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Need a new perfume - fast.

(223 Posts)
kittylester Thu 13-Aug-20 18:41:03

We have Dgs4 (8) and dgd (7) here. Dgd was upset about his parent's divorcing 4 years ago. He loves his stepfather but sometimes has these wobbles.

I was hugging him and he suddenly said that I smell like an old lady.

I'm hoping it was perfume and nothing else!!

My current perfume is Aromatics by Clinique - suggestions please.

Chewbacca Fri 14-Aug-20 00:21:39

Classique MissA? Lovely! Not had that for a little while but it's a favourite.

MissAdventure Fri 14-Aug-20 00:24:28

Yes, that's the one.
It's a real confidence booster.
I feel like striding around singing "Cos I'm a woman! W.O.M.A.N.. I'll say it again"

Chewbacca Fri 14-Aug-20 00:31:18

grin not arguing with you MissA; you're whatever you say you are! grin

kittylester Fri 14-Aug-20 08:08:07

Well, I stopped using Diorissimo years ago as I did Coco so they are certainly old perfumes.

I used to be able to wear lighter perfumes but now I need something heavier now or it doesn't last.

Lolo, I lusted after Rive Gauche for ages. Dh bought me some and it smelt dreadful on me. Oh the disappointment.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 14-Aug-20 08:53:50

I love the smell of Chanel No 5 on people unfortunately it smells like cats pee on me.

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt always gets people asking what perfume I am wearing (in a nice way)

English Oak & Redcurrant
Lime Basil and Mandarin
Basil & Neroli
Earl Grey & Cucumber

These are the only fragrances I wear, they each evoke special times / places / memories.

Greeneyedgirl Fri 14-Aug-20 09:15:27

Scribbles I love Cabochard but haven’t seen it for ages. It’s very old as my first serious boyfriend gave me some when I was 17! I also like Diorella, which is tricky to get now. Failing that it’s Coco by Chanel.
I think as your skin ages, perfume doesn’t last as long (lack of oil), and I think they change the formula occasionally. It does need keeping in a cool dark place once opened to preserve the smell.

BlueSky Fri 14-Aug-20 09:19:35

I thought old ladies smelled of lavender or eau de cologne! I think the fresh green perfumes are the best. Flowery ones tend to be too sweet and the classics like Chanel, are those that some people perceive as'old lady's'!

Aepgirl Fri 14-Aug-20 09:54:05

Who has told him about old lady’s having a smell?

I’m offended!

MissAdventure Fri 14-Aug-20 09:54:10

I think this thread shows that old ladies' taste in smells is just as varied as any other people. smile

polnan Fri 14-Aug-20 09:55:10

just what I was thinking BlueSky!
why should it not be a compliment?

ah chanel no. 5 .... not had any for ages,
I like this thread.

GrammarGrandma Fri 14-Aug-20 09:55:58

Old lady smells have changed. Once it was lavender. I use nothing but Chanel no. 5 but perhaps that will be labelled old ladyfied now.

grandmaz Fri 14-Aug-20 10:03:17

What a fascinating thread - I have used Hermes 24 Faubourg for years and my DGC always recognise it immediately. Haven't had any old lady smell remarks (yet!). When I used to volunteer on a Friday afternoon our volunteer co-ordinator used to say that she knew I was there as she could smell me (she was being complimentary as she loved the fragrance!)

I sometimes buy some Gucci Flora for a change but always go back to my 24 Faubourg - probably because I've never met anyone else who uses it and I do love the EDT - the EDP can be a bit too heavy - don't want to smell like 'a tarts boudoir' as someone once remarked about a lady who was wearing something very strong!

Love wearing fragrance and feel really 'undressed' without any on - probably more so than make up.

Canklekitten Fri 14-Aug-20 10:04:25

Perhaps he wasn't referring to your perfume!!! When I was a child I remember a neighbour who was in her 80's and she always smelt of a muxture of baked beans and wee!! Not nice!

Cid24 Fri 14-Aug-20 10:04:30

What on earth is old lady smell? Musty?
Ive always worn Amarige , since my 20’s, it’s my signature scent. Is that old lady ish?
And if it is , I actually don’t care!

janemaca Fri 14-Aug-20 10:05:38

Treat yourself to a fragrance from the cool brand Byredo. No old lady scents amongst them. I wear Velvet Haze but Gypsy Water is their best seller. Order some samples and get squirting. Old lady begone!! grin

notnecessarilywiser Fri 14-Aug-20 10:07:06

As I opened the post I intended relating my experience with Aromatics - about 15 years ago I was wearing it for the first time in the office, and a colleague only a year or two younger than me recognised it. She then told me it was her mother's favourite, so the "old lady" association is obviously widespread!

Like @J52 , my summer favourite is Clarins Eau des Jardins, changing to Ralph Lauren Romance in the colder months.

jaylucy Fri 14-Aug-20 10:07:45

Aromatics is too heavy for me to wear in the summer. Why not try something else by Clinique?
I had a thing about Happy at one time , now that comes in many variations.
There are several websites that you can buy sample bottles quite cheaply so might be a good idea for you (just Google Perfume samples!)

ctussaud Fri 14-Aug-20 10:10:32

Scent is a big treat, not only for she who wears it, but for they who smell it. Several posters have mentioned that their scent “fades” after a few hours; it is more likely that your nose and brain combined block that scent out as they “know what it is”. Be cautious about putting more on as you may now have an eye-watering amount of scent on which you can’t smell!

If you’re using an atomiser, a lovely way to apply scent is to spray a question-mark into the air in front of you, and then walk through it. There’ll be more scent in the air at the top of the question-mark for your head and hair, and then the tail takes care of your clothes.

Cp43 Fri 14-Aug-20 10:10:32

I sometimes use that perfume which was a present, it’s fabulous and no one has ever said that, it’s usually compliments. Maybe he has something wrong with sense of smell, unless your clothes have been in mothballs!!

Coco51 Fri 14-Aug-20 10:20:32

This is interesting. My DGD once said ‘you smell of old’. I’m not sure if this was directed to OH or myself as we were having a morning cup of tea in bed. He does get very sweaty but it made me wonder if bodies exude certain smells when they are old.

ExD Fri 14-Aug-20 10:23:04

I don't think you need a new perfume.?
A friend told me she avoided visiting an elderly aunt because her house has the 'Old People' smell.
I said What smell? and she replied hadn't I noticed that old people have a distinctive smell?
I haven't noticed, but apparently many others have this notion that there IS an Old Lady Smell, but no one can tell me what it smells like though apparently its unpleasant.

Now I'm getting paranoid in case I (or my house) smells and I don't think perfume is going to help.

ExD Fri 14-Aug-20 10:26:46

So I Googled it and frightened myself silly www.healthline.com/health/older-people-smell-different

CraftyGranny Fri 14-Aug-20 10:27:46

Kitty, I use Tena lady!!

kwest Fri 14-Aug-20 10:31:27

I had major surgery in my forties for suspected ovarian cancer. Luckily the very large growth was fibrous and not cancerous so I was very fortunate. The surgery brought on an instant menopause and I really did smell old. I recognised it during the recovery period about four weeks after the surgery. I remember saying to friends on the phone "I even smell old now", I hated it and suddenly anything musky in the perfume line smelled awful, I wear light perfumes now, citrussy, cool blue types or light flower scents.
Any man-made fibres seemed to take on the old smell so I didn't wear them for ages. Daily showering, jut normal hygiene measures seems to sort it out now but it did make me feel old at the time. I guess it takes nature time to adjust to trauma in the body.

Taliya Fri 14-Aug-20 10:32:20

Gucci...or Eternity range from Calvin Klein.