Scents to wear to a backyard picnic?

I'd recommend wearing something you like that stays close to the body. Once, I went outside wearing Laura Tonatto's Dama perfume oil and bees followed me into the car! My guess is mosquitos also like sweet perfumes. Perhaps something soft and musky would work well.

Just wanted to add that I don't know of any bugproof fragrances.

Oh my god - bugproof perfumes. [smiley=grin.gif]
I'm sorry, it's just that I'm in the middle of mosquito season and they're so fierce, they could carry you away with nary a change to their pitch. Propane mosquito vacs, Pic coils and Buhach work around the clock.

Really, like Perfume Hound said, there is no such critter. When I bring people from town out to my place and they step out of the plane, if they're wearing fragrance, the rest of us that aren't don't have to worry about bugs, because they're all on the perfumed one, who is doing the bug dance, which is sort of like a combination of these two fellas without the smiles.
[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]
BUT.... there are options.
Skin So Soft, the Avon product that has such a cult following as a pleasant bug repellant works only in minor bug invasions, and then only for a short while. And it costs too much for what little it does. But it does sorta work, kinda.
You may laugh, but have you smelled some of the newest OFF mosquito repellant fragrances? They're rather amazing. Their 'Tropical' fragrance smells like some Escada or other, and 'Fresh Scent' is sort of citrusy/refreshing. They aren't incredibly long-lasting (15% Deet), but about the best I've ever smelled.
I'm also sort of test-driving "Spezie" by Lorenzo Villoresi, a fresh-spice unisex fragrance. It seems to attract mosquitoes less than the usual fragrance, but I haven't confirmed that one yet, so don't buy a bottle based on that comment...
Low-sillage is important, of course, which means skin fragrances probably work best of standard fragrances.

who cares? Just wear the Skin so soft (Avon) stuff and put on whatever you want.

I tend to avoid wearing any fragrances when I know I'm going to be spending a lot of time outdoors, but I understand your predicament. Eau Sauvage is what I like to wear when I want that feeling of freshly laundered cotton. I love Roger & Gallet's Eau de Thé Vert: a clean, straightforward tea scent. I see recommendations for Avon's Skin-So-Soft. I hate to say this, but I'd rather be devoured by mosquitoes than wear Skin-So-Soft. [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=engel017.gif] The smell of SSS gives me a splitting headache. I also like scents that are sort of light green and borderline-citrus-y, like Green Water or Eau de Campagne: at least they won't clash with citronella candles. [smiley=wink.gif] But be careful about wearing hesperidic scents on your skin if it's going to be exposed to the sun: they can cause patchy skin darkening.

Hope it is not too late.

There are two remedies that my grandma used:

1) lavender (she used the real plant, but I think oil will do the same) as mosquito repellent,

2) geranium leaves (they were growing wildly in her garden) as ant repellent and all sorts of critters would stay off while she was gardening.

Sorry, it is a kind of OT-ish.

Extrait de Songe by L'Artisan or Tilleul by D'Orsay. Perfect for a backyard picnic

Eau de Charlotte.. would be perfect [smiley=smiley.gif]

Okay, I have no clue as to which scents can actually repell insects, so I'll just suggest a couple of my favourite for the occassion.
Sensi by Armani
Vent Vert by Balmain
Eau des Merveilles by Hermes.
Passion by AG
Lys mediterranee FM
Secrete Datura MPG

Clinique Happy is as effective as a real insect repellant.

Eau de Cartier Concentree