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Fragrance insults / back-handed compliments

post #1 of 48
5/3/11 at 10:24am
Thread Starter 
I'm sure this has been discussed before, but please if you feel like taking part tell me what insults (or what you construed as insults) have you had on any fragrance you have worn in the past?
I'll go first

'You stink very nice' - from a male friend when I wore Amarige
'Something smells like rotting vegetables around here' - from a male colleague when I wore Impulse Goddess body spray lol
'You smell like old copper coins' - from my boyfriend when I wore Rococo
'Ew, did you just spray something!?' - from my boss to a male colleague just after I sprayed Moschino by Moschino
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post #2 of 48
5/3/11 at 10:56am
"Something smells like cleaning products here, like Dettol", from a woman I was lunching with with my husband. I had recently applied Agent Provocateur, grr!
"That smells like cat pee", a tactful colleague after I sprayed CK One, lol, I gave the bottle away after that comment ;-P
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post #3 of 48
5/3/11 at 10:57am
Fortunately, I have yet to experience a reaction along those lines.

For my money, the one that takes the cake--as it were--is the comment a poster on another board received, wherein she was told that her perfume smelled like "butter and farts".

An extended discussion of this sort of thing, with BN guesses on the offending scent's identity and the correct answer, is here.

That one still cracks me up.
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post #4 of 48
5/3/11 at 11:51am
Thread Starter 
ROFL! Very funny posts, thanks for sharing
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post #5 of 48
5/3/11 at 12:25pm
I don't care what they tell ME... Most important is what I reply to THEM: to immediately get a cold...
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post #6 of 48
5/3/11 at 12:36pm
"You smell like a hippie" while wearing Green Valley
"Do you have a car air freshener in here (my office)?" while wearing Black Aoud
"Who is wearing sunblock?" while wearing Carnal Flower
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post #7 of 48
5/3/11 at 1:03pm
I just saw this thread, so, I'll re-post this little story which I first posted in the SotD-thread:

So, I got off from work, sprayed one spritz of Tonka Impériale in the air, and walked through the mist. No biggie!
One hour later I'm standing in line at the supermarket, when this woman infront of me says out loud:
'Oh, my! Those candles I'm buying sure stinks, they reek!'
I was like, yeah, well!
Then all of a sudden, she turns around, look me straight in the eyes, and say: 'No! It's you!'
... and starts laughing.

Tonka Impériale stinks?! Please, it's way better than any cheap juice she'd ever smelled before!
For once I hadn't overdone it, y'all know I like to be cloying, but, I wasn't today!
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post #8 of 48
5/3/11 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc View Post

I just saw this thread, so, I'll re-post this little story which I first posted in the SotD-thread:

So, I got off from work, sprayed one spritz of Tonka Impériale in the air, and walked through the mist. No biggie!
One hour later I'm standing in line at the supermarket, when this woman infront of me says out loud:
'Oh, my! Those candles I'm buying sure stinks, they reek!'
I was like, yeah, well!
Then all of a sudden, she turns around, look me straight in the eyes, and say: 'No! It's you!'
... and starts laughing.

Tonka Impériale stinks?! Please, it's way better than any cheap juice she'd ever smelled before!
For once I hadn't overdone it, y'all know I like to be cloying, but, I wasn't today!

What a story!Well, i haven't tried Tonka Imperiale even though i was given a sample from a dear basenoter..
i will wear it tomorrow and give you my honest opinion and impression on that one
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post #9 of 48
5/3/11 at 1:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sophi View Post

What a story!Well, i haven't tried Tonka Imperiale even though i was given a sample from a dear basenoter..
i will wear it tomorrow and give you my honest opinion and impression on that one

I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts, miss Sophi!
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post #10 of 48
5/3/11 at 1:43pm
No back-handed compliment comes to mind right now but that Kiss Of Death thread is hilarious! Right after I bought a bottle of a legendary Guerlain 5 star masterpiece (that shall remain nameless) someone mentioned in a review that they noticed a "wierd lettuce" note.

Now when I smell it I just keep picturing a nasty head of iceberg lettuce in plastic wrap.
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post #11 of 48
5/3/11 at 2:19pm
Similar thing happened also to me when wearing tuberose. I was wearing Beyond Love by Kilian and I was waiting in line to buy a cinema ticket when the girl behind me, after wondering for 10 minutes with load voice what it smells like, exclaimed:I know, it smells like Malibu and sunblock! Must be a cultural thing, in francophone countries sunblock smells like coconut.
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post #12 of 48
5/3/11 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc View Post

I just saw this thread, so, I'll re-post this little story which I first posted in the SotD-thread:

So, I got off from work, sprayed one spritz of Tonka Impériale in the air, and walked through the mist. No biggie!
One hour later I'm standing in line at the supermarket, when this woman infront of me says out loud:
'Oh, my! Those candles I'm buying sure stinks, they reek!'
I was like, yeah, well!
Then all of a sudden, she turns around, look me straight in the eyes, and say: 'No! It's you!'
... and starts laughing.

