I sometimes take a long time to learn a lesson
@GardenGerty (160940)
United States
January 28, 2018 8:09pm CST
This is another smelly story. I am remembering it as an afterthought to my discussion on scented items. I had a memory come back while responding to your comments, or commenting on your responses. . . whichever.
Certain colors make me think of certain things. Red makes me think hot, or spicy, dark green makes me think "earthy". So yellow and white, on a perfume box makes me think "lemony. Or citrus"
A few years back there was a line of "knock off fragrances" that were supposed to copy cat the high dollar designer perfumes. Often they were displayed in Wal Mart and other stores I frequented.
One item in the display ALWAYS caught my eye as I hurried past on my way to somewhere else. It was a fragrance packaged in yellow and white stripes with neat black lettering.
I do not know how many times I grabbed the tester and "spritzed" it on my wrists only to almost instantly regret it.
It was not citrusy.
It did not smell good to me.
It would not wash off in the bathroom and it made me feel sick and disgusted.
I will not make that mistake anymore.
I spray the air and sniff before it ever goes on me.
Are you aware that the same fragrance may smell differently on various people? One particular Avon scent was packaged prettily, and my sister bought some. She thought she would like it. No such luck. When she would put it on, it smelled like vinegar. She did learn better.Quickly.
20 people like this
20 responses
@Juliaacv (51546)
• Canada
29 Jan 18
I was cologne shopping on the weekend. They usually spray a bit on a card for me and then write the name of the fragrance on it, as it will change as it dries.
I couldn't have a spray on me because I was already wearing perfume.
I did find a new one that I might buy for my hubby and a new one for me.
But there is nothing worse then spraying a scent on your wrist and it combats with you because its nearly impossible to rid yourself of that smell.
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Yes, and it follows you around. When I was twenty I worked a fragrance counter in a big bargain store. Over the Christmas holidays was absolutely the worst. Everyone was trying on fragrance and makeup. Too much.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
@Fleura How about in a forty voice church choir on a platform, wearing robes, and everyone wearing fragrance, hairspray and deodorant, in the summer. Nausea.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472041)
• Switzerland
29 Jan 18
I know that scents smell different according to who wears the perfume. An oily skin may “exaggerate" certain elements in the perfume and make it become aggressive. We have paper tester to spray in order to feel the scent, but of course if it does not "touch" your skin, you cannot know how it will react.
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Here people just spray test directly on their skin. I never knew that about the oil. I know that for my sister it seemed to be her acidity.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (472041)
• Switzerland
29 Jan 18
@GardenGerty Acidity is another factor.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93865)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Yes, I found that out when I was a kid. A lady in our church gave my sister and I the perfume Charlie, for Christmas. I sprayed it on, and it was delightful. My sister sprayed some on her wrists, and she was immediately put off by how it smelled on her. It was weird.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
As a young teen I was given some "Charlie". My cousin liked it so well we decided to give it to her for Christmas. It was so popular that year dad had to drive all over town to find it.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
29 Jan 18
oh yea.especially men's roll on.smells good on one,bad on another.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Sometimes it seems like they cannot even smell themselves.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 18
@GardenGerty They probably can't! My partner has a terrible sense of smell. Luckily he rarely wears any sort of scented products.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 18
@GardenGerty They probably can't! My partner has a terrible sense of smell. Luckily he rarely wears any sort of scented products.
1 person likes this
@jswindell10 (417)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I've found out the hard way that department stores are the best places to buy fragrances. Spraying the air actually helps because other customers nearby may smell and inquire. Other places often buy things that are either bad knockoffs or something that may have sat around too long and only works as a way to freshen sheets or mix with an oil. Body chemistry is tricky because as much as I love vanilla-scented fragrances, I cannot wear a lot of them. I have good luck with Pink Sugar but Bath and Body Works had people looking at me funny. Never again.
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Sometimes that can be a sign a fragrance was made with chemicals and not true biological oils. You do have to learn. Sometimes it is costly.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 18
Yes I did know scents smell different on different people. Some places give you little strips of paper to spritz the perfume on so you can test (and you can use these in your drawers at home to scent your clothes!) but you still don't know what the scent will really smell like on your skin.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I do not know of any place that uses a paper or card for testing. Maybe places that are more "high end" than where I shop do.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30541)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 18
@GardenGerty If it's a place that has a dedicated 'perfume counter' they often do. Of course you could always just take your own! Blotting paper would be good.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
It can smell good in two different ways or it can smell awful.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
30 Jan 18
It's funny, but I never cared for the majority of women's perfumes or colognes and instead preferred men's colognes. For instance can't stand the women's Eternity perfume but love the men's cologne. Also, my mother was sort of a well to be point blank a "snob"…she would ONLY get Joy perfume, the most expensive perfume in the world, and just because it was the most expensive…well, it may have been the most expensive but to me it smelled like drek
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
In the 70's I worked a cosmetic and fragrance counter in a large discount store. That was when the Jovan line first came out. I preferred the men's Grass Oil over any of the other fragrances. That was a good, earthy, line for me. Expensive does not make something valuable, I would agree.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
White Lilac is a very sweet floral. I remember it from years past.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55981)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Jan 18
Sometimes the packaging is much nicer than the scent! I am not fond of many scents, so I just don't use any. I do remember one time I was playing with my dog . . . and then my mom and I went shopping. She said I smelled like dog so she sprayed some fragrance on me (sampler from a department store counter) . . . ugh, I smelled even worse after that - gave me a headache!
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Of course. When you mix an unpleasant or "off" odor with another fragrance all you really get is a dressed up version of the off odor. I wear very little fragrance anymore.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72516)
• Philippines
29 Jan 18
I'm not really into perfumes and colognes because I get allergic reaction to most of them. But I do have a lot of of them as presents. There are days when I could tolerate the smell but there are days that I couldn't and it would make me sneeze the whole day.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I think people like to give scents as gifts and they do not understand that it can be very bad for some people.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16789)
• China
29 Jan 18
I don't know much about perfumes,but know the smell and colour do suggest other things.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
Yes, within our brain our sense of smell is close to our memory. We do not realize how powerful things like scent and color are, without any words.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I seldom wear fragrance at all now. So many products have scent to them you can end up in a hodge podge.
2 people like this
@Courtlynn (67081)
• United States
29 Jan 18
I never spray myself always the air or an item. Lol
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
That would have helped, but you have to actually try it on to see how it will smell on you.
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
@Courtlynn There are certain scents that smell like vinegar on my older sister. On top of that, certain colors in makeup turn purple on her. . . and purple is not her shade for lipstick.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67081)
• United States
29 Jan 18
@GardenGerty I don't think so. Lol. I think the smell would be the same, unless you stunk. Lol. But I'm sure others do it.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
1 Feb 18
It's funny how they often smell different on differnt people... I don't really like perfumes and very rarely walk thru the perfume department at a store...
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
2 Feb 18
These displays are often in the middle of something else I must pass. I like them less and less. It is just not something I need.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
29 Jan 18
What is horrible is I did it more than one time. Dumb.
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
Yes, after a while your scents can turn bad in the bottle. Usually from evaporation or exposure to light.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317242)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 Jan 18
@GardenGerty I should probably get rid of them then. I'll check it first before I do.
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
Maybe not everyone associates with colors, but I do and it can get me in trouble.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160940)
• United States
30 Jan 18
Very much so. I think I like individual ingredient scents more than blends.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130213)
• Israel
30 Jan 18
@GardenGerty
Heather, I have a certain perfume I like to buy that I feel is good on me.
