Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about makeup with fragrance in it. Do you find it appealing? Annoying? What are your favorite (or least favorite) fragrances used?
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I quite like scented makeup, I think it adds a nice touch. However, I probably won’t be the only one to say this but I haaate how strongly fragranced Chanel foundations are!
It is so funny you mention that because everytime I put on my foundation the scent makes me insanely happy. It’s one of my favorite things about my foundation.
I don’t mind a subtle pleasant scent on my makeup as long as it fades away after application.
Agreed.
I think scented makeup is gross. Especially eye products. It kinda worries me that fragrance is so close to my eye but a light smell in a lip product is ok.
I am not fond of scent in makeup; however I dont mind the vanilla scent of MACs glosses nor do I mind the violet scent of Guerlain meteorites
Ok I’m not particularly sensitive to these things, although I recall the very distinctive scents of different lipsticks of my youth…Elizabeth Arden, L’oreal, Coty, Dior all had funky distinctive scents. Seeing as how scent is the sense most strongly associated with memory, I think one whiff
Ok I’m not particularly sensitive to these things, although I recall the very distinctive scents of different lipsticks of my youth…Elizabeth Arden, L’oreal, Coty, Dior all had funky distinctive scents. Seeing as how scent is the sense most strongly associated with memory, I think one whiff of a mid-nineties L’oreal lipstick would most likely put me in a very sentimental mood. I just got the TokiDoki Prisma glosses and I love the scent, it has a fruity bubble bath odeur to my untrained nose. But oh I love it!
I love MAC’s lipstick scent! The vanilla smell is perfect when applying it to my lips.
Fruity lip glosses are nice too.
Generally, if the product is scented, I prefer it to be a lip product. I don’t think having scented eyeshadow would make sense!
I like sweet scent of food trataed ones for lip products.
I find floral off putting and the strong soap scent in some. I perfer the natural smell of the product over added fragrances in general.
I don’t see the point. It doesn’t add anything to a product for me, and there’s always a chance I won’t like it.
I generally dislike scented makeup, except for lip products. I like the smell of lipstick, as long as it’s not too waxy. I don’t like anything that’s overly sweet, but scented lip glosses are usually fine with me.
A thing that I noticed was that the Benefit Hello Flawless powder smells quite a bit like aniseed. Has anyone else notice that?
I don’t mind subtle scents like MAC lipsticks (though, yes, ‘subtle’ can be a subjective term in the sense that some are more sensitive to smells), but I have two ‘smelly’ products I can’t stand: scented nail polish, and those NYX lip glosses. I remember swatching some Revlon scented-when-dry polishes when they first came out, and was completely repulsed by the pungent odour that wafted up from my fingertips any time I passed my hands near my face. And the smell lingered for what seemed like forever. Also, those NYX lip glosses in the round tubes smell absolutely putrid: the odour is reminiscent of smearing extra concentrated dish washing liquid on your lips. The colours were nice, but I just couldn’t get past the chemical smell.
UGH! Scented nail polishes are my biggest pet peeve!! I bought this cute neon pink polish, and it said NOTHING on the bottle about being scented. I get home and I’m trying it out and thinking “this doesn’t smell like normal polish…”. And once it dried it was horrifying. Ugh. Disgusting. I had to take it off before bed because I couldn’t imagine sleeping with that stench next to my face. I’ve tried to make the colour work by using copious amounts of top coat, but it seems futile.
I’ve avoided scented nail polishes since.
I have a pretty sensitive nose if I’m not feeling the scent I can’t use the product. I really like the scent of Physician’s Formula Happy Booster blushes. I sometimes bust them out just to sniff ’em.
I generally prefer unscented, but the L’Oreal HIP liquid lipsticks smell like caramel and they’re soooo yummy!
I bought Benefit Georgia because I heard it smells like peach! It smells like nothing, but peach would have been great!
I read praise for the scent of Coralista but mine doesn’t seem to have any scent either (or my nose is not very sensitive!)
that’s weird! my Georgia smells like peaches!
I love mac’s vanilla but hate anything that is floral in makeup. SO I guess I prefer sweet scented cosmetics.
Big ol’ PASS for me. If I want a fragrance, I’ll wear a perfume or a lotion with fragrance.
For me, it really depends on the fragrance used. Faux lavender gives me a headache – the MAC line with all the lavender scent was horrible. But the vanilla fragrance in MAC lipsticks or the slight minty scent in mark’s lipglosses and lipsticks are actually nice.