Tonka Impériale stinks?! Please, it's way better than any cheap juice she'd ever smelled before!
For once I hadn't overdone it, y'all know I like to be cloying, but, I wasn't today!

Dear Duckie- that woman was just terribly rude . Extraordinarily rude. Oh my, she's lucky it was not me she insulted.

My sister is the one who always hates my perfume but that's OK. Mostly I get " God I hate that perfume " - it's the usual I've had over the years and I just laugh.
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post #13 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:03pm
Oh, god. This is not really a back-handed compliment story, it's more of a humiliation story! Nevertheless, I will tell it. Last spring I was out shopping. I went into a public restroom, as you do, and reapplied L'Heure Bleue. I then walked into Monsoon, picked out some clothes, and sauntered into the fitting room. I'd lost some weight, I was feeling pretty, I felt pretty good about myself!

So I'm in my cubicle, and this woman walks in. She sounded maybe twenty years older than me. And she gives this really loud SNIFF and says to the sales assistant, "Do you have any air freshener? Something really smells in here." And the SA gave this really significant pause before saying, "I'm sorry, we don't." And then the woman produces a bottle of her own perfume, and she sprays it liberally around the whole fitting room! I think it was Oriens, which I have nothing against, really, it's perfectly pleasant. And the SA said, "Oooh, now that smells lovely!"

And that was when I DIED with embarrassment, and it was even worse when I had to walk out of the fitting room in front of them both. I mean, I kept my head up and I managed not to blush, but it was humiliating! I haven't been able to wear L'Heure Bleue in public since.
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post #14 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:04pm
There is the classic, "You smell like an old lady." I never got it, and I wear stuff older than my late grandmother. I've gotten "cat pee" wearing Nikki de St. Phalle. The best backhanded compliment was "That's too powdery for me." Last but not least was one I read who knows where about an Etat Libre perfume. "Well, here's your chance to smell like Satan's own monkeyrag!"
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post #15 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:09pm
Most recently...

"You smell like a toilet" said by my perfumista friend while wearing L'artisan Fleur d'Oranger, at which I replied, "It didn't smell that way to you when you tried it at my house you douche!" LOL
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post #16 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:09pm
Although it was not said to me directly, another person's comment about how L'Air de Rien smells like dirty hair just ruined it for me... I haven't worn it since, which is a real pity, since I loved it and had bought 3 bottles! I resold the backup bottles.
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post #17 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cazaubon View Post

Although it was not said to me directly, another person's comment about how L'Air de Rien smells like dirty hair just ruined it for me... I haven't worn it since, which is a real pity, since I loved it and had bought 3 bottles! I resold the backup bottles.

Oh dear, I hope it wasn't one of my posts on Basenotes.......... if it was, I apologise !
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post #18 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:21pm
No, it was someone on POL. :-)
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post #19 of 48
5/3/11 at 4:31pm
All cases of limited vocabulary for sure. In truth, all japanese people do not look the same, and master of puppets doesn't sound like moonlight sonata.
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post #20 of 48
5/3/11 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emlynevermore View Post

For my money, the one that takes the cake--as it were--is the comment a poster on another board received, wherein she was told that her perfume smelled like "butter and farts".

An extended discussion of this sort of thing, with BN guesses on the offending scent's identity and the correct answer, is here.

Lol, Emlynevermore - I can't believe you found/posted that old thread, but it was fun to revisit it ...I sure was chatty back then! I have yet to even sample the infamous "b&f" fragrance, although I love the house - I guess I still haven't managed to unring that smelly bell!

cazaubon - L'Air de Rien was meant to smell like hair, specifically Jane Birkin's brother Andrew's hair (so "dirty" is implied.) That promptly turned me off of that one, too!

