I know that we wear perfumes for ourselves. But this is true from the point of not trying to please someone else. And this week’s question tries to examine the opposite intent, namely, not to offend or disturb someone else. Any other reasons to wear something only when nobody else is around will do also.
Saturday Question #272:
Do You Have a Scent You Wear Only When No One Else Will Smell It?
If yes, what is it and why?
My Answer
I do not have a scent that would fit the question 100%, mostly because my vSO doesn’t mind any of my perfumes. But the closest choice would be Mugler‘s Angel: I still like it, but I would not wear it outside of my house. Why? I think it became too ubiquitous and recognizable. But I still like it.
How about you?

Hi Undina,
I think we have talked about this at some point together. Jin has become averse to some amber heavy fragrances. They attack him in the nose and can cause him to not enjoy a meal or theatre event. It’s really annoying because things I used to be able to wear with him have been taken off the list. GRRRR!
So, if I’m at home while he’s working I’ll wear my lovely, heavy ambers. By the time he finishes work and the gym or swim my fragrance is just a happy whisper.
Everyone wins.
Portia xx
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Ambers are so good, especially in winter. It’s a bummer you have to dose them this way. But on the other hand, it’s not like you have absolutely nothing to wear ;)
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HA! Truth.
I wore an amber to work tonight so Jin only got a wispy waft as I left. No big drama. PHEW!
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I find my patchouli forward scents aren’t appreciated. I tend to wear Borneo, or Mon parfum Cherie, par camille and Portrait of a Lady are too much for the people in my immediate world. I keep my application really spare, too-one spritz. I still get wrinkled nose sort of responses.
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PoaL is a bomb! I love it, but it needs a special occasion for me to wear it.
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Great question, Undina! I’ll answer with a perfume that often receives the most intriguing comments when I wear it. I usually reserve this one for others who understand and appreciate it, or for a day spent alone at home.
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I think it was the first SL that didn’t work for me. I do not mean that all other did, but I had a great streak going on in the beginning of my encounter with the brand, and this perfume (I swapped for a decant with a fellow perfumista) was a big disappointment. I think I rehomed it later with someone who appreciated it.
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Cuir mauresque is a hard pill to swallow for some. I completely understand, Undina.
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Yes, and they tend to be ones that I don’t like either, but will wear occasionally because they are there. One example is holy_wood by Nomenclature, which I really liked at first but either it’s gone off or my nose has changed, and now it smells rather like BO. Then there’s Ag by Ted Baker, which I liked mostly for the bottle that looks like a flask, but smells very powdery, and I don’t want people to think I’m wearing baby powder. Otherwise, if it’s something strong that I like, I probably won’t wear it to the office, but would still wear it outside.
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With Nomenclature, I don’t understand what can possibly go off in their perfumes: they are artificial through and through. They should keep for decades! (But probably don’t :) )
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Well, Hedione is notorious for going off, so I’m sure other molecules do the same with exposure to air, etc. I daren’t think what my bottle might smell like in decades!
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I can think of two immediately. Both stink bombs that even I have to be in a very particular mood to wear.
They are Bal a Versailles & Theo Fennell Scent.
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I had TF Scent some years back but I actually binned it. I just couldn’t wear it because it just smelled fusty and downright unpleasant on me.
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It’s a saffron & cumin bomb. There are maybe one or two days a year when I’ll wear just one tiny spray. I sold my original bottle of EdP but rebought the EdP a year or two ago. I prefer BaV.
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I wonder: did you ever love them and used In abundance, or was it always a cautious relationship?
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Scent was a blind buy. It’s so cheap & was getting mega love on all the blogs. I sold it on then rebought a long time after. Still cheap. Always cautious on Scent.
Mum introduced me to BaV. She bought me a coffret in the late 80’s. Mum loved dirty orientals as a younger woman & thought I should too. I enjoyed the lotion & bath products, the fragrance not so much. I bought a tiny partial EdC last year. It’s in good order, was cheap & I wanted to see what my nose made of it now. Still not really “me”.
My natural oeuvre is Mitsouko, Azuree, Dryad etc. citrus, green & mossy.
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My husband doesn’t object to any of my perfumes, but due to the constantly rising heat in Florida, I don’t wear any heavy ambers or vintages outside my home. No Shalimar outside in public, unless it’s one tiny spray.
I wore Creed Delphinus yesterday and that oud opening was almost too much for me, but the drydown on this fragrance is so gorgeous and long lasting I steeled myself for 45 minutes of olfactory misery till I got to the good part.
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As someone who doesn’t tolerate agarwood well (unless it’s in a homeopathic dosage or artificial), I can’t even imagine wearing it in heat!
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My response may have gone to Spam. 😩
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It didn’t!
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I honestly can’t think of any that I won’t wear any time.
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Probably it’s a good thing :)
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Oh yes, loads, though mainly in decant or sample form. I have a drop left of a small bottle of Rochas Femme I probably wouldn’t wear out, and I even thought twice the other day about putting on DKNY Gold.
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DKNY Gold? Don’t remember this one. But I stopped following this brand at some point, so I could have missed it completely.
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