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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not understand why some people wear such heavy scents?

97 replies

clingclangclong · 30/03/2016 00:12

Before MIL leaves the house to get a pint of milk and the daily mail (cringe) she showers with a branded, highly scented body wash, then applies the same scented accompanying body cream ALL OVER her body, then spritzes herself liberally all over with the accompanying perfume.

After this she puts on full make up (primer, foundation, powder, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, lip liner and lipstick.) I have found that when make up, especially foundation and lipstick, is applied heavily, it has a strong smell too.

You can smell her upstairs with doors closed before you can see her, before she enters any room, and if you get in a car with her you have to hope you do not already have a queasy stomach or are prone to migraines. The DC and the pets smell of her after she has been around them, and I have to wash all bed linen, towels etc after she leaves because it is just covered with smell.

I have known other people similar, but not quite as bad as MIL. Is it a generational thing? Or am I just being a sensitive little sausage? And surely if you have laid on a scent that heavily you can smell yourself?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 30/03/2016 00:27

I think it's like using the same air freshener or fabric softener, you become nose blind and can't smell it as strongly.

I get what you mean, it can make me feel sick and trigger headaches sometimes but if you're actually washing all bed linen, towels etc after she leaves, then yes I'd say there's an element of you being a sensitive little sausage too.

littlejolee · 30/03/2016 00:37

I know exactly what you mean, I know someone who is a nurse and as part of her job she's not allowed to wear strong scents in case it makes the patients retch. So she goes a bit overboard on her days off in a similar manner to your mil with the shower cream/ body lotion/ perfume combo. She smells quite nice by the evening but if we meet in morning, while she doesn't have an unpleasant smell it's certainly quite potent. My personal opinion is that you shouldn't be able to smell anyone's perfume or aftershave unless you're close enough to hug them. No one needs a perfumed cloud following them around! (Also totally get washing the linen too, but suspect we might both be being a bit sensitive sausage there tbh)

DonkeyOaty · 30/03/2016 00:40

Not perfume or make up but one of my friends uses heavily fragranced laundry detergent and yeah it clings madly when I visit her at home

I am a sensitive sausage too. I love my friend so suck it up.

NotnowNigel · 30/03/2016 00:45

If you worked with a colleague who has really bad halitosis you would know why there is a strong scent of perfume in my office.

BettyCrystal · 30/03/2016 00:57

Kate Moss once commented, after watching Jordan / Katie Price's programme where she doused herself in perfume - "No, no, no! What's she doing? You spritz a cloud & then walk into it" (or something to that effect).
KM famously doesn't say much, but she had to speak out that time...

7Days · 30/03/2016 01:05

She probably doesn't smell herself. At least it's fleur de floral she smells of rather than bo. Small mercies.
But having to wash linens does seem.a bit much.
In summary,I don't know which of you is being U, I just know one of you is. HTH

Redderred · 30/03/2016 01:54

Yassssnbu!!!!
It's disgusting, and gives me the most horrific migraines, making me throw up.
I find air fresheners equally offensive. all those chemicals cannot be good for you.

Fauchelevent · 30/03/2016 01:58

There's one particular scent going around that's super popular, I think it's Guerlain and either it's really strong smelling or women are bathing in it.

FunnyDuddy · 30/03/2016 02:01

I don't wear foundation n what not but I do go over the top with my perfumes

But then again I'm a heavy smoker so can't smell the perfume as strongly as others could and don't want to stink of fags all day

honeyrider · 30/03/2016 02:23

People who generally overdo the scent usually smell of BO and are trying to cover it up

SealSong · 30/03/2016 03:05

FunnyDuddy, unfortunately perfume won't mask the smell of cigarette smoke. You're likely just to smell of both, which isn't a good combo.
As a non smoker I appreciate smokers efforts to get rid of smoke smells but liberal use of perfume doesn't do it. It just adds another strong smell.

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 30/03/2016 03:38

I can't sleep on bedlinen that smells of perfume or laundry scents, they're so chemically they really can trigger a migraine. I can't walk past Lush without holding my breath.

