Are there any products you love but can’t use because of the scent? Share!
Oh, yes! Some of the moisturizers I’ve tried feel great and seem to hydrate, but they’re so heavily fragranced that I can smell it all day long — usually something floral, which always bothers me!
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Hmm, nothing is coming to mind right now!
Scented products don’t really bother me that much, but I am really picky when it comes to sunscreen. I use Image sunscreen line because they smell wonderful, and not like most of the sunscreens in the market. I wish Revlon Colorburst lip glosses smelled better, but I wouldn’t stop using them just because of that.
The Bobbi Brown Long Wear Foundation..it smells like chemical tea tree oil to me and yuck!
Philosophy creams! The smell is so overwhelming it makes my eyes itchy
I wholeheartedly agree with moisturizers! It’s also a beef I have with some luxe makeup like Chanel and Guerlain. Some drugstore lipsticks are bad too!
The Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks. Regardless how beautiful they are, I just cannot stand the overwhelming sweet scent.
I agree! I’m currently leaving one of them uncapped for a while to see if the scent dissipates w/o the lipstick drying out.
this worked with my diorific lipstick. hopefully you will have good luck, too!
@Nicola and @Emi, I think you can deodorize lipstick by putting it in an airtight container with a charcoal deodorizer. Kate from Drivel About Frivol explained it at the end of this post: http://drivelaboutfrivol.blogspot.com/2014/02/ysl-spring-dohwa-look.html I haven’t personally tried it myself, however.
I couldn’t stand it either when I bought them. At least for me the scent faded almost completely after a few weeks and it’s been totally fine since.
I can stand the ones in the black tubes, but the red tubes all got returned even though there were several colors I adored. Too bad!
I haven’t found one that stinks so bad, that I can’t handle it ;))
The former formulation of lipstick of Make up for ever before the rouge artist were awful offender. So floral and so intense right under your nose. I got two as a gwp and they both ended up in the trash can.
Oh, yes! I love the rich shade of Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Fuchsia Fever, but its cloying, overly sweet, fig scent gives me migraines. 🙁
I agree. Love the color but I can’t stand the smell and taste.
oh, I LOVE the fragrance of EL lipsticks! It’s one of my favorites because I like that fragrance so much!
There’s one product I got from Physician’s Formula a few months ago. I think it was a foundation. The scent was so unbearable to me that I had to return it ASAP!
Fake tan! I have eczema so anytime I use it I get orange dry bloatches which isnt a good look.
Yes, there are some lip products I can’t really wear because it smells AND tastes like soap to me. My skin also has gotten more sensitive in the past year or so, so I tend to avoid fragranced skincare or base products. Obviously, with my watery eyes, fragranced eye products are not an option, either!
I usually enjoy scented products but the one i couldn’t stand at all was L’ Occitane Crème Radieuse Angélique!! Ugh, yuck!! I just wanted to puke-i am sorry for my expressions, but i couldn’t believe that i couldn’t stand this smell! It was like fish with grass! I gave it to my mother!!
Anything really plastic-y smelling. Florals I don’t mind so much, but plastic or cherry scents…
The Khroma/Kardashian Beauty lipglosses! One of the few lipglosses in the entire world that I like the consistency of, but that honey smell (and taste)! Yuck!
The Lush imperialis moisturiser is perfect for my skin type, but it just smells of fish to me!
YSL lipsticks, unfortunately 🙁
All the MAC lipsticks! Am allergic to whatever they use to scent them — my lips sometimes actually blister. Also, I won’t use scented sunscreen on my face, it’s too annoying!
I returned the Ren Purity Cleansing Balm due to the scent, even though my skin seemed to like it. I could have forced myself to use it, but not for $50. I absolutely can’t use the Garnier cleansing facial oil due to the horrible peach/chemical/floral scent. I also rarely use any of my MUFE lipsticks due to the scent, unfortunately.
L’oreal mascara’s heavy lily scent is a deal breaker for me. Why does mascara need a smell?
