Following great tradition started by two wonderful bloggers, Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) and Portia (Australian Perfume Junkies), once a week I or one of the guest writers will keep the lights on in this virtual leaving room, but I hope that you, my friends and readers, will engage in conversation not only with me or the other host, but also with each other.
Saturday Question #22:
What Perfumes Do You Wear When You Are Sick?
Probably the question should have been: Do you wear perfumes when you’re sick? We’re not talking about serious or life threatening diseases. But let’s say you have a brief sickness (cold, flu, stomach bug, etc.) or some chronic condition with which you got used to live flares up – do you keep wearing perfumes? If no, why? If yes, are there any special perfumes or type of perfumes that you wear?
Bonus question: Do you test new perfumes while being sick?
My Answer
When I get sick, I usually do not wear perfumes that I love because I’m afraid I’ll be associating them with feeling poorly. But unless I feel really-really bad, I still want to wear perfume because with all the bottles and decants in my collection it feels like a wasted opportunity. So, every time when I need to make that choice, I’m thinking very carefully trying to choose something I like but wouldn’t miss dearly should I have a change of heart because of the malaise. For the same reason, I try not to test anything new, though I might re-test something I tried before.
I didn’t sleep well last night, and this morning, while still not feeling well, I tried to choose what to wear for the NST’s community project (“wear a perfume by Zoologist, Xerjoff, Worth Paris or Yosh if you have one”). Initially I planned to wear my Vacation in a bottle – Yosh Ginger Ciao, but at the last moment I backed out for the fear of spoiling it for me. I have to admit that it has never happened to me yet with those “substitution” favorites but still I decided not to risk it.
Perfume I ended up wearing was Xerjoff Irisss. Many years ago when it was “talk of the town” I bought a small decant. It was almost empty, so I figured out that since I had to finish it at some point, it was as good day as any other. Besides, to stop liking perfume I do not own that goes for $9 per ml… I could think of a worse outcome.
The result? I’m feeling better now, my decant is empty, and I still like Irisss. I’m glad I have many other great iris perfumes, so I won’t be tempted to replenish this perfume in my collection.
What Perfumes Do You Wear When You Are Sick?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I don’t want to wear anything when I’m sick. It just doesn’t appeal and I imagine the olfactory and taste senses are not working their best any way. It is like my body wants to concentrate everything on getting well. Even last summer when I broke my ankle and was off my feet for a very long spell, I lost interest in perfume during this time. And this was unexpected, as it had nothing to do with cold, stomach, or anything that could make smell “not right”.
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I’m surprised that an ankle injury affected your interest in perfumes: I would expend an immobility to free up some time for using or testing perfumes. But clearly your body knew better. I’m glad that it was a phase, and you’re back to perfumes now.
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I wouldn’t wear anything unless it was a cold that I could still go into work with. Then it would be something fairly light and uplifting. Maybe citrus or green. Maybe even No.19 edt.
Irisss is a beauty.
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It’s interesting: I think of both citrus and green perfumes as “cold,” and when I’m not well, I want rather something “warm” – vanilla, light amber, maybe “diet” gourmand (not too sweet).
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I guess when I’m ill I want something inobtrusive whereas maybe you want something comforting. It is interesting.
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Glad you’re feeling better, Undina. I do wear perfumes when I’m not feeling 100%, but they would be generally be the ones with which I’m familiar and more on the citrus-y side. I would wear new ones too, but wouldn’t make a final judgement until I’m feeling better.
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Thank you, Richard.
I’m usually quick with the judgement on new perfumes, that’s why I try not to “meet” any new perfumes for the first time when I’m not feeling well.
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I reduce perfume usage when I don’t feel well, I’m just not as interested or attentive to fragrance. However, I do use essential oils in a diffuser when I don’t feel well, often some blend that includes tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary, and other aromatics. I’ve also found that Aveda’s Shampure composition oil is very nice when feeling under the weather.
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I looked up that Shampure composition, but it doesn’t explain how it smells. Is it herbal? Or vanillic? Or…?
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I think it’s best described as gently herbal. It’s a very soft, spa-type smel. In fact, apparently it’s the scent that many Aveda spas use, that you smell when you walk in; the Aveda outlet near me, where I got it, is one of their training schools. There are no “aggressive” or “loud” notes, if that makes sense. They call it aromatic, but it’s “aromatic” the way lavender is, to my nose: soft and semi-floral, not strongly green. I don’t smell vanilla.
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Hey Undina, it totally depends for me on the illness. Anything with an accompanying headache and I’m probably not going to wear fragrance. Especially true for sinus problems, the headache is so bad sometimes that tears launch out of my eyes like a cartoon character. Fortunately it’s very rarely that bad.
