One would think that working a “short week” after a three-day weekend makes it easier. But somehow, days after holidays and vacations tend to be so busy with additional tasks that would have been completed in that extra day, that by the end of the “easy” week I wholeheartedly welcome a weekend. This after-Labor-Day week was one of those.
Saturday Question #230:
Do You Differentiate Weekday and Weekend Perfumes?
Do you reserve certain perfumes for weekends, or does your mood dictate what you wear regardless of the day?
My Answer
In pre-pandemic times, when I worked mostly from the office, I used to classify some of my perfumes as office-friendly and wore them for that purpose. Additionally, I had “special occasion” perfumes that I wore predominantly for said occasions. The rest of my collection consisted of perfumes that I thought weren’t suitable for work but at the same time weren’t “special” enough. Those I wore “after hours,” on weekends and while traveling.
These days, working from home, I still lean toward “SFW” scents during the day (if I remember to put anything on at all) – probably out of habit, which was further reinforced by my concerns that strong perfumes could bother Rusty when he wasn’t feeling well or wanted to spend time on my lap. So, on weekends, especially if we leave the house, I try to “air,” so to speak, all my bolder favorites. Tomorrow, I’ll probably go with Encens Mythique d’Orient.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
The answer now is no. I’m retired! Woop Woop! Everyday is a weekend 😁
When I worked it depended what my role was going to entail that day. Big shared office? Nothing too shouty, Cristalle, No5, Pleasures. In my own office? Whatever I fancied. Clinical with patients, probably nothing or JLo Glow.
Meetings? No19, Mitsouko or No22. Duty Matron out of hours, Putain de Palaces, Lyric Woman or anything “in charge”.
Weekends were going out with the girls, football mum, takeaway curry then shopping & cooking. Lovely, JPG2, Ambre Sultan, Daim Blond, Arabie, Ambre Ylang Ylang.
I’m a classic woman at heart so heavy rotation scents were Chanel, Guerlain, Dior.
Dune!!! How can I forget Dune??? In heavy rotation since its release. Suitable anytime & anywhere
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We’re retired too, so days just seem to merge. In one of those funny coincidences, just before I opened this email my husband said, “It’s Sunday, isn’t it?” I replied that no, it is Saturday. So the only time weekends would have a big effect on my perfume choice are the rare times we’re going out and doing something fancy. Otherwise, I’m more influenced by the weather than anything else.
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Nice line-up subdivided by circumstances! It feels like you put some thinking into it.
I wonder whether I will be wearing more perfumes once I retire (not any time soon): these days I want to wear perfumes but can’t organize my choosing flow so that I have enough time to apply something I want to wear that day in the morning before the work marathon starts – because later I just forget to do it.
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I used to take my chosen bottle to work in my bag & apply when I parked up or used to decant them into smaller volumes to carry with me.
I used to have something pretty but inoffensive in my desk drawer in case I forgot to apply or to pack something
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I really had to think Undina, the answers are yes and no and maybe and um….. definitely maybe.
There are a few scents that I wear mainly for drag work but then they might get a gong at another time too. I do have some very safe perfumes that get worn for close contact like eating, theatre or planes, but not exclusively. I have some huge, stinking great confrontational beauties that mainly get worn on my own home time OR out shopping.
So no, but yes, but no…
Portia xx
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Portia-is that the famous yeah nah Australian saying? :) We do that too.
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Hiya Carole,
HA! Not really. Yeah naah is saying yes I understand you but no thanks.
Mine is all the t=yesses and all the nos.
Portia xx
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I loved your answer! It made me smile.
BTW, what are your “work days”? As I read your explanation for different perfumes designations, I realized that for people who work in entertainment work days might coincide with “our” weekends, and what we consider “week days” might be your “weekend.”
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YAY! Making you smile is one of my chief joys Undina.
Currently I work Sunday through Wednesday doing Trivia. Often have extra gigs on top of that.
There are also a few side hustles that can take up a lot of time too.
Portia xx
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Totally agree about shorter weeks being harder. I was on vacation leading up to Labor Day and have a work trip next week, and had meetings and people-related work activities the first 2 days back, so ended up having to cram a lot of actual work into yesterday well into the late evening.
I have a smaller rotation of perfumes for days that I go into the office, so most likely I would choose something else come the weekend. However, I have no set rules or routines for weekdays versus weekends specifically. Louder ones are for days when I work from home, as are very light ones, so I can easily access them to reapply throughout the day.
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Vacations are even worse! I’m usually dying first 3-4 days before the trip and then spend another week catching up on everything I missed/didn’t do while on a vacation. But at least I stopped working while traveling.
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Same! That’s why it’s important to really switch off as much as possible while on vacation – we’re plunged right back into work way too quickly!
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I have a few that I save for more special occasions. I can’t make them work for work. I used to wear Goutal’s Passion to work-have to admit I kind of wince at my younger self for that-hope it wasn’t too much. I always enjoy colognes and I consider them safe for work. If I want to wear something with oomph I adjust my application carefully. Life’s short: we should wear what we want.
During this winter when my cat wasn’t feeling so hot I didn’t use scented products as much. Without knowing what we were in for I just didn’t have the urge to. Also didn’t light any scented candles. Then I was without a pet for months. I hope it’s ok to tell you that today I’m working to socialize, and be socialized by a new kitten. A man I work with had a kitten show up in the field behind the house. She was alone and tangled in tall grass. They bottle fed her and went to look for a home for her. She’s with me now, and I’m thinking of a name for her. She’s 700 g of pure mischief, and she’s great.
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Tangled in tall grass? Maybe she could me called Hay. Even HayU?
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It is such a wonderful news! We need photos! :)
I hope that one day we feel like opening our home to another pet, but for now we’re not ready. But I love other people’s cats and dogs, and seeing them or hearing about them doesn’t affect me negatively: they are not Rusty, so I’m not sad when communicating with them or about them.
Because life is too short, I wear my special occasion perfumes more often these days – for any occasion that I can even remotely consider as special :)
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I definitely have “date night” perfumes that I tend to avoid during the day, although now that I’m not teaching I don’t limit myself as much. Something like Jungle l’Elephant – not a daytime choice!
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I do have that internal “not a daytime perfume” notion as well. Not that I necessarily follow it while working from home, but it is a part of the SOTD selection process.
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No, not strictly weekdays vs weekend – it is all subject to what I am doing on a given day, not the day per se. Similar to Cynthia’s answer above. I also have to think of what day it is on waking, and sometimes it takes me a moment or two!
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Periodically, it takes me a moment or two to figure out the day of the week upon waking up – and I have to know whether I have to get up and rush to a meeting or can procrastinate in bed! :)
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When I was working, there were weekday perfumes, nothing too strong or likely to offend. Weekend perfumes were usually stronger and louder. Now that I’m retired I wear whatever moves me whenever I want, unless I will be in a crowded situation, where I go with lighter, close to the skin fragrances.
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One more reason retirement seems quite appealing :)
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