I love Dior mascara and Make Up Forever Face and Body foundation,but the scent on both makes my eyes water and burn so I can’t wear them. I’ve been using a mascara by Clinique which is unscented,however while it doesn’t burn my eyes I just don’t care for it. I’m anxious to see others responses here,maybe I will find some new products I can use that don’t stink!
I actually like there to be a faint scent in my foundations over there being a horrible one; MAC prolong wear foundation and concealer smells horrible, but I think their concealer is great so I still use it…but the smell eurgh.
In lipgloss I think it can be kind of cute and fun if the gloss is playful in its colour and texture. I’m pretty indifferent about the scents in lipsticks…to me, if it stops it from smelling bad, then I can deal with a little bit of vanilla!
Other than that, in everyday make up, I guess odourless makes it feel more professional to me? Heavily scented make-up (unless it’s a gimmick) makes me feels like there is something in that product they want to cover up and distract you from!
I wish all make-up products were unscented. I’m sensitive to smells, and there are brands i can’t use anything from because of the horrible smell.
Sometimes I wish that too! Smells are so subjective and important, I wonder if companies realize that by scenting their products, they’re automatically writing off entire groups of people who may find it offensive. At the very least, I think it would make sense to choose something largely inoffensive, like mint.
And thays funny too because mint would be the most offensive to me personally. I have noticed that some Clinique mascaras have a weird dirt smell to them. And these are fresh tubes I’ve noticed it in.
It depends for me, cuz I like the scent to fade after applying. One I HATE is the 50th anniversary cover girl powder it try’s to smell floral but come across to me as balogna and it still smells after you put it on 🙁 I don’t use it but my friend does. A scent I really love is the toofaced lash injection mascara I have long run out but do not want to throw it away because it smells amazingly of oranges lol but sometimes if a company doesn’t add scent to a product that should have it ends up smelling very gross and chemically like the tokidoki punk lash mascara the purple one in particular is unusable cuz ut smells so horrid.
I am actually quite curious if anyone feels the same as I do. I find that bobbi brown lipstick taste really weird. Like some kind of medicine
And recently discovered that burberry lip cover has the same taste!
Is that meant to be a smell of fragrance or something?
But I just keep on using them even though I find them bitter.
Apart from that, I am generally fine with any scented makeup.
Or non scented one like NARS.
Anything is fine as long as I like the colour and quality.
I just tried a bobbi brown lipstick for the first time and it smells nasty. Such a pretty “pink mauve” and i can’t hardly stand to use it. I thought Lancome lipstick smelled strong!
I prefer my products to be unscented (except for lip gloss- then I like sweet scents). My least favorite is that awfullll scent that Covergirl puts in their face powders, etc. It smells like disgusting old lady perfume!
I don’t mind scents in a lip product, but I can’t stand if there is fragrances in any other product such as foundation or mascara.
Like the Scents of Chanel foundations is a huge turn off for me. And I REALLY hate it if it’s in a mascara. Remember the awful rosy smell in the Maybelline Collosal mascara?
This reminded me of the ONLY product I have thrown away because of scent. The Collosal mascara smelled so ruddy foul. Words are failing me, it was just so offensive and off-putting that I threw it out the moment I smelled it and realized that the scent stayed as long as the mascara was on.
I have to say, while I love Chanel, moisturizer, plus base, plus foundation, plus plus….while lovely individually, together is scent overload!
No scents would be best but some of them, like the vanilla in MAC glosses are just too much for me.
I hate when mascaras have a smell. I dont mind scented lipgloss – but everything else I prefer to be unscented
amen to that one! WHY?! having a scented mascara is like having a flavored eyeliner!! WHY? lol!
I don’t mind a subtle sweet scent in either lip products or powders,
but I would hate anything that smells flowery – that´s just not my thing! I prefer no smell & no funky taste makeup – that´s probably why Clinique products are favorites of mine!
Usually I don’t buy a lot of scented make up products, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Benefit Georgia Peach powder… it had just a hint of peachy fragrance that just made it feel a little extra special.
I forgot to mention that I HATE the scent of all things Loreal. I’m sorry, but chemically perfumey lipstick is not my thing!
RANT RANT RANT!!!! GRR!
That’s all. RANT! (one more)
For the most part, I’m happier if makeup is scent free. I like Clarins foundations but the 2 I use are scented sort of like watermelon and it makes me think of that Bubblelicious gum. I do understand that sometimes, products have to be scented to mask the smell of some of the ingredients but I do tend to prefer unscented for the most part (though I do love the subtle and fresh scent of Clinique’s SuperDefense face cream and Clarins’s rose scent in the Super Restorative day cream.
