A. Sure. You don’t need to put your perfume on your wrists or neck. there are no rules that state where you can or can’t apply perfume. Those are just two spots that most people tend apply perfume because they’re pulse points. You can spray perfume wherever you want on your body, you don’t even have to apply it on pulse points. Except, you may want to avoid getting perfume into orifices because I can’t imagine an ear full of perfume to be very beneficial to you. I personally like misting my arms, chest, and sometimes the backs of my knees. Go with what you’re comfortable with.

Q. I see coffee beans at some perfume counters. What are they for?
A. Coffee beans are kept around for you when you test scents to “clear out” your olfactory senses so you don’t get overwhelmed with smells. Some people who get overwhelmed with fragrances can get headaches. More often, people go scent blind and experience that funny sensation where they can’t smell any perfume anymore or all the perfume ends up smelling the same. The effectiveness of smelling coffee beans varies between person and person and some people don’t like smelling the coffee beans. Sometimes the beans don’t help at all. If you don’t want the beans, you can opt to take a few deep breaths in a non-perfumed area instead or get some fresh air. It works the same way.

Q. How come this perfume smells so different on the testing paper than it does on my skin?
A. Always test a perfume you intend to buy on your skin. The paper is there as a reference  but perfume doesn’t evolve and go through all of its phases on paper. To get the full effect and get a real sense of how the fragrance will smell on you, you need to test it on your skin. And that’s your skin. Not your friend’s. Not the sales rep’s. Yours. A testing paper will only show you some of the notes–usually the top notes–so don’t go with what the paper says because you’re missing out on most of the fragrance.

Q. At some perfume stores and in some commercials I see people with these giant perfume bottles. How come I can’t get one?
A. You actually can! These giant perfume bottles are called factices. They’re often big versions of the actual bottles and are used primarily for marketing and as displays in stores. Most factices are not filled with real perfumes but either alcohol or colored water. They are fun to look at though and many factices are simply gorgeous. There are some sellers on eBay who sell factices. But like with all things eBay-related, you should scrutinize the seller and do your research on what you want to buy. Also  make sure you get to know the terminology as factices come in many different sizes, materials and qualities.

Got any questions not addressed in this FAQ? Please leave a comment.

Freaking Out About Perfume

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Seems in recent years, it’s become something of a trend to freak out about perfume, whether we use it ourselves or smell it on someone else. Clean air policies are popping up in office spaces and schools. But ‘clean air’ is a buzz term that doesn’t mean anything. Yes, we can clean the air of fragrances, but our air is far from clean and may never be clean again. We live in an alarmist culture where we’re made to believe almost anything that isn’t “natural” or derived from the good old soil we walk on is inherently bad for us.

When someone makes that argument with me, I immediately turn around and ask about nature’s ability to poison, harm, and kill us. The oleander, for instance, produces beautiful flowers. Would kill you if smoke from burning flowers was inhaled.

So I don’t really blame anyone for being wary of man made products. A lot of man made stuff is bad for us. I could take the easy route and point at processed foods that are helping to perpetuate our “obesity epidemic”. But when it comes to freaking out about your fragrances, how much do you really have to worry about?

It has always been my stance that freak outs about minor things like perfume use when you don’t have a severe allergy is about as good for you as hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. It’s basically like this, you’re causing yourself unnecessary stress over something that affects you on a relatively minor scale.

By all accounts and purposes, day to day living is more hazardous to your health than a couple of spritzes of perfume. If you happen to wear perfume every day, think of what else you’re subconsciously exposed to that’s probably worse. The air we breathe is polluted. The food we eat isn’t fresh. The food we eat is processed. We drive cars that spit out fumes that we breathe in. We bathe in water that’s chemically treated. We drink water that’s been sterilized. We live in a society with cell phone towers, wi-fi, signals and other forms of silent noise. On and on.

The real question here is why everyone is so concerned with living naturally? Do we just want to age gracefully or do we want to avoid cancer? Will avoiding all these “chemicals” and “risk factors” really prevent cancer? Or are we just wasting our time freaking out about things we cannot hope to change?

