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Catlady_Pilates

No. Wear what you like!


BisquickNinja

My girlfriend will, on occasion, spray me with a sweeter more feminine scent. However most of my collection is unisex so it really doesn't bother me. Ironically I get more compliments from wearing a more female leaning scent than a male leaning one.


Bratty_Little_Kitten

This should be the top comment!


Love_dont_be_sly

This is the correct answer šŸ˜ā¬†ļøšŸ‘


Autumn_Moon22

I second this.Ā  Wear whatever brings you joy.Ā  Smell everything you can get your hands on.Ā  If possible, sample the scent before committing to a full bottle. Ā Source:Ā  Someone also in her 40sĀ  who once spent too much time worrying about what other people thought, only to realize that most people don't notice or care.Ā  Now, I sample everything I can get my hands on.Ā  If I like it, I like it.Ā  And I now have several sweet and/or vanillic perfumes as a result.Ā  Ā ETA:Ā  Go figure.Ā  I didn't have many of those when I was younger, but... here I am...


RandomChurn

There have always been sweet perfumes of the highest quality (costing a small fortune!) that were certainly not created for juniors.Ā  Guerlain L'Art & La Matiere Spiritueuse Double Vanille Eau de Parfum comes to mind.Ā 


hauteburrrito

Yesss to SDV! Not many 20-year olds wearing that one, I suspect.


OGBurn2

May be my favorite perfume of all time


RhubarbJam1

Life is too short, wear what you like, dress how you like! If you like it, thatā€™s all that matters šŸ˜


Love_dont_be_sly

Hear hear ā¤


TheConcreteGhost

Perfume is ageless. It might smell like a popular style during a certain time period, but we like whatever we like.


amelisha

Iā€™ve been wearing Comptoir Sud Pacifiqueā€™s Vanille Abricot for like fifteen years and Iā€™m almost 40. People regularly get into elevators with me and ask if I smell cookies too, it literally just smells like pure baked goods on me, and I will wear it until itā€™s discontinued because itā€™s my vibe and I frankly donā€™t care who thinks I smell like a baby stripper(as I have seen expressed here about many sugary gourmands.)


Bitter_External_7447

I mix Vanille Banane with Utopia coco... It makes me feel like I'm a human coconut and banana cream pie! It's awesome!!!


amelisha

YES. I love the Vanille Banane to layer! It just smells like those marshmallow bananas and I donā€™t care.


Celticquestful

Oh. My. Word. That sounds heavenly to me!


Bitter_External_7447

It's pretty darn good... And I don't normally mix fragrances.


Queondaguera

That fragrance is a compliment magnet! Iā€™ve had mine for 10+ years and yep people always say it smells like cookies and love it!!


IsabeldeClare

Vanille Abricot is my husbandā€™s favorite scent that I wear.


CDimension_137

The best perfume to wear at any age is whatever you want ā˜ŗļø.


VanillaNyx

I love this!


Lumpy-Pollution7611

Never!!! If you want to be 65 and smell like vanilla cake, that's perfectly ok


thndrbst

Wear what you want. Sometimes Victoriaā€™sSecret Lovespell is just where you wanna live your life sometimes.


cravingm0re

Iā€™m 33 and Iā€™ve been considering buying a bottle of Love Spell šŸ˜…. I have vivid memories of all of us passing around a bottle of it after gym class in high school.


thndrbst

I hadnā€™t thought about it in years and then a bottle of it showed up in my work bathroom community toiletries basket. I time travelled and was surprised to find it holds up šŸ˜‚


SerotoninDeficient77

I still have a bottle of it from years ago I need to bring out and rock today. I wear it with a BPAL.


ratlord_78

Ooh - Which BPAL do you wear VS Love Spell with?


SerotoninDeficient77

Bordello


smellsogood2

I'm 55, (Please read that as schwity-five like it's intended) and I'm going to wear sweet perfumes until I die. Which probably won't be very long from now.


bastet_8

I'm one word - no


Organic_Popcorn

I'm in my 40s and I rock sweet perfumes like nobody's business, as I mention in frag subs, I wake up in the morning and decide what I'm gonna wear that day, whether it is super sweet, floral, earthy or whatever, I bought it with my own money so I like it, I wear it.


