in highschool and college i wore mostly shalimar....definitely not my age. all of a sudden when i was about 23 my nose or chemistry (or both) completely changed. instead of smelling like lemon vanilla cookies in your grandmother's kitchen, it was more like smoke and rubber with some baby powder thrown in. i found l'instant de guelerain last year and i think it's a little more appropriate for a nearly 25 year old. mostly vanilla and flowers, but still sophisticated (i hope). i get a lot more compliments on this one than i ever did with shalimar....but i wore shalimar for ME. it always made me feel like a woman who shared a secret with a century of sophisticated ladies. i miss it a lot.
Do you smell your age?
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claireZk said:My first perfume was Beautiful by Estee Lauder when I was NINE. Definitely not age appropriate IMO
this made me laugh because for my 9th birthday i got a large sample of of youth dew from one of my most fun aunts. i wore it whenever i could get away with it....then my grandmother passed away and my mom gave me an old bottle of her white diamonds that i used to spray around my room because it smelled like her. this is probably where my infatuation with "too old for me" scents began.
Oh my gosh I am so old!! In junior high everyone wore Love's Baby Soft. In college the fragrance du jour was Giorgio. I can't remember what the popular fragrance was in HS..."eau de pot" I think.
^^^ you must be my age!
Both of us are allergic to almost everything. Grew into these allergies in our 40's. So we just smell "clean."
Both of us are allergic to almost everything. Grew into these allergies in our 40's. So we just smell "clean."
this made me laugh because for my 9th birthday i got a large sample of of youth dew from one of my most fun aunts. i wore it whenever i could get away with it....then my grandmother passed away and my mom gave me an old bottle of her white diamonds that i used to spray around my room because it smelled like her. this is probably where my infatuation with "too old for me" scents began.
^ LOL That is an unusual scent for a nine year old! I've always loved it, but it smells muddy grass on me
My mom actually gave me the EL Beautiful because she was allergic to it, but I don't think she thought I would wear it everyday! She probably thought I would just play with the pretty bottle or something. I can remember people saying things like "My you smell grown up! :s" I just took it as a compliment, because I didn't know any better
Anyway, I blame Estee Lauder for my infatuation with age inappropriate scents too!
When I was little, my mother wore Jungle Gardenia to fancy parties. I loved the way she smelled.
In high school, I wore L'Air Du Temps by Nina Ricci. I loved the way it smelled. It reminded me a little of spicy carnations. But when I was in college, my body chemistry changed and it smelled just awful on me.
I switched to Cinnabar by Estee Lauder in college, and I remember it being a spicy, dark, sexy scent.
Today, I wear Jean Paul Gaultier's "original" and I like it a lot.
In high school, I wore L'Air Du Temps by Nina Ricci. I loved the way it smelled. It reminded me a little of spicy carnations. But when I was in college, my body chemistry changed and it smelled just awful on me.
I switched to Cinnabar by Estee Lauder in college, and I remember it being a spicy, dark, sexy scent.
Today, I wear Jean Paul Gaultier's "original" and I like it a lot.
I love L'Air du Temps! Almost impossible to find anymore. I'm older than Speedy and I recall the thing to do was use Jean Nate splash after bathing. It came in huge bottles.The big perfumes were Shalimar, Arpege, Joy. Most perfumes give me a headache, but there are a few I can use. Right now I'm using Un Jardin Sur le Nil by Hermes. Of the new fragrances, and I don't know what age they're appropriate for, I think Daisy (Marc Jacobs), Romance (Ralph Lauren), Light Blue (can't remember who) are nice, but they don't smell good on me.
I'm in my early twenties and I wear Ralph Lauren's Hot and Vera Wang Princess, so I guess I DEFINITELY smell my age 
I'm 30 - and my current favorite perfumes are michael khors, vera wang princess, and miss dior cherie.
I think the selection of newer perfumes have changed our senses a little - because I have completely gone off the old favorites from years ago - even to the point of going ewe when getting a whiff of an older classic on someone else.
I think the selection of newer perfumes have changed our senses a little - because I have completely gone off the old favorites from years ago - even to the point of going ewe when getting a whiff of an older classic on someone else.
Perfumes don't suit me. Almost all of them go sour on me and I end up smelling like a tom cat who has rolled in some cheap talcum powder and sometimes other, far worse, substances, too... :blink:
I discovered Giorgio, by complete accident, in the '90s (when it was already considered slightly dated, no doubt!) in a small chemist and tried it, just for the hell of it, while I was waiting to be served.
