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Perfumes that just smell awful on you!

post #1 of 134
Thread Starter 
I've tried a couple of perfumes today and they both smelt absolutely rancid on me!

Rumba Balenciaga - I bought this second hand from ebay cheap just to try it out and seriously wish I hadn't. I don't know if the perfume had gone off or something but It was so offensive on me I had to wash it off after a few minutes! It smelt like a bonfire would after it had gone out- smoke and ash! It was so pungent It knocked me sick. Is this what this perfume is meant to smell like? Or do you think its gone off? Anyone is welcome to this perfume if they want it as there is no way I'm keeping this one.

I also tried Christian Dior Dolce Vita when I was out shopping earlier. It was horrible on me - I thought it smelt like a cross between faeces and body odour. My dh said he thought he could smell curry powder in it too! It really did not work with my skin chemistry at all. I couldn't wait to get home so I could wash it off! lol I really wanted to like this one too - I thought the description of it sounded lovely!

I thought it would be interesting to find out which perfumes you've tried that smell awful on you?

Sarah x
post #2 of 134
The worst on me.....

Calvin Klein Obsession=Garlic

Ava Luxe Shisa=Urine

Other than these two I have had decent luck with most fragrances.
post #3 of 134
Serge Lutens Chergui just turns into a leathery mess on my skin, but it's so amazing on a test strip...
post #4 of 134
Lutens A la Nuit is one I won't wear again!
post #5 of 134
Fracas Piguet. Just plain bad on me.
post #6 of 134
Donna Karan - black-golden swan - old ashtray
post #7 of 134
Also I was hoping that Black Cashmere and Youth Dew Amber Nude would work for me, but I don't know where the people that said those were unisex scents got that idea... At least on me, they smell unquestionably feminine...
post #8 of 134
Anything floral, sadly, just turns to a sharp banshee wail on my skin. The only florals I can handle are Samsara, Jasmine de Nuit, and a few osmanthus scents. I can't even wear the lovely Rosines. Another that turns up the volume on my skin is Angel, even a tiny dab goes nuclear on me. So I have a mini I can sniff now and then.
post #9 of 134
Anything with oakmoss in it turns into a total scrubber on me. Cabochard is truly disgusting on my skin, as are Guerlain's Parure and Rochas Femme. Even Mitsouko is not nice, though I have learned not to scrub it off and bear with it. It's still not nice on me though and I'd never consider buying a bottle.

The oakmoss also rules out some mens' frags that I thought I"d like but end up with me smelling like a 1950s barbershop.

And thanks to a different but equally infuriating reaction, Angel turns into Thomas Magnum's 1970s hairy chest covered in cheap aftershave on me. So does Musk Ravageur. Very sad.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Gucci edp gave me a little rash. Boo!
post #10 of 134
Wordbird, I feel bad for you on the oakmoss issue! How frustrating! I think oakmoss is a complete chemistry thing. Oakmosses smell disgusting to me in the bottle, but on my skin they're lovely.

Florals, on the other hand, smell beautiful in the bottle and on other people, but smell like funeral homes on my skin. I LOVE Joy in the bottle and on other people, and I keep trying to wear it but it never works. L'Air du Temps is another one. It's so classic and refined on my friends, but on me? It's a tacky carnation bouquet from the grocery store---and when I say "tacky" I mean it! Like "carnation bouquets they dye green for St. Patrick's Day"-tacky!
post #11 of 134
It's a bummer when you want to try vintage scents to see what they're like - but on the other hand it does hold me back from blind-buying vintage frags and wasting a lot of money. I know I have to sample things first and make up a list of those I would like to own.
Mind you, it doesn't work with modern frags since they have so little oakmoss in them and I have quite a few 'meh' bottles in my collection thanks to impulsive blind buys.
post #12 of 134
In the bottle Youth Dew Amber Nude was very nice...on my skin it was the smell of extremely foul breath
post #13 of 134
I'm struggling with the 'on you' part of this thread. Perfumes either smell great, or they smell awful and I won't wear them. I haven't experienced them changing and smelling awful on me. They smell different on me to how they smell on my daughter, but they're generally just different shades of 'great' or 'awful'...so I always put it down to the perfume, rather than my own skin. So to say something smells bad 'on me' doesn't make sense. I either like the perfume, or I don't.