But more and more people are getting cancer.
More and more people are also living beyond life expectancies. Before modern medicine, someone in their 50s was considered ancient. These days, reaching 50 is an expected norm. Aging is one of the major risk factors for cancer and you can’t stop aging no matter how many natural products you use. Everyone ages and eventually everyone dies (I welcome someone to stop this process though). The sad truth of the matter is, cancer is prevalent in our lives and it isn’t going to go away until we find a cure and finding a cure for cancer is problematic for a myriad of reasons. But there’s a silver lining in all this. Our cancer death rates have been going down.

Why do all perfumes have this list of ingredients with nothing but chemicals on them?
Most of time when I hear this, people are talking about the ingredients list on the back of a perfume bottle or perfume box. That list of ingredients isn’t half the story of what’s actually in your perfume. The list is there for people to check for compounds they may be allergic to. But I will address this misconception anyway. Almost everything you see on that list is a fragrance in some way. For instance, if you see “geraniol” that is “geranium”. If you see, “citronellol” that is citrus. They make up a scent base for the fragrance that you are about to enjoy (or not enjoy, whatever). Their names might look scary, but many of those ingredients are components from naturally occurring plants.

All these perfume chemicals are leaching into my bloodstream though.
All those chemicals are miniscule in comparison to everything else you’re exposed to. Most of the content in a spray of perfume is alcohol (sometimes water) anyway, and most of us have no trouble with alcohol contacting our skin. You take in more harmful elements just standing around and breathing. Or swallowing the seeds of an apple. Or accidentally graze some poison ivy.

What’s your problem with natural products anyway?
I have absolutely no problem with natural products or natural ingredients when used sensibly and safely. In fact, I am a huge fan of natural perfumery and think it’s a beautiful art. I do, however, find it disturbing how many people are willing to believe that natural products/ingredients are better and that anything nature made is harmless or beneficial. Once again, nature does not always make it best. There are thousands–maybe millions–of things in nature that  could potentially harm us. I mentioned oleander earlier in this post. You may also wish to look up bitter almond, hemlock, and calla lily.

If you feel better living naturally, I can applaud your efforts. But realize that some things are not as bad or as good for you as they may seem. Please also note that while I do often try to clear the name of synthetic fragrances, I do not propose that synthetics are entirely innocent and safe. Just like with naturals, you should be wary but not be scared. I have always been an advocate of critical thought. Question everything, question everybody, and you may surprise yourself with the results.

Perfume and Deodorant

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Ah, body odor, modern humanity’s odorous enemy. No matter what the virtues of body odor used to be–smelling bad is now a faux pas and people often equate smelling like BO to having bad hygiene. Now, some of us can’t help how we smell. Some of us sweat more than others, some of us exercise a lot and thus sweat more, some of us just have more odor. Enter deodorant, soap, perfume, and other deodorizing, smell good agents.

I’m shocked constantly by how many times people ask if they should use deodorant if they use perfume and vice versa. The answer is, sure, if you want to. I suppose the real question here is, how do you use deodorant and perfume without one overpowering the other or without creating a miasma of convoluted scent? The answer to that is simple too.

If you’re going to wear a perfume and need to wear deodorant as well, you should go for an unscented deodorant. The reason why you should avoid scented deodorants if you’re going to rock some perfume is because deodorant scents are strong, hardy things. Many of them project well, and have excellent longevity. Deodorants need to be robust because the purpose behind them is to both control odor and mask it. So chances are, a scented deodorant will overpower or mingle with perfume you choose to use.

There are a ton of unscented deodorants out there and if you don’t like the unscented stuff, using a deodorant with a light smell is good too. Some companies even brand men and women’s unscented deodorant–which is just asinine if you ask me.

Some of my picks for unscented deodorants include:

  • Mitchum Unscented Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant (Gel)
  • Dove Antiperspirant & Deodorant, Unscented for Sensitive Skin (Solid)
  • Crystal Stick Body Deodorant (Rock)

Just a forewarning, this is not a deodorant review site and I am not a deodorant expert. I will warn, however, that deodorants containing aluminum can cause a yellow, cakey build-up on clothing for some people. The result is a ruined shirt. And, let’s admit it, it’s kinda gross to look at too and probably not very comfortable to feel.

If you don’t sweat a lot, I highly recommend using deodorants without aluminum like the rock-type deodorants. If you’re okay with a lightly scented deodorant, I can recommend The Body Shop’s DeoDry deodorants as an aluminum-free option with scent. If you do sweat a lot and worry about odor these options may not work as well for you.

