Saturday Question: What Fragrance Do You Wear For Dinner or Movies?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

Over 100 responses I will draw a Secret Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)

Last Weeks Winner: Hamamelis

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please

Saturday Question: What Fragrance Do You Wear For Dinner or Movies?

Intimate situations and eating, both can be ruined by an excessive application of scent. Food tastes can be changed if all you can smell is a shitload of oudh or white flowers. What about sitting next to someone in a theatre and all you can smell is great gouts of aquatic, sugar or resinous stank. Sitting very close to someone in enforced intimacy can be brutal if that person is wearing huge, annoying or super projective fragrance. So what are a couple of your Go-To close quarters perfumes? Fragrances that are lovely yet not overpowering or obnoxious? You can smell good without attacking those around you with scent, so give me some hints of your best bets.

My Answer:

My best advice I was ever given was to fragrance myself at least an hour before a food or close quarters event. That gives most fragrances the burn off time needed to become up close friendly. Also, moderation helps. I’m a natural over spritzer so sometimes just two shots on the chest is enough.

CHANEL 1957

1957 is a funny one. I often say “Most of it is everything I think I hate in modern perfumery. It’s basically No 5 with all the interesting and perfumey bits removed and only the functional fragrance left.” Yet it is also a constant delight for me. Easy going, wearable and comfortable yet buttoned up enough to be formal. It isn’t a statement fragrance, doesn’t ever shout or screech, and never overpowers the food or date. CHANEL 1957 is still beautiful and I enjoy the ride it takes me on. A perfect up close choice.

Rahele by Neela Vermeire Creations

Osmanthus and leather with a bunch of extra trimmings. A thoroughly new fragrance, it gives me shivers of pleasure throughout its wear time. I wore Rahele on my wedding day because I wanted to smell fabulous but also wanted not to overpower the event. It always smells poised and has excellent, low key, longevity. That mossy leather dry down is to does for and Rahele is the sleeper of the Neela Vermeire Creations line. I wear it at least as much as all the others put together, look how much air is in that bottle.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Fragrance Do You Wear For Dinner or Movies?

92 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Fragrance Do You Wear For Dinner or Movies?”

  1. Chanel Les Exclusifs are perfect because they tend to be light. Chanel 31 Rue Cambon and 28 La Pausa are usually my dinner scents. I also love to wear Paris-Venise and Paris-Deauville for those occasions. All simple, beautiful and elegant.

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  2. I am an over spritzer too ( but I think y’all already know that). Since I don’t go to the movies or out to dinner anymore ( both are rare treats) I really don’t have to worry. But if I had to choose maybe a spritz of Heaven ( light white florals) or my custom blend Brigitte ( lilac, vanilla, sandalwood) or Vanilla Vera Cruz …all applied judiciously.

    Congrats to Hamamelis!!!!!

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  3. Ooo! I just remembered about a year or two ago I was in an Indian restaurant for lunch and a Buddhist nun approached me and asked me what I was wearing because she loved it….. Incense Pure. She wrote down the name and I also gave her the SSS website.

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  4. For dinner i always go for easy and non offensive scents, my personal favourites are Allegoria Limon Verde from Guerlain and the gorgeous Gingembre from Roger et Gallet. Now for the movies it’s completly different :)) i go for almost anything in my collection, depending on mood of course, but mostly gourmands 😁. Portia i really need to get my nose on that Rahele from Neela creations (so many great things i’ve heard about it), i own Bombay Bling and is lovely.

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  5. Jay for winning the sample pack! Thank you Portia for your generosity! You should have my mail address but if you don’t please let me know. Like Brigitte I rarely eat out, last time was at a wonderful Thai and I wore April Aromatics Purple Reign because it is lovely and unintrusive. Same if we go to the movies, not very often either, I would wear a soft natural, Unter den Linden or Liquid Dreams, or now Vetiver Coeur.

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  6. i don’t think I can mix floral scents with food, I would maybe wear a vanilla like Cuir Beluga, or something woody.
    Other situations like theatre, planes and yoga class are open to my preference on the day, but sprayed down my chest. For my delectation.

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    • Oo yes! Yoga class also required careful consideration . I usually apply something to the top of my feet. Quite often and e.o. blend.

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    • No florals with food? I don’t even own a lot of florals, but the colder iris perfumes and light osmanthus and such are options I would have been surprised if people around me reacted to in a negative way.

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  7. Hmmmm, now there’s a question. There’s very little that I don’t wear anywhere to be honest. It is all a matter of application with me. In close quarters I limit my spraying finger to a couple of squirts only. I would, however stay away from heavy orientals or BWF as that would be hellish for someone to be stuck beside. I’m thinking of flights more so than dinner or cinema. I spend a great portion of my time in theatres and I’m surprised sometimes at the waves of scent that inhabit the place. The usual offenders are in the sweet and fruity genre. La Vie est Belle is a popular culprit as is Coco Mademoiselle. Those are both nuclear when oversprayed. The one perfume I own that I know for sure won’t choke or offend is R & G Fleur D’Osmanthus. It’s citrusy and floral with presence but never overwhelming.

