Aibu to ask how people manage to smell nice?

[Lostatseason5]

I'm a bit overweight and a bit sweaty :( I have been suffering from depression and although I was managing to drag my ass to work every day I wasn't always showering. :( My new year's resolution was to shower every day. I've been doing this but I still feel unfresh by afternoon, I have colleagues that smell AMAZING! I am too embarrassed to ask them how! Aibu to ask for those of you who are always smelling great your "secret" I now shower each morning wear deodorant but I don't wear perfume as I feel I put too much on, but I'd happily wear one of anyone can recommend a fresh one not overpowering - this will probably sound horrendous that grown adult is asking for help with this but depression can be really debilitating and .trying very hard so of you could be kind I would be grateful thank you (i'm.nearly crying writing this!)

I used to refresh my deodorant and redo my makeup and hair at lunchtime so I was fresh for the afternoon.

Hi I find the roll-on deodorant or those stick ones are much longer lasting the the aerosol. I also use the blur lenor fabric softener on my clothes, that always makes them smell nice. If you not sure about how much perfume just literally put one squirt on your neck and one one your wrists

I find washing my hands regularly with nice smelling soap works wonders. Also brushing teeth half way through the day makes me feel fresh.

Perfume doesn't tend to stick to me very well and I can't smell it after about an hour so I found an oil mix ( I think it's sandalwood and something else) that I tab on my wrists so I can smell it throughout the day.

Have you tried using a different deodorant brand? It may be that your current brand isn’t performing as well as it could. Personally I also find a roll-on a lot more effective than spray.

*blue not blur

I wish I could help, but for some reason, my body repels perfume. I gave up buying expensive stuff, because I don't smell of it after 5 minutes.

This is not just me who thinks this. I have asked people to smell me and they can't smell anything!

I hope I never smell bad, but I haven't fathomed how to smell 'nice'.

It’s a combination of clean body, clean hair and clean clothes. Easy.
I don’t think you are wrong about the perfume. I almost never use perfume. Every cosmetic product is scented so I think it would be too much scent if I wore perfume on the top of everything else. It should be an occasional thing.

Instead of perfume what about a clean/fresh smelling body spray? Bit lighter and smells a bit more like soap/shower stuff/cleanliness. I can’t suggest any as I just use a little perfume but I’m sure others can either here or on the beauty boards.

If you buy a perfume buy an eau de parfum and not an eau de toilette. The former has a higher concentration of perfume oil and so the scent lasts longer on your skin. Eau de toilette is quite weak and so wears off quickly.

Normal perfume doesn’t stay well on me so I find scented body lotion works well, and you can get these little perfume oil rollers on amazon for about a fiver (perfume people?) and they last well if you apply them to your wrists. Also if you do spray anything, spray it on your hair (sparingly). Apart from that as long as your body is clean, you wear deodorant and your clothes are clean you should be ok!

If you use shower gel switch to a bar of soap

Try a nicely scented body lotion, more subtle than perfume

@Lostatseason5 bless you, there’s nothing wrong with asking the questions you’re asking!!!

The trick for me is two showers: one in the morning, one when I get in from work/gym. Hair washed every day, but I exercise and sweat like mad.
Clean clothes every time, never put back on a T-shirt that ‘I’ve only worn for a bit’. Clean bra every two days.
Shaved armpits and a very good trim down below (I use a beard trimmer 🤣).
I use roll on deodorant (sanex or garnier or dove).
Every morning I put on a bit of Coco Chanel (the black original one).

Hope that helps.

Also no to perfume. The majority of perfume smells I pick up on the day to day are either overpoweringly strong or stale and disgusting because it clings to clothing. Very rarely I smell a nice perfume on a person.

I use a mitchum roll on and then a deodorant spray on top as I get very sweaty at work (heavy lifting, hot rooms etc) and I spray 2 spritzes of a light perfume on my tummy under my clothes. Isn't an obvious smell all day but every time I go to the loo I get a wiff and can feel more confident if I'm due to be sat in the office in the afternoon

Shaved armpits and a very good trim down below

Really

Hair doesn't smell. HTH.

