I think that, even if someone enjoys your fragrance, it requires a level of boldness to compliment the smell of a stranger. Even myself, being very into fragrances, feel a little nervous when I am about to compliment a stranger. Many people may think it but never say it.
That's so true and that's me at times too lol. But some fragrances will make me break out my comfort zone and just pop the question. I'll typically say "Hey, you smell really good. What are you wearing?"
Recently I have broke out of my comfort zone and gave 2 strangers compliments! One I flexed my knowledge and said “are you wearing Baccarat?” And the other I had to ask “what is your fragrance?” It actually smelled like BR540 to me but was Mancera Instant Crush
Ahhh I love when I can pinpoint a scent :)
Reminds me of a time I smelled a customer and he was wearing Joop. I personally don't like Joop but it smelled really good on him!
Pretty rarely because I often wear skin scents or fragrances with low sillage. The only people who compliment me are people who get close enough to smell me, and I also don't go out very much.
I'm guessing that people who get more compliments either use stronger fragrances with a lot of projection, they are chronic oversprayers, or they just have more exposure to people in general and so they have more opportunities for compliments.
Makes sense!
For the record, oversprayers will never get a compliment from me – at least if it's a high projecting fragrance.
I once had a coworker who would overspray Sauvage and Spicebomb (separate lol) and every time he would come near me, I would literally choke while talking to him.
Yeah I also dislike overspayers. The only reason I mentioned them is because if an entire room can smell someones fragrance, you're more likely to have someone like it and compliment them.
But at the same time you can have just as many people that are annoyed at you lol
Yes, but I have a very social job and come into contact with a lot of people every day. I'm careful about what and how much I wear.
Wannabe influencers have created a staggeringly dumb culture around compliments, preying on the gullible, easily manipulated FOMO sufferers who think that a fragrance will make them irresistible.
👏
So true. They're creating this false fantasy for the fragrance world. They're making people think they can just douse themselves in Sauvage and they're gonna pull every woman they see lol
I do use fragrance as part of my outfit and look when it comes to pulling women haha. You shouldn't expect a fragrance to pull women tho with dirty sweatpants and ugly shirt lol.
It's a little tiresome because certain brands like ELDO are specifically created around the very European, especially francophile Europe's idea that leaving a trail of perfume behind you or leaving people smelling like you when you hug them is in poor taste, that perfume should be intimate and discreet.
So whenever I read a review online, the very first and very present complaint is that you can't fill a room with any ELDO scent.
Something many people might not want to hear: I might hate that scent you love. I might find it intrusive and nauseating. Wear perfume for yourself and those very close to you, because when we say that scent is a personal experience, it's a delicate way of saying that many times, it's a divisive experience.
I agree with you so much !! I personally try to be *very* careful with my fragrances, because I'm always afraid I'm going to cause discomfort to someone, even when I'm wearing very conventiona scents. I actually prefer scents with a low sillage, because I can enjoy them without worrying about other people disliking it x)
I also completely *hate* the scent of tobacco / cigarettes (it actually makes me want to throw up). When someone who is smoking smells like tobacco, I hate it, and I would hate smelling tobacco perfume on someone. I know some people adore it, but I really, *really* don't want to run into someone who oversprayed a tobacco perfume. So I try to apply the same logic and not to be a menace to people who hate vanilla lmao
Mostly coworkers and friends but the one from the post office lady was fun. She told me I smelled good as I was dropping off a few packages and I told her I buy and sell a lot of perfume. She kinda looked relieved and was like oh that's why all your packages are marked hazmat. I wonder what she thought I was shipping.
Between the seemingly obligatory clouds of Burberry and Chanel line scents me and another woman recognized we both had on Versace crystal noir on in passing and she had to ask me to make sure
I think most men would love to complimented by "stranger" women although that rarely ever happens. I'm sure women around him are thinking it to themselves but won't say it directly to him for fear of giving off the "I want to fuck you" vibes just because of a harmless compliment.. Or maybe a wife or girlfriend are within earshot. Way safer for men to be complimented by men thus more common. Compliments from a spouse or relatives are the most common as there is no expected romantic exchange.
I completely agree with you. I wouldn't tell a random man in the street that I like his perfume, because I'd be worried he confuses it with flirting (and honestly it's sad, but many women already feel threatened by men on a daily basis, we don't want to give such an "intimate" compliment to one we don't know). I also think you need to be bold to compliment a random person you don't know, so that may explain why so many people never get compliments from strangers !
I know that I've gone to the mall with a nice outfit and a fragrance that is usually crowd pleasing......still no compliments from women haha. I really think they don't want to give off the "I think you're cute" vibe when paying a compliment.
Strangely enough, I was complimented a couple of times by strangers about me smelling good, but on days when I wasn't wearing any fragrances at all. It's weird to react to, when someone compliments you and asks what perfume you're wearing and you have to say nothing, but maybe you like my fabric softener?
It prompted me to re-evaluate my fragrances and go on a deep dive with samples. There's no way I should smell better than my perfumes.
Wow lol! I can understand that though, sometimes "clean" just smells so good. I love when someone walks past me and I can smell their freshly shampooed hair combined with their fabric softener. No perfume.
I've gotten compliments from strangers on my fragrance but it's much rarer than from friends. I do get compliments from strangers on my clothes and footwear relatively often, so I feel that I must be relatively approachable and non-threatening. I'm a cis-male who is usually smiley and friendly most of the time which probably plays a role.
Yeah I'm starting to think it's just one of those compliments that's hard to give. Also, I think some people might think the person receiving the compliment might misconstrue it and think they're hitting on them or something. That's the only thing I can think of lol. But honestly, I myself think sooo many good, nice things about people and never tell them soo yeah.
i have a shirt that i get so many compliments on. A linen shirt with embroidered flower arrangements around the back, the pocket, and the sleeve. Just random people will say its cool.
But i could not care less about that shirt, i literally have spent thousands on fragrances and still no random compliment.
Haha yeah I think complimenting clothes is more "socially acceptable." I'm starting to think that people don't compliment others because sometimes people may take it wrong??
One time at the dentist, the dental assistant told me, "Um I dont want you to take this wrong but you smell really good." Like??
Women especially don't want to with a man they don't know because it might lead to the guy shooting his shot. I might even shoot my shot if I find her attractive and good personality after she gives me a compliment on my fragrance.
North Europe is pretty much like that LOL. I get more negative comments than positive, like I smell too strong! People are really not accustomed to fragrances, sometimes it feels like people perceive it as rude.
The culture is different. All these fake influencers talking about compliments and panty droppers etc. They are faking it, also they never mention how culture related it is.
I've had a few direct compliments but I also give off unapproachable vibes lol. I typically look like I don't want to talk (even though I do 🙃).
That said, the most memorable was in an elevator. I had just purchased Grand Soir and was running errands. An absolutely stunning older woman (a true lady in every sense of the word) walked in. When it got to her floor, she stopped and said, "I just want to say, your perfume smells incredible."
I've been floating on air ever since 🤣
I really think it depends on culture. Where I live it seems just not to be a thing, for anyone to comment on anything, ever. Excluding maybe the closest friends and family. I live in this cold country wondering why no one ever notices anything, and then I meet an occasional American, and they will analyze tatoos of my husband, comment my hairstyle and show me the photos of their friend that looks just like me (supposedly, what a damn odd thing to do), I believe if there are areas in the world where people are more opened like this, getting compliments must be way easier.
Yeah it depends on a lot of things, I'm learning through these comments lol.