Edward Bess lipsticks! I cannot stand that sickening sweet fig scent!
Yes! Basically anything that’s not lightly fruity or vanilla scented. Most Guerlain products, Burberry blushes I can only use on good days, and one of the worst (that was totally unexpected): MUFE Aqua Creams. Why would someone add fragrance to a cream eyeshadow? Most body products (sunscreens in particular) are guarantied to give me a migraine.
Nope, knock on wood, scented products don’t bother me at all. Still, I was surprised to find such a heavy scent of chocolate in the TooFaced Chocolate Bar palette because any scent (natural or otherwise) in eye shadows just seems dumb. It’s not like they put peppermint scent in their Xmas LE palettes, for example. It just struck me as an unwise move.
The powders are made with actual cocoa powder, which is supposed to be a natural antioxidant, and good for the skin. I personally don’t believe there is much (if any) actual benefit from what amounts to a topical application, and it’s more of a marketing gimmick. I only have the bronzer, and I don’t mind it, but I’d like the product even without it. Then again, I wonder if it would affect the texture were it excluded…?
Model in a Bottle setting spray is the first thing that comes to mind for me. It smells like heavy perfume to me, and I just can’t do it. I end up smelling White Diamonds on my face for the rest of the day, and it drives me nuts! I’m not super crazy about the product either, so it doesn’t feel like a big loss for me.
Definitely the Buxom lip creams. I bought one in Purple Haze and even though I really love the effect of the colour, the scent is too sugary sweet for me. It’s Vanilla, but not the toned down vanilla of MAC, which I really like.
OMG YES! Without question, the new Milani lipsticks — while lovely colors and good formulation — are absolutely unbearable. I’ve throw out most of what I had purchased which royally sucks but I refuse to get a perfume induced headache from lipsticks. I’ve sworn off L’Oreal lipsticks for years because of the scent but they aren’t half as bad as the Milani stink.
Yes! Guerlain Meteorites. I looooove what they do for me, but, and I seem to be in the minority, I hate the smell. This is true of most Guerlain products
No, not that I can think of off hand… Although, years ago, I couldn’t use CoverGirl foundations due to the overwhelming scent of Noxzema, but it also made my face itch. I think I could have gotten past the scent if not for the fact I had a physical skin reaction.
Maybelline lipsticks. I’ve tried the Color Sensational and Vivids line and both smell like straight up pampers. I love the formula but the smell is so strong! It’s like they tried to go for a clean baby powder scent but went overboard. It’s like babies gone wild every time I open the tube LOL
Yes! The Revlon lip balms (ColorBurst, Color Stay, etc.) have this minty smell that I can’t stand and it’s a shame since they look so nice – especially the matte ones! Also OCC lip tars and Tarte lip pencils have the minty smell/taste too, and I can’t even come near them. Not sure why companies put such strong smells in their products, it greatly limits their market (in my opinion).
I’m usually not bothered by heavily-fragranced items; I find most of the scents pleasant, or I’m neutral toward them. The one scent I cannot handle, however, is whatever fragrance Estee Lauder uses in most of their lipsticks. I love most of the other Estee products. I just wish their lipsticks had a different scent. Oddly enough, no one else I’ve ever talked to was bothered by that particular fragrance. They were either neutral about it, or they actually liked it. To me, it smells like rotten, moldy strawberries, and it’s just vile!
I’m right there with you. That scent gives me migraines. 🙁
The bumble and bumble Grooming Creme. This worked really well when I didn’t want to blow dry my hair, but the scent is too strong for me. I had to throw it out! It gave me headaches. And body lotions that are fragranced give me headaches, too!
Luckily, scents don’t seem to bother me! My husband, on the other hand, will let me know if he doesn’t like the smell of a face cream or lipstick – but usually he comes with me to test things out so I just don’t buy those ones.
NARS lipgloss 🙁
i cant stand floral scents and if a body wash, lotion or anything really has a floral scent to it my skin will have a very unbecoming reaction to it. Oddly enough herbal scents (basil,rosemary, sage, etc)don’t bother my skin as much. If i’l flipping through a magazine and touch the perfume pages and accidentally touch my face i get a burning sensation followed by a rash and zits.
