Ladies who smell good: how do you do it?

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About 5% of people smell amazing! And they know they do! If this is you, how do you do it?

Penhaligons fragrances - one of the worst offenders. Never sniffed one which isn’t overwhelming and in your face no matter how judiciously it’s applied.

Even the smell walking past the shop is gross.

https://vilhelmparfumerie.com/
But not everyday, most days nothing.

I prefer a little of something 'amazing' occasionally.
I have Dear Polly, Purple Fig and Darling Nikki

DH and I share, we only ever buy fragrance that we can both wear.

Exfoliate with a soap , then a shower gel , then I apply palmers cocoa lotion , then a body oil . Roll on deodorant , and a spray ( currently the gem macadamia and vanilla , also the hair and body spray in the same scent ) and then a body spritz . All in the same kind of scent - so a vanilla / cocoa butter scent. For my lady parts I only even use a sensitive soap and lots of hot water - not shower gels or scented soaps . I always get comments on how nice I smell.

Perfume wise , I always feel like I have to smell it otherwise it hasn’t worked - which is not the case - and I get through it far too quick ! So I don’t tend to wear it day to day , just when I get dressed up . I get more complements when I don’t and I just do the routine above and I can smell lovely scents on my clothes even when I take them off at the end of the day !

I strongly dislike vanilla. For me it’s a culinary essence. Too simplistic for a perfume. My tip is layer and buy expensive with top ingredients. I’m fond of Acqua di Parma and some are unisex. Get them via the discounters and you get a bargain. You have to work out what lasts on you and will “waft”. Eau de parfum and classy ingredients. No dupes and go for established perfume houses.

I have been told a few times that I smell lovely, which is a wonderful compliment. I was told many many years ago that everyone should have a 'signature scent'. That way, if your loved ones smell that scent elsewhere, they will automatically think of you.

I stuck with this, and I always use Clinique Happy, the orange bottle. I have used it for so many years (about 30) that I can no longer smell it at all!! But I have had a few people compliment me on it. It is now my scent.

Occasionally my partner will buy me something different to use, and I do, but the next day I am back to Clinique.

There are two scents that attract compliments for me, both by Frederic Malle. They’re Portrait of a Lady and Lipstick Rose. My bloke keeps me supplied fortunately because I definitely couldn’t afford them!

The smell I loathe and detest is fabric conditioner. Nasty, nasty stuff.

I don’t know if it described as a good perfume or not but this happened for my daughter the other day where 3 people complimented her smell, she was using Parfum de Marly Valaya.

I spray Jo Malone onto my hair before I leave the house

Cypress Grapevine and Pomegranate Noir get the most compliments

I'd like to think I smell nice. I smell nice to myself, anyway.

Clean hair, regular baths as well as showers, regular pedicures. Clothes as natural fibres as possible, as much line-dried outside as possible, and no scent boosters or fabric conditioner at all. I am lucky not to be prone to sweating, though I do use mitchum unscented anti-perspirant.

I don't wear a lot of perfume but when I do it's usually either Balenciaga Florabotanica, or Penhaligons Luna - they both have rose in them, but otherwise they're quite fresh, green scents that aren't heavy. I like l'Eau d'Issey as well and other Asian scents.

Smelling good also means knowing how much is too much - it's really unpleasant when you can actually taste someone else's perfume or aftershave/ cologne on your tongue even though you're a couple of meters away in a meeting, shop or restaurant, they're wearing enough to make others sneeze, or you can smell that a certain individual has been in a room before you at work even though they've moved on when you walk in (men are actually more often the culprits, marking their territory like foxes, but some women go overboard too, I can only guess it's due to having a less sensitive than average sense of smell, but maybe a close friend could be consulted for a sense check).

It's more how much (subtlety) than what.

I have 2 wonderful female friends that I rarely see - they both live overseas.
I have bought the perfume they both wear and have worn for years... so some days I will smell like Claire (Prada d Milano) and sometimes like Aunt Maud (Chanel no, 5) so it's less about smelling amazing to other people and more like sensory connection to people I love.

I very rarely smell ‘lovely’ scents and agree with everyone else - the worst smells are unwashed hair, badly dried clothes and those honking laundry products and fabric conditioner.

I get often compliments from wearing Miss Dior (essence) and Prada Paradox.

Favourite every day perfume is Chanel Gabrielle. Evening out/special occasion is La Vie est Belle but sprayed cautiously as it can be a bit overpowering.

I shower and wash my hair every day. I use Sanctuary Spa body wash then use the wet skin moisturiser on my arms. Once I’m dressed (clean clothes top to bottom every day) I spray myself with Lady Million EDT

I know this sounds basic, but get your clothes properly clean. Washing on low temperatures, with non-bio, using fabric softener and tumble drying really can lock sweat smells into some fabrics. Bio washing powder containing lipase enzymes will break down sweat in the fabric, and drying outside means UV light breaking down stains. Artificial fibres hold onto odours more than natural ones as well. No amount of Febreze can cover up the smell of clothes that just haven't been washed effectively.

Agreed with this: lots of cotton, linen, denim, very little polyester. Wash frequently, including hair. Quick spray of decent perfume (I love Burberry Goddess at present).

Also agree with this, do not wash low temp and add scent boosters! Wash at higher temp, properly with a decent powder and dry immediately. My 'luxury' in life is my tumble-drier, can't abide clothing hanging around and it does often 'turn' and smell in the rainy damp county I live in.

Acqua Di Parma oud perfume apparently I smell ‘like Dubai’

Me too. Vanilla smells actually make me feel sick, or cause a migraine. I'm super sensitive to them. The worst for me are the Alien and Angel ones.

What I do like (and is my signature scent) is Chloe - both the original, and the intense roses one. They're not the cheapest, but I do love them so much. People comment on it when they hug me, and folks equate it with me. I spray a little in my hair too. I have quite long, and difficult, hair, so I only wash it 2-3 times per week.

Essence Vault!
I’ve just got back from a Yoga retreat and had so many compliments about my “Jo Malone” perfume!

You don’t have to spend loads. Zara does great scents, H&M, &other stories, there’s plenty of cheaper ones about that smell a lot more expensive than they are
&other stories blank pages is one of them

The last compliment I got was in a florist shop of all places. I was wearing M&S apothecary range in “Relax”. It’s lovely but not particularly long lasting, so I was surprised someone noticed it.

I think you need the expensive perfumes. With cheaper ones the scent just doesnt seem to last very long.
Although you can def have too much of a good thing. Really strong aftershave and perfume is just off putting IMO.

I had to stop attending a creative writing class because one of the ladies wore such strong perfume it made me feel sick. What smells lovely to someone might be unbearable to other. Personally I feel that wearing perfume is selfish but I know I am in the minority probably.

I agree with this, but it probably does depend whether people bath in it/ spray it around after leaving the house, or use it sparingly.

I definitely find that applying it in public spaces including workplace toilets is properly antisocial and unaware, and people who do that tend to seriously overdo it to the point it's giving others headaches, triggering allergies and asthma, making people sneeze and achieving the feral territory scenting thing of leaving a smell behind after leaving the room so you can smell they were there.

Less is definitely more - if I can taste your (generic, I'm actually thinking of a pavement cafe yesterday, yes outdoors, and a male work colleague) perfume or cologne even though you're several meter away, you don't smell good, it's far too much!