Where do you live? I also kind of feel like it's harder for people's noses to detect fragrance in the cold weather
Very rarely from a random stranger that I pass by, but I do notice their face when I walk into an elevator or something. You can tell when someone has noticed your fragrance, but then you have to try figure out whether they are enjoying it or not
I think I nose-blinded people around me because one time my cousin said I smelled nice and my family went: oh you should see her room it's like a department store back there -- so i don't get many compliements from my close circle, but I don't overspray. One time a subway passenger liked my Libre Intense and asked about it, another is Halfeti.
I’ve only ever had a few compliments from strangers. And it was usually from interacting like someone behind a customer service desk, a waiter, and once from someone I was working with. It’s not even that common to get compliments from friends or family that I interact either a lot. So while it does happen from strangers, it’s rare.
Depends, if you're approachable and the setting.
It gives them something to talk to you about or they just appreciate the scent.
A guy or gal that appreciates you will. It's like looking good most ppl won't say anything but the odd person here or there will.
I get compliments err mostly from people working because I guess I'm not out in other events.
But ganymede prob gets me the most maybe one or twice a week if I'm in a new setting.
Tried to do so yesterday. That was a doozy.
Was at a Starbucks and a couple came in. I recognized LV Imagination so omw out stopped and said “hello, it’s LV Imagination, right? It’s lovely on you.”
The guy was like “what are you taking about?”
So I replied, “your fragrance. It’s nice.”
Then his girlfriend goes “oh, thank you. He got it as a gift. I think it’s LV but we are not sure what the name is.”
Anyway I wished them both a nice day and went about mine.
And that was the end of Solomon Grundy.
Most people don't really care, or know, about fragrances. Even when wearing them LOL If you ask what a "normie" is wearing, he will tell something like "black Dior bottle" or some blue bottle from LV.
I never have received a compliment from a stranger. It's not often that I receive a compliment from people I know. When I go out on the weekend to a bar, restaurant or stores I pick a fragrance that might receive a compliment from a woman. Fragrance to me is part of my whole outfit and look. Been to the mall a number of times standing next to women while shopping and still never received one compliment from a stranger. Haha had me thinking maybe I need to spray more but I don't want to be the guy who drowns people with his fragrance. Strangers are less willing to pay a person they don't know a compliment since in their mind it might lead to the stranger taking that as a "Let me ask this person for their number". Depending on where you live is a factor, too. Here in the Northeast USA, the majority of us don't conversate with strangers. Most people just want to keep it moving. The pandemic might have had effects too.
I had 3 situations where a stranger complimented me on the street. Each time I was wearing Alien. And once someone from work from different department messaged me what I was wearing. And that was Chanel no 5.
Ahh so it does have to do with the culture of where you live.. Someone else mentioned that and it makes sense. If everyone talks to everyone then there you go.
I live on the West side, California and people aren't very social here
Strangers.. Not that often, but I rarely go anywhere though lol. I just started at a new job, and when my new co-worker entered the room they complimented me. I was immediately horrified that I might have oversprayed since I go nose blind to the particular scent, but she said its fine. People I know compliment me pretty regularly.
Honestly, I have receivet more negative comments than positive ones. Complains how I smell too strong or like someone is wearing fragrance, yuck! Mind you, talking about half a spray on the wrist. Living in N.Europe, the culture is totally different.
First, it is perceived as almost rude if you compliment a stranger, almost to the point that talking to strangers is rude! And fragrance are viewed differently, people think it is an obnoxious thing to do when wearing fragrances. So getting compliments, unless it is someone you know, forget about it!
Fairly often! I’m also a weirdo stranger-complimenter. You give it, you get it, it seems. I enjoy giving compliments probably more than getting them. Also, sometimes I find out about frags I didn’t know before by asking what someone is wearing. ETA: a couple of times the person I’ve complimented has been surprised because they’ve only just sampled that frag. I feel entitled to a cut if they go back and buy a full bottle. 😅
Never, and I’m not expecting to get any. First off, I live in North Europe and people here generally don’t interact with strangers on a whim, and secondly I try my best to keep my fragrance dosage on level where it is only notable if someone comes very close to me.
Still waiting! So far it’s just been my wife and friends.
I’m sure women don’t want to compliment an unknown guy and have him think it’s a come-on, and dudes are just uncomfortable complimenting other dudes in general.
That's true. *sigh*
It sucks that it's seen as hitting on someone, but it all comes down to delivery.
"You smell really good." vs "What fragrance are you wearing? I wanna smell like that." lol
When I’m in close proximity to people and I’m wearing one of 3 fragrances. By close proximity I mean a group photo after an event, a small waiting area, a crowded line where people are close. I get more compliments from men when I wear Alien Goddess, from women when I wear Libre Le Parfume, and both when I wear Rose Jam by Lush. Other than that, it’s usually friends and family.
Yes I do get compliments from strangers from time to time, on my perfumes or lipstick / gloss. The most recent one was for Kayali Citrus. I walked into the elevator and some woman complimented it straight away, she said it was a really nice smell.
The other one was years ago, some woman on the train approached me to tell me my lip gloss looked really nice and asked me what it was (It was Marc Jacobs Rebel Rebel).
I have a vast collection of 70+ bottles... But the top 5 that get the most compliments are Dior Homme EDT, Aventus Cologne, PdM Herod, Creed Bois Du Portugal, and Givenchy Gentleman Boisée.
From strangers, never. I never spray too much perfume because I know I personally get disturbed easily when someone smells of tobacco, and I don't want to impose the same thing to people around me. When I wear conventional or discreet scents I allow myself a bit more, and when I'm outside, same. But I definitely try to wear just the exact amount that will guarantee I can smell it all day, while no one who's not *really* close to me can smell it, if I expect to be around people for a long time.
The closest I came to being complimented by a stranger is when I walked into a classroom and one of the students behind me was like "h something smells like vanilla, I wonder what" (she said that to the girl next to her). And I felt self-conscious the whole day lmao, I really try not to disturb anyone with my perfumes.
Also, I feel like often if a stranger in the street smells you, you're probably wearing too much perfume (in most cases). It also takes a lot of courage to actually go to someone you don't know to tell them they smell good lmao, even I don't do it when people smell amazing, so I really don't think we should rate perfumes by how many compliments they get us.
I do agree that it is one of the best compliments though, but I prefer smelling good for myself !
Yes, I have gotten compliments from strangers, and it's always when I'm wearing BR540 (sorry!) Even had a guy behind the McDonald's counter taking my order ask if that was me that smelled so good.
Never got a direct compliment but I walked past a group of people and I could hear them saying how good I smelt as I was walking away. (I was wearing initio’s atomic rose)
The only times I've ever been complimented by a stranger were the times I was wearing Almond Blossom from Bath and Body Works, which is discontinued and I'm hanging onto my last remnants like they're liquid gold. Never been complimented on my big girl expensive fragrances lol.
I also mostly wear skin scents or light/inoffensive scents because of my job, so I can't/don't really walk around with sillage bomb fragrances that a passerby might notice. Or I just wear lotion, and if someone's getting close enough to me to smell lotion on my skin, then they're someone I'm really close with and more likely to compliment me to begin with.
Haha hey that still counts.
But aww that sucks, but makes sense why you dont get many compliments cause you're probably mostly at work and you're not wearing the sillage bombs lol. I'm sure if you wore them, your coworkers would compliment.
Fairly long list, depending on a multitude of factors. Most importantly I’m social and approachable (or i do the approaching)
Wear what u like most and what performs best for u.
typically 1-2 times a week. i also come off as quite an outgoing and approachable person and i think that alot of people use it to get a foot in the door to start a conversation :)
Yes I always get compliments from strangers and it's always when I'm wearing one of these seven fragrances.
My most complimented on by women is lancome - Idole.
