Two work-related questions. My first professional job so I'd really appreciate some help please :)

[CharminglyOdd]

I have worked in other roles but this is my first office-based, non-uniform professional position. Two unrelated questions that I am unsure how to resolve are:

1. I use a Body Shop coconut body butter on my legs as it is nice but also helps my tights go on well. I can smell it myself and am never sure how much other people can smell of me. We are in meeting rooms for most of this week and next and this morning when one of my colleagues came in she said "Oh it smells lovely, like vanilla, in here." Other person was a (senior) bloke so it was clearly me, I smiled and mumbled a thank you. I don't think she was making a pointed remark as she is friendly but I wondered whether I'd breached some kind of rule? When I worked in a restaurant we weren't allowed perfume etc. and I understand that. What's the rule in offices please? I will add it was a smallish room and she walked directly past me but both of them were sitting a good distance away (proportionately) so I think it was just the intensity as she walked in.

2. My hair is fairly thin and very fine. It is horrible and very static-y if I wash it every day but if I don't wash it every day then it begins to look vile mid-afternoon and very clearly unwashed. On shift/part-time work I can work around it but, because the office is fairly smart and I am new, I am washing and blow-drying it every day. Is there a product I can use that will protect it a little please? I hate washing it so often but it genuinely does look bad if I don't - my hair colour shows grease up very quickly. Any help with this one really appreciated please as I then have to tie my hair up all the time, which defeats the purpose of having it long. :)

*begins to look vile mid-afternoon on the second day

#1 - There's usually no rule - many offices don't even have a written-down dress code, but as long as it's not overpowering or unpleasant I don't think you need to worry.

#2 - No idea, sorry

Nobody minds if a colleague smells nice.
Tie your hair up. Noone is looking at your hair.

Good luck.

I did come across as a princess on the tying it up thing, didn't I. Having had short hair my whole childhood I find it nice to be able to do something different with it when I'm an adult, but I take your point that people are probably not going to be close enough to notice whether I've washed it or not.

Thanks both of you for the reassurance on the smelly front.

Nice smells all good as long as not overpowering

I have greasy hair too which I have to watch like a hawk. is it your whole hair that gets greasy? In my case my fringe is far worse than the rest so I frequently shampoo just the fringe and only wash the whole lot every second day. Alternatively have you tried dry shampoo?

#1 I think you are ok - as long as its a nice natural smell rather than you are drenching yourself in an overpowering perfume

#2 I am changing my opinion on this - I have always had long hair that was always down and I've been paying more attention to people that I think look smart and professional at work, and the offices I work in I think they look smarter when their hair is up. I am trying to replicate this, and my hair condition is getting better because I am washing it less often and I feel like I have a real difference between the office 'me' and the home 'me' with loose hair. I am playing with different 'up' styles like loose buns at nape of neck, neat ponytails, and twists.

On day 2 with unwashed hair take a dry shampoo in to work and spritz it at lunchtime. I have the exact same problem and this works for me.

Thanks for your input on the hair front. I wore it down, with a slide, as for me it's unusual and I do get a bit of the women who have immaculate long hair. I will tie it up and see if it looks better, maybe do some experimenting. I certainly wear it up on site visits as, with the wind, I just look like a numpty.

StatisticallyChallenged It gets greasy underneath at the sides, so will clump together. I mitigate this by tying it back but then over the course of the (second) day the sides become obviously greasy. The ends are fine and dry.

I have never used dry shampoo - what is it please and is it expensive? I will try just adding shampoo to the underneath bits and not rubbing it on the rest of my hair.

1. I'm going to disagree with others. I think if you can smell your own scent, and its strong enough for someone to smell when they walk into the room you're in, it's too strong for work. Doesn't sound like its unpleasant, but still.

1. I don't know any products sorry!

Ah, thanks tryingtobenice Is there a brand you recommend?

Do you tend to fiddle with it, maybe running your hands through it underneath? I think that's why the front of my hair/fringe tends to be problematic - because I fiddle with it, constantly smooth it back down etc. I know exactly what you mean by the clumping together look as mine does that too.

Bizarrely I found a bit of hairspray helps - probably because it reduces the amount I fiddle with it.

Dry shampoo - various types you can pick up at boots - most are a spray/powder which you put on then brush it out - reduces the greasyness.

I have a lot of hair though, so washing (and drying!) takes absolutely ages!

Thank you. I don't tend to fiddle when it is held back but I do have wisps that I am constantly tucking behind my ears and they are the first to go greasy. Because my hair has so little volume if I clip them back to stop me touching them I look awful.

I will have a look in Boots and see what I can get :)

Batiste works well, especially the colour specific ones. Or Toni and guy are ok.

Professional job - look at a woman you admire towards the top of the hierarchy and follow her lead on dress and hair. Sadly for both sexes looking the part can be half the battle. Good luck.

Dry shampoo is the dogs bollocks. I have a can of it in my desk drawer for greasy fringe emergencies. It really helps give fine, staticy hair loads of body but you need to practice with it as if you spray too much and don't brush it out enough, you can look like you've gone prematurely grey or are impersonating a Tudor courtier!

Spray on roots, give it a good rub through and if necessary,brush out with a bristle brush.

Batiste is still FAR better than any of the salon brands and it costs about 3 quid in Boots.

Could you wear a hairband?

I'm with Flowery; if someone can smell you when they are walking in, the smell is way too powerful. No-one should be able to smell you unless they are close enough to be invading your personal space

Batiste is great, actually gives a bit of root lift to fine hair as a bonus.

Some people are super-smellers who sniff every room when entering it, if they can smell you then it's not a big deal. If everyone can smell you it might be.

Dry shampoo is what you need but be sure to rub it in well, like you are literally dry shampooing your hair.

It is cheap and everywhere.

Thank you! There are quite a few senior women - my manager is pretty impressive for starters, so I will watch and see what she does (not senior, senior but from the way everyone speaks about her she's definitely going to be). Hairband is too informal and it would also make me look quite young - I get IDed for buying lottery tickets so I do need to make sure I look my age (mid-twenties)

I will leave off the coconut stuff until I am out of meeting rooms and in the open-plan environment. I think it was being in an unventilated meeting room that made the smell build up and she did have to get close to me to get into the room. I am actually a super-smeller and very sensitive to smell but I don't mind smelling other people's (nice) scents, which is also why I wanted to check what the consensus was.

And I will buy a bottle of Batiste this evening and practice like mad over the weekend. Thank you all very much :)