It doesn’t matter to me if make up is scented.
However I dislike when a brand claims to be scent-free and when you test the products you find they are scented, despite the claim. I have no idea how they can get away with it.
I don’t mind a subtle scent in my products and I actually like the vanilla smell found in many MAC products. For me, smelling the product kind of adds to the overall sensory experience of putting on makeup. Sounds silly but it’s along the same line of how you might be more apt to buy a blush or shadow that’s in a pretty package.
I don’t mind a subtle scent (and I realize “subtle” is subjective), but when it gets overwhelming…for example, I love Estee Lauder lipsticks. The color, the quality, they’re great. But I can’t wear them because of that sickening sweet fruit/floral/chemical smell that lasts and lasts. It gives me a headache!!
(But then again, I looove the smell of CoverGirl Clean Makeup- I used to wear it all the time in high school – so maybe I’m not the best judge!)
I am allergic. Why does makeup have to smell anyway?
I hate when a smell a brand uses reminds me of children’s medicine. It’s a more common problem than one would assume. xP
I don’t mind a sweet scent, as long as it isn’t sickeningly sweet. I like the vanilla scent in MAC’s lip products and I love the lychee scent Benefit put in their lip glosses. Anything minty in a lip gloss or balm makes me happy. I think it’s unnecessary for eye products, though.
I just love scented lipgloss, a nice flavor/fragrance is almost a must for me. if i put it on my lips, most definitely i’m going to smell it, so if it smells off, i won’t be able to use it. my favorite smells are sweet dessert smells, for example chocolate, vanilla or caramel. i love the smell of MAC lip products and Juicy Tubes.
however, i hate lipstick, that smells like powder or roses or old lady perfume, such as Lancome and Estee Lauder lipsticks.
also, i prefer face products to be scent free. some of them (esp. drugstore ones) tend to smell so overpowering that it almost makes me sick..
I don’t mind it for lip products, but I for face products (other than cleansers) it frustrates me! Such as ELF’s ‘orange spice’ scent in their TMs, I don’t mind it in the tube, but on my face. Ick.
UD’s/MACs lipsticks don’t bother me, and I definitely like MACs glosses for their scent.
Lips? Awesome, I love scented and flavored glosses. And I love the Benefit Box Powders being scented. But eye products and foundation/powder being scented makes me worry about breaking out, plus a lot of the time it’s just too strong of a floral scent.
Like someone said “really like the scent of Physician’s Formula Happy Booster blushes.”. I HATE the Mac vanilla smell. It makes me wan to gag
I love scented makeup! My favorite is Bourjous bronzing powder it smells really sweet and YSL faux cils which smells like roses. As long as it’s not too powerful since I’m quite sensitive to smell. I don’t really like the grapefruity smell/taste of some YSL lipsticks and glosses though.
I don’t usually mind it. I like how Chanel products sometimes smell like tea rose and Anna Sui is similar but sweeter, like turkish delight. I don’t love the Guerlain fragrance, the Meteorites are tolerable but I find the KissKiss line way too strong. Thanks goodness Rouge G is more lightly scented 🙂
I like the DiorKiss glosses as well, they are super yummy and I don’t even mind the strong fake fruity bubblegum smell in Jordana glosses but anything chemically, waxy or “skincare” smelling is a huge turnoff for me.
:::dusting off brain::: you reminded me that YEARS ago I was thrilled to find a bunch of Anna Sui nail polishes on sale for like $3? I bought a bunch and the first time I tried them I couldn’t believe the product had actually been put on the market. sickening,cloying “rose” scent that reminded me of a misguided attempt to find a good goth scent. I purchased “Graveyard” and the rose scent was similar. Straight out of a cheap incense bottle by the register-esque. I tried so hard to make that polish work but it was the sort of thing that kept people at arms length, and I don’t think they were even clear why.
I HATE Flirts! Thickening Mascara from Kohls… it has a sickening floral scent thats not pleasant at all and really makes my allergies act up. It bothers my nose and EYES. Whyyyy do we need a scented mascara?!?
I love the violet scent of Guerlain Meteorites. What a pity that they discontinued the Meteorites perfume!
The only scented product I own that I can’t stand is Benetint. I bought the Feelin Cheeky! mini’s so I could test out the 3 Benefit products I really wanted to try. I’m glad I didn’t just buy a full size Benetint because the smell on your lips is HORRIBLE. And I have a habit of licking my lips a lot and then the perfumey taste gets in your mouth and its terrible.