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      • I think that just like clothing, perfume has its era. And we’re still stuck in the sweet era. I sometimes love a bit of it too, but perfume shelves are seemingly full of virtual carbon copies of each other. Close your eyes and spray and it would be hard to distinguish one from the other. There are a few notable exceptions thankfully.

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  9. Interesting question Portia, and thinking about it I’ve realized I don’t customize my choice of fragrance for going out for dinner or movie. I wear what suits my fancy, or what is new to me at the time. I generally spritz in moderation when around others.
    Having said that, I agree with you and pl67 with Chanel Exclusives. They are gorgeous and classic, and sit close to the skin but have longevity for an evening out.

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  11. Like Brigitte I don’t go to restaurants or movie theatres, so I can douse myself in whatever I want, being a hermit.

    However, I was at the eye doctor the other day and got a nice compliment from the assistant who said she was usually bothered by perfumes but mine was so soft and delicate she could enjoy it. I was wearing Guérlain Le Parfum du 68.

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  12. I very rearely go to the cinema,but I do go out to eat from time to time. I usually wear one of my Guerlain AA’s. They are lighter and hopefully don’t offend.

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      • A cautionary tale……..Many years ago,probably the 80’s my sister bought me a small bottle of Jardins de Bagatelle.We both loved it. My friend bought me a bottle for Christmas last year. My sister and I were talking about it the other day. Trying to be kind I took my bottle to her house last night so she coulld have a spray on her clothes (she has skin problems and can’t spray on skin), She did a couple of sprays and her partner wrinkled his nose up and said ” That’s strong hope it doesn’t set my asthma off ”
        We both sat there,next to each other in a cloud of Guerlain. We smelled fab.
        Lesson for me…..don’t try to be kind with perfume at her house. !!!!!!!

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        • Oh, that’s sad. I know 3-4 people with asthma and only one has her asthma set off by all kinds of perfume (also perfume in functional products).

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          • I have asthma as well. I’ve got 2 different inhalers. Perfume doesn’t set it off..Hurrah.
            The perfume didn’t affect him, he’s very grumpy !!!

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  13. For the movies, I’ll wear 1 spritz of something easy loving, like Cartier L’Envol or Safran Troublant. Dinner fragrances will depend on the restaurant. If it’s a trendy loud restaurant on the weekend, I might wear Vero Mito, Fourreau Noir, or Rose Nacre du Dessert.

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  15. Me, too. On the rare occasion that I go out, I go big or go home. Whatever I feel like. Maybe then people won’t sit close and on top of me. LOL.

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  17. I apply scent sparingly if going to the cinema or theatre. Same when dining out, and I try to pick a perfume which would be described as either pretty or calm. So MFK Amyris Femme, AdP Gelsomino Nobile, Chanel Gardenia, Chamade and so on. I’m less careful when meeting friends at a local café.

    Sadly this means I have few occasions to wear Coromandel edt or Tauer Une rose chyprée.

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  18. My trick is to spray perfume on the back of my hands and/or on chest so that I can smell it whenever I want but those around me aren’t overwhelmed. And I do tend to wear more restrained perfumes when eating out, I love Rahele and it’s a good one for all occasions!

    Right now sampling Senyoko Madame Butterfly II and I can imagine wearing it anywhere.

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      • Newish French line about which I don’t know much except that they have a Japanese thing going on and Euan McColl from Jorum Studios did all four of the perfumes. (And said they were a dream to work with.) I adore three of the four, which is a bummer because they are pricey. Madame Butterfly II has a story line about Cio Cio San independent and joyful – I never pay much attention to the stories – and the perfume is a happy one. McColl does something non-foody with spicey notes that I really love. Here it’s tagete and iris with an amazing pink pepper and woody note. Incense is listed also, along with lots of other things, but it isn’t incense heavy to my nose. Anyway. Love.

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  19. At movie theatres I will wear what I like. But I choose something that will only waft as far as the seats directly surrounding me. Less chance of someone snugging up beside/in front/behind me. I don’t want to hear their comments, listen to their popcorn munching, paper rattling or smell them, lol.
    For dinner, it depends on the restaurant and company I am with. In general, I am quite polite with my application, but choose what I enjoy. I do wear it discreetly. I find a heavy or overly generous application sometimes affects the way I perceive the taste of the food. Besides, I want to smell the food and wine when I eat, not necessarily my perfume.

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  20. A timely question, since I spent Saturday at the movies. I wore vintage Eau Sauvage, because we were seeing a couple of French movies on a hot day, and that seemed about right. I don’t really have a specific “movies” choice though.