I wasn't that keen on the smell in the bottle, TBH and I remember thinking; 'What a naff name, boring bottle and unnattractive packaging.'; as I'm not a great fan of yellow and white stripes (well, who is?!) and I honestly didn't expect it to suit me, for one minute.
But, to my amazement, it smelt absolutely heavenly on me (though I do say so myself!) and just got better and better, the longer I wore it. It also had (and still has) an interesting affect on men, too...
Every now and then, I am drawn to try the occasional new (and not so new), coolly named, beautifully packaged perfume, in the vain hope that it might suit me; but they still don't, so I've more or less given up trying and if I ever want to wear perfume, I really only have one choice.
Therefore, it seems a bit unfair to label a perfume as dated and/or too old, as, frankly, us perfumely-challenged beggars can't be choosers!
I also wonder how a smell can really be considered dated, anyway? It's like food - how can a type of food go out of fashion? I understand how the way one arranges the food on the plate can look old-fashioned, just as the bottle the perfume is held in can look old-fashioned; but the taste/smell? I think that's stretching it a bit, TBH.
Just seems like a good excuse for chefs and perfume manufacturers to force people to buy their new cookbook/perfume, to me...
I know perfumes can be evocative of a certain era, when everyone wore them and can also remind one of a certain individual, who was of a certain age when one remembers them wearing the scent in question; but how can they actually date and why do we let the fact that an older person wore a perfume put us off it, if it suits us?
Maybe I'm just too visual to understand?
Even if I'm being totally dense and perfumes can date - most of us love vintage fashions, don't we? Even though (or perhaps because) our mothers/grandmothers wore them. So why not vintage perfumes, too?
Anyway, if anyone reading this is still awake and is the sort of person who doesn't suit perfume, why not try Giorgio by Giorgio Beverly Hills? You never know, it might work for you where all others have failed and you can always decant it into a cooler bottle!
Hey! I remember wearing Gap Heaven & Dream in middle school. Still like Gap Blue, haha.
I'm 21 and I wear DKNY Be Delicious (green bottle) the most. Love it, I think it "smells my age." Other times, I wear Stella Sheer when I'm feeling girly & want something different. When I was 17, I bought Carolina Herrera 212 on Ice (2004 edition), and still love wearing it - it's a tiny bit mature[-for-my-age], but great. My ex bfs used to describe is as "a dreamy floral, but mysterious." (When I met my DF, I was wearing DKNY, so no doubt he likes it better).
Daisy by MJ is so cute! That's my next 'get'
I'm 21 and I wear DKNY Be Delicious (green bottle) the most. Love it, I think it "smells my age." Other times, I wear Stella Sheer when I'm feeling girly & want something different. When I was 17, I bought Carolina Herrera 212 on Ice (2004 edition), and still love wearing it - it's a tiny bit mature[-for-my-age], but great. My ex bfs used to describe is as "a dreamy floral, but mysterious." (When I met my DF, I was wearing DKNY, so no doubt he likes it better).
Daisy by MJ is so cute! That's my next 'get'
THis is a cute thread.
I'm lol as I can't believe how unsuited many of my choices have been for my age. I also think reality is funny in that those that had a higher income upbringing surely chose differently than those (ME LOL) that were brought up in lower/middle income.
Here's my comical past:
H.S.
Some white musk thing. Can't remember
TABU (WHat the??? Yep, I'm admitting it.)
College:
White Linen (???seriously?)
Paloma Picasso
Lauren, by RL (okay...I do love this still. the dark red bottle w/gold cap)
After college:
Alfred Sung
I think 99% of those scents were chosen because I smelled them on a friend and tried to copy her! Sad!lol
For years now, I've worn Michael Kors and love it. But I've been on a hunt for something different and special.
I'm lol as I can't believe how unsuited many of my choices have been for my age. I also think reality is funny in that those that had a higher income upbringing surely chose differently than those (ME LOL) that were brought up in lower/middle income.
Here's my comical past:
H.S.
Some white musk thing. Can't remember
TABU (WHat the??? Yep, I'm admitting it.)
College:
White Linen (???seriously?)
Paloma Picasso
Lauren, by RL (okay...I do love this still. the dark red bottle w/gold cap)
After college:
Alfred Sung
I think 99% of those scents were chosen because I smelled them on a friend and tried to copy her! Sad!
lolFor years now, I've worn Michael Kors and love it. But I've been on a hunt for something different and special.