Fragrance Alert, You're Wearing Too Much Cologne or Perfume

My college roommate would see my head drop when she told me her boyfriend was coming over to visit. It wasn't that I didn't like her boyfriend. He was a funny and intelligent guy, and I thought the two of them looked cute together. But you could smell him before he turned the doorknob. He was a walking Carson Pirie Scott, but my roommate never agreed with me about him wearing too much cologne. So my eyes would water every time he wanted to hang out in our dorm room until I found an excuse to escape.

No matter how great a fragrance is, if you're wearing too much of it, it can be a downer for those around you. It's even worse for those who are allergic to ingredients in your cologne or perfume because their senses are more sensitive to the smell. But you have a right to smell good and wear your favorite fragrance. But how do you know when you're wearing too much cologne or perfume?

The ingredients in perfume or cologne are more powerful than body spray, fragrance lotion or mist. You can get away with spraying a few more times with the latter products than a fragrance bottle of real perfume or cologne because the ingredients are made to last longer. But go easy. You don't need to smell like a department store every time you walk into a room. A tap on both sides of the neck, a touch in the cleavage, inside your wrists and if you're feeling frisky, maybe even a touch or two on the thigh area should do it for the day. If a fragrance doesn't last very long, maybe you can touch it up. But here's how you know when you have on entirely too much perfume or cologne.

Tip One: Walk into a secluded room, like a bathroom stall or your own bathroom. If you can still smell your perfume or cologne as strong as when you first sprayed it, grab a wash cloth or wet paper towel and wipe a little bit of it off in your fragrance areas.

Tip Two: Ask someone if you're wearing too much perfume or cologne. They're probably too polite to tell you and will be relieved if you give them the opportunity.

Tip Three: It's not classy, but the old armpit raise or collar-on-your-nose trick is a great giveaway. If you can smell your own fragrance so much that you wouldn't keep the collar of your shirt on your own nose for at least 30 seconds, it's time for another wipe down.

Tip Four: If people are coughing or sneezing around you, take the hint and ask if they're allergic to your fragrance. A person who has fragrance allergies is not trying to be rude, but they cannot help what they're allergic to. If this is someone you know and you're regularly around, try a body oil or a lighter fragrance instead. Or, just ask that person to check out your fragrances to see which one he or she can handle or not.

Tip Five: You know when one fragrance is more powerful than another as soon as you spray it. If you know it only takes a little for your perfume or cologne to arouse your senses, keep it light.

Everyone wants to smell good, but don't put them in an imaginary boxing ring and knock them out with your aroma. Sometimes less is more, and less is more appealing.

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.