Looking for a low-key scent
November 13, 2019 11:53 AM

I'm looking for a very mildly-scented perfume or scented lotion. Just the sort of thing that's like a hint of fragrance, not super distinctive or punchy. What are some scents I should investigate?

My partner is sensitive to, but not allergic to, fragrances, so in general I don't wear products with fragrances in them. However, I think it would be fun to have a scent to wear when I am traveling, or on a very special occasion.

In general I prefer very light , fresh, and fruity fragrances; for reference, I used to wear Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and liked it quite a bit. Even so, that's a little more intense than what I have in mind now.

Only caveat: for some reason, those Demeter sprays have always given me an odd rash, so those are probably out.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (24 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
With essential oil blends and a base unscented lotion and/or a carrier oil, you can control the intensity of scent by adjusting the ratios. You can create your own blends (which is what I prefer) or try the many blend varieties out there.
posted by cross_impact at 11:58 AM on November 13, 2019


Oh, and by adding beeswax to the mix, you can create a solid scent that travels conveniently. Takes some assembly and minimal equipment, but I do all three and I'm nowhere close to being "crafty."
posted by cross_impact at 12:01 PM on November 13, 2019


I like the Lush solid perfumes. Range of scents, not too strong, easy to control the level of scent.
posted by k8lin at 12:08 PM on November 13, 2019


I love the L'Occitane cherry blossom hand lotion, and apparently the collection includes an eau de toilette.
posted by Lexica at 12:08 PM on November 13, 2019


I get something that's fragrance free and then mix in a tiny dab of something stinkier. I have never found a commercially available scented product that didn't completely reek to me, no matter how "lightly scented" it claimed to be.
posted by small_ruminant at 12:10 PM on November 13, 2019


Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (DSH Perfumes) is an independent perfumer who makes a wide variety of scents. One of her realms of popularity is in Japan. Many Japanese perfume lovers prefer very subtle scent, and she created a Haiku Series according to inspiration from Japanese poetry. It is subtle and lovely. There is a Sample Set available.
posted by matildaben at 12:14 PM on November 13, 2019


I love Paintbox Soapworks lotions for this use-case. Order a few sample-size bottles of the scents that most entice you -- you can do a Pick 4 pack to try out multiple candidates. Even the sample-sizes last for ages. All very lightly scented, and the quality of ingredients is high. (She tends to offer seasonal blends, and light/fruity blends tend to be the focus of her summer collections, so check the "sale and last batch" section for summer stuff -- but she usually has at least a few lighter scents for winter, plus the non-limited-edition scents.)
posted by halation at 12:16 PM on November 13, 2019


geranium essential oil
posted by amtho at 12:21 PM on November 13, 2019




I will nth many of the above recommending lotions. I like fragrances a lot, but when I know I need to tone it way down, I will use a scented lotion instead of a perfume. I feel like the scent is much less noticeable unless you are right up to me, too close for a coworker to be. If you already have a perfume you like (like Light Blue), try adding a bit to an unscented lotion.

The actual lotions that are sold alongside the perfumes can be very strong, though, so you might want to avoid those.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:25 PM on November 13, 2019


I LOVE Atelier Cologne. They use high quality ingredients and their scents have great staying power without being overwhelming. I recently tried their Oolang Infini scent and I think it might check a lot of your boxes--it's super light and subtle, but the bergamot gives it a nice floral/citrus edge. The Clementine California scent might also work for you, but is a little stronger than the Oolang.
posted by helloimjennsco at 12:52 PM on November 13, 2019


I've had good luck going to Sephora and asking their fragrance person for recs and samples. I'm pretty scent sensitive and found a couple of fragrances I could handle wearing this way (but I don't roll fresh and fruity).

Fragrantica allows you to search on a lot of parameters including "notes" and has user ratings for sillage, that might be a good discovery tool, too.
posted by momus_window at 12:58 PM on November 13, 2019


Neutrogena Sesame body oil smells fantastic in a very subtle way. Slap a little on after you get out of the shower — it absorbs almost immediately and is not greasy at all — and you’ll have just a hint of fragrance around you for the rest of the day.

