Mumsnet Talk

YANBU

I tend to find it is the base notes which are the overpowering ones. However that might be because of the way I select them to try, squirt into the air for a first sniff, only if it smells light, fresh etc will I try it on my skin I frequently then find that they smell lovely for the first hour then 2 or three hours later are giving me a splitting headache till I can scrub it off my skin.

Even with light ones I am very, very careful about spraying directly on my skin, normally the only way I can get a light enough spritz to avoid headaches is spray in the air and walk through, don't do it in shops though as I want to smell it on my skin not my clothes.

Well I think it depends on the scent lua.

If I was wearing Arpege by Lanvin, I would only use a dab at the base of my throat and nothing else all day.

If I was wearing Eau de Cartier, a light hesperide, I would top up at lunchtime as EdeC is not built to last and is very light and airy.

Not all perfumes take an hour to settle. Some reach their drydown in a minute or two.

I don't think one rules applies since all fragrances are built so differently.

ChocsAway. I actually disagree with you about the topping up at lunchtime. A decent perfume shouldn't need it (and by decent, I don't necessarily mean expensive). I will squirt it in the morning before I get dressed and it stays there all day. Perfume takes a while to "settle" so if you spray it at lunchtime, it'll be an hour or so before it smells nice anyway. The over-powering aspect about most perfumes I find are the head notes which disperse but are really strong just after you spray them so I don't think you're solving the problem really. If you have a weaker scent, a good tip is to put some on some cotton wool and pop it in your bra. As it's under your clothes, it's not overpowering but the smell will linger as it is a bit more concentrated.

cuiller- you are quite right. Very often a £100 bottle can contain about £3 of ingreidents. You are often paying for advertising, marketing, a celebrity face, the Nose, the kudos of the brand, the packaging, the bottle and the transport costs.

Many ingredients today are synthetic too which makes them even cheaper.

I am a big fan of certain inexpensive perfumes, but I've had to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince.

Top of my head "Cheap But Good" scents: JLo Deseo (around ten quid), Gres Cabotine (under ten quid for 30ml), Coty L'Aimant Fleur de Rose 3.99 for 30ml, Gres Cabochard- currently 8.99 in Bodycare for 100ml, SJP Lovely- just bought 100ml for 17.99.

My wife banned me from wearing Joop as it made her retch / fugged up her sense of smell / put her off her food etc.
She has a valid point as it really hangs around and can be rather sickly / cloying BUT it is dirt cheap and a little goes a long way...

Other cheap-but-strong scent is Kouros. I can smell that I've been in the room when I wear that. Borderline repellent.

I can't bear Womanity by Thierry Mugler, which they give away in free samples in every magazine I ever buy. Plus the advert is horribly unattractive.

I saw something on telly that said that the actual ingredients in perfume are worth pence, and it's the product with the highest percentage markup you can buy.

I need to go on a perfume buying spree, loving the smell of Naughty Alice, but am wondering if it's on the bad list?

What irks me is when people think their perfume has to last all day so they put about eight squirts on at once, killing all wildlife in their path by 9 am. Much better to have one or two squirts in the morning and top up at lunch time (but not in a toilet or confined space).

Yes they are a bit. But I break wind on occasions

Thorntons

Bum- just go to Thonrotns instead. It smells the same.

Just because of this thread, I'm deffo going to a perfume shop tomorrow to sniff out Angel! I can't think of what it smells like!

Chloe is the worst...just disgusting. Also hate Clinique Happy and of course Angel.

Very Valentino is glorious. My favourite along with Pure White Linen by Estee Lauder. I don't think they could give anyone headaches.

YANBU. It makes me feel sick.

can't stand Opium, sickeningly sweet and overpowering. Don't mind most other perfumes though.

Chocs

No, this stuff. They brought out a different version every year for a good few years.

www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Yves-Saint-Laurent/Opium-Eau-D-ete-Summer-Fragrance-2049.html

But you don't get it other than online these days.

Folk I love it when my hair smells of perfume, I used to have the Charles Worthington Head in the Clouds perfume but they don't make it anymore.

Viktor and Rolf Flowebomb is my absolute favourite but had mixed responses. Poison is just awful, I work with a smoker who douses herself and the combination is just lethal.

Bum- do you mean Belle D'Opium? That's lighter.

The summer version of opium was lovely but they stopped doing it. It is sometimes available online though.

I wear YSL Opium in the Autumn and Winter but tend to not wear anything in the spring or the summer. I only do one spray on me and maybe one on my hair. Far too much otherwise!

I could do with a spring/summer perfume in the same vein but lighter.

I too get awful migraines from most perfumes and can't wear them. DS1 got some bench deodorant for Christmas and I had to get rid of it as it makes me ill if he sprays it anywhere in the house. I used to commute by bus and hated it when people sprayed their stinking perfumes all over as they were going out for the evening at about 6pm. Why do that on a bus? It's terrible in department stores too. I have a route through our nearest one all planned out that avoids the perfume counter.

I'm not keen on Youth Dew but Miss Dior is ok.

binky same here! DH wears Africa 'cos that's what I buy him. He doesn't use loads and it is quite pleasant. He doesn't wear aftershave ever though.