Light, gentle, subtle scents for the office, class, expectant moms

[Cthulhuesque]

Shoggoth is my default oil to wear to class. It's pretty without being too overwhelming/sexy, and I feel like the lime and lemongrass in it invigorate me and help me pay attention.

[Lyrical]

Light fruity-florals like Temptation, Marcilla and Kindly Moon work well. I do wear aged (not fresh) Snake Oil to work sometimes,, but apply it lightly. Sachs has very little throw and is soothing when I'm stressed, so that's good for work too. Also Embalming Fluid.

 

I feel self-conscious about some of the names so if asked I'll often say it's a hand blended natural oil I picked up in the US. If someone was really interested I'd enable them, of course.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

I enjoy seeing people's *shock! horror!* faces when I tell them I'm wearing Glowing Vulva, but that's just me...

 

I think you can wear whatever you want if you use light application, but you can wear something like Dorian to work. It's creamy-lemony-tea is light enough to not irritate anyone around you.

Edited January 23, 2012 by mxtine

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Honestly.. I think you should wear whatever makes you feel good - what you enjoy, what you think smells good! Sure, you need to consider other people and avoid wafting really strong perfume fumes all around you - but that's more about how much scent you wear rather than which scent you wear.

 

But having said that, I think the BPALs more likely to get up other people's noses would be the more resinous, incensey, 'dark' blends.. and also very strong florals. If you're concerned about it, ask a couple of your friends if your perfume's overly smelly and they should give you an honest answer

[Sateki]

 

I think you can wear whatever you want if you use light application, but you can wear something like Dorian to work. It's creamy-lemony-tea is light enough to not irritate anyone around you.

 

Agreed, Dorian is great to wear to school/work!

 

Shanghai is also very light, natural and easy to wear every day. Not too sweet either.

 

If you do like sweeter scents, then something like Fae is very nice! I find that it's not too strong, so I don't worry about it irritating anyone around me.

[mineralgirl]

I am someone that gets headaches around very strong florals so I appreciate when people refrain from wearing those in a group setting. I think fruity or something that stays close to the wearers skin is safe for most instances where you'll be in a group of people.

[Little Bird]

I always wore whatever I wanted to classes, but went light on the application. I usually spritzed perfume on my wrists, and that way it was easy for me to smell my fragrance, but wasn't like I was covered in a cloud of scent that might overwhelm someone else. For bpals, I wore Alice & Dorian a lot when I was in college.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Little Bird

[Circaea]

I tend to avoid musks and patchouli at work, and anything that might distract or annoy people who don't care for those kind of scents. I like citrus, mint, herbal, or light asian-inspired blends. Gennivre, Lick It Like You Mean it, Lemon Scented Sticky Bat, U, Tombstone, Absinthe, Lights of Men's Lives, Hand of Glory, Yemaya, Fire Pig, Squirting Cucumber, and my favorite Knockout Drops are all scents I've kept at work.

 

I imagine that in class, you are sitting even closer to other people than one does at work, so I suppose that I would pick scents with a low throw, or a softer dry-down if I were still in school.

[neverything]

I usually stick to light, foody scents if I'm worried about bothering other people. At least that way, if it's too strong, the people around me are thinking "Why do I smell tea and cucumbers?" and not "Who's wearing too much perfume?"

[Caper]

I teach high school and I wear pretty much anything except the ones with a lot of throw. no changeling even though I love it. and no #occupy

[stellamaris]

Different people absorb scent differently, if you want to know if your perfume is too strong you should ask people you are close to (like your family or close friends ). Usually people's reaction is pretty indicative, at my work people don't hesitate to be forthcoming, like when someone told me that the 51 I was wearing smelled like floor cleaner

As far as things smelling like sex, that is also an individual reaction, I have heard over and over that Perversion smells like sex, and to me it smells like maple syrup. And I never have any kind of sex that involves breakfast foods myself, so I don't get it.

 

I tend to also shy away from things that I find too sexy when I go to work or to church, or to one of my kids school things, but I find it's more for my own head than anyone elses.

 

And if I am wearing Pussy, say, I will say when asked "Oh it's something from Black Pheonix, they make wonderful perfume oils, look them up on the interwebs!"