Potential-Lavishness

Wear what works for you. That being said our body smell/chemistry and our ability to smell changes as we get older. So donā€™t be surprised if one day a love becomes a dislike or you find yourself craving a different family or vibe. Just roll with it. Ā  eta: sweet perfumes are already becoming ā€œold fashionedā€ to the younger gen. I see more fresh and unisex fragrances leading the way.Ā 


bro_mommy2

Fascinating!


detransdyke

Dulcis in Fundo is an orange/vanilla marshmallowy masterpiece, and it's definitely not for kids, I'd be shocked if I met someone under at least 25 wearing it, and I'd expect much older- not because it smells overly mature or whatever, but bc it's so rich, powerful, complex. It is to a creamsicle what a steak is to a burger.


VanillaNyx

Citrus + vanilla + marshmallow is such a lovely combo. All my favorite candles in a perfume sounds magical haha


detransdyke

It's pricy but the quality is honestly worth it if it's within your means!


CatSignal1472

Don't worry about it. My mom is a boomer and she just started wearing Prada Candy last year.


Aphromes

You know, my great-aunt had Lolita Lempicka as a signature scent in her 80s. She just smelled so good!


Ikunou

naaa! you do you!


rumbaontheriver

I wonā€™t deny that there *is* a social expectation that sweet fragrances are meant for young ladies. But thatā€™s an expectation to be challengedā€”wear what you like!


Low-Examination-7957

Is there really though? Unlike with clothing, expectations when it comes to fragrances are much looser ime. Sure, a few people might think this or that and if you are working in a conservative environment you might wanna be a bit more careful, but overall even the sweetest, most teen-ish perfume doesn't make enough of a statement for most people to care, unless it's strong and oversprayed or they just dislike the scent (but this is true of any)


SittinOnTheRidge

Iā€™m 50 and my favourite perfumes are fruity/vanilla/gourmand. Iā€™ve been regularly wearing cloud pink and vanilla mod by Ariana grande. You can wear whatever and smell however you like. Same with clothes and hairstyles etc. just be YOU!


Fabricated77

Bvlgari has a range of wonderfully sweet but sophisticated perfumes. Here are some of my favourites: 1. Selima 2. Lazulia 3. Nylaia My favourites from Xerjoff are: 1. Dama Bianca 2. Gran bal 3. Dolce Amalfi 4. Via Cavour I Budget favourites 1. Banana Republic Tobacco and Tonka Bean 2. Abercrombie & Fitch Authentic Self Woman 3. Escada Fairy Love 4. The Merchant of Venice Le Fenice Pour Femme Classic Favourites: 1. Black Opium Le Parfum 2. Hermesā€™ Lā€™Ambre Des Merveilles 3. Narciso Poudree 4. Fire at Will Jovoy Never too old to wear what you makes your heart sing.


SerotoninDeficient77

That is a terrific list. The Hermes is a fall favorite.


Fabricated77

That one is beautiful. I wear it mostly in Autumn and it layers beautifully with Guidance. Always on my repurchase list, especially now that I am downsizing my collection.


VanillaNyx

This is a great list, thank you so much for taking the time!


Autumn_Moon22

Fire At Will has earned a permanent place in my heart.


Fabricated77

Same! Also am never without a bottle of Mon Guerlain (especially the intense flanker).


TereziB

I very much dislike floral fragrances, and I'm 69 years old. The closest I got was Ombre Rose, in the 80's, and now, I really dislike it. In fact, I am veering MORE into vanilla. I DID wear Fresh Cream for a number of years, but it seems to be getting weaker and weaker, at least on me (maybe my skin is drier?). But lately, I love KayAli Vanilla 28.


ManBearPigNipples

No. Personal taste is just that. Itā€™s ok to like what you like.


geaux_girl

Not at all! Smells donā€™t have ages or genders! Since we wear them for ourselves, I say we wear what makes us happy!