The last non-complimentary comment I received about my fragrance was from a woman at a holiday party who asked if I was wearing perfume. When I responded (too enthusiastically, thinking she knows it or likes it and we would then commence a friendly conversation about it) "Yes, I am...!" she replied plainly, "I thought so." Well ...hmph! I think my husband and I were the only people there wearing fragrance, and we smelled divine!
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post #21 of 48
5/3/11 at 5:40pm
Someone told me I "must have nice b.o." I can't remember what the fragrance was.
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post #22 of 48
5/3/11 at 5:51pm
once in a while some ladies would go "why do you always smell so nice?" when i wear Heritage (EDT) and Egoiste

When i wear Black Orchid, my assistant manager who is a woman who rarely uses perfume would comment "you perfume is REALLY strong today and its giving a headache". So if she does get to my nerves, i know what to do :P

Another colleague claims that my scent gives him a headache when i approach him wearing Guerlain Vertiver. But he says Encre Noire is nice to him!

And oh yet another colleague ran out of the room when i sprayed kouros on a piece of paper in my department. hehehe
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post #23 of 48
5/3/11 at 10:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sophi View Post

What a story!Well, i haven't tried Tonka Imperiale even though i was given a sample from a dear basenoter..
i will wear it tomorrow and give you my honest opinion and impression on that one

What are you waiting for!!! Its outstanding.

No negative comments in the Arab world because perfume is deeply rooted in the history here.
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post #24 of 48
5/3/11 at 11:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

What are you waiting for!!! Its outstanding.

Thank you for the samples i am wearing tonka imp. today
Personally ,i don't wear a perfume for the name....if i like ,i wear it
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post #25 of 48
5/3/11 at 11:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sophi View Post

Thank you for the samples i am wearing tonka imp. today
Personally ,i don't wear a perfume for the name....if i like ,i wear it

So how do you like it? Its a bit too sweet right?
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post #26 of 48
5/4/11 at 1:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

So how do you like it? Its a bit too sweet right?

http://www.basenotes.net/threads/276...t=#post2160340
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post #27 of 48
5/4/11 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc View Post

For once I hadn't overdone it, y'all know I like to be cloying, but, I wasn't today!

I don't generally subscribe to this sort of thing, Duc, but I believe that may be the Universe's way of saying that, in your case, if less is more, then more is awesome.
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post #28 of 48
5/4/11 at 7:22am
I know i shouldn't have worn this perfume to the gym ( Evresse ) but I just put on a tiny bit. This guy comes walking in and says something about an exterminater must have been here to spray for bugs. Well I don't wear that to the gym anymore, but i still love it.
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post #29 of 48
5/4/11 at 9:01am
I opened my bag at a bar to pay for my drink and some idiot says (pointing at my purse): "it smells like a tart's purse" I was more than ready to dump the $8 drink on him, but then I'd feel that was just an impulse reaction I would later regret, also not worth dumping $8 on that douche bag... he wanted my attention why would I concede it to him? I would also end up looking like a guidette... AND I know my purse smells amazing, not like a 'tart's' purse (I had my Kelly Caleche bottle in there) All that stuff goes through the head of this lady in a split second... I just ignored him, didn't even deserve a dirty look from me.

One time I went to work and it was a really cold, gray, dark day, I wore Nu by YSL and some dumb chick at work told me - in a despective manner - 'girl! you smell like a man' ... me: (?!) THAT comment coming from someone who smells like cheap drugstore parfum de toilette de cat piss.
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post #30 of 48
5/4/11 at 9:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mel_lou View Post

Oh, god. This is not really a back-handed compliment story, it's more of a humiliation story! Nevertheless, I will tell it. Last spring I was out shopping. I went into a public restroom, as you do, and reapplied L'Heure Bleue. I then walked into Monsoon, picked out some clothes, and sauntered into the fitting room. I'd lost some weight, I was feeling pretty, I felt pretty good about myself!

So I'm in my cubicle, and this woman walks in. She sounded maybe twenty years older than me. And she gives this really loud SNIFF and says to the sales assistant, "Do you have any air freshener? Something really smells in here." And the SA gave this really significant pause before saying, "I'm sorry, we don't." And then the woman produces a bottle of her own perfume, and she sprays it liberally around the whole fitting room! I think it was Oriens, which I have nothing against, really, it's perfectly pleasant. And the SA said, "Oooh, now that smells lovely!"

And that was when I DIED with embarrassment, and it was even worse when I had to walk out of the fitting room in front of them both. I mean, I kept my head up and I managed not to blush, but it was humiliating! I haven't been able to wear L'Heure Bleue in public since.

LOL!