For me it depends on the scent. I love the smell of MAC lipstick and the PF Happy Booster blushes and powders, but that’s about it. I LOATHE any kind of fake chemical scent, or anything too strong.
I think it’s nice! ALL of Anna Sui’s cosmetics are rose-scented, they’re so heavenly~
I like scented makeup as long as I like the scent! I dislike sweet, fruity or candy smelling cosmetics but love the old fashioned rose fragranced makeup.
I LOVE anything with a vanilla scent, and in my opinions MAC does it best. Its just scented with Vanillin… which is vanilla. If there was a food that tasted exactly how MAC lipsticks smell, I would become obese and die becuase I would eat so much of it. But other then that I really dont care either way. I have never used a scented product that I found offensive. Some takes getting used to but nothing that prevent me from buying. But there was this one foundation I tried years ago…. I cant even explain how bad it was. Like decaying flesh. Im getting nausiated just thinking about it.
I like scented products (especially scented lip balms and glosses) but not when the scent lingers, especially then when it’s on my lips. I had this one lipgloss from benbelle a few years back (when I was like….. 9 and I wanted to wear makeup :)) and it was supposed to be cappucino coloured/flavoured. Well, it tasted horrible, but what really bothered me was the smell;I had to actually hold my breath when I went to put it on, and it made me throw up twice- that’s how bad it was. So while I don’t made scented things (like, I love the benefit boxed powder smells) it is so NOT okay that they should bother you!!
I can get behind MAC liglasses and lipsticks! I find that scent to be really nice. I love scented lipgloss in general, but obviously, it has to be a scent I like.
The scent depends on what scent and what brand. I dont like vanilla scent…like MAC. I do like Dolce Gabanna…rose. And Chanel and YSL scented lipsticks. So it depends.
There are scents I just recognize as “makeup scent”, such as Lancôme lipsticks and even Guerlain lipsticks to some degree. There is a scent, but unless I sniff it, I don’t even seem to feel it.
MAC lipsticks, on the other hand, immediately make me go “hmm yummy!”. They don’t have the usual makeup smell, also, I love the vanilla scent.
Chanel blushes have a very strong perfumey scent. It doesn’t linger on me. If it did, I don’t think I’d be able to stand it, even though it is a nice smell. Pretty much the same thing happens with Guerlain Meteorites.
I can’t think of anything else I own that’s scented. Haven’t come across something I couldn’t wear because it was awfully scented or because the smell (good or bad) lingered after my makeup was done.
In general, I don’t mind a subtle fragrance as long as it dissipates and I don’t smell it all day long. I like food-y smells like Vanilla, etc. I’m not big on flowery smells, especially rose scented anything will make me gag. But, I don’t like chemical smells-all of Maybelline’s mascaras smell so wretched I won’t use them nor L’Oreal lipsticks, yuck!
Scented face powder reminds me of when I was young and mommy all dolled up to go to work or to go out….the scent of her as she kissed me on my cheek before she left.
In general, I don’t mind scented makeup, although I tend to prefer things that are a mix of slightly sweet and slightly floral (things too floral or too sweet – like sugary food scents – both turn me off). I also adore citrus smells – I feel like they’re refreshing and add to the product (sort of like the same idea as pretty packaging? haha). I really like the scent of MAC lipsticks and Maybelline’s Color Sensational lipsticks, although I don’t understand the idea of putting scent in products like mascara – it feels a little pointless to me, tbh.
I don’t really mind either way. The only scented product I have a problem with are Chanel’s Rouge Cocos…that rose scent on my lips makes me gag! But lipsticks are fairly easy to de-scent so it’s not a huge problem.
I don’t mind scented make-up, as long as it’s not too overpowering. It’s certainly better than waxy/plasticky/sulphur smell some make-up has.
I love the MAC vanilla scent, probably because it’s light and not tasty enough that I’d eat my lipstick off. Every time I open a new MAC lipstick it takes me back to my first tube. (It was Angeldish!) Speaking of edible lipstuff, the old UD Lip Gunk in (I think) Paranoid probably looked awful on me, but it smelled just like Honeycomb cereal and I couldn’t get enough.
Dior’s old lipstick scent (and L’oreal’s) was so potently rosey-powdery that I usually wouldn’t make it out of the house with it on. I had a couple of glosses that I tolerated because the color was special enough, but I’m so very glad the new products aren’t whiffy. I can’t stop buying them now.