Which leads me to the next  question that gets asked rather often, “Can’t I just spray my perfume under my armpits?” Well, you certainly could on a strictly scented-view (I’m not a dermatologist either and can’t say whether spraying perfume on your armpits is a good idea or bad idea on a medical standpoint) but keep in mind that perfumes weren’t formulated to be deodorants.

They’re more delicate for one, won’t last as long for another, and weren’t developed to suppress odor and mask it at the same time. The most a perfume would do on your pits is mask the scent until you start sweating and giving off odor.

Remember, one of the ways perfumes give off their scent is through heat. They give more scent if it is hot and they don’t last as long when it is hot. So when you’re sweating and your body  temperature is elevated your perfume will be projecting a ton at first but its lifespan is probably going to be pretty dismal. That’s not to mention your natural body odor will mix with the perfume’s scent and what you end up with might be a concoction that smells similar to armpits, salt and sour vanilla.

Finally, please note that perfume and deodorant are two different things. I know how obvious that sounds but you won’t believe how many people buy a can of spray deodorant and insist that they are using perfume. It’s not perfume. It is a deodorant spray and it has a far different function than perfume.

So that’s the low-down. Use an unscented deodorant, or a lightly scented one, and wear your perfume freely–just not on your armpits.

Crystal Stick Body Deodorant

Fragrances as Gifts

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So the Christmas season is beating down on us and for those of you who celebrate it and know someone who’d enjoy getting a bottle of perfume might be wondering what kind of fragrances could make a good present. Whether it’s for Christmas, Valentine’s Day or a Birthday, perfume is often trotted out as one of the more popular options for gifts for both men and women. I’ve been asked several times for fragrance recommendations for people that I don’t know or have never met. The exchange usually goes something like this:

Well Meaning Individual: Hey Kay, you’re good with the perfumes. I want to buy one for my mom/wife/sister/friend/husband/father, which one should I get?

Me: I don’t know. What do they like?

Well Meaning Individual: . . . Something floral, but not too floral? Maybe clean but sexy? Something spicy but nothing with cinnamon or cloves in it. Oh yeah, something classy but young. Sweet but without vanilla. Oh yeah and nothing with jasmine or rose. Something not too heavy but will last the whole day. Oh and she/he hates musk. Nothing with musk in it. And I need it to be under $20. You know what? I don’t really know what she/he likes.

Me: . . .

The moral of the story is, don’t get your significant other a perfume without a clear idea of what they like in a fragrance first. Every year there is a torrent of tears and wrinkled noses as well meaning individuals hear other well meaning individuals like perfume and go out to purchase a fragrance without a clear understanding of what their intended likes in a fragrance. And year after year there’s cries of, “Oh God, this stinks!” Or, more likely, “I got a perfume for Christmas that I don’t like, can I exchange it?”

Now, you don’t have to go through the song and dance of lining up at the exchange counter. Instead of blind buying a fragrance (something no one should do), try getting your giftee a sampler pack. Sephora and a few other retailers (Shopper’s Drug Mart, if you live in Canada has a couple of these sample packs) have come up with a rather ingenious way to sell fragrances.

Basically the consumer goes to the store and picks up a perfume sampler pack that might contain 9 – 12 fragrance samples of the store’s top selling perfumes. They wrap that sucker up and give it to their giftee. Giftee opens it up and can sample from all the different fragrances in the pack and decide which one they like best. There is a voucher included in the pack they can take back to the store to exchange for a full sized bottle of perfume. And that’s how you deal with the person who likes perfume but doesn’t really know what they like.

Sephora sells a variety of fragrance sampler packs for men’s fragrances and women’s fragrances. Take a look on their site for more information.

This sampler pack business is all fine and dandy but the best way to get a fragrance your giftee will like is to find out what they actually enjoy. Don’t go buy what you like to smell as many people have discovered that pitfall when Judy wanted a bottle of Viva la Juicy and John bought her Santal de Mysore.

Granted, if someone bought me a bottle of Santal de Mysore, I wouldn’t complain at all!

Checking Perfume Lot Numbers and Codes

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One of the simpler ways to check to make sure your bottle of perfume is the real deal is to reference the serial or lot number (or code) that most–if not all–perfumes bought and sold in North America should have. The location of this code can vary depending upon the manufacturer or fragrance house. Some niche and independent perfumers do not include lot numbers on their fragrances, however, most mainstream perfumes have these codes and it is a good practice as a perfume user to be able to find these codes as an extra precaution against accidentally using or owning a counterfeit.