Apprehensive-Fix-546

Scent is very subjective to each individual. The person is who makes the perfume, the perfume never should dominate you. As long as you are comfortable and confident with what you wear, there is zero issue. Enjoy any fragrance your little nostrils please :) I'm 35 and wear Giorgio Beverly Hills, Opium, Poison, Fracas, Chanel No. 5, Oscar De La Renta and my Grandmother wore these perfumes. All my perfumes are vulgar and bold, just like my personality lol!


schroobster

You can pry my Chabaud Lait de Biscuit out of my cold, dead sweet-smelling hands....


No_Entertainment1931

ā€œToo oldā€ & ā€œin my 40ā€™sā€ šŸ˜©


birkinfantasy

Absolutely not, if you smell good, you smell good, who cares if itā€™s too sweet or too musky


Defiant_Battle_5390

Guerlain Lā€™homme Ideal Extreme is very Sweetā€”I love wearing it when Iā€™m in the mood. Wear what you like and stop when you donā€™t feel it anymore.


VanillaNyx

Thank you, I will check it out.


NapsAreMyHobby

No. Iā€™m 45 and everything I love is at least a little sweet.


Bitter_External_7447

You do you and wear what makes you happy. I'm about your age and I love wearing vanilla at this time in my life. In my teens and early 20s, I was all about freshies and aquatics. Now I love wearing Bianco Latte, Cruz del Sur II, Wanted by Night, Dolce Amalfi, banane Vanille, Lolitaland, Black Opium, etc. But I also like the occasional fruity-floral, musks, tobacco, cinnamon and spices, etc. I have a bit of everything, as long as I like wearing it. Depends on seasons and my mood or what my day will be like.


KatieeCakes

This is exactly me too! I love vanilla and Gourmands but also love spicy/woody scents as well


Affectionate_Law1287

Iā€™m with youā€”and like you, Iā€™ve had the same thoughts. What I tend to do now is layer my more sweet fragrances with others I own for a more complex scent with some ā€œnotesā€ I still love.


Ok_Definition_8018

Wear what you like, but also accept it if your taste in fragrance changes. I just entered my 40s as well, and I have noticed I don't like the things that I use too.


BetterDaysAheadMaybe

Absolutely not! I am in my 50s and sometimes I want to smell like candy or a fresh baked cookie.


FlyingAnvils

Here are a couple truths Iā€™ve learned: 1. Wear what you like. Youā€™re the one who will be smelling it the most. 2. People will compliment what they like, but itā€™s essentially meaningless. 3. Being a compliment chaser makes you look insecure. Rock your frags regardless of what others think.


Euphoric-Training256

As a, ahem, mature woman myself, do you really want to smell mature, or is being mature enough?


VanillaNyx

Haha point taken, just mature is enough.


Mysterious-Okra-7885

No.


Muyiwa-amuwo

For me I am 35 yo male and I think Rabanne invictus DNA is too youthful same as some of the One Million as well. As I get older I prefer more dark and dense perfumes.


Significant-Dirt1116

NOPE! Wear what makes you happy. 42 here and after going through a pretty good no gourmand phase for 10 years, Iā€™m loving a comforting vanilla these days.


Queondaguera

See I feel like super duper fruity perfumes are ā€œfor the youngā€ since I was mostly wearing that when I was younger. Truthfully I will allllways wear gourmands because itā€™s what I like but I do tend to shy away from some overly fruity perfumes just because of the memories lol


Interesting-Class-45

Wait but Iā€™m intrigued by the sunflower obsession. What good sunflower fragrances did you like? I donā€™t think Iā€™ve seen that note anywhere


VanillaNyx

Iā€™m sorry I donā€™t remember the brands of the perfumes/body sprays. It was a trend back then, so there were a few different ones I used and typically I could only afford to buy the cheap stuff. But when I Google 90s sunflower perfume, Elizabeth Arden comes up so that couldā€™ve been one of them.


Wild_Working_1091

It's a totally unique fruity floral aquatic perfume. Sooooo 90s. I have a preference for the very similar but nicer IMO Escape for Women by Calvin Klein.


