"Fragrant but unfit" - what activities have you ditched since discovering perfume?

Ugh, I hear ya. I have totally stopped sailing my sailboats. Mostly because I broke the gooseneck of my boom a few months ago, which put a crimp in my sailing. It's a lot more expensive to have a special piece forged than to spend the money on perfume. So, now I sail other people's sailboats, which doesn't happen very often.

I did manage to wear perfume *and* go sailing yesterday. And today, I'll be wearing perfume (Imperial Opoponax) while scraping paint and caulking. So, it's all good. But I'm definitely not as fit as I was last year this time.

This is one of the most brilliant new topics to arise. And you wrote so cleverly and honestly.

Certainly my fitness has suffered. In some ways I've ignored my family, but then again, if gives me something to talk about with DH when we're together, and he's clearly joined in the fun of wearing fragrances. I could have been doing more landscaping and gardening, but now I figure DH will get around to assuming all of those responsibilities once he finishes our renovation projects next year.

With all that said, I am still a better person for perfume--or, more accurately, for the whole experience of perfume and online communications with Basenotables. (Hey, I like that word!)

Saving money.

Kidding...

Spot on for me, and I'm not kidding! I have noticed that I've been spending much less on clothes, however.

I also have been reading less fiction and more perfume reviews/websites. It's time I turn around and start saving money and reading more books (I miss reading). But I'll still keep coming to Basenotes daily to see what everyone is up to, what's new. Really, I think all the news and info I need can be found here. And you guys are just so much fun!

I actually *love* the smell of perfume wafting up off my skin as I work out in the gym. I'm not a gym rat, but due to a health issue, have recently become much more active.

I noticed that when I work out after the office - the fragrance I've had on my skin all day gets reactivated by the heat and perspiration. I'll be sitting there on the stationary bike, plugging away, and all of a sudden the most delicious smells waft up from my arm. This is especially true for the perfumes with notable staying power - Ambre Sultan, Habit Rouge, Heritage, Bel Ami, etc.

Given the stale sour smell of my gym, I may refresh my fragrance before hitting the machines

Teddius

I'd say ironing is a thing of the past and gardening is going on autopilot.

Ha-hah, brilliant new thread. Very apt.
I like to think that this semi-new (for me) hobby keeps me SANE.
Relatively anyway, but then everything is relative.
I do enjoy the sensory aspects, the analysis, and now the chat.
Long may it continue!
Still havin' fun...

Great question! I am spending less $$ on groceries, but as far as time spent??? I still manage to keep up with my other activities. I am not sure I keep my mind on them as well, though, because I am constantly wanting to run to my computer and shop for scents online.

Great thread, VM! I have pretty limited leisure time, so this new passion has pushed some other favorite activities at least partially to the side for now. These include doing the daily NYT crossword puzzles, reading fiction, and following politics (I'm feeling a little guilty about the latter, though I do know for whom I will vote). And yes, to be honest, exercising (though that's not on my list of favorite activities - LOL).

I have a maid so... housework should be fine, even though sometimes I do some of it too.

And I'm lazy by nature, I didn't have to discover perfume to be lazy. :P

None really, although working on perfumes can take a considerable amount of time testing them, sniffing, jotting down notes, and just being introspective and contemplative about the process. When I wear a perfume, unless I'm writing a review, I just enjoy its presence. I still play guitar as much as I ever did, go the gym more, and have just started participating in running races, and occasionally do a bit of hobbiest programming. I won't let any of my hobbies overtake others that I enjoy, and I freely take time away from any hobby that I get a bit burnt out on, as it tends to happen because I get obsessive with them (in cycles.)

Perfume is the easiest hobby, imo, to avoid clashing with others, as for the most part you can just spritz it on and enjoy it - it needn't take much time or thought away from your daily activities - but then on those lazy or contemplative days, you can wear a scent and just dissect it from start to finish and have a deeper understanding of it so that you can more fully enjoy it on the next wearing. That's actually one reason I don't want a huge wardrobe - I like to get to know my scents inside and out so that the few I own are all "close friends" and not mere acquaintances.

I think that we all go through phases. Over the years, I've had many time-consuming passions.

For my fragrance addiction, I distinctly remember giving up:
- salsa-dancing, I used to go twice a week
- working on stained glass and leaded glass projects (I have a mini-studio in my basement, everything is gathering dust)
- watching TV (I now do not watch TV other than for special events)
- posting to non-fragrance sites
- real home cooking (now we just do the frozen stuff and re-heat leftovers)
- activities with my kids (this worked both ways, now that they are more grown, they rely on me less)

Interestingly, what I didn't give up was:
- cycling, as I'm still a very avid cyclist, but only in summer
- taking loving care of my poochies (I now have three of them)

Life is now boring, but boy, do I smell nice! I can also recognize scents and know more about perfumes than the average perfume SA.