[joyfulgirl]

not in school anymore, but i do work every day in a corporate environment. i slathered on a bunch of luna negra a few weeks ago (which i LOVE) and someone in an elevator with me was like "WHOO, it smells like someone's having fun in here!" i was slightly embarrassed. :X

 

i have found that scents with a bit of citrus in them (i'm looking at you, namaste) really help me focus a bit...every time i get a whiff of the lemon in namaste, i'm zipped right back to the present moment - appropriate for a blend named namaste, huh? also the citrus note keeps almost any scent from being over-the-top sexy, at least on me!

 

i also do well with scents that i find comforting (rogue, leather phoenix), just because they put me in the right state of mind to relax and Get Shit Done. but it's a different type of feel than stuff with citrus notes. less of a hard focus and more of an anti-anxiety effect.

 

but that's just my personal experience, YMMV!

[femmefatale]

Honestly, for something like a classroom setting I would opt for just wearing a scent in a locket. I remember getting horrible headaches in class because of the perfumes other students would wear.

[Balame]

I enjoy seeing people's *shock! horror!* faces when I tell them I'm wearing Glowing Vulva, but that's just me...

 

I think you can wear whatever you want if you use light application, but you can wear something like Dorian to work. It's creamy-lemony-tea is light enough to not irritate anyone around you.

Agreed, I think it's funny watching people's pearl clutching reactions. I've never worn something based on whether I think those around me can't handle it on a "You smell like a slatternly tart" level (which I've never been subject too even with heavier scents, fyi), but on an, "I'm allergic to strong florals and/or x note" level, sure. If you want something not in people's faces then go with light scents that don't have a strong throw (though in my experience since BPAL uses oils even the stronger scents only have decent sillage at best, and I'm a slatherer). Generally anything fruity, delicate florals/herbs, or even resins. The gentler musks would probably be white/"pale", Egyptian, and Arabian. Aquatics would do nicely as well since they're generally "clean" smelling.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Balame

[Circaea]

I enjoy seeing people's *shock! horror!* faces when I tell them I'm wearing Glowing Vulva, but that's just me...

 

I think you can wear whatever you want if you use light application, but you can wear something like Dorian to work. It's creamy-lemony-tea is light enough to not irritate anyone around you.

Agreed, I think it's funny watching people's pearl clutching reactions. I've never worn something based on whether I think those around me can't handle it on a "You smell like a slatternly tart" level (which I've never been subject too even with heavier scents, fyi), but on an, "I'm allergic to strong florals and/or x note" level, sure. If you want something not in people's faces then go with light scents that don't have a strong throw (though in my experience since BPAL uses oils even the stronger scents only have decent sillage at best, and I'm a slatherer). Generally anything fruity, delicate florals/herbs, or even resins. The gentler musks would probably be white/"pale", Egyptian, and Arabian. Aquatics would do nicely as well since they're generally "clean" smelling.

 

Aquatics can trigger sinus headaches in some people (I can't wear BPAL aquatics). Same with some florals.

[Balame]

Aquatics can trigger sinus headaches in some people (I can't wear BPAL aquatics). Same with some florals.

Well, the only true way to avoid triggering allergies is to forego perfume entirely, though if the scent is light enough (i.e. within your "bubble" versus having mass sillage) then hopefully such things can be avoided.

[calivianya]

Huh. I've never thought about what I should or shouldn't wear to class before. I feel like if people are allowed to come to class with turquoise hair and pajama pants, I can wear whatever crazy scent that I want. If there's no dress code, there's no scent code - or at least that's my logic.

 

I've gotten compliments but I've never heard a complaint, so I guess I'm fine.

[StinkyPinky]

Huh. I've never thought about what I should or shouldn't wear to class before. I feel like if people are allowed to come to class with turquoise hair and pajama pants, I can wear whatever crazy scent that I want. If there's no dress code, there's no scent code - or at least that's my logic.

 

I've gotten compliments but I've never heard a complaint, so I guess I'm fine.

 

I think the main difference would be that no matter how offbeat your hair or clothing might be, it's not going to trigger a migraine, allergies or other such symptoms in those who just look at you, as opposed to scent which may if they are sharing an enclosed space with you. That's why I like to err on the side of caution with my smellies! Just my 2 cents. But yeah, if it's just as far as impressions of personality, rather than physical reactions - then I'd say anything goes!