I went looking for Mademoiselle when the Rouge Cocos came out, and my counter was sold out but the MA started pulling out all the tubes of “similar” shades for me, and I could already tell from them sitting on the countertop that the smell was going to give me a migraine, so I declined.
i love the smell of roses in chanel and burberry lipsticks. it actually kind of makes me sad that my ysl rouge volupte doesn’t have a smell.
I would prefer unscented, overall, but some scents are nice. A company has to be very careful with these! I think MAC nailed it: their vanilla-scented lip products are amazing!!! I love, love, love the smell of them. It makes MAC my favourite lipstick brand, for sure.
Now, on the opposite side: L’Oreal lipstick scent is unbearable. In the middle, Benefit blushes: you get used to them, but initially, they’re quite heavily scented. Strong scent in general: not good. Like in Chanel foundations. I can’t stand such a strong smell on my face! Makes me want to rip it off…
HATE! Hate these with the passion of a thousand burning suns!!
I hate candy smells, floral smells, etc. Would much prefer paint smell. I do own perfumes but I don’t wear it on my face!
I have a lot of allergies and it really irks me when products are scented when there’s no reason for them to be! I’ve had to throw away drugstore products before because I was allergic to them and there were no testers available. Even with department store brands it can be hard to tell when something is scented because the whole cosmetic department is usually overwhelmingly perfumey and can drown out the fragrance in individual testers. I am not allergic to most “food” scents (vanilla, chocolate, fruit, etc) and don’t mind them in a lip product but in general I wish more cosmetics were unscented. Even if you have no allergies, the scents from different products can clash and become unpleasant.
I actually really like it! I love the vanilla of MAC lip products and the violet of Guerlain. Sometimes I just sniff my Guerlain powder without putting any on. It smells of parma violet sweets and I love those so how can I not like it in my powder? 🙂 This post has just made me go through my make up and smell loads of it >.< I've never noticed the Coralista scent so it must be subtle but I do like it now I have smelt it and I really really like the scent of Bourjois blushes 😀
I can see why scent is bad for sensitive skined people but I do personally like it
I HATE heavily scented products! I’m very sensitive to certain scents, so there are products that I have to avoid because of that. The worst one for me is the Guerlain bronzer. Whenever I use it I get a headache within a couple of hours. I can still smell it on my face by the end of the day, and I obviously don’t even use that much product. Not a fan of the scent of the Meteorites either. Nasty old woman smell.
I do like some scented makeup though. Like Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. Smells AND tastes like chocolate YUM! I usually don’t mind scented lip products as long as they smell like some kind of food. Love glosses that smells/tastes like vanilla or fruit.
I think adding fragrance to makeup is wrong in so many ways. Fragrances in general are one of the main reasons more and more people develop allergies these days. There is absolutely no reason for it to be there, it doesn’t make it a better product. A good face powder is a good face powder regardless of the scent. And lastly, fragrance is such a subjective thing. I doubt that many people will buy makeup BECAUSE of the scent, but it certainly will drive away people who don’t like it, so that means they are actually losing potential customers.
If I want to smell good, I’ll use a perfume. Makeup is supposed make me look better, not smell better!
End of rant lol.
I love almost all scented makeup! I think MAC, Guerlain, & Temptu products smell fantastic. In fact, I think I have yet to come across a scented product I dislike.
Depends on the scent but sensitive skin = no-fragrance!
Would prefer LIP products not to have any scent but MAC’s buttery vanilla scent is nice. HATE NYX round lipsticks though! I kinda like Dior’s powder blush and foundation scent which makes it feel more high end.
Hate sented products–unecessary addition of petroleum industry extracts–unless its essentail oils. and they can irritate the skin as well. makeup is not perfume
i don’t mind if lip products are scented (some i even love, like barry m lip gloss in toffee, awesome smell), but i hateeee scented foundations. they always seem to break me out!
Do NOT like scented makeup. I’m super sensitive to fragrance and try to keep it out of as many products as possible. Definitely a deal breaker. I cannot use any makeup or skincare products by Clarins or Estee Lauder for this reason – their stuff seems to have a ton of fragrance. Although I do like mint for lip balms.
The only scented make up I like is in lip products other than that my skin normally can’t tolerate scented stuff on my face.
Not for eye or face products, maybe something very light for foundation though. Gloss and lipstick I do like having scent.
I used to use Cover Girl Clean Makeup with Noxzema and I found the smell highly irritating. It smelled so bad, I threw it out after a few uses, and the formula was really runny. This was 10+ years ago.