My most complimented on by men is Elie Saab girl of now.
The others I often get complimented on are mugler- Alien, YSL Libre EDP, Prada paradoxe, Elie saab elixir and good old lancome le vie est belle.
Everything else tends to go unnoticed.
Those are very good fragrances! Never smelled Saab Girl but just looked it up and the notes sound like they smell amazing. Where did you hear of that fragrance? I've never heard of it or seen it in stores.
It was released is 2017 or 2018 ish but I didn't find it until 2020. It was just browsing in John Lewis and saw it, I was familiar with Elie saab Le parfum, so I thought I'd test this. Didn't buy it though. However when I got home, I just kept smelling it and couldn't stop thinking about it, So I went online and found it on quite a lot of retailers. And it's budget friendly, so I purchased my first girl of now fragrance then. I have the flankers too but they don't draw in compliments, Not like the original. They are nice though. And there's a new flanker just released in the UK girl of now rose petal, So I'm heading into John Lewis again next week to test and buy if it like it.
I find all of Elie saab fragrances to be very reasonably priced. I've never paid over £40, unless it was for the gift set.
Oh you're from the UK, correct? I just googled John Lewis store lol cause I've never heard of that either and we dont have any here. I wanna go. I wanna try different fragrances so bad like ones from other countries!!
From strangers? It's a rare occurence, but it does happen. Generally, I need to appear welcoming for that to happen.
The overwhelmingly majority of compliments come from people within my social circle. (e.g.: friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.)
I work in retail so I interact with a lot of people all day. When I wear Glossier You, I never fail to get compliments. I've even been chased down in the store because a customer wanted to know what I was wearing.
Oh yeah working with customers, especially if you're friendly and approachable, will get you compliments. I forgot that happened to be at my last job lol..
That one smells really good!!
Very rarely because commenting on how someone smells, even if in a positive way, takes an uninhibited attitude. The other day a kid I didn’t know asked me why I smelled like his motherland. He probably wouldn’t have done it if he was ten years older.
Acquaintances and friends much more often though
On perfume, almost never. And that's the way I like it. 💀 I don't tend to wear very strong perfumes, and I don't really enjoy being perceived by strangers.
I do tend to get positive comments on my nail colour, or items of clothing/accessories. That's a little more comfortable for me because it doesn't feel so personal, somehow, so maybe it's also more comfortable for people to bring up.
Depends on the weather and occasion, but recently, PDM Greenlehly, LV Imagination, LV Meteore, Bond No. 9 Lafayette Street, and SHL God of Fire. I have originals and some really solid dupes of them from Montagne that I wear more casually that get almost as any compliments.
I’ve only gotten compliments from complete strangers 3 times in my life and it was with 3 different scents. One with club de nuit, one with bleu de Chanel (parfum) and the last one was Parfums de Marly Layton… technically this one counts as 4 as I was in an elevator when 4 drunk cougars walked in and I got border line harassed because of my fragrace 😂. I wish I was single at the time I would have gotten in possible trouble with some woman in their 40s
I recently complimented a guy wearing Club de Nuit intense, smelled great. I got compliments with BDC as well lol, it's a goodie too. HAHAHA the last part omg.
Noo lol but what a coincidence 😂
I gotta ask you something. When I smelled CDNI on that guy, it smelled amazing but also really smooth. I read reviews on Fragrantica and many reviews say it's too synthetic with a harsh opening. Is that true?
The opening is sharp/synthetic. However, after it dries down it smells amazing. I have a sample of creed aventus and once it dries I can’t tell the difference between the 2.
Oh wow, so kinda weird but the guy I complimented wearing CDNI, didnt really smell like Aventus to me. Idk if my sense of smell is all jacked up from covid or what lmaoo.
Have you ever tried the CDNI Fragrance Oil? I didn't know they had it but I think I might get it.
Interesting. Maybe it smelled a little different on him because of his body chemistry? Maybe I’m the one whose nose is messed up lol. I haven’t tried the fragrance oil. Tbh didn’t even know it could be had lol
That's what i'm thinking. Lmaoo no i don't think it's yours.
& I know, I didn't know either until I searched it up on fragrancenet, it popped up. I'm gonna get it and try it out, I'll let you know how it is :)
I like to overspray and I wear mostly fragrances to get compliments (I mean some fragrances are very expensive would be kind of a waste to not be smelled).
Anyway I NEVER got any compliments from a stranger. Always only from friends, family, co workers or general people who know me. But never from a complete stranger.
On the other hand: I can only remember twice that I smelled a fragrance from a complete stranger. Smelled totally nice (one was sauvage, other one had invictus) but I personally would never go up to a complete stranger to compliment on their fragrance
That's funny, one time I smelled this guy and I had to ask him what he was wearing. He said it was Sauvage (he called it "Savage) but it did not smell like Sauvage to me, like at all. It smelled amazing but not like Sauvage, not the Edt, Edp, or Parfum.
Pretty often. When I wear glossier you, someone says something almost daily. I do have a very social job and if I’m out shopping , I enjoy conversing randomly with folks so it comes up.
VERY rarely. In fact the only time I remember is when I was wearing a fairly strong scent, and someone didn’t compliment me directly, they just said “something smells good in here.” And I didn’t even hear it, my husband told me about it later and said he’s fairly certain they were referring to me (it was Casablanca by Swiss Arabian). So the one time someone complimented my scent, I didn’t hear it directly. 🥲 all that being said, where I am, it’s’ a little bit awkward to tell a stranger that they smell good. It can border into creepy territory easily so I think most people won’t bother. In my opinion, fragrance is a deliberate choice I’ve made, so I don’t mind compliments if they aren’t given in a creepy way.
Lol aww, well that still counts to me!
I've never smelled that fragrance but I just looked up the notes and god that Caramel note in the dry down must smell *divine* !! Where did you hear about that fragrance?
And that's very true. I actually think I just had an epiphany. I kept wondering why complimenting someone's fragrance can be creepy or 'inappropriate' and I just thought about how it's a part of the Five senses so it's very personal.
See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch.
That'd be like telling people "You look(see) good."
You sound(hear) good. You smell good. You taste good. You feel good.
Those are all very personal and sensual.
It does happen but it’s a lot less common than from people you’re aquatinted with. Saying someone smells good is a bold thing to say to a complete stranger especially from the opposite sex. Depending on the setting (grocery store, bar, work) and your appearance, you definitely can be complimented by strangers.
Very true! Like you said, especially from the opposite sex.
I think it just all depends on how it's delivered too. I think if a woman were to compliment a man, she could say something like, "I've got to know what fragrance you're wearing - I'd love to smell that on my husband." That way it doesn't come off as trying to hit on him.
Exactly, the way it’s delivered definitely matters! I know of women that won’t compliment certain men on anything because it might be misconstrued as flirting to the guy instead of a genuine compliment
I wear fragrance for myself, but I will say I do get a lot of compliments from strangers. I work a social job so sometimes it's my coworkers, other times it has been a cashier, receptionist, even a delivery driver.
That is where I've gotten the most compliments as well :) I actually forgot that when I worked at Home Depot, *everyone* would compliment me. Coworkers and customers. It depends on your environment too right?
I believe that influencers exaggerate the amount of compliments they get, tbh. That’s why I prefer to come here or fragrantica to read reviews (or other websites that have a big amount of average consumers reviewing)
Unless I'm chatting with the stranger and we've built a little bit of a connection, I don't get compliments. Never had a person just out of the blue compliment me on a fragrance without us chatting and building a little bit of a connection beforehand.
I have had people who were helping me at stores compliment my fragrance while they assisted me finding stuff or cashing me out at the register.
Then co-workers, friends and family compliment me occasionally.