So I might as well just post a list of fragrances I love and fragrances I would never wear. Or point people to my wardrobe.

It's annoying though, because I want to play.
post #14 of 134
-Samsara turned into a sweet,cloying,cheap smell on me...Gave my mini to my mother in law.
- Midnight poison simply was AWFUL! Like a weird mixure of Dali Laguna and Angel...and I happen to like Angel...A real scrubber on me!
-Dior Addict smelled like a vanilla chewing gum from my childhood on me...Love it on others,though.

Ok...I guess non of the above is even close to as bad as Chanel no 19 edp was on me yesterday! I've dabbed it on before,and it smelled gorgeous of dry iris...But not anymore...yesterday even my b.f commented on the scent.Said it smelled like sour socks or milk gone bad!! OUCH... Really thought it would work on me....But guess not...
post #15 of 134
Serge Lutens' Ambre Sultan. It reminds me of some kind of medicine, or ointment... not nice at all!
post #16 of 134
I cannot really complain too much,
but there have been a few that just
did not work.

Caron Narcisse Noir = just wrong, all wrong (on me)
Yves Rocher Néonatura Cocoon = pine car-freshener
post #17 of 134
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clemmie View Post

I'm struggling with the 'on you' part of this thread. Perfumes either smell great, or they smell awful and I won't wear them. I haven't experienced them changing and smelling awful on me. They smell different on me to how they smell on my daughter, but they're generally just different shades of 'great' or 'awful'...so I always put it down to the perfume, rather than my own skin. So to say something smells bad 'on me' doesn't make sense. I either like the perfume, or I don't.

So I might as well just post a list of fragrances I love and fragrances I would never wear. Or point people to my wardrobe.

It's annoying though, because I want to play.

I just mean which ones smell offensive on you really. Not ones you've tried and thought it was nothing interesting so have not purchased. I mean the ones you tried which repulsed you. I have tried on some perfumes my mum and sister wears (which I really wanted to like), and although they smell great on them - they smell completely different on me and not in a good way. I put it down to the perfume not mixing with my skin chemistry well.

The Dolce Vita I tried on yesterday smelt lovely in the bottle - but it was complete mess on my skin.
post #18 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by limboleo View Post

I just mean which ones smell offensive on you really. Not ones you've tried and thought it was nothing interesting so have not purchased. I mean the ones you tried which repulsed you. I have tried on some perfumes my mum and sister wears (which I really wanted to like), and although they smell great on them - they smell completely different on me and not in a good way. I put it down to the perfume not mixing with my skin chemistry well.

The Dolce Vita I tried on yesterday smelt lovely in the bottle - but it was complete mess on my skin.

Oh, I understand what you mean...but perfumes don't 'turn' on me. They either smell great right out of the bottle, and on my skin, or they don't. For now, t's easy for me to select perfumes based on the smell out of the bottle - although I do still try them out on my skin for the dry-down, and to check for longevity and sillage (my two important tick factors!). I suppose the dry-down could be where we would say a perfume might 'turn', but generally I don't get that...what I get is that they just fade away, and then I get annoyed and either put on some more or change to something with more staying power.
post #19 of 134
I'm the same - nothing turns, it's either right or it's so very wrong.

Well I'd always had problems with the aldehydes in Chanel scents, but I thought Cuir de Russie might work as I love leathers. Unfortunately it smells like ass on me.

Aromatics Elixir smells amazing on a lot of people, but turns to soap on me. Same with Youth Dew.
post #20 of 134
So very disappointed by Champs Elysees. I had tried it several times but only ever on the cards and really liked it. I finally bought it today for a BARGAIN price, and sprayed it on for my evening. I'm quite sure it's genuine, but after a short time on my skin it just seems to smell really.... sour and just not nice. It also has NO lasting power (even when I sprayed some in my hair)! I'm going to try it again tomorrow. I'm hoping that it'll be different if sprayed onto clean, fresh from the shower skin. Perhaps my sweat from the day had a bad effect on it. Here's hoping.