Checking lot codes for anti-counterfeit purposes is easy but not a foolproof way to determine a fake. This is only one of the many things you can do to protect yourself from counterfeit goods. What you should do when you purchase a bottle of perfume and want to check its lot/serial code is by first located the code on the box the perfume came in. Often this code is printed near where you might find the fragrance’s ingredients list. This code varies in digits depending upon the manufacturer but most often the code won’t exceed six digits. Very often they are four or five digits and can contain only numbers but oftentimes will be a mix of numbers and letters. After you’ve located the code on the box,  locate the code on the bottle itself. The two codes should match. If they do not match then take it back.

After having said that, your code can be printed or affixed to the bottle of perfume in a variety of ways. Many manufacturers choose to go the sticker route with the lot code inked onto the sticker. This sticker is often affixed to the perfume bottle. Sometimes (such as in the case of most Chanel fragrances) the lot code is etched into the bottle’s glass itself and is located in a different place than the general information about the perfume (ie. how many ml/oz, concentration type, perfume house’s address, etc.)

Sometimes these codes or numbers may even be filed off because it was acquired through a grey market retailer who wanted to prevent the tracking of the bottle. This is a shady, but not illegal practice, and a filed off serial is not always indicative of a counterfeit.

It is important to check the lot codes on both the perfume bottle and the box to make sure they match when you purchase the perfume and before you throw the box away. Sometimes these lot codes are referred to as serial codes, serial numbers, or lot numbers.

Buying Perfumes on eBay Tips

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I figured everyone ought to know some of the tips I’ve used when purchasing fragrances on eBay that have worked for me so far. Like with all else you buy online, even if you abide by all of these tips, you cannot 100% guarantee that you will never encounter or accidentally purchase a counterfeit fragrance. But you will at least reduce your risk of being scammed.

Without further ado . . .

1. Those photographs sure look fishy.

Your first and best defense against counterfeits is to know what you’re going to buy and know it really well. Always do research on an item before you drop the money for it especially if you’re looking at dropping a large amount on an item. If it’s in and around $100, you can spend some time going to a store or looking up the bottle and box online so you know what you’re supposed to be getting. Scrutinize the provided photographs and consider the following:

  • Does the seller use stock photos? I would never purchase a fragrance from a seller who only used stock photographs. You can’t know for sure what exactly the product they intend to send you will look like. So it’s either their photographs that they took themselves or it’s no sale.
  • Are the photos small and blurry? Not everyone can afford a nice camera, but as a seller, it is their responsibility to accurately describe and portray the item they intend to sell. That means, clean, clear, large photographs from varying angles. If someone’s photograph of an item is the size of a thumbnail or blurry, I ask them to take more or take better pictures.
  • Is the seller willing to comply with your request for more photographs? Should you feel the need to see more images of the product, don’t be shy or be afraid to ask for more. Remember to keep your request within reason (give me fifty more photos and I want them by tomorrow is unreasonable but asking for five more photos of different angles should be okay for most sellers). A serious seller will have no problem providing you with more original pictures of their product.
  • Do the photos even belong the seller? This one is hard to gauge, which is why you shouldn’t be too afraid to ask for more photographs. Sometimes unscrupulous sellers will steal photographs from other eBay auctions or somewhere online to use in their auction. If you’re suspicious, ask for more pictures! Or even go so far as to request the seller photograph the item with a scrap of paper with their eBay username or a word that you’ve chosen written on it.

2. Beware of brand new, sealed in box.

While not always faked, it is much harder for a potential buyer to tell if a perfume they’re going to buy online is fake or real if it’s sealed in a box. This is because counterfeiting a cardboard box and getting the details close to right is a whole lot easier than getting all the details right on the bottle inside. Also, there’s a possibility the seller took out the actual bottle from the actual box and put in a cheap knock-off instead and resealed it. Then you won’t even know until you get the bottle out of the box.