I use a nice smelling body lotion (Nivea Q10, or my fave Crabtree and Evelyn Jojoba Oil which seems to be discontinued 😫). I often get complimented that I smell nice. I never wear perfume.
A touch of talcom powder where skin is on skin (under your breasts for example) may help with moisture.
Clean clothes are a must too - fabric can absorb all sorts of environmental smells especially if you work in a city.

I'm sorry you've been having such a tough time. I know how you feel - I have developed a chronic illness in recent years and was frequently too depressed/exhausted to shower daily. I'm also a bit overweight an I know how that makes you a bit paranoid about being sweaty!

I like original source shower gels or fruity ones from body shop as they feel really refreshing. I use Mitchum antiperspirant - either the aerosol or the gel stick. I also use liquid talc from the Asda baby range under my boobs in the summer to feel a bit fresher. Waitrose eco fabric conditioner smells really nice and I have had people comment on how nice my clothes smell. I use Smol detergent capsules.

I can't wash my hair daily or it starts getting really oily so I use a squirt of dry shampoo (Co Lab has nice scents) on non wash days.

I can't wear anything overpowering perfume wise to work as I'm in and out of hospitals and it would annoy patients.

Final tip - I carry a bottle of body shop coconut scented antibacterial hand gel around (see re: hospitals above!) and apply frequently - it smells lovely and is really refreshing.

Perfume needs to be good quality and not overpowering. Celebrity perfumes are just manufactured and chemical on the whole.
CK1 is a reasonably priced good perfume.
My favourite is Quercus by Penhaligons, it's expensive but will last and smells amazing in an understated way. Aqua di parma Colonia is also good. L'occitane verveine has a lovely lemony smell.

You will notice these are all perfumes which tend not to be sweet and sickly.

There’s a Vera Wang perfume - love struck - that’s quite delicate. It’s too delicate for me, I like a strong scent, and I used far too much at a time and it was still very subtle. Basically I think it’s almost impossible to overdo that one

As long as you are washing daily then even if you get a bit sweaty during the day it’s likely not as bad as you think. You could keep some wipes and deodorant in your bag to freshen up at lunch time.

I love the smell of washing powders so have a particular favourite that I love getting a whiff of. If you make sure your clothes are dried well and not musty that will help too.

If you want an idea of how you actually smell to others have a good sniff of the clothes you’ve just worn straight after a shower (your nose will be used to the shower smell and a bit of steam will have cleared it). You might be able to detect something you can control or it might be reassuring in that you just smell normal.

Hair doesn't smell but will hold onto odours. It does make such a difference.

Use soap..... well.
Use Mitchum deodorant
Pump spray body spray
Nice perfume
Clean clothes with good quality detergent, fabric softener and a small cap of zoflora.

Hair doesn't smell, but bacteria on sweaty hair does. If you sweat a lot, like I do, it may help.
Also. Men's roll on deodorant. Women's just don't compare.

A very nice smelling laundry detergent
Clean clothes
If you can afford it Jo Malone do very nice light refreshing perfumes. Wear it every day. Also spray in your hair.
Refresh at lunchtime

Sorry PP who have said perfume should be an occasional thing- not for me, I feel naked without it. I only wear one and people comment all the time that I smell just like me- my.children say it wouldn't be me otherwise.

Go and get some testers and try a few to see which suits. Definitely eau de parfum as pp said. Matching body lotion is also a good idea/ just a nice one you like. Someone commented the other day that my hands smelled wonderful- it was banana hand lotion!

Otherwise, you're doing great with showering every day, clean hair, clean clothes. I use Mitchum roll on- it lasts all day (even with a gym session after work).

I'll bet you smell just grand anyway, but some great tips on here if you want to up the ante.

Mitchum roll on deodorant which you leave to fully dry before getting dressed (takes a few mins). Scented body butters (I like mango from the body shop) and I get a scent of this through the day. Coolish showers so you feel fresh after. Make sure you are fully dry before getting dressed. Shaved armpits. Cotton knickers. Fresh bra. Clean and dry hair. Good luck OP. X