Which notes do you avoid?

I avoid prominent Musk smells and heavy rose fragrances. I also struggle with hyacint, lily and Lily of the valley notes. They tend to be quite overpowering to my nose. 

I've never liked tuberose.  I'm sure it can work and I'm happy for people who like it but nothing gives me powdery musty grandma vibes like tuberose.  

There aren't many specific notes that I dislike. Rather, my biggest problem is the "invisible scent" used in the base. Most of the synthetic fixatives that are often found in recent perfumes, such as ambroxan and synthetic musk, are not good for me. I think it's close to chemical sensitivity. Essential oils are fine, but extracted synthetic fragrances give me a headache right away. Is anyone else feeling the same?

I feel you. For me, it depends on the concentration and combination with other notes, but yeah, in general synthetics and I don't see eye to eye.

The only notes I strictly avoid are mint (allergy) and lavender (one of my least favorite scents ever). I rarely get along with neroli – to me it smells like candy and tends to suffocate everything else. I think I don't like rose, leather, tobacco, musk, or a lot of tropical fruits (pineapple, coconut, etc) but sometimes I'm surprised so they aren't automatic rule outs for me. Papaya is one of the worst things I've ever smelled so I was surprised when I learned it was a note in Brigitte Eau de Parfum, which was the first perfume I really "liked" and was my signature scent for many years (also has a number of the other notes I mentioned). Armani Privé - Magenta Tanzanite was probably the fastest I purchased a full bottle after sampling and became my de facto fall/winter scent. I try to keep an open mind, particularly if the other notes or overall mix appeals and especially if I'm a fan of the house generally. Frederic Malle has gotten me to test a few things I never would have looked twice at otherwise.

This is my Proceed With Caution or In Moderation list: 

- pistachio
- cherry
- rose
- neroli
- orange blossom 
- freesia
- cashmeran
- frangipani
- coffee

- indolic jasmine

- dark patchouli

- overly synthetic bubblegum/candy/sweets

Total Avoid: 

Cumin. At all costs. If it lists Cumin, I'm out. 

Generally Avoid: 

Ouds that aren't listed as Vietnamese. Regardless if dominant or not. 

Coconut. Haven't smelled many, but what I have smelled I did not like. 

Acceptable if a minor player: 

Rose. It has to be in a complimentary role, not a dominant role within the scent.

If I see freesia or peony in the list of notes, I'm immediately out.

Lavender is a close runner-up. Don't get me wrong, I like the smell of actual lavender but not in my perfumes.

Also mint. To me it always smells like someone sprayed perfume on my toothpaste.

i will rarely touch anything with rose or leather in it - my skin just pulls the worst out of these two. im starting to learn to ignore seashell notes as well, or anything that can pull as too rock-y or mineral-y

Rose, cloves, peach, bubblegum and banana.

I tested Concrete today and I swear I could smell a hint of all of the above in it

I'm cautious when Neroli is listed: in many blends, on my skin, that note will shout for attention in a cloying way. 

Like with Clove: Clove often gets very (too) loud on my skin, especially in the drydown.

Found this post and felt the need to revisit and say that I have completely flipped in my opinion on iris. I must report that I am obsessed. Please consider this a public service announcement: “Never say never to a note.”

I'm pretty big on staying open-minded and I generally believe that almost anything can be blended in a way that is enjoyable. 

That being said, I've not found a "cherry" accord that I liked, or at least didn't wish wasn't included. Some are more tolerable than others, but *never* have I thought - 'Wow! I really enjoy how that cherry is complimented by the ___note/accord.'

I love to experiment with fragrances, and I'm always looking for new scents to explore.
I've found that I prefer to avoid certain notes; like moss, mint, animalic, aquatic, and geranium.

Coffee, praline, leather, saffron,all sorts of nuts, Akigalawood 

I tend to stay away from very fruit forward fragrances, specifically blackcurrant. I don't necessarily dislike it on others but it doesn't sit well on my skin. I used to have Sì Eau de Parfum and In Love Again (2011) but I sold them for that reason.