  • Are all the design elements on the box in the right place? Is everything spelled and spaced correctly?
  • Is the cellophane that encases the box neat? Is it clean? Does it look new or does it look wrinkled? If it’s wrinkled, there’s a possibility the seller may be using an actual box but has put a different, knock-off fragrance inside and tried to reseal it.
  • Again, try to get the seller to take photographs of the box. It might be weird request, but ask them to photograph the ingredients list, the logo, and the lot code on the box. With all of these photographed, you can look for typos and spelling errors, or out of place design elements. If the seller refuses to offer more photographs (remember, they don’t lose anything but a little bit of time if they do this for you) then be wary of the authenticity of their product.

3. People lie.

You have to come to accept this sad fact that some people will lie and are very good at lying. It gets even easier when they’re online where others can’t see them or hear them. So when you’re buying anything online, always keep this in mind. People lie. They will lie to get your money and they will do it very well. You should not put your trust into someone until they prove they can be trusted.

  • Check their feedback. Always, always, always, check an eBay seller’s feedback before you even consider buying anything from them. Look at the neutral feedback as well as the bad feedback and see what others have said about them. You can use Toolhaus.org to quickly check a seller’s negative and neutral feedback.
  • If the seller has zero feedback, don’t buy. Sellers with zero feedback are not necessarily counterfeiters but you just don’t know and perfumes are expensive items that cost too much to throw on a whim for a seller with zero feedback.
  • Just because they say it’s 100% authentic, doesn’t mean it is. I don’t even know why sellers bother to put 100% authentic into their item titles or descriptions anymore as any savvy buyer will just gloss over those words. In fact, every time I see 100% authentic, I get suspicious.

4. The feedback can say it all.

This ties in with the previous point about checking the seller’s feedback. Read through all of the neutral and negative responses. If you see someone say something about the seller sending them a fake or a knock-off then click away. Don’t trust a seller just because they’re a top seller, or a power seller, or most everyone else has had an excellent experience with them. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed with perfumes it’s this: Most people are not perfumistas and cannot tell a real from a fake. This isn’t a sleight against any of you, it is just a fact that if you aren’t around this stuff enough then it’s very easy to overlook a very good counterfeit.

5. There is no shame in buying used bottles or testers.

You are safer, by and large, if you purchase used bottles of perfumes or testers. There’s usually nothing wrong with these items and they are very often authentic. Think of it this way, why would a counterfeiter go out of their way to make fake items and then make them look used or look like testers? These used or tester items don’t sell for as much as brand new items so it is a waste of time and money for the counterfeiter. Therefore, this makes you safer to purchase used or tester bottles. Please note that I did not say this makes you safe–just safer.

6. Pay with Paypal, even better with Paypal attached to credit card.

Always try to pay for items through Paypal so you can contest the payment and hopefully get your money back if the seller ripped you off. If you got sent a fake, start making noise immediately. Paypal gives the buyer a certain amount of days (within 45 days) after the transaction has taken place in order to open a dispute about the purchase. Once a dispute is opened the buyer has 20 days to escalate their dispute to a claim if nothing has been done to remedy the issue or if the dispute has not been settled. Getting a counterfeit item is a perfectly legitimate reason to contest a purchase. If Paypal refuses to do anything about your issue, call up your credit card company and have them do a chargeback. Remember:

  • With Paypal, you the buyer, have 45 days from the time of the purchase (not the delivery of the item!) to open a dispute. After the dispute is open you will have 20 days to escalate the dispute to a claim. If you do not escalate the dispute to a claim after 20 days, Paypal will automatically close the dispute! So make sure you escalate if the issue is not solved in the dispute stage.
  • You can contact your credit card company to negotiate a chargeback if necessary.
  • Never give a seller positive feedback until you open the item and inspect it. When your product arrives, make sure you open it and inspect it first. Spray it to make sure it’s authentic. Also make sure it’s undamaged or as described. Only when you’re confident that everything is okay, should you give the seller your feedback.
  • Report them to eBay if they are selling counterfeits! It is against eBay’s policy for anyone to sell counterfeit items. If you see a counterfeit listed, report it to eBay so no one gets sucked into purchasing a fake.

7. This guy sure has a lot of stock.

If a seller has listed a ton (10, for example) of brand new, sealed in box full size fragrances and is not a store, it is almost guaranteed to be fake. One has to ask themselves if they come across someone like this how they got all of those brand new, sealed in box items in the first place.