If you want an actual perfume, Prada L’Infusion d’Iris or Prada Homme (very unisex) are both airy, subtle.

Lastly, Pacifica stocks some very light, fruity frags. They’re made with good ingredients and also dirt cheap!
posted by apparently at 1:29 PM on November 13, 2019


Juliette Has a Gun's Not a Perfume is one that I always use to the last drop and buy more of when I run out. It is amazing.

The reviews on the Sephora page are pretty true to my experience with it; good for people with perfume allergies, a clean and delicate scent, somehow makes you smell/seem way classier than one is, smells different on everyone so it becomes a unique signature scent, subtle enough that you can't smell it on yourself but everyone else will be inching closer trying to figure out how you smell so good!
posted by stellaluna at 2:05 PM on November 13, 2019


Seconding Not a Perfume. I love it!
posted by atlantica at 2:06 PM on November 13, 2019


I love Origins ginger scented products - they are a light ginger and citrus scent.
Also rarely (at my local store anyway) you can get very similar smelling but much cheaper grapefruit ginger scrub and ginger hand cream at Trader Joe's.

I also second Atelier perfumes; I like the citrus ones especially.
posted by pointystick at 3:41 PM on November 13, 2019


Consider Pink by Lili Bermuda.

They now ship U.S. orders from the brand new Palm Beach store.
posted by jgirl at 4:41 PM on November 13, 2019


Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs' Embalming Fluid is fresh and citrusy (& very understated, considering the company)
L'Occitane's Verbena scent as body lotion, body cream, several types of hand cream & other products
Classic Acqua di Parma Colonia (notes of lemon, sweet orange, Calabrian bergamot) as a soap, hand cream, & body lotion
As mentioned above, Atelier Cologne has some great citrus scents
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:24 PM on November 13, 2019


Diptyque has some scents for you. Especially L'Autre and Philosykos. The Philosykos solid perfume can be layered on so gently that it's barely a whisper while still being recognizable. I love a perfume that has good sillage even when barely detectable.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:47 PM on November 13, 2019


I love Atelier Cologne as well, and I actually have Oolang Infini and quite like it. It’s very light. Most Ateliers lean citrus or light floral/green, though there are two surprisingly nice gourmands (Vanille Insensée and Café Tuberosa) which are lovely when applied with a light hand.

Because the full bottles are pricey, I recommend you get one of the Perfume Wardrobe or “Neccessaire” box sets. They contain eight travel size (4 mL) sprays of their popular colognes. They are a great value, with each bottle much bigger than a regular teeny sample, and a nice way to see over a longer period what you like and what works well with your skin. Sephora often carries them, and Atelier seems to come out with a new set every year or so, with a few new scents in the mix.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:17 AM on November 14, 2019


Demeter's scents tend to be light and fade somewhat, which is a source of annoyance for me, but could work for you here. I can recommend Clean Skin or Pure Soap. With those two, you're just going to smell...clean, like you just stepped out the shower. Another good one from them is Wild Flowers. I don't usually like florals AT ALL but this one is lovely, it has a warm, honey-like undertone that balances out the floral. You can buy little samples from them to try out.

Another good one is Purity's Grace line, maybe Pure Grace. You can find these at Sephora or Ulta to test out.
posted by Aquifer at 6:29 AM on November 14, 2019


Unrefined coconut oil has a lovely coconut smell. I use it as I would lotion or moisturizer.
posted by carrioncomfort at 7:18 AM on November 14, 2019


I just picked up a tube of A La Maison Hand and Body Lotion in Fresh Sea Salt at Whole Foods. The scent is VERY light and pleasing, reminiscent of the Demeter "Rain" fragrance but much lighter and definitely low-key. It's also nicely moisturizing without being greasy or sticky.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 12:41 AM on November 15, 2019


Glossier 'You' and (as someone else mentioned upthread) 'Not a Perfume' by Juliette Has a Gun are both great, light, non-irritating scents. I'm not sure about 'You', but 'Not a Perfume' is actually hypoallergenic and doesn't bother most scent-sensitive people! I own and wear both frequently and get told I smell super good on a regular basis.
posted by second banana at 8:54 AM on November 15, 2019


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