Clove and foodie spices like in fragrances like Arabie

I can actually feel my tongue dry up as if i walked in to a room where someone threw a bunch of extremely dry spices in the air and I am walking through a haze of it and it is filling my mouth and nose with spices drying my nasal passage and mouth out.

Something else I find extremely boring is any notes that give off the smell of smoke and burning wood in so many so called niche fragrances. They are as boring to me as according to many other people saying they find designers are boring, and smell too alike because they have similar notes to them also.

I don’t get what is so interesting about a fragrance that ends up with the same boring smoke and burning wood in the numerous “niche” (or let’s call it what it is, an excuse to make people think it was worth £300+ of their money spent) fragrances we have smelled like that before the next one for £300+ that smells almost as identical as the last one comes out. Don’t get me wrong now and again is fine, but when many start to smell the same even if it costs more than other fragrances I have to question is it really in a niche position after all? Isn’t niche supposed to be something that smells different from the rest and therefore is a niche in the market? And I know not all of them are like that but many I have sampled recently seems to smell that way including the new BDC which is almost £300 again 😂

Another is saffron, but it depends how it is used.

So yeah those I try avoid the most unless it is something that really stands out from the others I have smelled like that before I am willing to spend the kind of money that is asked for those kind of fragrances.

I absolutely hate it when a fragrance smells synthetic to my nose. I have a very sensitive nose, so it ends up being all I can smell in a fragrance that contains some of those notes. So usually notes like Amberwood, Amber Xtrem and the likes are my absolute kryptonite. I hate cypriol. Even though it is a natural component it has that synthetic vibe to my nose. However, I really appreciate the piney facet of cypriol when it is used this way.

I do not like Ambroxan or Akilagawood but for eg I love Porter Sa Peau which contains Akigalawood : here the Akigalawood note has been balanced perfectly.

I hate Oud when it has that camphorous facet (mostly found in fake Oud accord using cypriol) or the typical hindi Oud that that goaty / cheesy undertones. But i enjoy Cambodian Oud which is more fruity

Saffron is another note that I have issues with.

Anything to gourmandy is also not for me. So exit lactonic or caramel like accord in fragrances. I do not like almond in scent nor orange blossom when it has that honeyed facet which I find deeply nauseous.

I have also a hard time with blackcurrant in fragrances. For me this note very often smells like sweat. Apparent it is normal as it contains sulphur.

Hazlenut, praline, styrax, tuberose and sandalwood are notes I will avoid but I can, at times, find them acceptable. Typically as long as these aren’t super forward in the composition I don’t mind them, but if they’re the center of attention it’s usually a no.

My one absolute no has to be Oud, or at the very least whatever the synthetic stuff that many brands are trying to pass off as the real deal. I can’t do it. I can’t say for sure that I don’t like the real deal, but the oud note you find in things like Oud KhôlOud Satin Mood Eau de Parfum or Ombre Nomade just gives me the ick.

I unfortunately cannot stand jasmine notes. They work lovely in certain fragrances but for the most part, it just smells like a whiff of cat pee to me. I tend to stay away from white florals as a whole as many seem to lean a little too bathroom cleaner to me in the first place. 

Musk is a very divisive note for me as well. For the most part, I really enjoy it, and I have several fragrances in my collection with a prominent musk note. That said, there’s definitely such thing as “too musky” in my book. Some “clean” musks pull a bit too sweaty on my skin. They get stuck somewhere between fresh laundry and I-just-got-back-from-a-run. 

As much as I try to be open to trying new things I steer away from mint (I hate the taste of it and smelling it makes me nauseous), jasmine (I get the infamous cat pee thing), licorice/anise, tuberose (it depends though, sometimes it can be acceptable), animalic oud and oddly enough violet. 

Interesting that I can completely one with you about these preferences (mine are yet a bit more mild), but I like the mint as a whole. Armani Code Sport Eau de Toilette is a mint masterpiece.

Hey, I always say “If everyone liked the same thing, it would never be on the shelf when you wanted to buy it.”

I don’t like most fruity notes, especially strawberry. I don’t know why, but I feel dirty wearing anything strawberry scented like perfumes. Same thing with cinnamon.