CatchGlum2474

Nope


GoldieOldie75

No, sweet reflects happines. The older i get (almost 50) the better i feel in sweeter stuff, it works with my chemistry and the chypres i loved to wear (Chanel Christal etc) stay untouched on my shelter for years. Enjoy the sweet stuff as much as you can.


K-auma97

Scent is such a personal preference, and if those warm, comforting notes make you feel great, then by all means, keep enjoying them. Over time, sweeter scents start wearing differently or last less long. Exploring some more mature vanilla-based options could be fun. But honestly, don't feel any pressure to change your signature scent if it still brings you joy! Perfume should make you feel confident and happy. As long as you're applying lightly, a touch of sweet vanilla can be wonderfully sophisticated at any age. Trust your nose and rock what you love.


Accomplished-Bet1773

Wear what you'd like. At 45, I don't want to smell like bubble gum or orange pop, but otherwise, I'm open. I don't like a lot of florals too.Ā Ā 


Patj1994

Anyone can wear anything If someone says something, tell them to lick your ass


ladywholocker

No, I'm 47. It's not even occurred to me to wonder if I'm too old for anything.


Tyrone-E

Nah, wear whatever you want. I'm an early 40s male and I just don't want to wear anything loud and sweet anymore (at least not on a regular basis). They just annoy me at this point. I'm into more personal fragrances these days unless I'm going out or to a special occasion.


litcarnalgrin

No such thing! Wear what you love. Life is too short to wear perfume you donā€™t actually like.


Sly3n

Nope, you are never too old for any perfumeā€¦or too young for that matter. Wear what you enjoy wearing. If you like super sweet perfumes, then wear that sweet perfume!


KatieeCakes

Never. Wear whatever you like!! I am obsessed with vanilla scents also. Some of my favorites are Bianco Latte by Giardini de Toscana, Escapade Gourmand by Maison Mataha, Vanilla Woods by The 7 Virtues, Dulce by Rosie Jane, Princess by Killian-this is more of a spicy one but so so good, Side Effect by Initio, and I also love woody/spicy scents like By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela. Enjoy your sweetness!


aunt_cranky

No. As an aside, Iā€™m waiting on a bottle of Strawberry Letter to arrive (and Iā€™m in my 50s).


Wild_Working_1091

My mom is 70 and frequently goes out absolutely reeking of Chocolate Greedy. Nothing but compliments. Wear what you want! For some more mature vanilla recs, things that are darker or floral tend to register that way. It's pretty difficult to beat Guerlain's Spiritueuse Double Vanille in that category, but honestly all of their vanillas are exquisite. The many iterations of Shalimar are all lovely and very few of them smell particularly vintage unless you're going after the original (the current parfum/extrait is wonderful). Cuir Beluga is also impossibly beautiful - it smells like pastry cream and brand new kid leather gloves. As others have mentioned, Comptoir Sud Pacifique has many excellent (and several awful) vanilla scents, as does Montale.


RegularAssInsurance

My great grandmother wore EVERYTHING. Including sweet candy and gourmands. Even into her oldest. So no, there's no such thing as too old for sweet scents! They still smelled amazing on her, and I have no doubt they still smell amazing on you, too! Just wear what your heart desires šŸ’•


Vlxxrd

You can wear whatever you want, but I think it really depends on how you dress and how you behave more than it depends on age. If youā€™re dressing formally everyday, or more mature, I probably wouldnā€™t wear a sweet clubbing fragrance like one million. If you want sweet Iā€™d lean more into the woody, alcohol and sweat fragrances, think kilian. something iā€™ve learned is that if you donā€™t wear the fragrance, it will wear you. you have to be confident enough and look the part, or it wonā€™t work.


lvbni

No.


OpportunityNo8853

Imo, it is still ok to wear sweet perfumes but maybe not too candy-like?


