topic Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them? in Community Chat

How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

minkbunny — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:34:08 GMT

I don't think I am overly sensitive, have no known allergies, nothing like that but a client just came in to pay on her account and I literally was coughing and my eyes were watering - from her perfume. She has been gone 15 minutes, I opened the windows and turned on a fan and the smell is still overbearing. Surely those around her have some type of reactions as well.

Lovely woman, overpowering scent.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Gidge — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:43:45 GMT

It's amazing isn't it?! I wonder that myself! They must be so de-sensitized that they need to apply more. I don't know how their spouse/significate other can stand it!

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

------ — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:45:48 GMT

On 8/5/2014 gig2750 said: It's amazing isn't it?! I wonder that myself! They must be so de-sensitized that they need to apply more. I don't know how their spouse/significate other can stand it!

I think that's it. They can't smell it anymore.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Mama Mia — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:46:59 GMT

I always told them. Years ago I had to work the drive thru windows at the bank with another girl. Her perfume was so overpowering I almost threw up. It didn't bother me to tell her either, She would go and try to wash some of it off, but that didn't work well. It got so I dreaded the days I had to work with her. I told my supervisor about it and they finally took me out of there. I hated it anyway.

That was in a smaller space, of course. In a store, I just walk away. Rude people.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

PuppyBreath — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 19:47:42 GMT

When I worked in a hospital we knew when a particular doctor was arriving before the elevator even opened. He reeked of Polo. (Barf)

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Mj12 — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:06:44 GMT

Hi Minky!

My MIL does this, she visited us for 4 scent-filled days over Thanksgiving last year. I finally had to tell her to please stop it. I do think she couldn't smell it; similar to how I can't smell anything for hours if I over-bleach-it while cleaning.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

RINGER — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:11:38 GMT

There is a couple I really like so much but man she puts on sooo much perfume that one couple moved pews because it was making the wife ill. I did not know this but perfume CAN GO BAD so I wonder if that is what happens and also people get so use to their own smell, and they are unaware of it.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

newziesuzie — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:14:46 GMT

I think they don't know. There must be a nice way to tell them?

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

lil spot — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:18:06 GMT

Hi minkbunny. I agree, and what's even worse, to me, is a smoker that tries to cover up the smoke smell with too much perfume.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Topaz Gem — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:33:42 GMT

Unless this person wears overpowering fragrances every day, what would you expect her to do? She can't run home and take a shower, so unfortunately everyone has to suffer. Maybe she spilled it on her clothing and didn't have the time to change. That happened to me once, but thankfully no one complained.

If she wears it like that all the time, then I would definitely ask her nicely to tone it down.

I remember when Calvin Klein Eternity was popular. Every woman in my company must have gotten a bottle for Christmas, LOL. That stuff was so strong that it left a scent trail all the way down the hallway. The women were long gone, but you could track them by the scent alone.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

kdgn — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:36:33 GMT

I have discovered that sometimes it's not a perfume at all but a particular fabric softener. Years ago a friend of my son's would come over and the room would immediately be filled with the overpowering scent of what I thought was his aftershave/cologne. I was really polite and asked him to tone it down the next time because of my allergies. He said he wasn't wearing anything. I didn't believe him but I wasn't going to argue the subject. The house reeked for hours after he left.

A few days later I was returning something to his mom. As soon as I hit the driveway I smelled it. The same scent he had been "wearing". Their washer/dryer was in the garage and the big door was open. The machines were chugging away. The closer to the house I got, the stronger the scent and the sicker I felt.

She had scented laundry detergent/fabric softener. Matching scents.

My husband used to carpool. When it was his turn to drive the car reeked for days. The windows had to be left open to air it out. Fabric softener.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

lolakimono — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:36:44 GMT

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

chrystaltree — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:49:28 GMT

How do you know that none ever tells them to scale back on the perfume???? You have no way knowing that. We get "nose blind" to the scent we are wearing. Others smell it, we do not. So, some women keep spritzing on the scent all day because they think it's worn off.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

ROMARY — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:16:23 GMT

Sometimes when you (I) 'hint' to and/or tell them, they think you're cr*zy......I have found that some folks don't have a good or any sense of smell. I used to be very sensitive and would actually become nauseous, but now, I tolerate strong perfumes/odors much better, for whatever reason. I recall, many years ago, not being able to even pass by a candle shop. Anyway, the best approach is to keep as far away as possible. Sit/stand somewhere else, etc.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

brewhaha — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:19:22 GMT

Because the poeple in their lives know what they're covering up.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

ROMARY — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:20:50 GMT

kdgn: I know exactly what you are saying............just walking by certain/many houses, the nauseating odors coming from folks' dryers in their garages...........My friends and I often wonder if those folks are heavily on allergy pills. Perhaps they feel 'ill' most of the time, but haven't figured out that it's the clothing they are wearing.........

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

DoneTryin — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:21:47 GMT

Some people have little or no sense of smell, plus it's hard to smell ourselves. I used to love to wear certain scents, to which I wasn't allergic. I have quit wearing scent at all just because I'm afraid of being one of those people who overdoes it & nobody will say anything.

I do think, too, that so many products we use today, from laundry detergent to body lotion, are scented, so it truly can be a perfumed overload.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Topaz Gem — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:42:04 GMT

I love wearing a scent, but am also afraid to be too heavy-handed with it. Instead of spraying it directly on my skin, I now spray it in the air and walk into it. It makes a huge difference. There's enough on my body for me to enjoy, yet it's never too much. I've asked people I know very well if my cologne is too strong and they always say no and they would be honest with me if it were too strong.

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

JuJu Squeezie — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 22:03:06 GMT

The young man stocking in the dairy aisle at Winn Dixie had the worst overpowering reeking BO you could ever imagine. How did he not know and wonder if he lives alone?

Re: How do people wear overpowering cologne/perfume, I mean OVERpowering, and no one in their life tells them?

Mominohio — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 22:20:54 GMT

I think that with a lot of women's fragrances, we are being sold the soap/body wash, the lotion, and the spray on fragrance, and told to "layer" them. That is just too much stuff!

I have this problem with my elderly mother. I thought it was just me (as I am sensitive to smells, and can't wear anything that has fragrance for more than about 10 minutes), but my son has noticed lately that you can smell her in the car days after I've taken her somewhere. The seat belt reeks of her Philosophy or Channel. I'm going to have to speak to her about it.

When the OP asks why no one says something, I can tell you that it isn't the easiest thing to do. It is embarrassing for the person who has to mention it, and for the person who has to hear it. My mom doesn't take criticism very well, and it will be very touchy getting the point across.