    If we go out for dinner together, I’m usually going to choose something classy but discreet. Cuir Pleine Fleur is a common one because my wife often chooses Ophelia and the Heeley fragrances don’t seem to set off her asthma. Other ones I often choose is Richard James Savile Row or Mark Birley Cologne. I’m looking for an excuse to wear the Guerlain Derby I found in an op shop a couple of years ago, but that would have to be a special event and a coolish evening, I think.

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  21. I’d have different approaches to each scenario.

    Dinner I’ll usually reach for one of my heavy hitters. The last couple of times have been Dior Homme Parfum. Before that Plum Japonais and Oud Wood have been used. I’ll usually be eating outdoors so hopefully that makes it more socially acceptable.

    At the movies or on a plane I’ll go for something more safe and crowd pleasing. Neroli Portafino, Millesime Imperial, Virgin Island Water, D&G The One all come to mind as options I’ve recently gone with.

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  22. Years of working with a very nice but perfume-sensitive manager conditioned my under-applying any perfumes, so I think I could wear almost any perfume from my collection to a dinner. Concert, movie or a plane trip is different. So, for those I usually try parfums, which I apply dabbed, and they stay close to skin. Chanel No 19 or Guerlain Jicky are the first that come to mind.

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  23. I usually avoid wearing anything that would attract unwanted attention whenever I go out, so my choices are usually irises (Iris Silver Mist, Splendiris, Bois d’Iris), chypres (Chant d’Aromes, Miss Dior, Vol de Nuit, – you get the idea), fougeres (Issara!) or some aldehydic classic (last night I wore Arpege, and it was superb!). Green-ish floral perfumes such as No. 19 (I think Undina had mentioned it), l’Heure Exquise or Givenchy III would be inoffensive, I think, but I’d rather avoid wearing anything in case it might disturb someone sitting next to me: allergies suck, I wouldn’t want to make someone feel miserable just because I wanted to smell fab.

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    • Exquisite choices, Diana. I would be happy next to someone wearing any of those. I adore Arpege & Givenchy iii except I always think of them as my mum’s fragrances and rarely reach for them when I’m headed out.

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      • Your mum has great taste, Jyotsna, and so do you! I’m curious as to which Lutens gets chosen most often: my money’s on Chergui but I’m prepared to be amazed 🙂

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        • Thank you, Diana. 😘
          And you guessed right! Chergui is my favourite perfume & second skin. I adore it. Although I do wear a lot of Lutens, Chergui is the most worn by far. Fleurs d’Oranger is is my dress up scent. I get loads & loads of compliments.

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          • Yay for Chergui! Fleurs d’Orangers is lovely, as well. I remember choosing between it and Orangers en fleurs by Houbigant, but ended up buying something entirely different (you know how it happens).

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      • An hour???!!! 😮 I don’t think I’ve ever waited that long. As soon as I’m ready, I’m out the door. I don’t think any of them are confrontational. :confused:

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      • Thank you, Portia! You’re absolutely right, a lot of perfumes would calm down in an hour, but to be totally honest, I spend at least twenty minutes putting my war paint on and not more than one or two choosing my SOTD, that’s why the softer ones come in handy 🙂

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  24. Well I don’t go out to dinners & shows much. At least, not without the kiddo. I could happily wear anything in my collection. But if it’s kinda special like a wedding or milestone birthday, then any of my Chanels or Tauers. If it’s one of MY parties then you can safely bet it will be a Lutens. 🤷🏽‍♀️

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  25. What a great question, and I’m enjoying everyone’s different answers! I look for a combination of gentler scent and rollerball application (I don’t have many rollerballs, so that limits my options right there). Rollerball fragrances seem to stay closer to the skin from the start, for obvious reasons; but on me, they tend to stay close. Maybe it’s because I can control the amount more than I can with a spray. One favorite is my rollerball of JD Duality; I love its soft, vanilla scent, and it doesn’t fight with dinner, theater or movies. One that is new to me is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’ Smudge Nebula: she calls it an “energy-clearing” scent, and it is very subtle. I worry less about fragrance for dinner out, which is usually just me and my husband the perfume enabler, than I do about a movie (or theater or concert) where I will sit for a long time next to someone who may be affected by my fragrance. I can’t think of many perfumes that would actually interfere with my own enjoyment of a good meal!

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  26. P.S. I will confess to the habit of visiting duty-free shops while waiting for a flight, and sampling different offerings before getting on the plane! But I always try “gentler” scents, partly because that includes most of what’s on offer, partly in an attempt to be a considerate passenger, and partly because this is also a calming little ritual for me, pre-flight. Also, I’m almost always seated next to a family member when I travel, and they’re quite tolerant of me and my sampling, as long as I don’t push too far into daring territory. I also try to under-spray, and I use my inner elbows to lessen the impact on others while still being able to sniff my own arm discreetly!

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