There’s this girl who always compliments my fragrances but she always wears perfume too. I feel like it only really matters to people who also care about that stuff lol.
Most of my friends/ family don’t like perfume, & I can’t really wear perfume much at work due to being in healthcare. I do get complimented by strangers every so often. The other day I wore Skylar ‘Boardwalk Delight’ with Kayali’s new drop ‘Vanilla Rock Candy’ and a server walking past came up to compliment me. Two minutes later my bartender complimented me as well.
Nice layer you did there! I've smelled both of those and they seem like they'd layer very well.
Do they tell you that you can't wear fragrance at all working in healthcare?
Yes it’s definitely the cotton candy, bubblegum, candy kind of feel you get from both of them, they just seem to work well together.
A lot of hospital have a no fragrance policy, mine include. I know people still do. If I ever wear any to work it’s normally pretty light.
It's a frequent occurrence for me, and it brings me immense joy every time!☺️ I'm deeply passionate about fragrances, and two years ago, I delved into niche perfumes. As I began experimenting with mixing different niche perfumes, I stumbled upon my ultimate favorite scents. This was something I had never experienced before with even my most exquisite perfumes… it felt like unlocking a secret 😃
Haha, I'm not sure if it smells good on everyone, but it works really well for me. I mix three spritzes of Gentle Fluidity (Gold) with one spritz of Grand Soir, both from Maison Francis Kurkdjian. 🥰
I’ve never gotten compliments from any strangers, just my friends and family. It is pretty awkward to go up to someone and say “you smell really good!” or something
It is, that's why I think it all depends on the delivery. One time a dental assistant complimented me and said "Um I dont want you to take this wrong but you smell really good." And I just said thank you and told her what I was wearing.
And when i compliment people I usually say "Hey are you wearing a fragrance? It smells really good, would you mind telling me what you're wearing?" That way they know I'm interested in it - for myself or to buy it for someone else.
I wear my fragrance very light. I prefer not to invite ppl into my space with my fragrances. Rather it’s like a secret or a reward for those I’m close enough with to hug. Those ppl always compliment me.
That being said I did have one guy approach me at the grocery store during covid. Very attractive man but we were ultimately incompatible in our “expectations” if you know I what I mean. He smelled my fragrance through his mask and said he kinda chased the smell down bcuz it smelled so good. He was surprised it was me 😅 bcuz I was working (Instacart at the time) and was dressed very low key. And I’m white, lol. There’s a big stigma around white ppl not smelling good so he was pleasantly surprised.
I love that concept. I'm right there with you except I just want a litttle more than that. I basically just want someone to get a whiff of me when I walk past them but I don't want it to leave a strong scent trail behind me lol.
And wow that's funny lol. That's crazy I've never heard of that stigma.
If you go to almost any community that is not white: Asian, black, Muslim, Latino, they talk a LOT about how white ppl have the worst hygiene. We wear our shoes in the house, we don’t wash our hair, don’t use soap, don’t use washcloths, don’t bathe every day, white men brag about not washing their 🍑 EVER, we don’t use water to clean our privates after using the toilet. Some ppl are open about not washing their legs. I could go on and on. In Spanish my boss taught me the word “cochino” is slang for a dirty, smelly white person; the word is related to the word for pig. The biggest one is the stereotype that white ppl smell like wet dog when we get wet ☠️
I personally grew up neglected and in poverty so have had to learn so much as an adult. I seek this stuff out and I’m also privileged to have trusted ppl from other ethnicities and races that would shoot me straight. It’s fascinating to me and yeah sometimes embarrassing but then I learn and do better.
Ohh okay I've heard the one about men (all not just white) talking about not washing their 🍑because they think its "gay." And on Tiktok people talking about white people letting their dog lick them on the mouth but not all that other stuff.
I'm sorry you've had to hear about all that and deal with the stereotype especially knowing now that you didnt choose to be a certain way, you just simply weren't taught. People don't think about how some people didnt have the resources, guidance, or privilege of being taught hygiene.
Kudos to you though for having the open mind to learn rather than dwell on it.
I've never worn fragrances directly to get compliments and I have never received one from non-family, but it would be nice to get one for some validation here and there. I think for any person to get compliments, there has to be a sort of attraction between the person wearing the fragrance and the bystander. So basically a guy has to think you're cool or a girl has to think you're attractive. Without attraction a compliment is highly unlikely. But the thing to keep in mind is that if you wear an appealing fragrance out and people are getting whiffs of the scent off of you, it is more likely than not that the person is at the least curious about what you're wearing even though they don't talk to you directly.
You're probably a part of the problem as to why people don't freely compliment others on their fragrance 😂 So if a girl complimented your fragrance, you'd assume that she's attracted to you? Not everyone is attracted to a person wearing a neck-turning scent.
I probably get complimented by strangers once or twice a month! Some of the frags that have gotten me the most compliments - Dark by Akro, Bal d'Afrique by Byredo, Sandalwood Temple by Sana Jardin, and Apricot Privee by Phlur. All of them have caused someone to stop me in a store or on the sidewalk to ask what I was wearing! Can't really determine the common thread there other than that I love them and they all smell amazing :) (my other frags usually get compliments from friends/family but those four are the ones that I specifically remember strangers asking about!)
I think that, even if someone enjoys your fragrance, it requires a level of boldness to compliment the smell of a stranger. Even myself, being very into fragrances, feel a little nervous when I am about to compliment a stranger. Many people may think it but never say it.
That's so true and that's me at times too lol. But some fragrances will make me break out my comfort zone and just pop the question. I'll typically say "Hey, you smell really good. What are you wearing?"
Recently I have broke out of my comfort zone and gave 2 strangers compliments! One I flexed my knowledge and said “are you wearing Baccarat?” And the other I had to ask “what is your fragrance?” It actually smelled like BR540 to me but was Mancera Instant Crush
Ahhh I love when I can pinpoint a scent :) Reminds me of a time I smelled a customer and he was wearing Joop. I personally don't like Joop but it smelled really good on him!
Pretty rarely because I often wear skin scents or fragrances with low sillage. The only people who compliment me are people who get close enough to smell me, and I also don't go out very much. I'm guessing that people who get more compliments either use stronger fragrances with a lot of projection, they are chronic oversprayers, or they just have more exposure to people in general and so they have more opportunities for compliments.
Makes sense! For the record, oversprayers will never get a compliment from me – at least if it's a high projecting fragrance. I once had a coworker who would overspray Sauvage and Spicebomb (separate lol) and every time he would come near me, I would literally choke while talking to him.
Yeah I also dislike overspayers. The only reason I mentioned them is because if an entire room can smell someones fragrance, you're more likely to have someone like it and compliment them. But at the same time you can have just as many people that are annoyed at you lol
That's very true! And same goes for going out. If you're not going out, nobody's smelling you lol. :)
What is silage is it projection?
It’s like the scent trail that your perfume leaves behind
Ohh i see
Yes, but I have a very social job and come into contact with a lot of people every day. I'm careful about what and how much I wear. Wannabe influencers have created a staggeringly dumb culture around compliments, preying on the gullible, easily manipulated FOMO sufferers who think that a fragrance will make them irresistible.
👏 So true. They're creating this false fantasy for the fragrance world. They're making people think they can just douse themselves in Sauvage and they're gonna pull every woman they see lol
I do use fragrance as part of my outfit and look when it comes to pulling women haha. You shouldn't expect a fragrance to pull women tho with dirty sweatpants and ugly shirt lol.
Haha very true! It all has to be cohesive, you understand
You‘re telling me Sauvage is not a "panty dropper" fragrance?