Dear VM - I too, am trying to achieve some balance and I think that it just comes and goes. I spend less time on fragrance sites, but always come back to Basenotes! I have plans on making another beautiful tiffany stained glass lamp this winter. This should take up some time during the long dreary nights.

I completely know where you're coming
from with this!!!

When I initially 'got into' fragrances
that was probably the case with me too.
I spent less $$$ on everything else and more
on fragrance purchases.

However, it seems as thought I've come
out of that stage - somehow.

Now, I only purchase fragrances
I really, really, really want, so once again
there's more $$$ and time left for investing
in my yoga classes and workshops.

I no longer measure the cost of everything in
how many bottles of fragrance I could have purchased
for it - and believe you me, I used to LOL!

I still love to be fragrant, but being fit is more important!
To the yoga studio I try to either go scent-free or stick
with a dab or two of something like Ava Luxe Sacred,
No. 23, or Shisha.

I don't spend much money, even on fragrance. I only work sporadically as a substitute teacher right now so I'd feel too guilty spending extravagant amounts of Hubby's hard earned cash on perfume. But proportionately, pretty much my entire income is spent on my fragrance hobby. Money isn't the issue here with me so much as time spent online reading about and shopping for perfume. Even if I decide not to purchase, I can still while an entire day away doing this. Activities I'd like to spend more time on again: reading, professional development (necessary), arts & craftsy things like crochet and making bead jewelry, gardening, bike riding and walking, experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. Just about everything else I like to do, basically. I'm glad you brought this up because it strengthens my resolve - temporarily anyway.

oh...where to begin.....

Since becoming a perfume junkie...I have almost abandoned the other 'Net sites I used to haunt - mostly about reading/literature - because I spend my time reading on perfume-related sites. I still enjoy reading books, and I read daily, but my time on the 'Net surfing "literature" sites has dropped off dramatically.

Chiming in on the comment by Teddius about the enjoyment of fragrance at the gym and the comment about cycling.....
I cycle whenever the weather permits (winter is impossible of course), and in the last several months I've enjoyed a couple of comments from fellow bicyclists who have commented that my "draft" is lovely to smell - Yeah!! - along the lines of -- "I want to ride behind Lorien because she smells really good!" [grin]
I try to get to the gym two or three times a week, and so far, a couple of people have mentioned that "it smells good over here" when they've been next to me.
(I'm a lady of "a certain age", so my cycling and gym efforts are not of the Olympian variety - but at least I'm making a continuing effort.)

I've always been a dedicated shopper - I love clothes, shoes, handbags, make-up, etc. - and I still love all those things and shopping for them, but I've noticed that I've cut down dramatically on buying so that I have some money left for perfumes. However, the economy (yuck) is making me even more careful, lately. It's good to know that I've amassed a fairly sizeable collection so that I'm secure in the knowledge that I'll be smelling wonderful for many, many years.

What activities have we ditched? OK, I'll be the first to say it: on more than one occasion I *may* have put aside WORKING in favor of perfume.

However, I try not to get too down on myself since I seem to get a lot accomplished while still procrastinating on perfume websites.

for those who like literature with their fragrances, check out the "poetic scents" thread on the men's side!
Cheers,

ha ha ha ha! This thread made me laugh, but then - oh dear - I realised it was the accuracy that I was laughing at. I'm not the most houseproud person in the world, so I still do my chores as reluctantly as ever, but the things I've probably cut back on most are clothes and shoes. Though I think that might be because my interest has coincided with a move to Switerland where the clothes shopping is way more expensive and less interesting than I'm used to. (Also, they don't do so many of the erm, chunky sizes I require.) So I have one or two big buying sessions a year but think more about what I really need, rather than frittering money away. But I do find myself thinking in terms of 'that top costs as much as a decant of...' oh dear.

So for me it's been more budgetary constraint than anything else. I have diverted my spending from books, clothes, handbags and cosmetics to perfumes. Though I will admit that I don't read many news websites anymore and it did take me a bit longer than expected to knit that sweater for my daughter, everything else pretty much goes on as usual. I think. Am I in denial?

As for physical activities, my favourite is skiing and I had a few good goes last winter. I favour a 'warming' incensy scent for skiing, like Black Cashmere or Nu. (Though with its Ralgex topnote I maybe should be wearing Midnight Poison.) I like to get a little waft when I open my jacket and I can burrow my nose down for a whiff in an attempt to compensate for the fug of sweaty bodies and cigarette smoke crammed into a big cable car. (I swear I saw Karl Lagerfeld in a cablecar last year, but I don't think he'd have been skiing in the downmarket place I was in. Made me grin, anyway.)

I've been moving house recently and although I haven't worn makeup for weeks, have mislaid my moisturiser and seem to be living in the same half dozen scabby old t-shirts, I have worn perfume every day. Yes, maybe it's denial.

I love my public library. You can read for free, you just need the time.

Working, period.

It's done wonders for my love life, though

I traded in 28 years of smoking