All other illnesses then I’ll drench myself in scent to feel better about the world and my place in it. Usually something warm, sweet and calming like an amber or vanilla heavy one. Shalimar has often been my go-to for days of malaise.
Portia xx
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We’re similar in the choice of the perfume type: I also tend to go rather with wrapping/caressing than uplifting scents when I’m not well. And yes, a headache doesn’t mix well with perfumes.
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Sorry to hear you didn’t sleep well-that’s never any fun. I wouldn’t wear perfume if I was feeling under the weather-I’d be concerned that the association of feeling bad would attach itself to the fragrance. Sometimes I get headaches and then lights are too bright, and scents are too stimulating. I like to take a shower and use salon de marseilles, and then rest until I can face things again. It’s so hot and sunny here-I feel a beach day, complete with trashy novels, coming on :) I hope everyone’s weekend is pleasant.
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Thank you, Carole. I feel better today.
What is “salon de marseilles”? Tried to look it up online but haven’t found anything fitting the topic.
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oh-Savon de Marseilles-just olive oil soap. It can be unfragranced, and that smells delicious-like olive oil soap lol. Or It can come in different scent-orange blossom, lavender, linden, verveine. I buy it at Winners/Marshalls/ Maxx, and it’s not expensive at all.
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I don’t wear my perfumes but I do turn to scented body butters and lotions; I’m not often sick but it’s usually something that wipes me out so I sleep for hours and hours which makes proper hydration difficult. The lotions feel good and provide some lovely scent without creating weird associations with my actual perfumes.
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I think that a body lotion might bother me you even more than perfume.
A couple of times when I got bad cold/flu, I also slept for most of the time. My “regular” issues (back or shoulder pain) are of a kind that make sleeping hard but leaves more than enough time to use perfumes – those that I’m not afraid to “ruin” by that, I mean :)
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It’s complicated. If it’s stomach-related or a headache, I don’t wear anything at all, it seems to make things worse.
For colds, I generally wear greens like Chanel No. 19 or citrus-focused like Patou’s Eau de Patou, nothing too heavy. I find light scents work better.
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My answer is very similar to yours. For colds, I also like to be reassured that I still have my sense of smell.
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I agree: with some conditions any scents, not just perfumes, seem to make things worse. Though, strangely, when I have a headache and use Tiger balm on my temples, the scent doesn’t bother me.
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Well, I have just been sick – a two day migraine, but this would apply to any kind of sick, really – and the answer is always no. I am always way too out of it to care. Keeping a glass of water by me or re-wetting a cold flannel takes every ounce of energy.
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I wouldn’t combine perfumes and migraines also. But what about something that doesn’t affect the sense of smell and isn’t affected by it? Like sprained pelvis? Or do you consider that type of ailment “living as usual,” so to speak? ;)
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I wear comforting simple scents with lots of vanilla when I am not well. My fave “I feel awful” perfumes are YSL Black Opium (I know a lot of folks hate this one, but I find it very comforting post-surgery when I’m in pain) and Kenzo Amour EDP.
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It looks like you were having issues publishing your answer – so, it ended up being two attempts, and I’m grateful for your perseverance :). These days, not trusting computers and sites, I usually copy my answers to clipboard before pressing Publish because I hate having to type again :)
I’m not sure I’ve tried your comfort perfumes, so no love or hate from me, but I’m glad you found something that helps you.
BTW, do you wear those perfumes for other occasions?
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My apologies for the double post. I’ll try your idea next time. I normally don’t wear the 2 ‘comfort’ perfumes at other times. But I drowned myself in them a couple of years ago after breaking my leg and having to have surgery. :-))
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I wear vanilla centric scents when I’ve had surgery and am in pain. Unfortunately I’ve had lots of surgeries so I keep a supply of YSL Black Opium and Kenzo Amour EDP around for the “I’m in pain and I feel awful days.” These 2 are comforting to me when I feel terrible.
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I don’t recall being sick enough to not wear perfumes. If I can’t sleep, I have the universal panacea of lavender although that could just be an old wives’ tale.
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Lavender helps! And since insomnia in many cases is psychosomatic, it’s not even a placebo effect ;)
I’m glad your health is such that perfumes don’t interfere with your wellbeing – keep it this way! (But if you ever get a migraine or nausea, please be careful with your regular application technique ;) ).
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I haven’t been sick for a long time and the last illness was all head cold so wore nothing. I do recall once years ago wearing Bal A Versailles when I had a huge cold and spraying on more and more and more so I could smell it.. after I recovered my sweater was POTENT. If I had to go out while sick (which in these times is no longer an option) I would wear something presentable that I didn’t much care about.
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