Shmeck Even . . . Git-er?

As I mentioned in my first perfume post, I have very sensitive sinuses. I can't spray just anything on, or I could be treated to a day-long headache. 

I had received as a gift Carolina Herrera CH, and to my surprise a few months later the rather large bottle was empty. A winner! 

I prefer citrus scents; CH boasts "bergamot, lemon, pomelo, melon, jasmine, orange blossom, rose, cinnamon, praline, cashmere accord, cedarwood, patchouli, sandalwood, suede, amber, musk" notes. A neighbor even grabbed me in shul and pressed her nose into my hair. "Oh, you smell delicious," she enthused. 

To replace it, I ended up with Carolina Herrera CH L'Eau, which pretty much smells the same, I think. In any case, the nose is still happy. 

I was idly flipping through a fashion magazine with quite a few ads for scent samples, and I yanked each tab open and shoved it into my face. "No . . . no . . . no . . . hell, no . . . mmm!" It was Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, which I had thought was more of a clean scent but actually contained a distinct whiff of citrus. 

The notes are "sicilian citron, bluebell, granny smith apple, jasmine sambac, bamboo, white rose, cedarwood, amber, musk." At Sephora, I liberally sprayed myself with the tester bottle, and was gleeful that my head remained un-achy. It is definitely next on my list. 

Shmeck Git

Perfume and I have a sort of on again/off again relationship. I think I have found the perfect thing, I run to buy it, then I never remember to wear it. 

My nose also has an annoying sensitivity to some scents. For instance, I had made a major decision and marched out to purchase DNKY Be Delicious. I even upgraded to the large size, so sure was I that I would use it devotedly. 

However, on daily application, my head would hurt. The perfume would burrow into my nostrils, aggravating my sinuses until I had darts of pain behind my eyes. I had to grudgingly pass it on to Bàbi's aide, who happily squirreled it away. 

One day at Sephora I came across a display for Pacifica, a "natural" perfume line. I became immediately attached to Tuscan Blood Orange—I adore citrus scents. I was able to breathe it in deeply without coughing or wheezing, which seems to be a good sign. 

In August, when the mosquitoes are out in full force, I became nervous that the sweet orange smell would attract them, so I purchased Nerola Orange Blossom. It's sharp and tangy while still holding a hint of elusive fruity zest. I've gotten quite a few compliments for it. 

There is one con: The stuff disappears in no time. Standard commercial perfumes will hold on like death (maybe that's the chemical that makes my head hurt), but after a ridiculously short time my two citrus scents would dissipate. I go through them pretty quickly, but I wait until Pacifica has a sale and I stock up (free shipping over $50, and I'm not charged tax).  

To refresh while on the go, they do have convenient roll-on sizes, but the one I purchased had unappetizing backwash pretty fast. I got instead a travel atomizer. 

I had once purchased rosewater, and never ended up using it. I decided to finally empty the bottle by using it as my morning toner (I only wash my face at night, swishing toner-soaked cotton round on my face before applying makeup in the mornings). The scent quite appealed to me, and I recalled that Pacifica has Persian Rose. 

It has a true rosewater scent, plus it has much better staying power than the other two that I had been using until now. Plus, no heachache either!

However, it has received mixed reviews. 

"Do I smell bug spray?" asked my boss. 

"I smell . . . rotten apples," said Luke. 

"It's kinda like something you'd splash on after a bath," Ma observed. 

Well, I like it.   

If any out there has highly sensitive sinuses yet managed to uncover a scented holy grail, kindly share.