With perfume, I think people who wear the same scent all the time get nose blind to it and so wear more and more to be able to smell it themselves. Also, perfume companies advocate layering scent- so using the wash, lotion, and perfume. It could be to create the proper scent with the right top and base notes etc, or could be a marketing ploy to sell more product.

MadamDeathstare · 30/03/2016 04:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FlorisApple · 30/03/2016 05:36

Yes! Lush makes me want to vomit, just from walking past - I don't know how anyone can work there! I have certainly got more sensitive since having babies, but always found Lush overwhelming.

I had my hair cut the other day and he put some product in that initially smelled lovely, but as the afternoon wore on, just clung and smelled more and more perfumy. It was contaminating everything, until I just had to wash my hair - I couldn't stand it anymore. He'd even convinced me to buy some, but very fortunately, when I went to pay they had run out.

treaclesoda · 30/03/2016 06:01

I have a colleague who liberally sprays herself with perfume several times a day thinking that it covers the smell of cigarettes and that none of us knows she smokes. She is very wrong, and her perfume makes me feel queasy. And I'm not generally the terribly delicate type.

Jkycc · 30/03/2016 06:09

Foundation doesn't smell and why list all the make up she applies? Sounds like she merely likes to take care of herself to me.

cleaty · 30/03/2016 06:39

Sometimes adults who do this, are the ones who were the smelly kid at school. I used to wear too much perfume as I had a morbid fear of ever smelling of BO again.

londonrach · 30/03/2016 06:43

Yanbu. I think the worse is the smokers trying to mask the smell of smoke. It doesnt, nothing hides the smell and just adds to it. I work within the nhs so just have to grin and bear it. I do however prefer the perfume smell to unwashed. Id never ever comment but we do have an air fresher in the clinic which we use after the patient has exited. Mind you theres one body wash i love the smell of as i surpose its all personal smell!

DrDreReturns · 30/03/2016 07:08

I can smell a strong scent (of perfume) on most young women I walk past in the street. Haven't noticed it with older women. I reckon it's more prevalent in younger people.
My personal opinion is that it's unnecessary. As long as you're clean why do you need to put perfume on? If I can smell a strong scent in the street it must be overpowering indoors.

BerryB · 30/03/2016 07:19

I know exactly how you feel OP! It got so bad with my MIL that I had to ask DH to have a word with her.
I got headaches and felt nauseous. DS was only one week old and I couldn't deal with the baby stinking of her after she'd been holding him. DH told her not to wear any perfume when coming around to our place. I know I'm a very sensitive sausage but it got so bad I was unable to hold my baby after she'd been holding him!

Skittlesss · 30/03/2016 07:21

I'm more concerned about what your MIL is doing to make you have to wash all bed linen and towels after she visits...

cosmicglittergirl · 30/03/2016 07:24

YANBU This is a pet peeve of mine, but then walking past Lush or the perfume counter in Boots gives me a headache.

WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes · 30/03/2016 07:25

I agree that you shouldn't be able to smell other people's fragrance unless you're in touching distance of them, one tiny spritz is enough. Also that it's extremely inconsiderate to wear it in places like theatres and planes where others are going to be stuck with it for hours. I get splitting headaches in those situations. No problem going into Lush, but I can't use some of their hair products.

raininginspringtime · 30/03/2016 07:35

Jkycc

Because OP hates her MIL.

In an average day I smell heavy perfume, body odour, halitosis, shit (animal and human) and urine.

Smells, good and bad, happen. Some are pleasant and some are not. It really is not that important.

Tessticklesyourfancy · 30/03/2016 07:37

Last week I nipped into the supermarket round the corner from work, there was a woman in there with knock out perfume on. I wasn't sure at first who was wearing it as I was near a few people but by the time I'd finished in the fruit section I was felling . I could smell it when no where near her, though I actually held my breath when I walked past her. There were obviously a few precious sausages in that day as I heard people comment about the perfume including a bloke who said in a rather loud voice at the checkout " im going outside love, can't do with that smell!"

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