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Too Much Perfume

Published: January 9, 2007

I appreciate a nice smelling person as much as the next guy does. Let’s face it, a nice cologne or perfume can act as aroma therapy and enhance a person’s mood or recall a pleasant experience. Perfume is sensual and thus can create positive human reactions.

I believe the scent should emanate within a small personal space radius which requires a rather close contact to enjoy the aroma. In other words, to smell it you’ve got to get within a person’s scent radius (generally extending about 1 foot from the scent wearer). The scent should waft softly and gently behind when you leave a room allowing the people behind to appreciate the sensual experience, but not be overwhelmed by it.

What you don’t want is to enter a room and people 20 feet away on the other side of the room begin to suffer watery eyes, headaches and dizziness. When nose hairs begin to singe and those around you are unable to speak, the perfume is too strong. As I mentioned earlier, a person’s scent should gently waft around them, not aggressively attack everyone it comes into contact with like an offensive tackle for the NY Giants football team.

The worst of the perfume offenders is the very strong, very cheap perfume. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that one cannot find a nice scent at the drug store, but if you do, please wear it sparingly.

At what point is a person’s right to wear perfume encroaching on everyone else’s right to breathe? The aroma-therapeutic effect is no longer one of pleasant memories. One whiff of the olfactory offender induces the desire to dip the perfume wearer in a vat of boiling water and Ivory soap (Ivory because it’s unscented).

People, please be aware of your aroma, especially if you work with people in a confined area. If you notice that people appear to be angry with you and you can’t figure out why, maybe it’s the way you smell.

That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking with it.

About the Author: I am Felicia A. Williams, a wife, mom, grandma, writer and eternal student.

Last Modified: 1 December 2020