I need a nice work perfume!

[sodoffbeforemycupofcoff]

Something cheapiish, strong smelling and lovely! I love either a very strong deep smelling scent or a not too sweet scent please can you advise? Thank!

Please be considerate. I get a visceral reaction when I think of a year long course 30 year ago with an otherwise lovely colleague who wore Poison. When I even pass the university or think of the area I remember the year long headache.

I've worked in places where there were over 2500 people in the building at any one time and I have never, ever known so many people intolerant of perfume. How can you be allergic to 'every perfume' when there are so many different bases and ingredients? Anyone whose allergies were that strong and wide-ranging wouldn't be able to function in today's world, never mind go to work and complain about other people's perfume.

Anyway, Cerutti 1881 is good imo. It's elegant and woody but probably subtle enough to please those of a delicate affectation.

If you're wearing clean clothes, decent deodorant, and washing properly regularly you shouldn't really smell much of BO

Zara ‘fashionably London’ is lovely and not too pricey

I once triggered a workmate's asthma because I'd tried on perfumes in Space NK in my lunch hour. Since then I'm very much a 'no perfume at work' person.

If BO is an issue, OP, maybe try a different deodorant.

The problem with wearing scents, including perfume and fabric softener, is that they usually smell a lot stronger to those around you than they do to the wearer. Call it 'nose blindness' if you like. For a light, unobtrusive daytime scent I like Cerruti 1881. It's lovely and fresh with a pleasant, light jasmine aroma.

This! Strong perfumes at work will very likely annoy some or many of your colleagues.
Subtle is always preferable.

Someone once recommended Calvin Klein Euphoria on a thread about every day perfumes, and I'm amazed by it. Was £30 for 100ml, it's a lovely gentle floral with a slightly oriental background and it lasts all day. And very inoffensive in terms of strength. The times I've been told "oh you smell nice" is when I've had this on.

Has anyone claimed to be allergic to all perfumes? I have migraines triggered by many strong perfumes. Which is what OP asked about.

Woah didn’t realise there was so many anti perfume people around. There’s a difference to over spraying strong perfume all through the day in a small office and spraying a little light one as you get ready or at lunch time in the toilet.

I spray m&s/next when i get ready in a morning they don’t last for ages or aren’t really overly strong but they smell nice and are cheap enough.

I’ve been wearing different perfumes since i was a teen, not loads and not constantly reapplying but no ones ever told me i smell too strong or they are allergic to my perfume.

I guess we are all just so different aren’t we! Cerutti 1881 makes me want to gag 🤣

It's a difficult thing to bring up with people, even those you know well. The first time I ever asked a colleague not to spray perfume in the office is burned into my memory because it took a lot of courage. I was very young then though, and these things get easier.

Yes, I've never plucked up the courage to tell someone their fragrance is making me feel sick. I did have to move seats in the cinema recently because of it but luckily there were plenty of spaces. She did give me a bit of a funny look, but probably didn't get the hint.

Well indeed. I always wear perfume to work but it's one or two sprays in the morning when I am getting ready. I don't over spray or reapply it during the day. I think the vast majority of people wear a bit of perfume or aftershave every day.

Incidentally I work in HR and ran this past my colleagues out of interest..... none of us have never been asked to speak to any member of staff about their perfume bothering others. We have however had to speak to a couple of employees about personal hygiene. I think these strong reactions are something you hear about on MN rather in real life.

I think most people would deal with it themselves (or not deal with it and suffer in silence) or ask their manager for advice before going to HR? But this may vary between workplaces.

I work in HR and I would refuse to speak to someone about their perfume. That’s the job of a line manager. I do think we’re losing sight of the OP’s original criteria, however, which was a strong and cheap perfume, and many of us wouldn’t be happy if faced with that combination in the workplace.

For people asking how is this possible, it’s crazy and difficult. People like me with this kind of allergy become virtual shut-ins. I take biologic injections and massive doses of antihistamines every day. I regularly have to take additional antihistamines, steroids, use steroid creams, or reach for my inhaler. I also carry epipens. Thankfully most of the time I can remove myself from a situation before it becomes life threatening, but cinnamates in particular will start my lips and tongue swelling within a minute of airborne exposure.

i wfh almost exclusively. I never use public transportation. I get almost everything delivered to my home.

even going to the doctor is extremely difficult. I have to make sure all the staff are complying with the fragrance free rules. If i am having a procedure, I have to insist on checking everything they use. They mess up all the time.

sometimes I wait in my car and the receptionist will call me when they are ready to take me into a room so I don’t have to sit in a waiting room with other patients.

Clarins Perfumes are a good bet imo, not too strong

When someone shows up with the paperwork from their doctor documenting a disability, I would hope HR would do their job.

So you have BO and want to cover it with a strong perfume, that's what you said? You are better off having a wash with proper soap rather than trying to cover it up.