I’m Brazilian, so…showering everyday and applying some cologne/perfum afterwards, besides deodorant, before going to work or having a night out are a MUST. It’s not that rare or uncommon people over-applying it, some even like it.
Where are you from and how is it like in your country?
Comments
I do but it’s not very common and over-applying is even rarer, most people are pretty subtle. Germany.
I would say it depends on where in Europe you are. The southern countries -like Spain and Italy- are like Brasil. Northern countries are modest and applying too much is considered a bit tacky. But is done by quite a few men and women on a night out.
I’m from Asia where it’s hot and humid so people shower a lot. Cologne is great after you’ve properly cleaned yourself and showered. Some people skip the shower and try to cover up with cologne, it doesn’t work. The end result smells awful. Yuck
Poland. Some people do it, some people don’t. It’s socially agreed that you need to shower regularly and use deodorant especially during the summer and that’s it. Using strong smelling products in public is not advisable and also seen as excessive/rude in some places like public transport. I guess you shouldn’t smell at all or smell faintly pleasant.
As others have pointed out, it depends.
I personally use perfumes couple of times a year, but I know countless of people that wear it everyday.
It’s not socially unacceptable to not wear it and it’s not socially unacceptable to wear it everyday. Thumb rule is, just don’t put so much that people on the other side of the street will be able to smell you and you’ll be good.
I have visited Brazil, and everyone smelled amazing even in the blasting heat. This was my heaven as I am obsessed with body care and scents. 😀
I’m in Finland and I would say no. Deodorant is a must but perfume not.
I think it has changed in a couple of decades. When I was young I remember my mum always wore perfume and I did too often in my high school and early university years (in the 00s, very early-2010s.) But I barely ever do now and if other people do they use it little enough to not be noticeable. I own like one bottle of perfume at this point which I use for fancier occasions.
A bit of cologne and deodorant, aplied over a clean body in good hygienic conditions, SHOULD be common. My experience using public transport show me its not
Maybe on a night out but not every time you step out the door. Other than deodorant and maybe some perfumed hair products I haven’t used anything for decades, neither has my wife and many people we know..
Pretty common in Ireland, although we are more likely to underapply perfume than overapply. And you wouldn’t do it every time like just to go to the shops for example, but for going out or work yeah. Pretty normal
My husband and I don’t own any cologne or perfume and would never wear it. We find the smell to be horrible, like chemicals. Here in Spain, people bathe in it sometimes before going out, but it seems to be more the older generation.
People here like to bathe in heavy Arabian perfumes that it’s almost nauseating when going out. It has become the norm to wear perfume every day.
I wear perfume every day (UK) but I don’t over spray. My husband only wears it for evening events. It’s different for everyone I guess!
I wear it every time I am leaving the house, and I can often smell other people’s fragrances when I am outside so I’d say it’s the norm.
It’s very common in France. Most people will put it on to go out but even for everyday thing like go to work, etc.
I don’t like colognes, perfumes, deodorants and the like… Entering an elevator and having it reek of cologne is horrible… More washing and less perfumeing.
Some like to wear a fragrance everyday, but a lot of people don’t. For me, it’s a matter of occasion. I’m not the kind of guy who would feel naked without perfume when I go for groceries. I have different ones for work, dates or mood, though. When it comes to application, less is more. You should smell a perfume when you are close enough for a handshake, no sooner. It’s not supposed to announce your presence at the door, not unless you are a 16 year old, that is, apparently.
It is a must and should definitely stay as a must. I would even add that more than deodorants, during the summer months antiperspirants should be a must.
You can definitely tell who does and who doesn’t. But obviously people shouldn’t use perfumes as a way to mask their lack of showering.
Depends, some do and some don’t here. Those who do so mostly do one to three perfume pushes each morning and that’s it. More than that would be rarer, I think.
Deodorant is pretty common too, I personally use both in the morning but without overdoing it.
I wear cologne if I’m going somewhere semi formal or out for food. Sometimes I’ll wear it if I’m going food shopping.
I never wear it if I’m going for a short errand run.
I wear cologne once or twice a week during the day, and always if I’m going for a night out.
Just a little bit, and of a mild fragrance. I don’t like people who smell strongly of anything, be it perfume or sweat. But, a small amount of pleasant perfume is nice. I appreciate it when women wear a small amount or use nicely scented shampoos/soaps which you can smell after they’ve showered.