The Becca Beach Tints are lovely but there’s a fruity fig scent that lasts all day and clashes with whatever perfume I have chosen to wear that day, so I don’t wear them anymore. Amore Pacific skincare, an expensive brand that I’ve gotten samples of as Sephora VIB gifts, has a scent that is reminiscent of a common perfume aromachemical called Ambroxan, which I dislike greatly. On the other hand, I love the Chanel and Guerlain cosmetic scents.
A whole bunch of lipsticks and lipglosses. That is probably the #1 reason I love Shiseido, Bobbi Brown, MAC, etc…Lipsticks by: L’Oreal, Milani, NYX, ELF all smell revolting to me. I’ve only tried Guerlain lipstick once, and I remember it having a similar “violets” smell to L’Oreal, and while it seemed like it might be more tolerable I haven’t tried another Guerlain lipstick since that blind buy. Revlon Colorburst lipglosses smell and taste awful, but they look amazing. All of these products come in unique, beautiful colors, so I hope these companies consider reformulating them….
I totally agree with you on those products. However, L’Oreal in particular is worst one. While most of the other products are mostly perfume, the L’Oreal has a hint of rancid oil smell I REALLY can’t stand.
Unfortunately, yes. The scent of almost all the Guerlain skincare bothers me. I love the look of many of Guerlain’s meteorite finishing powders but can’t stand the scent. I’ve even tried placing them outside in the sun in an attempt to bleach out the fragrance. Bobbi Brown foundations also smell horrible to me. After Neutrogena put helioplex in their sunscreen I had to stop using it. Smells the like Chevron refinery in Richmond and gives my skin a rash.
Paul & Joe nailpolishes. They have a heavy magnolia scent that mingles with the traditional nail polish scent. The resulting fumes are noxious and emanate from my nails for the duration of my manicure. It’s hearbreaking because I love their color selection and the bottles are so girly and pretty, but the scent is awful.
I’m glad this question came up, I was just eyeing my Paul & Joe stash last night and lamenting that I can’t dig into it. Now I have a public forum to cry to!
The Caudalie Divine Oil. I only use it before going to bed and then I shower in the morning before going out.
I’m with you on that one, Belinda! It gets a lot of rave reviews but the smell is awful to me. I’m not at all sensitive to fragrance in my products but that one is a buzzkill. If you don’t like that one, then NEVER try the African Botanics Marula Neroli Infused Marula Oil. Oh God, it’s awful. The product is wonderful and I tried so hard to keep using it because I love the results. But the smell literally makes me gag. And it is so strong and never fades. It just keeps on gagging me. I can’t bring myself to toss it because of the price, so it just sits on my shelf mocking me. Why, why, why can’t companies figure out that makeup and skincare don’t need to be fragranced? It’s my biggest rant in the world of beauty. Appears like I am not alone.
Nothing really comes to mind. Scented products don’t bother me. However, if I came across a product that smelled like fish like others have mentioned, that would have to go.
For me it’s the Aussie Three Minute Miracle. It works great, but the weird chemical coconut scent makes me gag…and it lingers on my hair for days! As for make up, I get really frustrated with heavily scented powders. I had one from Maybelline a while back and it smelled like straight up dirt.
NARS lipgloss. I can’t handle the plastic-y scent.
I loved the Urban Decay Pocket Rocket lipglosses. But I really hated the strong smell of honey nut Cheerios underneath my nose.
I had the same problem with their Lip Loves! They were supposed to smell like honey, but they REEKED of it to the point that they were pretty unbearable.
I really dislike heavily scented/flavored lipsticks and glosses. The worst one I’ve had was a Maybelline Color Sensational LS – it smelled so much like wax that I had to throw it away. A while ago I was given a Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream that’s supposed to have an Iris fragrance but it is so strong that it gives me headaches. Too bad because the texture is nice! I have it wrapped in a bag and isolated, hoping I find someone who might like it! I also dislike when a product’s label says it has a citrus fragrance, for example, but it is nothing like that.