You just keep on wearing your Guerlains! Some people cannot appreciate the scent of the classics as they only know what is shoved under their noses in department stores: candified, fruity florals not even fit for a 10-year-old. In other words, scents that are not made for a real woman.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azahar View Post

I opened my bag at a bar to pay for my drink and some idiot says (pointing at my purse): "it smells like a tart's purse" I was more than ready to dump the $8 drink on him, but then I'd feel that was just an impulse reaction I would later regret, also not worth dumping $8 on that douche bag... he wanted my attention why would I concede it to him? I would also end up looking like a guidette... AND I know my purse smells amazing, not like a 'tart's' purse (I had my Kelly Caleche bottle in there) All that stuff goes through the head of this lady in a split second... I just ignored him, didn't even deserve a dirty look from me.

One time I went to work and it was a really cold, gray, dark day, I wore Nu by YSL and some dumb chick at work told me - in a despective manner - 'girl! you smell like a man' ... me: (?!) THAT comment coming from someone who smells like cheap drugstore parfum de toilette de cat piss.

LOL! I would have replied with a smile,"OK, so what's you point?" Your comeback was priceless.
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post #31 of 48
5/8/11 at 1:24pm
A double back-hander while wearing First by Van Cleef and Arpels. As such;

'I never thought someone like you would wear something like that. Very old lady.'

(Me) 'What do you mean 'someone like me?'

(colleague, 22 years old) 'oh, you're thrity aren't you? Well I suppose that's alright then.'


I had to laugh.....
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post #32 of 48
5/8/11 at 1:25pm
Obviously I meant 'thirty', not 'thrity'!
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post #33 of 48
5/8/11 at 1:49pm
  • kbe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rizack View Post

I know i shouldn't have worn this perfume to the gym ( Evresse ) but I just put on a tiny bit. This guy comes walking in and says something about an exterminater must have been here to spray for bugs. .

"Ah, yes.. I immediately noticed your faceted eyes betraying a RAID-Panic. Besides the bug-dance do we get to see you blow up too?"
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post #34 of 48
5/8/11 at 3:15pm
Last time we had class I sat next to a girl I don't normally. I wore L'heure bleue edp only one spritz...But it didn't seem to miss her attention non the less!She kept sniffing and commenting out loud "what is that SMELL".I suggested it might be my perfume, but then she said : " no,it's not perfume".Then she made a total scene and commented how ill she felt,she eventually left. Said she felt sick! I've never had such a rude and "dramaqueen" response to any of my scents. Even my allergic dad doesn't act that way!
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post #35 of 48
5/8/11 at 3:40pm
Perhaps a heretofore-unacknowledged subset of the Norwegian population is allergic to ineffable beauty?
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post #36 of 48
5/8/11 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emlynevermore View Post

Perhaps a heretofore-unacknowledged subset of the Norwegian population is allergic to ineffable beauty?

Must be I was actually shocked that L'heure bleue could cause such a reaction. To me it's quite ladylike and nothing but pretty. Maybe if I had worn MKK or maybe even Dzing! I might have understood her reaction more
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post #37 of 48
5/9/11 at 3:40am
Fendi Uomo - "This smells like unshaved, unkempt, boorish, sweaty old men" (I guess I told this hundreds of times before, but it still remains funny)
Cerutti 1881 Amber -"You slightly over-applied, but it's ok, men simply need to mark their territory" (I was like "?!")
My entire fragrance wardrobe, as an overall impression and according to various opinions (mostly from ladies, the men seemed less disturbed or at least less willing to utter any opinion) "Your fragrances are way too heavy, too Oriental, I like far lighter, more aquatic scents, which truly smell more youthful" (while my fragrance wardrobe, in spite of all powerhouse, chypre, leathery scents, also has its fair share of aquatic, gourmand, casual, powdery, even floral and fruity male and unisex frags)
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post #38 of 48
5/9/11 at 9:12am
Well, as a previous poster noted about her man, my SO has the ability to smell what's bad inside of what's good, on top of having a very sensitive sense of smell. He's not super-bothered by bad smells, he's the one who sniffs the milk to see if it's bad, the mayonnaise, the cat, etc., and he does like the jasmine when it's blooming, will smell plants and flowers and enjoy the smells.

But in the perfumes, all he smells is whatever smells bad to him, so almost all get a bad reaction - a compliment is "that is not strong" or "that doesn't stink" or "not too bad", I do not think there has ever been an actual mmm.