8. Unbelievable deals.

It needs to be mentioned again that if you see a perfume that would normally sell for $200 in a department store, and in and around that much on a grey market discounter site, going for $10 on eBay that’s advertised as new and unused, then walk away. One has to wonder what’s wrong with this product the seller’s got that they’re willing to part with it for such a heavy discount. It could be severely damaged in some way, it could be counterfeit, sometimes there’s a chance that the seller just wants to get rid of it, but are you willing to bet your money on that. Even if it’s just $10? If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

Again, these tips will not make you 100% counterfeit-proof, but they should help you when you’re considering eBay as a purchasing option for fragrances. eBay is a fantastic resource for perfumistas or fragrance lovers but there’s also a lot of dishonest sellers there looking to make a quick buck. The savvier you are going in, the safer you are from being ripped off.

Going Lightly, Moderating Your Fragrance Use

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One of the more troubling trends in recent years has been the banning of fragrances in public places and work places. It seems more and more work places are opting to ban perfume use and in some instances–fragrance use in general–to create a “healthy air” or “clean air” policy.

Needless to say, I’m not one of the people who subscribes to the pseudo-science that is often brought up when people want to make their case for why fragrances are dangerous. That situation is an entirely different debate that will be relegated to another post.

Let’s, for now, talk about how perfume lovers and users of fragrance can go about minimizing the possibility of having their place of work ban fragrances.

1. Realize how strong your fragrance is.

It is easy to try and trust your own nose as an indicator of fragrance strength but your nose is actually a pretty unreliable tool when it comes to determining the strength of a perfume. Try getting a second opinion, or third opinion. Or go online and see if your perfume is considered a powerhouse or not. Then make a conscious effort to go light on it. It’s better to enjoy your scent when you bring your wrist to your nose than surround yourself with a cloud of fragrance that’s impeding someone else’s space.

2. Think about where you’re going to be.

Are you going to be in an enclosed space? A place where a lot of people are packed together? An office? A school? Be considerate of others and remember that not everyone likes the same scents. So going easy on your fragrance will ensure that you can enjoy your fragrance but not assaulting someone else with it at the same time.

3. Layer instead of re-apply.

Re-applying perfume can be a tricky business. Sometimes your perfume is actually gone but sometimes it might still be there but you just can’t smell it anymore. If it’s still there, spraying it again will intensify the scent for you but also for everyone else around you. So layering comes in handy in this regard. Get yourself a nice unscented lotion (or use a companion lotion that perfumes sometimes have) before you apply your fragrance. The lotion will moisturize your skin and help hold the fragrance for a little longer, thus reducing your need to re-apply.

4. When in doubt, go light.

If you don’t know how someone’s going to react to your scent or don’t know where you’re going to end up that day, go light. Never assume that other people are going to love how you smell, no matter how inoffensive or popular your perfume is. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to people.

5. Be considerate of those who may have allergies.

No perfume lover would purposefully wear a scent that would harm someone else but with many perfumes, it is hard to tell what exactly is in them. People can be allergic to certain components in your scent and their reactions can vary from the mild (coughing, sneezing and stuffy nose) to the severe (difficulty breathing). Now I should note that when I refer to people with allergies, I don’t mean the people who label their allergies as a blanket, “I’m allergic to all perfume. Aaaaah!” But there are people out there who have adverse reactions to certain aroma components such as jasmine essential oil. You simply don’t know who is going to react to what. It is easier to keep a reign on your fragrance if you go light on it where an allergic individual won’t have to deal with as much of it or won’t even smell it at all, rather than if you slather yourself and risk slapping someone with allergies in the face.

6. Spray sparingly.

If you know you’re going some place and need your scent to be light, ease up on the trigger finger and spray sparingly. I’ve witnessed people spritz perfume directly on themselves several times before walking out the door. And we’re talking Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfums here and not body mists. For a lot of fragrances, several spritzes is way too much. Try to limit your spraying to three or less. With exception to some very strong fragrances, three spritzes is a generally safe bet. Don’t hold yourself to always apply three spritzes. You will sometimes need to use less and in some cases (as with Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle) even one or two sprays is more than enough.