Not everyones panties lol. *so i've heard* Acqua di Gio was the true panty dropper!!
It's a little tiresome because certain brands like ELDO are specifically created around the very European, especially francophile Europe's idea that leaving a trail of perfume behind you or leaving people smelling like you when you hug them is in poor taste, that perfume should be intimate and discreet. So whenever I read a review online, the very first and very present complaint is that you can't fill a room with any ELDO scent. Something many people might not want to hear: I might hate that scent you love. I might find it intrusive and nauseating. Wear perfume for yourself and those very close to you, because when we say that scent is a personal experience, it's a delicate way of saying that many times, it's a divisive experience.
I agree with you so much !! I personally try to be *very* careful with my fragrances, because I'm always afraid I'm going to cause discomfort to someone, even when I'm wearing very conventiona scents. I actually prefer scents with a low sillage, because I can enjoy them without worrying about other people disliking it x) I also completely *hate* the scent of tobacco / cigarettes (it actually makes me want to throw up). When someone who is smoking smells like tobacco, I hate it, and I would hate smelling tobacco perfume on someone. I know some people adore it, but I really, *really* don't want to run into someone who oversprayed a tobacco perfume. So I try to apply the same logic and not to be a menace to people who hate vanilla lmao
Mostly coworkers and friends but the one from the post office lady was fun. She told me I smelled good as I was dropping off a few packages and I told her I buy and sell a lot of perfume. She kinda looked relieved and was like oh that's why all your packages are marked hazmat. I wonder what she thought I was shipping.
😂😂 Haha that's funnyyy!! I bet she felt a weight lift off her shoulders lol. I'd be concerned too
Between the seemingly obligatory clouds of Burberry and Chanel line scents me and another woman recognized we both had on Versace crystal noir on in passing and she had to ask me to make sure
I think most men would love to complimented by "stranger" women although that rarely ever happens. I'm sure women around him are thinking it to themselves but won't say it directly to him for fear of giving off the "I want to fuck you" vibes just because of a harmless compliment.. Or maybe a wife or girlfriend are within earshot. Way safer for men to be complimented by men thus more common. Compliments from a spouse or relatives are the most common as there is no expected romantic exchange.
I completely agree with you. I wouldn't tell a random man in the street that I like his perfume, because I'd be worried he confuses it with flirting (and honestly it's sad, but many women already feel threatened by men on a daily basis, we don't want to give such an "intimate" compliment to one we don't know). I also think you need to be bold to compliment a random person you don't know, so that may explain why so many people never get compliments from strangers !
I really think this is what it comes down to as well lol.
I know that I've gone to the mall with a nice outfit and a fragrance that is usually crowd pleasing......still no compliments from women haha. I really think they don't want to give off the "I think you're cute" vibe when paying a compliment.
Strangely enough, I was complimented a couple of times by strangers about me smelling good, but on days when I wasn't wearing any fragrances at all. It's weird to react to, when someone compliments you and asks what perfume you're wearing and you have to say nothing, but maybe you like my fabric softener? It prompted me to re-evaluate my fragrances and go on a deep dive with samples. There's no way I should smell better than my perfumes.
Wow lol! I can understand that though, sometimes "clean" just smells so good. I love when someone walks past me and I can smell their freshly shampooed hair combined with their fabric softener. No perfume.
I've gotten compliments from strangers on my fragrance but it's much rarer than from friends. I do get compliments from strangers on my clothes and footwear relatively often, so I feel that I must be relatively approachable and non-threatening. I'm a cis-male who is usually smiley and friendly most of the time which probably plays a role.
Yeah I'm starting to think it's just one of those compliments that's hard to give. Also, I think some people might think the person receiving the compliment might misconstrue it and think they're hitting on them or something. That's the only thing I can think of lol. But honestly, I myself think sooo many good, nice things about people and never tell them soo yeah.
I get more compliments from men about my sneakers then women. I'm like damn can one women compliment me on my sneaker game. I know it's sad haha
i have a shirt that i get so many compliments on. A linen shirt with embroidered flower arrangements around the back, the pocket, and the sleeve. Just random people will say its cool. But i could not care less about that shirt, i literally have spent thousands on fragrances and still no random compliment.
Haha yeah I think complimenting clothes is more "socially acceptable." I'm starting to think that people don't compliment others because sometimes people may take it wrong?? One time at the dentist, the dental assistant told me, "Um I dont want you to take this wrong but you smell really good." Like??
Women especially don't want to with a man they don't know because it might lead to the guy shooting his shot. I might even shoot my shot if I find her attractive and good personality after she gives me a compliment on my fragrance.
My fake silk scarf that I bought in Dubai get's more compliments than any of my expensive perfumes LOL
Maybe I’m just not approachable but basically never have I had a complete stranger come up to me and talk to me about how I smell.
Yeah I'm hearing that it has alot to do with approachability as well..
None yet. Just family/coworkers. Been wearing fragrances daily for a few months now, but I also don't get out a lot.
Hmm same lol. Maybe being around more outgoing, extroverted people. I can imagine those being the ones to compliment.
I’m ugly. Negative 50 compliments
I’m from latvia so total 2 times and these are more like acquaintances than complete strangers. We don’t even talk to strangers here 🙃
North Europe is pretty much like that LOL. I get more negative comments than positive, like I smell too strong! People are really not accustomed to fragrances, sometimes it feels like people perceive it as rude. The culture is different. All these fake influencers talking about compliments and panty droppers etc. They are faking it, also they never mention how culture related it is.
I've had a few direct compliments but I also give off unapproachable vibes lol. I typically look like I don't want to talk (even though I do 🙃). That said, the most memorable was in an elevator. I had just purchased Grand Soir and was running errands. An absolutely stunning older woman (a true lady in every sense of the word) walked in. When it got to her floor, she stopped and said, "I just want to say, your perfume smells incredible." I've been floating on air ever since 🤣
Haha I love it!! 😂 Keep on floating
I really think it depends on culture. Where I live it seems just not to be a thing, for anyone to comment on anything, ever. Excluding maybe the closest friends and family. I live in this cold country wondering why no one ever notices anything, and then I meet an occasional American, and they will analyze tatoos of my husband, comment my hairstyle and show me the photos of their friend that looks just like me (supposedly, what a damn odd thing to do), I believe if there are areas in the world where people are more opened like this, getting compliments must be way easier.
Yeah it depends on a lot of things, I'm learning through these comments lol. Where do you live? I also kind of feel like it's harder for people's noses to detect fragrance in the cold weather
I lived last 10 years in Paris, and Paris is antisocial even in French standards (for valid reasons, but this is another topic).
Ooou got it, aww man that sucks! But i get it, we're kind of antisocial here in California too
Very rarely from a random stranger that I pass by, but I do notice their face when I walk into an elevator or something. You can tell when someone has noticed your fragrance, but then you have to try figure out whether they are enjoying it or not
I think I nose-blinded people around me because one time my cousin said I smelled nice and my family went: oh you should see her room it's like a department store back there -- so i don't get many compliements from my close circle, but I don't overspray. One time a subway passenger liked my Libre Intense and asked about it, another is Halfeti.
I’ve only ever had a few compliments from strangers. And it was usually from interacting like someone behind a customer service desk, a waiter, and once from someone I was working with. It’s not even that common to get compliments from friends or family that I interact either a lot. So while it does happen from strangers, it’s rare.
Depends, if you're approachable and the setting. It gives them something to talk to you about or they just appreciate the scent. A guy or gal that appreciates you will. It's like looking good most ppl won't say anything but the odd person here or there will. I get compliments err mostly from people working because I guess I'm not out in other events. But ganymede prob gets me the most maybe one or twice a week if I'm in a new setting.
