To feel self-conscious about wearing SIL's favourite perfume

[Thickhead]

My SIL (ten years older than me) has always worn the same perfume. It's not a perfume you smell often but is extremely recognisable when you do, there's nothing else like it.

SIL wears it all the time, and also layers it with the same scented body cream etc. She always smells absolutely divine and it's been my favourite scent in the world since I was little. I think partly it's because of the happy memories associated with it - her and my DB (my idol) visiting when I was young.

Now I have tried lots of different perfumes trying to find 'my' signature scent but nothing remotely comes close to how much I love SIL's perfume. But it feels like 'hers', and every time I wear it I feel a bit guilty, like I'm stealing. I'd feel really embarrassed if she ever smelt me wearing it.

I'm being unreasonable aren't I? I think it's because scent is such a personal thing. I know she gives clothes with this perfume on to her kids to stop them being homesick etc...

[ruby4ever]

I smelt it today... really not for me 😂

[Thickhead]

@titsaleena

Hope I haven't offended you thickhead! I put one spray on and it was more than enough, perhaps I was too liberal with it. I've wrapped it up for my Nan for Xmas so I'm sure she will appreciate!

not at all titsaleena, takes more than that to offend me! Perfume is such a personal thing - hope your nan loves it!

[ruby4ever]

Am sure it is, will need to smell it in person and decide if I like it. There are perfumes I've come across that seem to have the older woman vibe. I tend to like fruity/musk/oud fragrances

[titsaleena]

Hope I haven't offended you thickhead! I put one spray on and it was more than enough, perhaps I was too liberal with it. I've wrapped it up for my Nan for Xmas so I'm sure she will appreciate!

[Thickhead]

@titsaleena

I bought the perfume in question on the back of this thread. It sounded so divine.

Well it's arrived and it smells like a mixture of old ladies and cat piss!!!

you need a VERY light touch with it - spray it in the air and walk into the mist! Don't just spray it on your skin and sniff it... The opening us very sharp but the drydown is much mellower.

@ruby4ever my SIL is 40, I'm 30. It isn't an "old ladies'" perfume (whatever that is) but is definitely more sophisticated than the bog standard fruity florals which were popular in the 00s / 10s and which most of my age group wore!

[ruby4ever]

@titsaleena just saw your comment! 😂 It's not too expensive so was thinking of just purchasing online, I definitely won't now!! Had a feeling it's probably more for older women

[Zelda93]

@titsaleena

I bought the perfume in question on the back of this thread. It sounded so divine.

Well it's arrived and it smells like a mixture of old ladies and cat piss!!!

Ha ha that's exactly what I think of it .. it's awful but I know it's hugely popular!! I used to love Red Door perfume on others but when I wore it .. it was vile!!
The Clinique perfume was popular with those a little older and is a classic put I always found it was way too heavy and actually burned my nostrils!!

[Dowser]

Oooh never heard of it
But want to try it

[ruby4ever]

Out of curiosity, what age group wear the Clinique elixir perfume? I've become quite intrigued by many on here saying they really like that one. Must smell it the next time am out

[ruby4ever]

Am trying to think if I would feel like I can't wear a perfume because it's my sil 'signature perfume'
I really wouldn't care any less. It's not perfume created just for her! If I like it I will wear it. Some of the comments here saying don't wear it or find your own signature is really bizarre.
If it makes you that uncomfortable then just don't wear it around her and her family, guess you wouldn't want her kids saying you smell like mummy

[titsaleena]

I bought the perfume in question on the back of this thread. It sounded so divine.

Well it's arrived and it smells like a mixture of old ladies and cat piss!!!

[BigusBumus]

My mum and I both wear Hermes L'eau des Merveilles, but it smells much sweeter on her and more masculine on me, like 2 totally different fragrances.

[TheNationsFavourite]

I went on holiday years ago to the States and fell in love with DKNY Women. It's quite unusual, I think. Anyway, my sister liked it, bought loads and sort of took it over. Also, she's a smoker and I'm not so now I tend it associate it more with a smoking smell and it's put me off. So, actually, I was a bit put out. But there's lots of other perfumes in the DKNY range, they seem to suit my skin chemistry. I haven't bothered wearing them during lockdown, now I think I'll start again!

[MRC20]

Personally I wouldn't care, I didn't notice when my MOL started wearing my perfume till she mentioned it. Perfume smells different on different people. But some people do mind. I had a friend once who went crazy at me for buying 'her' perfume. Just ask your SIL if she minds you wearing the same scent as you love it so much. She'll either say yes sure or I'd rather you didn't, then you know xx

[Bbang]

My mums smell is Chanel no 5 I love it and it evokes such happy memories for me, but it is her smell and her thing so I wouldn’t wear it myself because it’d feel weird like I’m stepping on her toes. That probably makes no sense lol it’s more a feeling than anything I suppose, my smell is jo malone pomegranate noir but I’ll give the Clinique a sniff!

[Bluesheep8]

Someone upthread suggested Youth Dew as an alternative. I will second this, although, yet again, that doesn't last like it used to either!

[Bluesheep8]

The reviews of it on Clinique seem to be that the formula’s changed and it’s not as good now. Do you still like it though@Thickhead?

This. It was my signature scent for years. Then it was changed and lasts nowhere near as long as it used to, infact it doesn't last at all. So you're fine to douse yourself in it op, no one, not even your SIL will have a clue you're wearing it after about 5 minutes. It's a great shame.

[PoorMansPaulaRadcliffe]

trying of

[PoorMansPaulaRadcliffe]

I felt a bit bad because I probably should have owned it and said - "It's Jenna Jameson; it is what it is; it's not half-bad, is it?" Because it wasn't. It was actually rather nice. But I was worried they would think I'd bought it because I was a right-wing nut/porn lover which would have been compounded by treating to tell the backstory in fifteen seconds, so I went for the easiest option if "Goodness, I'm trying to think. What is it?"

Yes I did.

[Series2]

@PoorMansPaulaRadcliffe That made me laugh so much!

I was going to ask what you replied when asked what it was? But i can see you pretended not to know. Wise move!

Did you use the whole bottle?

[MythsandSparkles]

I think if she was someone you saw regularly it would be a bit weird - with the thousands of fragrances out there why would you wear one that someone else you know wears all the time.

But given you only see her once a year then I don’t think it’s an issue.

Like it or not scent though is massively evocative - I’m not sure I would want to wear something that everyone else would associate with my sister in law...I’d rather find something else.

[AryaStarkWolf]

Just tell her a friend of yours gave it you as a present so she doesn't think you're a stalkerish

[Daisy62]

Every day's a school day on MN - I had absolutely no idea that anyone would care if a relative or friend wore the same perfume as them. To me it seems weird to feel so strongly over a mass market consumer product.

[ViciousJackdaw]

What a pile of crap!

What the hell is a 'signature scent' anyway? Is is simply one you like a lot and wear all the time?

It doesn't make you youneeek, it just makes you smell nice. You aren't the only person in the world using that scent, hundreds of thousands are. So what? Uniqueness comes from being yourself, not slavishly following what the media dictates.

I looked at that Ffern website the other day, after seeing a thread here. That's a pile of crap too. Their fragrances may well smell great but the way they are marketed plays heavily on all this exclusivity bullshit that some women subscribe to. Even more daft is that if a space suddenly appears on their register for their current fragrance, it means that someone else has returned theirs!

[Spied]

I find it difficult to distinguish between Aromatics and EL Youthdew.
Love them.