If not, this might be one for ebay.
post #21 of 134
Try body lotion first. That will help with longevity.
post #22 of 134
Bandit is just awful on me. Smells like burning tires.
post #23 of 134
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clemmie View Post

Oh, I understand what you mean...but perfumes don't 'turn' on me. They either smell great right out of the bottle, and on my skin, or they don't. For now, t's easy for me to select perfumes based on the smell out of the bottle - although I do still try them out on my skin for the dry-down, and to check for longevity and sillage (my two important tick factors!). I suppose the dry-down could be where we would say a perfume might 'turn', but generally I don't get that...what I get is that they just fade away, and then I get annoyed and either put on some more or change to something with more staying power.

You lucky thing! I wish they wouldn't turn on me. I get so dissapointed especially when its a scent I really want to love!
post #24 of 134
Sadly - Michael Storer's Stephanie and Genvieve. I can tell they are beautifully made, but there is a note he uses in his base that goes so utterly wrong on me I have to race to the shower. Yvette seems to be missing that note, because it's my favorite from his line.

His men's scents (Monk and Il Giardano) are livable, if still a little weird on me. Haven't tried Djin yet.

Makes me mad because they seem to work so well on everyone else.
post #25 of 134
Well, here are a few that have been dreadfully wrong on me:

Angel - smells divine on a friend so I really wanted to like it but it was cloyingly nauseating on me.
Fracas - Ugghhhhh.....
Amarige - funny I used to wear it 5-7 years ago, recently bought it again and could not stand the scent on me, smelled like old lady and I could not wait to wash it off.
post #26 of 134
You know, I used to think Angel stunk on me, but I got a sample and still try it every once in a while, and I think it was the patchouli/chocolate combo that took me aback at first. I'm starting to dig it; in fact on me the "acrid" note that I thought I didn't like (but now do) fades and leaves me smelling like
Obsession. I'm not wearing Obsession nowadays because of past bad associations.
Anyhow, the only scent I've tried that really stunk on me was Pheromone. That REALLY must be off with my skin chemistry, because apparently others like it quite a bit.
post #27 of 134
Unfortunately I'm learning that as much as I may want it to, I can't get Fleurs de Bulgarie to work on me. It ends up smelling like wilted roses and stale whiskey - the hubby agreed wholeheartedly.
I haven't given up on the fight even though I may be losing the battle.
post #28 of 134
Amez Moi - Caron - Musty old clothing
Nu - YSL - Pepper overdose
First - Van Cleef - rotting flowers in mouldy water

** Apologies if I offended anyone! :-p
post #29 of 134
Just remembered a wierd one: Dzongkha smells exactly like whisky on me. Not unpleasant, in fact, very realistic. Even included the oak barrels. Absolutely nothing like it's supposed to smell though. (And I know it was a good bottle because it was a very reputable shop I tried it in.)
post #30 of 134
I tried Vol de Nuit not long ago and got burning plastic...dunno how that happened. I can wear Mitsouko and Jicky no problem.
post #31 of 134
Joop: Nasty burning rubber note. Ick.

Fahrenheit: Sometimes livable, other times nausea inducing gasoline note rears its head. Ugh.

Antidote: The drydown on this seems to be different everytime I wear it. Sometimes the slightly bitter note turns even more acrid, and is reminiscent of cat urine. But.. it's not a bad smell.. it's the smell of urine if urine smelled good. Very strange. While I love the smell, I don't know how it smells to others and so that's why I've included it here. I hope it doesn't smell like cat pee to them. Oh well, I love it, so I'll still be wearing it!

Fleur Du Male: The earthy, dirty orange blossom note just dominates this and it's all I can smell until I've washed it off. After a scrubbing, the scent is quite nice, but prior to that it's all dirt dirt dirt.
post #32 of 134
Interesting, I bought Cristobal Balenciaga and Eau de Dolce Vita off ebay and they were rancid on me, too. So was Oxygene by Lanvin. Maybe we got oldies but moldies.
post #33 of 134
I can't wear anything by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klien with the exception of Euphoria, most Carons except Aimez Moi, and most of the SL's smelled horrible on me.

I get so mad when something smells wonderful on someone and smells terrible on me. I be mad for real too lol. My friend got Romance by RL for Xmas one year. It smells sooooo good on her. I ran to the store the next day to try it on and it was just awful. Most RL frags turn on me. I was hoping that this one would be different. Now, I was surprised when Euphoria smelled good on me, because most of the CK stuff turns on me in the worst way.
post #34 of 134
Smells so nice on the card and even on a few people
I know, but Chanel #5 is pure disgrace on me.