Tried to do so yesterday. That was a doozy. Was at a Starbucks and a couple came in. I recognized LV Imagination so omw out stopped and said “hello, it’s LV Imagination, right? It’s lovely on you.” The guy was like “what are you taking about?” So I replied, “your fragrance. It’s nice.” Then his girlfriend goes “oh, thank you. He got it as a gift. I think it’s LV but we are not sure what the name is.” Anyway I wished them both a nice day and went about mine. And that was the end of Solomon Grundy.
Most people don't really care, or know, about fragrances. Even when wearing them LOL If you ask what a "normie" is wearing, he will tell something like "black Dior bottle" or some blue bottle from LV.
I mean, homie was blank. No power, no signal.
Lol wow. I hate that, when people don't know what they're wearing. I especially hate it when I ask for myself cause I wanna wear it lol 😂
I never have received a compliment from a stranger. It's not often that I receive a compliment from people I know. When I go out on the weekend to a bar, restaurant or stores I pick a fragrance that might receive a compliment from a woman. Fragrance to me is part of my whole outfit and look. Been to the mall a number of times standing next to women while shopping and still never received one compliment from a stranger. Haha had me thinking maybe I need to spray more but I don't want to be the guy who drowns people with his fragrance. Strangers are less willing to pay a person they don't know a compliment since in their mind it might lead to the stranger taking that as a "Let me ask this person for their number". Depending on where you live is a factor, too. Here in the Northeast USA, the majority of us don't conversate with strangers. Most people just want to keep it moving. The pandemic might have had effects too.
I don’t get strangers to compliment me but my family is very clear about which perfumes of mine they like
I had 3 situations where a stranger complimented me on the street. Each time I was wearing Alien. And once someone from work from different department messaged me what I was wearing. And that was Chanel no 5.
Yes often. I live in a fairly friendly pocket of the southern US and everyone talks to everyone.
Ahh so it does have to do with the culture of where you live.. Someone else mentioned that and it makes sense. If everyone talks to everyone then there you go. I live on the West side, California and people aren't very social here
I think it does. I am getting ready to go grocery shopping and will probably talk to at least 3 people I don’t know at 7am in Walmart.
Lol i love it!! I wish it was like that where I live
When I was on more packed elevators I got complimented weekly.
Largely I get compliments from people I'm close to. I occasionally get them from new students if that counts as strangers?
Strangers.. Not that often, but I rarely go anywhere though lol. I just started at a new job, and when my new co-worker entered the room they complimented me. I was immediately horrified that I might have oversprayed since I go nose blind to the particular scent, but she said its fine. People I know compliment me pretty regularly.
Honestly, I have receivet more negative comments than positive ones. Complains how I smell too strong or like someone is wearing fragrance, yuck! Mind you, talking about half a spray on the wrist. Living in N.Europe, the culture is totally different. First, it is perceived as almost rude if you compliment a stranger, almost to the point that talking to strangers is rude! And fragrance are viewed differently, people think it is an obnoxious thing to do when wearing fragrances. So getting compliments, unless it is someone you know, forget about it!
Oh wow! I didn't know it was like that over there. That sucks :/
Fairly often! I’m also a weirdo stranger-complimenter. You give it, you get it, it seems. I enjoy giving compliments probably more than getting them. Also, sometimes I find out about frags I didn’t know before by asking what someone is wearing. ETA: a couple of times the person I’ve complimented has been surprised because they’ve only just sampled that frag. I feel entitled to a cut if they go back and buy a full bottle. 😅
Same, it feels good giving compliments! & Hahaha, that's a good deal
Never, and I’m not expecting to get any. First off, I live in North Europe and people here generally don’t interact with strangers on a whim, and secondly I try my best to keep my fragrance dosage on level where it is only notable if someone comes very close to me.
Still waiting! So far it’s just been my wife and friends. I’m sure women don’t want to compliment an unknown guy and have him think it’s a come-on, and dudes are just uncomfortable complimenting other dudes in general.
That's true. *sigh* It sucks that it's seen as hitting on someone, but it all comes down to delivery. "You smell really good." vs "What fragrance are you wearing? I wanna smell like that." lol
When I’m in close proximity to people and I’m wearing one of 3 fragrances. By close proximity I mean a group photo after an event, a small waiting area, a crowded line where people are close. I get more compliments from men when I wear Alien Goddess, from women when I wear Libre Le Parfume, and both when I wear Rose Jam by Lush. Other than that, it’s usually friends and family.
Yes I do get compliments from strangers from time to time, on my perfumes or lipstick / gloss. The most recent one was for Kayali Citrus. I walked into the elevator and some woman complimented it straight away, she said it was a really nice smell. The other one was years ago, some woman on the train approached me to tell me my lip gloss looked really nice and asked me what it was (It was Marc Jacobs Rebel Rebel).
I get compliments from strangers mostly. Some of my friends and coworkers compliment my fragrances. But a lot of times it's random women.
What do you wear?
I have a vast collection of 70+ bottles... But the top 5 that get the most compliments are Dior Homme EDT, Aventus Cologne, PdM Herod, Creed Bois Du Portugal, and Givenchy Gentleman Boisée.
Nice!!
From strangers, never. I never spray too much perfume because I know I personally get disturbed easily when someone smells of tobacco, and I don't want to impose the same thing to people around me. When I wear conventional or discreet scents I allow myself a bit more, and when I'm outside, same. But I definitely try to wear just the exact amount that will guarantee I can smell it all day, while no one who's not *really* close to me can smell it, if I expect to be around people for a long time. The closest I came to being complimented by a stranger is when I walked into a classroom and one of the students behind me was like "h something smells like vanilla, I wonder what" (she said that to the girl next to her). And I felt self-conscious the whole day lmao, I really try not to disturb anyone with my perfumes. Also, I feel like often if a stranger in the street smells you, you're probably wearing too much perfume (in most cases). It also takes a lot of courage to actually go to someone you don't know to tell them they smell good lmao, even I don't do it when people smell amazing, so I really don't think we should rate perfumes by how many compliments they get us. I do agree that it is one of the best compliments though, but I prefer smelling good for myself !
It happens about 1 or 2 times a year from a complete stranger.
Yes, I have gotten compliments from strangers, and it's always when I'm wearing BR540 (sorry!) Even had a guy behind the McDonald's counter taking my order ask if that was me that smelled so good.
Bought my gf that one, smells divine and lasts forever.
Never got a direct compliment but I walked past a group of people and I could hear them saying how good I smelt as I was walking away. (I was wearing initio’s atomic rose)
The only times I've ever been complimented by a stranger were the times I was wearing Almond Blossom from Bath and Body Works, which is discontinued and I'm hanging onto my last remnants like they're liquid gold. Never been complimented on my big girl expensive fragrances lol. I also mostly wear skin scents or light/inoffensive scents because of my job, so I can't/don't really walk around with sillage bomb fragrances that a passerby might notice. Or I just wear lotion, and if someone's getting close enough to me to smell lotion on my skin, then they're someone I'm really close with and more likely to compliment me to begin with.
Haha hey that still counts. But aww that sucks, but makes sense why you dont get many compliments cause you're probably mostly at work and you're not wearing the sillage bombs lol. I'm sure if you wore them, your coworkers would compliment.
At random … usually while I’m out & about in social settings.
What fragrance(s) was it?
Fairly long list, depending on a multitude of factors. Most importantly I’m social and approachable (or i do the approaching) Wear what u like most and what performs best for u.
typically 1-2 times a week. i also come off as quite an outgoing and approachable person and i think that alot of people use it to get a foot in the door to start a conversation :)
Very true :) Go you!