My first instinct was to say, no, I’m not too bothered with scent. And that is true, in general. However, the one product I have not been able to finish due to the scent is L’Occitane Shea Butter hand cream. I like the formula, but the scent really does turn me off.
Any lipstick with a plastic or weird scent… But the worst product is Dior liquid foundations, I’ve tried them several times cause “maybe this time it’ll work”, but no. Nope. Rose scents… yuck!
I can’t stand the smell of the maybelline lipsticks. I wish I could cause I love the colors and prices!
ANYthing with musk in it. I can’t stand that smell.
Just the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream(the original) when I use it as a lip-balm. I know that they also have a scent free one but haven’t bought it yet.
I have little samples of l’occitane immortelle line and the smell is really strong but I kind of got used to it……but yes, IS strong and very peculiar, but I find it natural!
I love both Caudalie divine and the Nuxe oils, although I shared some of the samples with two of my friends and they couldn’ t stand them.
Scented mascaras are the worst (Guerlain, Lancome…), and scented lipsticks, ugh. I would love to use Chanel lippies, but they have that rose scent, and I just can’t tolerate it. I used to work for Lancome, and their lipsticks are mostly unbearable for me (same with L’Oreal, parent company).
I also have really sensitive skin, so I avoid skincare with fragrance, be it natural or synthetic. Like, I actually love the smell of Origins skincare, but it does not work for my skin at all. Their ginger perfume gives me migraines too.
NARS lip lacquers (chelsea girls)/ lip glosses…ughh, i love them so much but CANNOT wear them due to the smell, it’s so awful
It’s not a scent, but a taste that I have trouble with. I love most Maybelline lip colors but can’t get past the taste, so I have had to stop buying them – it just turns out to be a big waste of money.
I’m honestly not bothered all that much by scent, I’m much more bothered by taste. However, I do avoid anything that smells like cherries. I bought a Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker on a whim and it does smell like old-school cherry medicine and I hate it…but thankfully it doesn’t linger for too long and I can learn to tolerate it. Another fragranced product I don’t like too much are the Revlon MoonDrops which smell like old lady perfume and soap…and also taste like perfume. I wear them anyway because they are excellent lipsticks, but the smell/taste does make me wear them less often.
Interestingly enough, I enjoy the scents of lipsticks that other people don’t seem to like as much. For example, I LOVE the way the Milani lipsticks smell, as well as the Maybelline ones (though that scent grew on me a bit). I also like the way the CoverGirl lipsticks smell and feel slightly sad that the scent faded on the ones I have.
i just bought a sonia kashuk hairbrush for my girls and it seriously smells like gasoline! it is the worst. i tried washing it with dish soap and it made it worse. i know a lot of people like these, so maybe i just got a bad one?
the maybelline color elixirs are the worst smelling lip product i have ever used! i bough two and i like the formula, but absolutely can’t wear them. somehow, the smell is made worse if i drink something while wearing them.
i also hate! the smell of sunscreen…unless i’m at the beach. i love la mer sunscreen because it just smelled like lotion, not spf. then it was reformulated with sunscreen smell added (and $10)! WHY?! it can’t be that difficult to make sunscreen not smell like sunscreen, right? they can do it sometimes.
It’s been a while since I’ve bought Christian Dior foundation products (liquid foundation mostly) — but as recently as 2008 they were still adding copious amounts of fragrance (floral maybe?) and I just could not handle it anymore. I love Dior’s quality but that was a deal breaker for me with them. Has anyone else noticed this or has Dior improved with fragrance in their foundation?
Maybelline lipsticks (play doh smell), some mascaras smell horrible (Lancome, L’Oreal, etc), NARS regular lip glosses (chemical plasticky smell), and MAC BB cream (i guess it’s an SPF smell).