Alright how could I forget all these!!!!

Vol de Nuit
Jil Sander #4
Dolce & Gabbana Classique
Arpège
Nuit de Noël
Jean Paul Gaultier
Bandit
Paris YSL
Cabotine
Jaipur Saphir
Boucheron Femme
Anaïs Anaïs
Creation Ted Lapidus
Must De Cartier Perfume



Ouch this is a FLOOD of really bad memories here,
I've got to stop and never look back!
post #35 of 134
Anything with too much tuberose! If I was working as a NASCAR grease monkey - this is what I imagine it must smell like in the pits.
post #36 of 134
I can't wear Dune--on me it smells like hot tar. Also had problems with Eternity--it smells lovely on some, but on me it is cloyingly sweet.
post #37 of 134
Rock n' Roll Couture - smells like minty black licorice on me. Ugh.
post #38 of 134
Can you believe the first time I tried Chanel No. 22 it smelled like bug spray on me? Even dh thought so.

No matter how times I try Angel or Mitsouko, they reek on me. Too bad, because I would love for them to work for me. Oh well. At least I can wear Jicky!
post #39 of 134
Caron Fleurs de Rocaille - fresh cat urine
Caron Narcisse Noir - cheap grape candy
Chanel No. 5 - insect repellent
Caron Bellodgia - a 1960s dentist's office
post #40 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by Merbert View Post

Caron Narcisse Noir - cheap grape candy

I only wish that Narcisse Noir would smell that good on me!
Nahh on me it's positively rancid; come to think of it with all
these great reviews maybe it was a bad bottle.
post #41 of 134
Goutal's Muguet on my skin makes me imagine a mannequin in a dark, Victorian-style room, very stuffy. I love muguet generally, but not that one!
post #42 of 134
Aromatics Elixir is horrid and headache inducing on me
Angel is is horrid and headache inducing on me, bordering on nausea.
MOST estee lauder perfumes are HOORRRID on me....and I don't get the allure of them at all.
A lot of chanel doesn't work for me...and if it does work , it only works alright on me and is not special enough (coco, and #19 for example) although I really want to try bois de iles
Very Sexy does not work on me and is almost nauseating. (victorias secret)
Most YSL works well on me on the other hand. Haven't tried them all though.
post #43 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiscreet View Post

I tried Vol de Nuit not long ago and got burning plastic...dunno how that happened. I can wear Mitsouko and Jicky no problem.

There is a component in the scent of certain flowers like Autumn Clematis (Clematis ternifolia aka paniculata) that have an overpowering similarity to burning plastic to the sensitive nose. Others find the fragrance divine. A similar thing occurs with blossoms like the more fragrant Pittosporum varieties. Some people adore their scents, using words like "rich", "heady" and "like jasmine and gardenia" where I smell significant traces of rotting meat.
post #44 of 134
Musc Ravageur smells of "rotting meat" on me. However, when I sampled, a bit got on my sweater, and that area smelled lovely. So, it seems to be a chemistry thing. On clothing: quite nice, on me: grotesque.

Cassie, in the Malle line, is horrid on me, as is Le Parfum de Therese.

I could see all of those I've mentioned smelling glorious with the right chemistry, so I'm jealous of anyone who can wear them well, because they're sensual and beautiful scents.
post #45 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by seattlelight View Post

Musc Ravageur smells of "rotting meat" on me. However, when I sampled, a bit got on my sweater, and that area smelled lovely. So, it seems to be a chemistry thing. On clothing: quite nice, on me: grotesque.

Cassie, in the Malle line, is horrid on me, as is Le Parfum de Therese.

I could see all of those I've mentioned smelling glorious with the right chemistry, so I'm jealous of anyone who can wear them well, because they're sensual and beautiful scents.

The rotting meat scent is nature's way of attracting beneficial insects, often necessary for pollenization. It's quite interesting that this component appears in perfumes.

Do you know why certain perfumes like Fleurs de Rocaille immediately smell like fresh cat urine on my skin? Ooooh, so nasty!
post #46 of 134
Hanae Mori for Men (esp. in the edp form) smells of chocolate covered cherries and vanilla syrup on me -- NOT a good combination for someone who normally eschews gourmands and does not generally fancy cloyingly sweet frags in the first place.

