Fragrances

On Friday night I drove straight from work to the Elephant Bar in Santa Barbara, where Allan and his labmates were bidding farewell to Khaled, who just finished his degree and is moving on in life. The evening ended with a round of hugs and well wishes. Then we all dispersed.

When we got home, my nose detected a foreign smell that seemed to waft from my clothes and hair. I sniffed carefully. It wasn't me, as I don't wear anything scented, except maybe hand lotion, and even that's only rarely. Certainly none that night. It wasn't Allan's deodorant/aftershave. What was it? That's when it hit me-- an hour after last saying goodbye to Khaled and giving him a hug, whatever cologne he was wearing, still lingered. Hours later, it was still noticeable, at least to me. I found it interesting, how long perfumes can last, and how well they stick and still emit fragrance when transferred to someone else you come into contact with.

This, coupled with a perusal of old blog entries and reading the "answer questions about you" meme where Jenna inquired about "Eau de Helly", made me think of my own means and choices in fragrance.

As a rule, I don't do fragrances. I wear cologne about as rarely as I wear makeup-- in other words, probably once or twice a year, when I'm all dressed up for a special occasion. Sometimes, when the mood strikes, I'll wear body spray from Bath & Body Works, usually a fruit scent like tangerine or apple. Sometimes I merely use scented lotion. Actual perfume? No way. Not only is it too expensive, but it's too concentrated for me to use. And the bottom line is, finding a fragrance I truly like is difficult.

My sensitive nose means that I can't wear anything too icky or too overpowering (hence the no-perfume rule). I get annoyed when my nostrils are assaulted by women (and even some men) who overdose on perfume or cologne. And if I wore it, I would only be subjecting myself to the worst of the strong fumes.

There have been a couple of scents that I do enjoy, however. One is Navy by Cover Girl, though I haven't worn that in years. The other is Blue Jeans by Versace, something I discovered while in the UK. Blue Jeans is actually the male cologne, the female cologne is called Red Jeans-- and lemme tell you, Red Jeans smells NASTY. I have a small bottle of Blue Jeans at my disposal. It's only a 7.5mL bottle, but as sparingly as I apply cologne, it will last me a lifetime :-)

So yeah... if ever you meet up with me in person and think you smell something, chances are, either I need a shower or it's just my natural scent :-D

I thought I'd close this blog entry with a scent-related blogthings quiz, something I haven't blogged in ages:

Your Fragrance Profile

The best calming fragrance: jasmine The best fragrance for everyday wear: sandalwood The best fragrance to boost your sex appeal: rose The best fragrance for energy: peppermint

What's Your Fragrance Profile?

Hehe, I'm not sure I agree with this assessment. I have no idea what jasmine and sandalwood smell like, but I am NOT a fan of the smell of roses, and though I love EATING mints, I am not too keen on any minty-type of fragrance. Oh well, better than vanilla, I suppose (I love the taste of vanilla, just not the scent)

(originally posted at: http://www.myspace.com/hellykwee/blog/304468764)