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Perfumes...yuck! They stink!

Unfortunately, I am severely allergic to most perfumes. One of the elements in perfume bases is an extract from a species of grass. My other allergies are fairly mild. Not this one. Can't tell you how many times I've had to get up and change seats on a subway or bus because the lady next to me was gagging me in her noxious cloud.

Yeah, and this includes ESPECIALLY the cheaper scents they put in soaps, shampoos and air fresheners!

I used to like Elizabeth Arden Bluegrass, but they no longer make it. I have a small vial of a floral scent from the Bermuda Perfumeries that I can tolerate, but I rarely wear it. I think it's jasmine based. Have to go check.

I never ever wore perfumes until I met Steve. I had a sandlewood oil from the Body Shop, and that was it. Then he comes to visit me in Texas last year, and brings Must II by Cartier, which I loved.

My absolute favorites.... "Noa Fleur" by Cacharel - I've only worn it twice, love how it smells on me, and am saving to wear it for the wedding.
As for my other favorites - some of the ones Steve said, plus Dior Addict, Bvlgari - Omnia.... I do have three flowery ones that I love... Light Blue, by Dolce&Gabana, Flowers by Kenzo and "Eternity Moment" by Calvin Clein.

Steve really spoils me on the perfume front.

Phew. Until Sunsilver posted I thought I was alone. I used to wear perfume sometimes but since I've been with Din I don't wear any perfume at all. He hates it with a passion - it makes him sneeze and feel sick in close confinement and I think the aversion is rubbing off. It's the real cheap alcohol smell that hits you as you pass someone in the street that gets me gagging.

So my only hope is essential oils in bath products and lotions, which thankfully don't linger quite so strongly on the skin. Thank goodness for Lush.

I've never liked perfumes or unnatural scents of any sort. But, after reading the aromatherapy thread, I'm going to get some essential oils and see if those are nice.

Leoba wrote:

Phew. Until Sunsilver posted I thought I was alone. I used to wear perfume sometimes but since I've been with Din I don't wear any perfume at all. He hates it with a passion - it makes him sneeze and feel sick in close confinement and I think the aversion is rubbing off. It's the real cheap alcohol smell that hits you as you pass someone in the street that gets me gagging.

I didn't ever notice that smell until Steve started insisting on getting me parfums (no alcohol in them). I bought a cheap Body Shop perfume at one point, and just couldn't wear it cause all I could smell was the alcohol - kind of upset me, cause in high school and my first years of college, it had been my favorite perfume. Now when I wear something that has alcohol in it - like an eau de toilette - it stings my skin. I either have to spray it on my clothes, or not wear it at all.

I think I'll always prefer oils though - the smell lasts longer, but is a lot more subtle, and it never bites the nose or stings the skin.

Sunsilver, I know that your mind won't be on this thread, but if you read this - I've seen a shop today that sells Elizabeth Arden's Blue Grass at discount prices (maybe they're liquidating stock?), so if you would like to PM me your snail mail address, I could send you a couple of bottles.

I saw the poster while I was waiting for the bus, remembered reading this today and thought it was an amazing coincidence...

Hehehehe Estel, and I never owned any perfume until you got that one for me...whatsitcalled...I haven't had the courage to put any on though.

I always thought perfume was so...superfluous. and EXPENSIVE!

Complaints about myself: Hair. I don't have it. Upper body. I don't have it. If my entire body was built like my legs are, I'd be as happy as a pig in slop, I tell ya. My calves and thighs are really cut, always have been.

And I hate, hate, HATE my teeth. They're so cotton picking soft, they're crooked because I was stupid and didn't wear my retainers after braces (that plus the fact I've had two knocked out) and being that I smoke they're getting really yellow.

I have some scars on my face (anyone who met me at the ph00t probably wouldn't even know what I'm talking about, they're not that noticable). Wish that wasn't the case.

Again with the hair. I started balding at fifteen, and it's driven me nuts for the past ten years now. My wife, on the other hand, LOVES the fact that I'm balding and in the beginning stages of going grey at twenty-five. My father is a very attractive bald man and being that I look exactly like him I know I've nothing to worry about, but the inbetween stages I've been experiencing forever now REALLY bother me. I simply can't do anything with my hair except shave it bald to be stylish. It bugs me.

Despite these flaws I find in myself, I know that most people consider me attractive. It's just that when I think about these particular things I become quite upset.

Weight. It always comes down to weight. We're either too thin or too fat. In my case I tend towards the "too heavy". At one stage (after quitting smoking) I got very overweight but I managed to get it back under control. I'm still heavier than I should be, but not unhealthily so. It's the only thing that bothers me about my looks. I'm very average, but I'm ok with that. I'm 6ft tall exactly, so neither short nor tall. Dark hair (now greying), Glasses and more often than not a beard. Like I said, if I could lose the beer belly I'd be quite content. It's not just the looks, it's also hard on the back and affects my hobby (Theatre). I hate missing out on a role cause I'm too fat. Bugs the hell out of me.

Cheers,
Alatar

I hear you, Alatar. Weight gain, the curse of the actor.