Made it my SOTD yesterday; sold it off last night.
post #47 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by tvlampboy View Post

Hanae Mori for Men (esp. in the edp form) smells of chocolate covered cherries and vanilla syrup on me -- NOT a good combination for someone who normally eschews gourmands and does not generally fancy cloyingly sweet frags in the first place.

Made it my SOTD yesterday; sold it off last night.

Sounds yummy! Apparently Estee Lauder Amber Nude smells horrible on me. I sprayed some the other day and my very British friend, Lynn, insisited I go to the powder room and scrub it off if I wanted a ride home.
post #48 of 134
haha I think amber nude smells just plain horrible irregardless...wouldn't take it personally, LOL.
post #49 of 134
Fleur Des Comores by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier is just awful on me. The only frag which I can say definitely smelled of urine. I think there is a certain kind of jasmine which smells awful on me and its probably very refined, rare and expensive too! Songes by Annick Goutal took on the aroma of burning rubber against my skin. Calvin Klein Obsession doesn't smell particularly bad but there is something in it which instantly makes me feel physically sick and I can't wear it at all.
post #50 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elf View Post

Anything floral, sadly, just turns to a sharp banshee wail on my skin. The only florals I can handle are Samsara, Jasmine de Nuit, and a few osmanthus scents. I can't even wear the lovely Rosines. Another that turns up the volume on my skin is Angel, even a tiny dab goes nuclear on me. So I have a mini I can sniff now and then.

Florals also smell differently on me. I don't know what "banshee wail" smells like, but I definitely get sour notes from almost all of the florals I've ever tried on my skin, such that if it weren't unseemly to do so in public, I'd be wailing like a banshee.

I've seen just as many people on Basenotes forums who notice the same thing, and it's nice to know I'm not imagining it. Or maybe we're all part of a folie Ã* deux (or folie Ã* mille).

I've actually tried spraying the same perfume, from the same bottle, on myself and other colleagues, and we all had different sillages and scents. Could it be diet differences? (I don't think so, my colleagues and I all eat fast food, *ALL* the time.) Could it be skin types? Possibly. Could it be soaps? I haven't inquired what soaps they use, as that's not a usual topic of conversation with one's coworkers, and that might be causing the difference.
post #51 of 134
Chanel Chance and Allure turn sour on me.
post #52 of 134
Very Irresistible becomes too sharp on me, it makes my nose hurt. According to my husband the sample of Diablo Rose I tried the other day smells like cat pee on me.
post #53 of 134
Alien. It was very bad. Think Sigourney Weaver's alien friends. And this smells wonderful on others, sigh.
post #54 of 134
Un Jardin sur le Nil by Hermes. The only way I can describe the smell is solid car air freshener. Citrus scented.
post #55 of 134
There's a nutty note that appears in some perfumes (AL Loukhoum and Montale Red Aoud come to mind) that apparently smells glorious on others but smells to me like rotting plastic with an artificial "nut" flavor sprayed on. Even worse - this note seems to avoid the most extreme scrubbing.

This has made me leery of perfumes that claim an "almond" note . Some smell like almond oil. Others have this weird note.
post #56 of 134
Shiseido Feminité du Bois smells like rotten fruit on me :0( Everyone else seems to love that fragrance.

Estée Lauder Private Collection reminds me of a certain insect killing spray from my exotic childhood in northern Sweden, probably something with DDT, forbidden nowadays. *yuk*
post #57 of 134
Miller Harris L'Air de Rien! Acckk. I tried a sample this morning on my wrist and w/in 5 minutes, Iwas scrubbing it off at the kitchen sink. I can still smeel faint traces of it 4 hr. later. Ugh - cloying, irritating, etc... I've got to find what these notes are so I can avoid them.

It is a shame - it has some great reviews.
post #58 of 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by tdi View Post

The worst on me.....

Calvin Klein Obsession=Garlic

Ava Luxe Shisa=Urine

Other than these two I have had decent luck with most fragrances.

Obsession really turned sour and manly on me all at the same time. I haven't worn it since.
post #59 of 134
Lancome Sikkim and Attraction
Armani Sensi and Code
Shiseido new Zen
YSL Cinema
post #60 of 134
Nothing so far, but i'll let you know when I do find something *Gloats*
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