Edited January 23, 2012 by StinkyPinky

[CiaoBonefish]

I tend to wear whatever I like to school actually. I don't slather, but sometimes I do. No one seems to have a problem either; most people actually love the perfume I wear and I have gotten quite a few of my friends into BPAL because of the perfume I wear every day. For times when I know I will be presenting something or in close quarters with people all day I try to be more considerate of what I wear, but in general I wear what I want! My tastes have a large range but needless to say most of my BPAl perfume is a touch heavier than store bought aerosol perfume that I have smelled on a lot of girls, but I tend to find their perfume more nauseating than I could ever find BPAL! Then again... may be that is because I love my BPAL

[lookingglass]

I always make sure I wear LOTS of STRONG, SWEET, PATCHOULI, and MUSK all the time, especially when I'm in enclosed spaces!!! I highly recommend Snake Oil. And by LOTS I mean: turn the bottle on my wrist 3-5 times and rub from my head to the backs of my knees. Seriously. Even people in elevators drool. I can hear people through doors or at the end of corridors asking what smells so good in the building all the time.

Edited January 25, 2012 by lookingglass

[recklesslysober]

My university is a "scent free" space. As in they want you to use unscented shampoo/conditioner even. As are most public buildings in my city. Anyone else come across this? Do you still wear your BPAL? I understand the rationale for it and I get headaches from conventional scents as well, but I can't imagine that all scents could give someone a headache. Anyone have thoughts on this? What scents would you wear that someone wouldn't guess were perfume? Are there any notes that are least problematic in terms of allergies?

[Balame]

My university is a "scent free" space. As in they want you to use unscented shampoo/conditioner even. As are most public buildings in my city. Anyone else come across this? Do you still wear your BPAL? I understand the rationale for it and I get headaches from conventional scents as well, but I can't imagine that all scents could give someone a headache. Anyone have thoughts on this? What scents would you wear that someone wouldn't guess were perfume? Are there any notes that are least problematic in terms of allergies?

 

Wow, I've never heard of an institution being so strict that you couldn't even use scented shampoo. I understand that some people have perfume sensitivities, but the vast majority of allergic reactions caused by fragrances are due to chemicals hidden in more mainstream blends. I think for the most part BPAL uses natural oils with some synthetics. On the plus side there are plenty of BPAL blends that have low sillage and are considered "skin scents." I can't imagine you'd get in trouble for that when people wouldn't even be able to smell it unless they were pressed up against you.

 

So, I'd use your best judgment in avoiding strong scents that include incense, heavy florals, musks, etc. As far as which scents in particular you could use - Delight and Consternation (Luper LE) is one of my favorites and has been mistaken for my natural scent (if only). Dorian is really light and pleasant, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Croquet, Squirting Cucumber, Y'ha-nthlei, Velvet Nudie.

[ziggystardust13]

Bewitched! I find it so uplifting everytime I wear it, and I don't find it to be heavy at all

Herbal yet sweet

I always make sure I wear LOTS of STRONG, SWEET, PATCHOULI, and MUSK all the time, especially when I'm in enclosed spaces!!! I highly recommend Snake Oil. And by LOTS I mean: turn the bottle on my wrist 3-5 times and rub from my head to the backs of my knees. Seriously. Even people in elevators drool. I can hear people through doors or at the end of corridors asking what smells so good in the building all the time.

Love it!

[recklesslysober]

Thank you Balame & ziggystardust13! Dorian and SQ are two of my favorites of the few that I've tried so far. Bewitched and MLST are on the wishlist for the next order and I'll have to check out the rest! Much appreciated! I get headaches from 99% of conventional perfumes but haven't had any negative reaction to the 20 or so BPALs I've smelled so I'm excited to be able to wear something that both my classmates/colleagues and I will be okay with!

[LizziesLuck]

Necrobump!

 

My work just became a "scent-sensitive" environment. Which sucks for me, but I get it. So I am not supposed to wear any scent that anyone else would be able to smell, even if they were sitting next to me in a meeting. I know there are several people in the office sensitive to scents. I don't want to cause anyone discomfort, but I would love to still wear a bit of perfume that only I can smell. The problem is, in my whole, rather large, collection, I have very few scents that are "light". Everything seems to have too much throw or be too strong. I plan to only wear the tinniest amount, so that won't be the issue, but I also want to choose really light, inoffensive-to-most type smells. I don't like aquatics or most "clean" smelling scents. I only like mint on rare occasions in the summer. A lot of citrus (orange in particular) turns powdery and gross on me. But I am open to trying whatever. Please help me out with some recs! Thanks. (will be avoiding patchouli, musk, tobacco, and incense - I amp them all and they are STRONG on me)