Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with scents

A loverly scent!

mittenbex — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:22:24 -0800

I want a new signature scent. What will I like if I also like CK1? I love perfume but don't like harsh scents that I associate with something my mother or grandmother would wear.

I currently go between wearing CK1 and Amor Amor.

If you wear one of these or know what they're like - what might I also like?

Something light/fresh -- maybe slightly sweet like Amor Amor. I'm 25 so let's keep me young-person smelling, please :)

Anyone know the scents used to create the Kiehls "Ultimate Man" Body Scrub Soap?

Mesach — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:20:12 -0800

Calling all sniffers, Does anyone know the different smells that go into getting Kiehls wonderful scent for their "Ultimate Man" Body Scrub Soap? I know that I can definitely detect Grapefruit, and some mint, but I know its more complex that.

I am making up some of my own shampoo for my girlfriend and she loves the scent, and I would like to approximate it as much as possible, so has anyone else also pondered this, or came across it somewhere?

What is that? Smells like a turd covered in burnt hair.

bjork24 — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:18:43 -0800

The salon next door is leaking fumes into my projection booth. Am I going to die? Our new theater is located right next door to a high-end salon, and I'm fairly certain that our exhaust fans use the same vent escape. At various times throughout the day, the projection booth will smell like hairspray, perm solution, hair dye, or fart.

I'm assuming these aren't the most toxic fumes in the world, or else there would be a lot more dead stylists, but it's still slightly concerning. After a particularly long shift, I sometimes feel light-headed and my lungs feel cold. On the plus side, the fumes have really opened my sinuses.

I've contacted our landlord, but they haven't remedied the problem yet. Don't worry, I'll keep on them until it's fixed, but in the meantime, how harmful is it to breath in the refuse fumes of a salon for 8 to 10 hours a day?

Help perfume me!

sarahkeebs — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:27:29 -0800

Help me find a perfume to meet my picky needs! I like sweet/spicy/musky perfumes, nothing to sharp or floral. I would love to be able to wear Opium, for example. But anything not oil-based makes me sneeze and/or breakout where it's made contact with my skin. Scents that I love, but can't wear:
- Opium (weeps) (I can wear it once in a while)
- Aqua di Gio (can't have it on five minutes)

Scents that I love and can wear:
- Body Shop White Musk
- GAP sueded musk (but discontinued)
- pure lavender essential oil
- pure orange/ylang ylang essential oil
- Eau Dynamisante by Clarins (I think)

It also needs to be something I can get my hands on in Toronto anytime OR in the Netherlands this December.

I'd stick to the Body Shop, but not only have the prices gone up exponentially (I don't mind paying top dollar, but it irritates me when prices have doubled since I started shopping somewhere) and I feel like their quality has gone down. What is it in perfume that I react to so badly, that isn't in middling-quality oil-based scents? And is there any way I could get Opium or any other "classic" perfume in a way that doesn't trigger my allergies?

She's better in shea butter.

Evstar — Mon, 28 May 2007 08:56:15 -0800

Is shea butter a distinctly feminine scent? I love the smell of it on a lady; is it unseemly on a man, or just as pleasant? Let's not get into any gender debates, I'm only curious because most often I smell it on women.

Puppy smell! What the heck is it?

LeeJay — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:29:39 -0800

Puppy smell. What is it? Where does it come from? Why can I not get enough of it? Mmmmm, new puppy smell. It seems to me that in another context this particular odor would not be pleasant, but combine it with a wriggling little puppy and it's as good as cinnamon buns in the morning. I've met very few people who can resist the lure of puppy smell. But what is it? Is it some sort of oil on the puppy's skin? Some leftover traces of mother's milk? Why does puppy smell smell so good?

I really thought I could Google this one but there are a lot of hits talking about loving puppy smell but not so many discussing what it actually is or where it comes from.

Scented candles that last?

TochterAusElysium — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 11:01:11 -0800

What are the best scented candles? I love scented candles, especially in the winter; they add a lot of warmth to these long nights. But many of the scented candles I buy, while they smell great on the outside, don't seem to retain (and disperse) their scent when burned. Where can I get candles with nice odors that really last? I prefer natural scents; herbs, spices, fruits, that sort of thing.

Eau de toilette nomenclature

borkingchikapa — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 14:17:09 -0800

What is the difference between eau de toilette and cologne? More importantly, why is it called "toilet water"?

Blood in the Water

Coffeemate — Mon, 12 Jul 2004 20:10:31 -0800

So sharks can smell one part blood in one million parts seawater. How? I understand that the blood would diffuse in water, but wouldn't at least a particle of the blood have to come into contact with the shark? Does diffusion happen that fast?