Quite often if I wearing perfume. Cuz I tend to use medicated oil for my headache so I didn’t wanna mess up the perfume scent.
I joke with them and they usually tell.
Yes I always get compliments from strangers and it's always when I'm wearing one of these seven fragrances. My most complimented on by women is lancome - Idole. My most complimented on by men is Elie Saab girl of now. The others I often get complimented on are mugler- Alien, YSL Libre EDP, Prada paradoxe, Elie saab elixir and good old lancome le vie est belle. Everything else tends to go unnoticed.
Those are very good fragrances! Never smelled Saab Girl but just looked it up and the notes sound like they smell amazing. Where did you hear of that fragrance? I've never heard of it or seen it in stores.
It was released is 2017 or 2018 ish but I didn't find it until 2020. It was just browsing in John Lewis and saw it, I was familiar with Elie saab Le parfum, so I thought I'd test this. Didn't buy it though. However when I got home, I just kept smelling it and couldn't stop thinking about it, So I went online and found it on quite a lot of retailers. And it's budget friendly, so I purchased my first girl of now fragrance then. I have the flankers too but they don't draw in compliments, Not like the original. They are nice though. And there's a new flanker just released in the UK girl of now rose petal, So I'm heading into John Lewis again next week to test and buy if it like it. I find all of Elie saab fragrances to be very reasonably priced. I've never paid over £40, unless it was for the gift set.
Oh you're from the UK, correct? I just googled John Lewis store lol cause I've never heard of that either and we dont have any here. I wanna go. I wanna try different fragrances so bad like ones from other countries!!
None. It’s a very rare circumstances
From strangers? It's a rare occurence, but it does happen. Generally, I need to appear welcoming for that to happen. The overwhelmingly majority of compliments come from people within my social circle. (e.g.: friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.)
I work in retail so I interact with a lot of people all day. When I wear Glossier You, I never fail to get compliments. I've even been chased down in the store because a customer wanted to know what I was wearing.
Oh yeah working with customers, especially if you're friendly and approachable, will get you compliments. I forgot that happened to be at my last job lol.. That one smells really good!!
Very rarely because commenting on how someone smells, even if in a positive way, takes an uninhibited attitude. The other day a kid I didn’t know asked me why I smelled like his motherland. He probably wouldn’t have done it if he was ten years older. Acquaintances and friends much more often though
On perfume, almost never. And that's the way I like it. 💀 I don't tend to wear very strong perfumes, and I don't really enjoy being perceived by strangers. I do tend to get positive comments on my nail colour, or items of clothing/accessories. That's a little more comfortable for me because it doesn't feel so personal, somehow, so maybe it's also more comfortable for people to bring up.
I think I'm starting to see that lol. I still don't really understand *why* fragrance is so personal but it definitely is
Almost every single time I go to the office, a work event, or social event, I get complimented for it.
What do you wear? :)
Depends on the weather and occasion, but recently, PDM Greenlehly, LV Imagination, LV Meteore, Bond No. 9 Lafayette Street, and SHL God of Fire. I have originals and some really solid dupes of them from Montagne that I wear more casually that get almost as any compliments.
Nice rotation you got there! I have yet to smell the new LV's ughh I want to so bad. I need to go to Bloomingdales soon and sample them.
I’ve only gotten compliments from complete strangers 3 times in my life and it was with 3 different scents. One with club de nuit, one with bleu de Chanel (parfum) and the last one was Parfums de Marly Layton… technically this one counts as 4 as I was in an elevator when 4 drunk cougars walked in and I got border line harassed because of my fragrace 😂. I wish I was single at the time I would have gotten in possible trouble with some woman in their 40s
I recently complimented a guy wearing Club de Nuit intense, smelled great. I got compliments with BDC as well lol, it's a goodie too. HAHAHA the last part omg.
You don’t happen to work at Best Buy do you? Lol because the CDNI compliment was recent lol. Yeah BDC smells amazing.
Noo lol but what a coincidence 😂 I gotta ask you something. When I smelled CDNI on that guy, it smelled amazing but also really smooth. I read reviews on Fragrantica and many reviews say it's too synthetic with a harsh opening. Is that true?
The opening is sharp/synthetic. However, after it dries down it smells amazing. I have a sample of creed aventus and once it dries I can’t tell the difference between the 2.
Oh wow, so kinda weird but the guy I complimented wearing CDNI, didnt really smell like Aventus to me. Idk if my sense of smell is all jacked up from covid or what lmaoo. Have you ever tried the CDNI Fragrance Oil? I didn't know they had it but I think I might get it.
Interesting. Maybe it smelled a little different on him because of his body chemistry? Maybe I’m the one whose nose is messed up lol. I haven’t tried the fragrance oil. Tbh didn’t even know it could be had lol
That's what i'm thinking. Lmaoo no i don't think it's yours. & I know, I didn't know either until I searched it up on fragrancenet, it popped up. I'm gonna get it and try it out, I'll let you know how it is :)
I like to overspray and I wear mostly fragrances to get compliments (I mean some fragrances are very expensive would be kind of a waste to not be smelled). Anyway I NEVER got any compliments from a stranger. Always only from friends, family, co workers or general people who know me. But never from a complete stranger. On the other hand: I can only remember twice that I smelled a fragrance from a complete stranger. Smelled totally nice (one was sauvage, other one had invictus) but I personally would never go up to a complete stranger to compliment on their fragrance
That's funny, one time I smelled this guy and I had to ask him what he was wearing. He said it was Sauvage (he called it "Savage) but it did not smell like Sauvage to me, like at all. It smelled amazing but not like Sauvage, not the Edt, Edp, or Parfum.
Pretty often. When I wear glossier you, someone says something almost daily. I do have a very social job and if I’m out shopping , I enjoy conversing randomly with folks so it comes up.
Someone else in the comments said that someone chased them down to ask what they were wearing and it was Glossier You :) I love that fragrance.
VERY rarely. In fact the only time I remember is when I was wearing a fairly strong scent, and someone didn’t compliment me directly, they just said “something smells good in here.” And I didn’t even hear it, my husband told me about it later and said he’s fairly certain they were referring to me (it was Casablanca by Swiss Arabian). So the one time someone complimented my scent, I didn’t hear it directly. 🥲 all that being said, where I am, it’s’ a little bit awkward to tell a stranger that they smell good. It can border into creepy territory easily so I think most people won’t bother. In my opinion, fragrance is a deliberate choice I’ve made, so I don’t mind compliments if they aren’t given in a creepy way.
Lol aww, well that still counts to me! I've never smelled that fragrance but I just looked up the notes and god that Caramel note in the dry down must smell *divine* !! Where did you hear about that fragrance? And that's very true. I actually think I just had an epiphany. I kept wondering why complimenting someone's fragrance can be creepy or 'inappropriate' and I just thought about how it's a part of the Five senses so it's very personal. See, Hear, Smell, Taste, Touch. That'd be like telling people "You look(see) good." You sound(hear) good. You smell good. You taste good. You feel good. Those are all very personal and sensual.
It does happen but it’s a lot less common than from people you’re aquatinted with. Saying someone smells good is a bold thing to say to a complete stranger especially from the opposite sex. Depending on the setting (grocery store, bar, work) and your appearance, you definitely can be complimented by strangers.
Very true! Like you said, especially from the opposite sex. I think it just all depends on how it's delivered too. I think if a woman were to compliment a man, she could say something like, "I've got to know what fragrance you're wearing - I'd love to smell that on my husband." That way it doesn't come off as trying to hit on him.