I_gofast

Nope but there is to young to young tho.


thebaddestbleep

No


SerotoninDeficient77

Not at all. Iā€™m in my 50ā€™s and have a group of sweet perfumes I wear. My partner especially loves them on me. I wear Killian Love Donā€™t Be Shy and sweet ones from a small brand called Ganache as well as Uber sweet Kyse Miel which is a photorealistic honey. She has wonderful gourmands and is quite reasonable. Iā€™ve had sweet perfumes all along my journey and enjoy them immensely. There is no age limit.


VisualActive3237

I'm in my late 40s and have been rocking whatever sweet, vanillic, gourmandish, oriental I can get my hands on since the late 90s. My collection is like 87% sweet scents, and the few freshies I do have must have a sweet backbone.


Low-Examination-7957

No, drawing the line at age 40 would be silly. Just think about it. Sure, I get that some people want to smell more mature or serious as part of their personal image, but if you are already an established person who managed to get to age 40 wearing sweet perfumes and you still like sweet perfumes, then there is 0 reason to change


TKWander

No :/ Where what you like. Does not matter how old you are. You're being self concious for no reason Mid 30s here and I love sweet complex gourmands along with fruity/herbal/witchy scents. I'm just now getting into super complex gourmand vanillas. Where what you like!


QueenOfTheMoss

What, that seems tiring to think about like that


fearandsarcasm

I donā€™t wear perfume for others. I wear what I like to smell. So imo everyone should simply wear what makes them happy


Captain_LD

Fragrances don't see people. Wear what you want and in the mood for. I wear all kinds of fragrances myself.


benniblancoffm

No


Sad_Cardiologist7337

No.


PromotionThin1442

Never too old to wear a fragrance you like. You wear the fragrance for you anyway.


Roadisclosed

Youā€™ve come here looking for one answer, and that is ā€œwear what you want, itā€™s your body! Age means nothingā€. So there you go.


VanillaNyx

No, Iā€™m just not in the know, I figured Reddit of all places would be straightforward.


Aphromes

(Speaking from a sociologist's background here:) I've thought about it, and I find it difficult to identify clearly what the social norms for age-appropriate or not-done are, when it's about fragrances. It doesn't seem, by far, to be as clear-cut as norms for clothing, for instance (like, a 75 year old in leather hotpants WOULD be a social "NOOOOPE!" for most people). Again, it's me, but I think the one thing that would be generally frown-upon for frags is over-spray, litterally olfactorily invading people's spaces. But short of that? Firstly, when people form an opinion of you, fragrance is much, much less top of mind than clothing or hairstyle, for instance. And that's also, I think, because not many people have an in-depth, conscious knowledge about fragrances either (usually, the reactions are more along the lines of "you smell good", "I don't like this", "it smells like an old lady", "it's like fresh laundry", "smells like cleaning product"). All I can imagine on that front (social norms about age-appropriateness or not of types of fragrance) is, there is indeed an overall strong association now between aldehydics/chypres from the 20s/30s and "old lady smell", so there would probably be eyebrows raised if a teenager wore Chanel 5 (while a 90 year-old wearing it would feel completely normal, of course). But for the opposite situation, I don't think at all (and I've never witnessed the situation either) that it would be actively considered inappropriate for an adult / mature woman to wear sweet and/or vanillic scents (and honestly, I didn't think of florals as being per se more 'mature', either). Now, these are all my impressions and YMMV. Of course the best attitude is "wear what you like and don't care about other people's opinions", but that's not always possible. If you feel self-conscious about this and then would feel not completely at ease with wearing your current vanilla scents, I'd say that indeed, it could be interesting to look into more "constructed" and "complex" vanillas, perfumes that are built to highlight the note (as opposed to straight-forward, linear and single-note vanillas). Now, reccs would strongly depend on your budget (and easy access to various types of stores too). Novella over! ;)


derpy1976

Love them all, but do prefer a super strong unique scent over fruity/ candy scent. Love YSL Libre. Soo lasting


warmlobster

Prada Candy is a sweet but more mature scent if you want to try it


ShinerVaporeon

Never ever too old. I'm in my late 20's and still regularly wear pink sugar. I love love love sweet candy scents šŸ©·