7. Where you apply depends on how strong you smell.

Did you know that where you apply your perfume can have an effect on how strong you smell to others? For instance, most people like to apply perfume to both wrists and to the neck. This creates a sort of aura around your upper body that gives off lots of scent as the wrists and neck are considered pulse points. The pulse points on the body are a little warmer than other areas and thus the scent is released faster and may smell more potent. If you want to perfume yourself in a lighter way, try spraying the ankles or the back of the knees. This way, you’re still wearing perfume but the scent has to travel further to reach the nose of whoever is around you. This can sometimes temper the scent and make it seem lighter.

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind if you plan on using perfumes around other people is to remember that while you might love your perfume, other people may not. Perfume is a mostly personal thing. It is okay to project your scent in some instances but no matter how inoffensive a scent might be, you cannot please everyone all the time.

What’s Floating in my Perfume?

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Have you ever taken a look at your bottle of perfume and noticed some white stuff, dust, or specks floating around in it? Ever wondered what the heck that stuff is?

Me too.

As near as I can tell and presume, the following scenarios may be possible:

1. Your perfume was improperly sealed thus allowing dust or other impurities into the juice, thus producing that residue that now resides with your fragrance.

2. The bottle was not cleaned properly/enough prior to pumping the perfume into it and the residue is a result of those leftover impurities.

3. Your perfume bottle is refillable (ie. the sprayer comes off easily) and the lack of a factory seal has allowed impurities to sneak their way into your juice.

4. The components used to make up your perfumes are reacting poorly with one another and causing the residue.

5. Your fragrance is counterfeit and has been composed of poor ingredients that are reacting badly with one another, the counterfeit uses dirty water, or has been contaminated with some unknown residue.

6. The fragrance was not properly preserved or fixed by the manufacturer and that debris you see in the bottle is yucky bacteria.

As you can see, regardless of what might be happening inside with your juice, you should probably dispose of it or demand a refund. If you purchase a bottle of perfume with residue be it dust, weird white stuff, or sediment, you need to take it back and get the store to exchange it as you can’t be sure what that stuff could be.

Will Rubbing Your Wrists Crush Perfume?

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I’ve had this happen a few times to me and used to subscribe to the idea myself before I gained a little initiative and went looking for some real answers. Does rubbing your wrists together really crush those delicate scent molecules?

Picture yourself standing in the fragrance department of Saks Fifth Avenue or other department store of choice. You pick up a bottle of the latest release and give it a spray on your wrist. Just to test it out. And, as you go to combine your wrists together, someone from across the room–a sales associate, another perfume appreciator, a man whose hat is composed of used beer cans, whatever–shouts, “No! You’ll crush the scent!”

There’s talk buzzing about the fragrance world surrounding wrist rubbing and perfume. A lot of people rub their wrists together or rub perfume into their skin after application. I don’t know how this started or who originated it but in addition to these wrist-rubbers you have anti-wrist-rubbers on the other side having a conniption every time they witness someone do it. By far, the most common declaration I’ve heard:

“Don’t rub your wrists together. You’re crushing the delicate scent molecules.”

Is there any truth behind this? Yes and no.

First of all, you are not crushing any molecules by grinding your wrists together. You can’t crush molecules with your wrists. Molecules are extremely, mind-bendingly, tiny. So crushing molecules is not at all like crushing a grape. They’re simply too small for your wrists to obliterate. And if you could crush molecules, you’ll be a few years ahead of current scientific research and should probably turn yourself in for scientific study. Come on, for the good of mankind.

So perhaps it’s not so much the fact that people truly believe they can crush molecules with the magic of their wrists but a poor choice of words. “Crush” is a hyperbole and a rather poetic way of saying, “You’re generating heat and causing some perfume notes to evaporate faster than they should.”

Perfumes work through evaporation. When you spray a fragrance onto your skin, your body temperature causes the fragrance molecules to start evaporating. As they evaporate they fly away from the body and give off their scent. The warmer your body is, the faster these scents evaporate.

What you’re doing when you rub your wrists together is generating heat. Heat increases the rate of evaporation and some notes are more susceptible to heat than others. Due to the different rate of evaporation, the perfume may end up smelling different than it should.

This does not mean that wrist rubbing should be banned and you’re a terrible person if you rub your wrists together to distribute the fragrance. Nah. If you want to rub or you’re just used to it, then do it slowly. You’re not in the wrist rubbing competition here and you’re probably not trying to start a fire using your wrists either. Though that would probably make you very popular among smokers and campers.