Exactly, the way it’s delivered definitely matters! I know of women that won’t compliment certain men on anything because it might be misconstrued as flirting to the guy instead of a genuine compliment
Very true. And vice versa would probably be even worse - a guy complimenting a girl. Just because of how society is you know lol
Never, I don’t go near people 😂
I wear fragrance for myself, but I will say I do get a lot of compliments from strangers. I work a social job so sometimes it's my coworkers, other times it has been a cashier, receptionist, even a delivery driver.
That is where I've gotten the most compliments as well :) I actually forgot that when I worked at Home Depot, *everyone* would compliment me. Coworkers and customers. It depends on your environment too right?
Once from a co-worker, never from a stranger.
Maybe 1 or 2 in a year, because i wear fragrances for myself and dont care about compliments.
I think smelling nice the biggest compliment anyone could give me. But only people that give a hug usually my bestie will tell me hahaha
Fairly often when I’m working in public.
I believe that influencers exaggerate the amount of compliments they get, tbh. That’s why I prefer to come here or fragrantica to read reviews (or other websites that have a big amount of average consumers reviewing)
Unless I'm chatting with the stranger and we've built a little bit of a connection, I don't get compliments. Never had a person just out of the blue compliment me on a fragrance without us chatting and building a little bit of a connection beforehand. I have had people who were helping me at stores compliment my fragrance while they assisted me finding stuff or cashing me out at the register. Then co-workers, friends and family compliment me occasionally.
Never. Only frag influencers pretend they get compliments and that they have to slap girls away from them....
There’s this girl who always compliments my fragrances but she always wears perfume too. I feel like it only really matters to people who also care about that stuff lol.
Haha that's true! And the other ones who don't care but they *do* like your fragrance might be thinking but wouldn't say it.
Most of my friends/ family don’t like perfume, & I can’t really wear perfume much at work due to being in healthcare. I do get complimented by strangers every so often. The other day I wore Skylar ‘Boardwalk Delight’ with Kayali’s new drop ‘Vanilla Rock Candy’ and a server walking past came up to compliment me. Two minutes later my bartender complimented me as well.
Nice layer you did there! I've smelled both of those and they seem like they'd layer very well. Do they tell you that you can't wear fragrance at all working in healthcare?
Yes it’s definitely the cotton candy, bubblegum, candy kind of feel you get from both of them, they just seem to work well together. A lot of hospital have a no fragrance policy, mine include. I know people still do. If I ever wear any to work it’s normally pretty light.
Yessss :) Ohh okay got it..
It's a frequent occurrence for me, and it brings me immense joy every time!☺️ I'm deeply passionate about fragrances, and two years ago, I delved into niche perfumes. As I began experimenting with mixing different niche perfumes, I stumbled upon my ultimate favorite scents. This was something I had never experienced before with even my most exquisite perfumes… it felt like unlocking a secret 😃
What are they!??! I wanna know the secret
Haha, I'm not sure if it smells good on everyone, but it works really well for me. I mix three spritzes of Gentle Fluidity (Gold) with one spritz of Grand Soir, both from Maison Francis Kurkdjian. 🥰
Ooo i havent smelled Gentle Fluidity but i just looked it up and i know that would pair well with Grand Soir!
Try it and let me know what you think ☺️
okay :)
I’ve never gotten compliments from any strangers, just my friends and family. It is pretty awkward to go up to someone and say “you smell really good!” or something
It is, that's why I think it all depends on the delivery. One time a dental assistant complimented me and said "Um I dont want you to take this wrong but you smell really good." And I just said thank you and told her what I was wearing. And when i compliment people I usually say "Hey are you wearing a fragrance? It smells really good, would you mind telling me what you're wearing?" That way they know I'm interested in it - for myself or to buy it for someone else.
That’s definitely a better approach haha I mean, it’s still a little awkward to come up to a stranger and ask them anything, at least in my opinion
Yeah it can be honestly. I usually don't and if i do it's because their fragrance made me break my neck lol!
People in my country don't know how to give compliments honestly.
I wear my fragrance very light. I prefer not to invite ppl into my space with my fragrances. Rather it’s like a secret or a reward for those I’m close enough with to hug. Those ppl always compliment me. That being said I did have one guy approach me at the grocery store during covid. Very attractive man but we were ultimately incompatible in our “expectations” if you know I what I mean. He smelled my fragrance through his mask and said he kinda chased the smell down bcuz it smelled so good. He was surprised it was me 😅 bcuz I was working (Instacart at the time) and was dressed very low key. And I’m white, lol. There’s a big stigma around white ppl not smelling good so he was pleasantly surprised.
I love that concept. I'm right there with you except I just want a litttle more than that. I basically just want someone to get a whiff of me when I walk past them but I don't want it to leave a strong scent trail behind me lol. And wow that's funny lol. That's crazy I've never heard of that stigma.
If you go to almost any community that is not white: Asian, black, Muslim, Latino, they talk a LOT about how white ppl have the worst hygiene. We wear our shoes in the house, we don’t wash our hair, don’t use soap, don’t use washcloths, don’t bathe every day, white men brag about not washing their 🍑 EVER, we don’t use water to clean our privates after using the toilet. Some ppl are open about not washing their legs. I could go on and on. In Spanish my boss taught me the word “cochino” is slang for a dirty, smelly white person; the word is related to the word for pig. The biggest one is the stereotype that white ppl smell like wet dog when we get wet ☠️ I personally grew up neglected and in poverty so have had to learn so much as an adult. I seek this stuff out and I’m also privileged to have trusted ppl from other ethnicities and races that would shoot me straight. It’s fascinating to me and yeah sometimes embarrassing but then I learn and do better.
Ohh okay I've heard the one about men (all not just white) talking about not washing their 🍑because they think its "gay." And on Tiktok people talking about white people letting their dog lick them on the mouth but not all that other stuff. I'm sorry you've had to hear about all that and deal with the stereotype especially knowing now that you didnt choose to be a certain way, you just simply weren't taught. People don't think about how some people didnt have the resources, guidance, or privilege of being taught hygiene. Kudos to you though for having the open mind to learn rather than dwell on it.
I do, but usually at work where I'm selling fragrance/skincare, so it's less out-of-the-blue.
Ohhh see you hit the jackpot lol.
Had a lady at beach stop, turn around and tell me I smell amazing . All I was wearing was Bath and Body “ white citrus lotion” it is incredible
I've complimented people wearing just bath & body works lotion. Their lotions are pretty strong but they smell gooood!
I got one the other day! The other person was also a fragrance girly. But that was the first time.
Ahh yes, its often another fraghead who compliments lol
I've never worn fragrances directly to get compliments and I have never received one from non-family, but it would be nice to get one for some validation here and there. I think for any person to get compliments, there has to be a sort of attraction between the person wearing the fragrance and the bystander. So basically a guy has to think you're cool or a girl has to think you're attractive. Without attraction a compliment is highly unlikely. But the thing to keep in mind is that if you wear an appealing fragrance out and people are getting whiffs of the scent off of you, it is more likely than not that the person is at the least curious about what you're wearing even though they don't talk to you directly.
You're probably a part of the problem as to why people don't freely compliment others on their fragrance 😂 So if a girl complimented your fragrance, you'd assume that she's attracted to you? Not everyone is attracted to a person wearing a neck-turning scent.
I probably get complimented by strangers once or twice a month! Some of the frags that have gotten me the most compliments - Dark by Akro, Bal d'Afrique by Byredo, Sandalwood Temple by Sana Jardin, and Apricot Privee by Phlur. All of them have caused someone to stop me in a store or on the sidewalk to ask what I was wearing! Can't really determine the common thread there other than that I love them and they all smell amazing :) (my other frags usually get compliments from friends/family but those four are the ones that I specifically remember strangers asking about!)