YSL BB Cream. I love the consistency. I love how moisturizing it feels on my dry skin. I love how lightweight it is. But I absolutely cannot stand the scent! It’s not even a bad scent. It smells like expensive perfume. But it’s just way too much for me. I can still smell it even if I’ve worn the BB cream for 10 hours. Every time I use it, I fall in love with the consistency of it. But then fall out of love just as quickly whenever I remember how overpowering the scent is.
Clinique toners.. they stink of chemicals! They seem to work reasonably well but I don’t like using them due to the insanely strong chemical-y smell..
I used to think I’m not sensitive to smell but recently I don’t know what’s going on. A lot of products seem to bother me. The Origins Make a difference + for example. I loved, loved the cream and what it did for my face. But the smell….omg it was a pain applying it. Won’t be repurchasing it simply because of the smell.
I’m so scent sensitive! Everything bothers me! I love the NYX Megashine Lip Glosses but that cherry scent really gets to me. Also L’Oreal lipsticks! They just remind me of my grandmother’s makeup scent from when I was a little girl. When I smell it, it’s nostalgic and it brings back memories for me, but i can’t have the smell lingering around enough to wear them. I find that the smell really stays, otherwise I would probably be able to deal with it.
YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick. It was a limited edition nude color I bought last Fall from Saks. Beautiful color (#53) but the smell is so intolerable and strong that I can’t wear it. The only lipstick I’ve ever worn that created this type of reaction.
Estee Lauder lipsticks and lipgloss. Coty Airspun powder – the unscented is not easy to find. I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t think right now
For me, I love the kardashian honey stick lipglosses. It looks so pretty and the formula is great but, I can not stand that imitation honey smell.
1. Philosophy Hope in a Jar.. just YUCK. I’m glad it was only a sample.
2. Noxema Deep Cleansing Creme in the morning the clammy smell made me so nauseous and it didn’t get much better throughout the day.
3. Most of the Estee Lauder fragrances, especially Sensuous and Youth Dew.
Hmmm…I have very sensitive skin in the first place so I avoid fragranced produtcs–sometimes I react right away and the scent of flavor of ANYTHING almost always bothers me. it wasn’t the story once upon a time for my lips but recently–well, it’s been difficult.
I find there are always plenty of alternatives for me, so the answer is no not really
So many ‘high end’ skin care products…Lancome, Chanel, Estee Lauder all seem to be drenched in some sort of horrid, gagging, geriatric floral perfume. Why?!?! Every time I’ve gotten a ‘gift with purchase’ sample of Youth-in-a-jar moisturizer or night cream, I hope, will this be something I can put near my nose and not feel my diapharm hitch up in a stink-induced nausea within seconds of application. Now, admitedly, I do like the Parma violet scent that comes with the Guerlain Meteorites, especially since, like it’s astronomical namesake, it’s pretty much gone in a flash. But the soapy, aldehydeic floral reek they put in most of these wrinkle wranglers just makes me want to toss my tofu. It’s as if they’re trying to cover up the smell of rancid oil with these perfumes. If that’s the case, then why not take the high road and spend the $ on fresher ingredients and lose the jars so the product doesn’t immediately start to oxidize once opened? That would make more sense to me.
I might get flack for this, but I HATE the smell of the YSL lip products. I cannot stand the smell at all.
Most body products. Except perfume. That’s an important question!
Milani lipsticks. I read a review that said they smelled like a 7 year old’s jolly rancher breath and I could’nt ever use them again it was so accurate!!!
But they are cheap beautiful and super pigmented!! Arggghhh!!
Anna Sui. I cannot handle the rose scent even a little.
Yup! Lancome lipsticks. The rose scent is waaay too overpowering for me. Also, most of Lush’s lip balms are too sickly sweet for me.
Buberry lipstick and blush. Both smell old-fashioned like the makeup my mother used, when I was younger (which means 22 to 28 years ago).
Milani lipsticks, I am looking at you! The colors are SO pretty and the formula is awesome, but I just can’t stand the smell!