I'm in the "hates perfume"camp, much for the same reasons Leoba says Din doesn't like it. Makes me sneeze, feel sick, and get dizzy, especially in close quarters. And if there's so much in the air that I can taste it I start choking. Not fun. I do use soaps and shampoos with a light floral scent, but the scent is light and they get rinsed off.

I don't wear make-up either. Every time I try I look and/or feel cheap. I have no idea why, because so many other women do the make-up thing and look great. :/

As far as weight goes, I just stay away from scales. Nothing ruins my day like weighing myself. I'm athletic, so I'm heavier than I look and it's just so frustrating, especially if my boyfriend asks me how much I weigh and I being honestly tell him and he gets all shocked and asks me if I'm trying to lose the weight and I say no note really because then I'll be cold and hungry all the time and he insists I won't and I insist I will because it's my body and I've been down this road many times before....

Griff - that's you in the avatar right? You look pretty good to me - give yourself some credit girl!

River, the only reason I never participated in judo tournaments was because I couldn't stand the idea of them announcing my weight when I stepped onto the mat!

That, and the fact that most women get stuck together in the same catagories, regardless of weight and rank, such that I would feel like I was abusing a scrawny teenager!

That's awful that your boyfriend is asking you to lose weight! Have you ever had one of those body fat percentage tests done? You probably have a surprisingly low percentage, whatever you actually weigh.

In Shotokan karate there were no weight classes. We got divvied up by rank only. And man did I see some wild match-ups....

I'd be more annoyed with my boyfriend except 1) he doesn't harass me about my weight that often and 2) he's trying to lose a few pounds himself. If he gets too irritating I can make him stop.

I've gone through several stages of reactions to the type of insecurities that women show over their looks. First it was an indulgent 'ah you silly thing'. Then it became a sort of impatience 'Are you being deliberately blind or obtuse?' But it didn't take me too long to get distressed at the deep seated anguish that you see displayed.
Men or women who insult women for their looks are consciously or un consciously bullies. There is a whole subsection of journalism devoted to it.
Ber is right though, it seems to be bound up with a woman's consciousness and seems to surface in all sorts of cultures. What to do about it? I don't know. Decent men saying honestly how they appreciate women in general or their own loved one in particular doesn't seem to do the trick. I think one way is to think carefully about who you are and creating self respect but that is so hard for young people generally who are often confused about their emerging adult identity. Some women like wearing make up and all the rituals that go with it and some women don't or like a natural look. As a man, I like both sorts of women. And I have no problem with body hair wherever it appears (nor it's unexpected absence ) I'm not a huge fan of plastic clones though and the porn star look makes me want to run a mile.
Finally I'd like to pick up on Leoba's jokey reference to a nude moot though. I spend time during the good weather at the local naturist beach and I recommend it as a way of feeling relaxed about body image. Even 70 year olds look better with no clothes on. There are people there with amputations, mastectomies, overweight and underweight, plain and glamorous all confident and relaxed with one another. It is a very liberating feeling, connected I think to the fact that you don't have to apologise for your body. The opposite to being accidentally discovered undressed and covering up desperately as in a farce as if you had done something wrong.

You guys think you've got problems! (you don't, I've seen photos ). At least you're the same size all over... My top half is an eight and my arse is a twelve. It's okay but annoying until I want to buy a dress. I feel like a big triangle!

And I'm just being silly. I know I am. But I was in denial when I said I was being silly. No, now you're in denial! Shut up! You're just bouncing this back at me! How do you know it's me doing it? What, do you want to look like that woman you were cutting out of Elle this morning? Bet she gets paid a damn sight more than you will ever make. But she's hideous! But you can't see any of your bones! You're a blob! That's not what Kaiba said! Kaiba is an arsehole. Yes, but he has good taste in women. Liar. He gets more girls than I do guys. You know you could have his girlfriend if you wanted to... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that! You know it's true! LALALALALA...

*~Pips~*

Pippin4242 wrote:

You guys think you've got problems! (you don't, I've seen photos ). At least you're the same size all over... My top half is an eight and my arse is a twelve. It's okay but annoying until I want to buy a dress. I feel like a big triangle!

There are other people like you Pips. I have the same problem. I can never find a dress that fits me unless the skirt is quite full. Otherwise it fits at the top but is way too tight around my butt and hips or fits around the butt but is baggy at the top. At least you're an eight and a 12 and not larger like me!

Riverthalos - yep, that is me in my avatar ... but I stand with what I said! And I just want to agree with you that I don't like wearing make-up ( and if fact don't! ) because it makes me feel cheap. Riddle my why. I think it has to do with my basic honesty, or something like that. Make-up doesn't feel honest, or something.

Riverthalos wrote:

Griff - that's you in the avatar right? You look pretty good to me - give yourself some credit girl!

Amen to that. Well, actually not really, because pretty good doesn't quite cut it.

The little avatar picture doesn't do her justice at all. I have the bigger version, and Griff is beautiful. I don't just say things like this either, I honestly mean it.

And if you disagree, Griff, then you'll just have to call me a liar.

Well, what's a girl to say to that?

I can't call you something you aren't, Faramond, and therefore I have to believe that you called me something I am.

Indeed.