What is it with older women and perfume?

[Ming]

Bear with me here for a sec...

So I was walking to the stairs yesterday from my car, and inadvertantly, I walked though a cloud of some woman's perfume trail. Mind you, there was no one standing there, but it smelled so strong that I felt my eyes water and started to feel a headache coming on. I think I may have even seen some paint from the parking lot lines peeling up...

Seriously though, this is something that I keep noticing. What's the deal with older women (because 99% of the time it's someone that could qualify as my grandmother) and wearing WAAAAY too much cheap, pungent perfume? I have a lot of respect for the elderly, and this isn't bashing them, I'm just wondering what's up with the seeming chemical warfare?

[FawkesFyre]

I don't notice it so much with older ppl, but just ppl in general who wear WAY too much perfume. I honestly think it has a lot to do with some ppl's body chemistry.

I say this with great tact but I think Dloe's mom is one of these sorts. We've talked about it before and he at least agrees with me. She at least wears a perfume I like, and actually wear myself but you'll nearly suffocate if you're in a car w/ her. But the thing is, I've seen her put on perfume, and its not like she pours it on like it smells...its very moderate.

Its really weird to see how strong a perfume is on one person v another.

My perfume seems to fade on me almost instantly...but others can smell it if they are close enough...like a hug. My mom is the same way.

Yet there must be some out there who like to be able to smell themselves all the time b/c they leave a trail wherever they go, and wherever they've been. Some make me gag they are so strong, or are so stinky.

Who knows...

[ScrumYummy]

I've heard that you're not supposed to spray perfume directly onto yourself--spray a cloud in front of you, then walk through it. That might be what these women are doing wrong.

[Ming]

Most of the time, I noticed (like I said before) that they were older women. I would think that by this time, they would have learned and/or someone would have said something.

But just to be fair and prove I am not biased towards anyone, there is actually another group that also does not know how to apply fragrance, and that is males anywhere in age from teens to probably late 20's early 30's. The other night UP and I were walking back to her apartment in Queens, and we were walking about 10-15 feet behind a particularly guido looking guy (more on that at a later time). Suffice it to say, we could both clearly smell whatever crap he was wearing. Fortunately, I've found that men's cologne (especially the crap that younger males wear) is not as nauseating as women's perfume. But it is annoying nonetheless.

Honestly, who finds that attractive?

[Shino]

They are trying to hide the "old" smell.

[Legend]

I've actually found this a -lot- more often in younger girls, particularly high-school age, though some college girls too. They -want- the smell to be so distinct everyone can smell it, I think, because it makes them feel special. They don't smell 'human' they smell like Raspberry-Kiwi-Lemon-Oranges!

...Though, admittedly, what I consider strong is probably very different from what others do. xD My mom's allergic to perfume, but can handle very light scents...so we're very scent-conscious in my household.

...Plus, I don't think anybody who's not right next to me should be able to smell -anything- off of me.

And yeah, old ladies will put on a ton of perfume too, but that may be cultural-- I know that back in Medieval Ages it was common to wear a ton of perfume because they didn't have deodorant, and a lot of Victorian age chicks carried around perfume boxes and stuff...I don't know that much about more modern culture, but it could be that in grandma's time, it was commonly acceptable to wear really strong scents, and grandma's not about to change it now!

[Ming]

[GAAZ]

My mom explained it to me that old women use a lot of perfume because they don't shower as much as they fear they will slip and die in the bathrub nekkid.

[Jaena]

I know if I wear certain scents, it comes off as this atrocious odor. That's why there is only one perfume I wear, because I found that it actually smells good on me, and don't feel like doing any more trial and error.

On a similar note, just plain body chemistry unaltered by perfume can cause huuuuuuuuge problems. I have had complaints at work because when I get nervous, I have a very distinct odor that I cannot smell. Also, when it gets too hot, I sweat, and then become self conscious abotu it, and guess what.... I get nervous. IT's a horrible cycle, and every single job I have had, I have come across this problem. Yet even I can smell the stupid woman who sits next to me and nothing ver gets said to her or probably even to her supervisor. (we're not allowed to wear perfume, or scented lotions or body sprays or cologne or anythign with a scent because of people with allergies and it being such a crowded cubie area with only half walls, otherwise i WOULD)

[Al the DLOE]

i get tired of people using so many scents period. the men's scents like axe are to cover the manly lower bathing frequency or buying into the commercials. older women are wearing so much cause no one really tells them they are doing too much or are too hard headed. i have a strong sense of smell since i have needed it to find where things are i am alergic to and survival namely that if i smell melons when i pick blackberries, there is a copperhead that is stressed/mad near me. i just am a fan of natural scents and prefer just basic clean smell w/o the masking of overscents with normal pheremones.