But the worst reaction of all was to Im Nebel; an alarmed race to the bathroom because he thought there was an electical fire. It did have a burning rubber note, that I could not smell at all in the beginning but in a couple of hours was strong and unpleasant enough that I did have to wash it off. But out of that whole perfume that was what was shouting at him in the first minute.
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post #39 of 48
5/9/11 at 12:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken_Russell View Post

Fendi Uomo - "This smells like unshaved, unkempt, boorish, sweaty old men" (I guess I told this hundreds of times before, but it still remains funny)
Cerutti 1881 Amber -"You slightly over-applied, but it's ok, men simply need to mark their territory" (I was like "?!")
My entire fragrance wardrobe, as an overall impression and according to various opinions (mostly from ladies, the men seemed less disturbed or at least less willing to utter any opinion) "Your fragrances are way too heavy, too Oriental, I like far lighter, more aquatic scents, which truly smell more youthful" (while my fragrance wardrobe, in spite of all powerhouse, chypre, leathery scents, also has its fair share of aquatic, gourmand, casual, powdery, even floral and fruity male and unisex frags)

Fendi Uomo is amazing! One of my fave male fragrances ever... I tend to have my sniff radar on when I go out to night clubs/discos, bars, etc... and I all I ever catch is whiffs of cologne that they all smell the same to me most men my age seem to smell of the same handful of colognes, quite possibly the most popular stuff at the moment. Rather uninteresting... and some of them over apply too. I also prefer leather than citrus.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin-in-FL View Post

But in the perfumes, all he smells is whatever smells bad to him, so almost all get a bad reaction - a compliment is "that is not strong" or "that doesn't stink" or "not too bad", I do not think there has ever been an actual mmm.

I'm sorry I had a b/f like that too... sometimes he'd say: 'just don't wear any perfume, it's better that way' better for you, not for me! argh...
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post #40 of 48
5/13/11 at 8:15am
Malle Bois d'Orage was my SOTD and one coworker entered the room and said: I think they cleaned the office with AJAX...
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post #41 of 48
5/13/11 at 5:06pm
Wow, what a great thread to read!

I have a story like that. I really ODed on Tolu that day, and came to a large meeting. people started gathering, and one lady started smelling and walking about, mumbling, "It really smells like perfume in here, someone is wearing perfume, not too strong, but I am really sensitive". She walked around and sat on the other side of me, maybe just a little bit further. I have to say I was embarrassed and now try to watch my spritzes even more!
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post #42 of 48
5/13/11 at 6:02pm
I've heard:

BO= Pamplelune
Baby Wipes= Kenzo Flower
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post #43 of 48
5/14/11 at 5:37pm
Smells like Baby Powder, smells nice =.= **face palm** I clearly smell quality Vanilla
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post #44 of 48
5/14/11 at 10:52pm
i came back to the office(bank) after spraying myself down with pink sugar(have no idea what prompted that).......well everyone cmmented in the office and not one of them had anything good to say.......the most unique comment was from a fellow banker - "you smell like a pedophile's den during a heat wave"
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post #45 of 48
5/14/11 at 10:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Azahar View Post

Fendi Uomo is amazing! One of my fave male fragrances ever... I tend to have my sniff radar on when I go out to night clubs/discos, bars, etc... and I all I ever catch is whiffs of cologne that they all smell the same to me most men my age seem to smell of the same handful of colognes, quite possibly the most popular stuff at the moment. Rather uninteresting... and some of them over apply too. I also prefer leather than citrus.



I'm sorry I had a b/f like that too... sometimes he'd say: 'just don't wear any perfume, it's better that way' better for you, not for me! argh...

i agree...i like fendi uomo alot.
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post #46 of 48
5/15/11 at 10:09am
Vetiver de Guerlain previous formulation: Do you smell something musty?
Lutens Gris Clair: I smell an electrical fire...
B*Men: Smells like burnt rubber!
Kiehl's Pour Homme Essence: You smell like a priest! (LOL!)
Jaipur Homme: You smell like baked goods! (I have no problem with this compliment...)

Those that get on my nerves are the people who know nothing about scents and will compliment you on a scent and the next time will criticize you for the same scent!
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post #47 of 48
5/15/11 at 10:14am
"You smell terrible" -ex-girlfriend re: Fahrenheit
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post #48 of 48
5/16/11 at 4:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renaissance_Man View Post

Lutens Gris Clair: you smell like an electrical fire...

I'd turn to her and say: Hell YEAH I do, beibe!



Quote:
Originally Posted by acceptfacts View Post

i came back to the office(bank) after spraying myself down with pink sugar(have no idea what prompted that).......well everyone cmmented in the office and not one of them had anything good to say.......the most unique comment was from a fellow banker - "you smell like a pedophile's den during a heat wave"

How the hell does he/she know what a pedo's den smells like after a heat wave?!
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