If asked this question, I would say that I wear it for my own enjoyment and pleasure. This would only be partially true, but I'd say it anyway. Otherwise, my perfume collection would seem even weirder than it does now.
The truth is that I wear perfume for myself, but also to claim space in the world, and hopefully to cause enjoyment for others. Especially B-man. Every morning, as soon as I'm out of the shower, I put on my selected perfume for the day so that I can twirl through the house, gathering my work stuff on the kitchen counter while B-man is walking Paige. This ensures that he will catch a whiff of my perfume the minute he walks through the door.
When he notices and loves the way I smell, my opinion of any perfume rises much higher than it might otherwise, left to my own fickle nose (sorry, Daphne). And if I wear a perfume that he doesn't notice right away, or doesn't particularly like (Habanita comes to mind), it's pretty much off my list. Except for those perfumes that I love, and know he will love eventually if I just keep wearing them. Think about it. I love the perfume + B-man loves me + wear him down over time = we both love the perfume. But this approach can backfire, too. For example, I lured B-man into loving Sisley's Eau du Soir when I loved it and he didn't. Now he loves it and I don't.
Okay, now here's the whole truth. While I count on B-man's feedback and attention around perfume, if others compliment the same perfume, at work or elsewhere, I love it even more. In fact, my goal is to stop people in their tracks with my perfume of the day and stun them into speechlessness with its beauty. Seems reasonable to me.
But wait - that does not mean I will wear perfume that I don't like just because someone else might like it. Take Paloma Picasso, for example. I cannot imagine any event for which I want to smell like a horse. Or Belle en Rykiel. Or the cinnamon-laced monster of Agent Provocateur L'Agent. Even if I got tons of compliments. Not gonna happen. Just sayin'.
So yes, I wear perfume for me first, and I hope others find it pleasant, too. But, I must admit, no validation is as satisfying as hearing B-man's, 'Ahhh,' as he and Paige walk back into the house. Perfume is a love we have come to share, and his enjoyment of my little habit makes it much more fun. Whatever perfume captures his nose will likely become one of my favorites, too.
Who do you wear perfume for?
image from sodahead.com
I wear perfume only for myself! I´m asexual and not likely to ever be in a close relationship of the sort where I will care what the other part thinks of my perfume... And if my friends and family think that my perfume stinks, then I´m just rather proud of myself! I like provoking with both my style and my perfume!
ReplyDeleteHi Nadja - good for you! Perfume is certainly one way to provoke and surprise others. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
DeleteMe. I like to share it and thoughts about it with people, just like I like to share thoughts about, say, food, with people. But just like I order at a restaurant for me, I choose my perfume for me.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha - thanks for your comment. I find perfume slightly different than ordering at a restaurant, because it impacts others in a way that one's chosen food selection does not. Since I am making a statement through smell, why not make it reflect what I want to say? I have blogged about this previously, how perfume is a subliminal language that is powerful in setting a tone or delivering an unspoken message; sometimes to soothe, sometimes to seduce and occasionally to provoke, as Nadja has mentioned. Being mindful of the space, the occasion and the impact I want it to have is part of the fun. And it goes beyond my own individual preference.
ReplyDeleteI have to say - I wear it for myself :)
ReplyDeleteHi lady jicky - wearing perfume for oneself is always a good idea...thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI'm going to say the same thing as other people: I usually wear it for myself. But it's also an identity thing. The people I know know me as the "perfume girl," which is kind of cool.
ReplyDeletePerfume Girl is very cool! If no one were around to smell it, would I still wear perfume? Of course. But the fact that they are makes it that much more fun...
ReplyDeleteI wear it for me, though I force my husband to smell. He's begun trying to guess the notes, which is fun. I do try not to have a lot of sillage - both because I will get a headache if the scent is too strong and because I worry that other people will as well.
ReplyDeleteJosephine, I've been working my way through your archives - it's been really interesting, especially considering we seem to have very different noses / skin (I love the old Guerlains, Chanel. No. 5, Paloma Picasso [Horse?! Really?!]).
PS: I'm not sure why my name is coming up as "Doc Sinister" I must have set it that way for some specific board...
-Ann
Hello Ann, and welcome! Perfume is such a personal choice - I try to be semi considerate of others, but realize that everyone experiences perfume in a different way. Sounds like we truly do have different taste in perfume. Paloma Picasso is one that I have tried on several occasions to love, because I love the idea of it. Ten minutes in, I'm still good. 20 minutes in and it's toally horses on my skin. Glad it works better for your chemistry.
DeleteThanks for your comment - stop by again!