It’s kinda common, but not the norm. Like when going on a date it’s pretty common, but at work or while going to the doctor’s its actually forbidden to have strong scents on you
I’ve lived in England, Canada and Denmark and I think it’s rare for people to wear strong scents. Obviously antiperspirants etc are standard but people like my old work colleague who sprayed perfume on herself at her desk in an open plan office deserve a punishment worse than those who microwave fish at work.
I have seen places like dentists, shrinks and physiotherapists in Canada with signs saying they are scent free and can patrons refrain from wearing scents.
Personally I think wearing a strong scent is selfish in places where people have to spend time with you, or are confined in anyway.
I can’t speak on behalf of all Europeans but. I personally would say a perfume in your every day life is a big no because they make me nauseous. A deodorant is enough.
Germany. It’s not a must. Some people use it, some not. Over applying happens and is a nuisance, if people are sensitive towards scents.
Judging from the replies, I feel many people don’t realize that perfume is not necessarily cologne or a strong fragrance with an alcoholic base. Perfumes can also be mild and pleasant, like those you find in herbal shops, which are lighter and better suited for everyday use without being so strong and overwhelming that they make the others feel nauseated
I live in Norway and react to people wearing ‘too much’ perfume as i would to chemical warfare – which it is to my nose
It’s common, but not everyone wears it. It’s more important that you use deodorant and don’t smell bad (or overindulge in perfume so you reek).
I wear it everyday, cause I like the smell. Just a couple of small sprays so I have a hint of it.
in Europe perfume is like only for dates and stuff like that, only special occasions
Deodorant and showering are more like a recommendation….. would not be surprised to hear a relevant % of people never use deodorant and shower only every other week.
In Italy, some people think you’re not fully dressed if you’re not wearing perfume or cologne, they even sell it for babies. In general, most people wear some every day, but it should never be something that wafts from them, you should only be able to smell it if you get very close, like for the bacci (cheek kisses) and the scent should contribute to the overall aspect of cleanliness and hygiene that is so important in Italian culture. This means anything really musky or heavy isn’t popular to begin with. People are generally using light florals, citrus or pine based scents.
[deleted]
Luckily people don’t use to wear perfume or cologne often. It’s nauseating. I don’t get why people fight so much against natural human odour and then apply other more annoying ones.
Germany
I put on some deodorant or perfume before I leave for the day but I absolutely hate it when people apply this stuff with a garden hose. I have some colleagues that smell like a whole perfumery and it is really irritating when you can smell these people a mile against high winds… also they tend to smell worse after they have worked for a bit (I work a physically demanding job, you tend to get sweaty, especially during summer).
Greece here. Most people wear cologne when they’re going out for the night and in formal situations. Some wear a perfume every day but may have a not-so-strong one. Girls may spray body mist during the day as it is more mild than cologne and you can apply it every couple of hours. But it largely depends on the person. Many just wear deodorant and that’s it.
I used to wear perfume every day but realised people smelled and loved my hair products over my perfume so it became a waste of money. My hairproduct became my known scent.
Now I can’t really wear perfume anymore because it’s too overpowering for myself and I smell it all day on myself and it makes me nauseated and overstimulated.
I also don’t enjoy people with overpowering scents anymore, it takes over my entire brain and I hate it.
I wear perfume every day, but I am a bit of a perfume fanatic. I live in England. I have scents I would wear to work, different ones for a day off and different ones for an evening out. I wouldn’t say there are rules here peresay, but I also wouldn’t say it’s really common to smell someone’s perfume from a mile off either.
Since we have a lot of public transport here it would be just generally courteous to not choke people out with your fragrance if you are using public transport. You are more likely to be able to tell someone is wearing perfume strongly on a night out here than anywhere else.
Scotland. NO.
And thanks for that because I feel like puking when I have to be near someone that overdid with that shite
Croatia here. Going out in the evening or somewhere a bit fancier (let’s say you’d wear a nice shirt, not a sports one) then yeah. But going for a beer in a local pub or to work – no.
I think back when showering daily wasn’t so much a thing, people used more perfume to cover the body odor. Nowadays deodorant is expected, perfume is optional, but excessive perfume is frowned upon.
I can’t stand people who wear perfume and cologne. Instant migraine. You always overspray and you don’t need it to cover the food smells and why are you wearing it hiking in the woods.
Both and personally yes, even for getting milk
I haven’t noticed either high frequency or lack of it as predominant enough to register
Perfume is neither rare nor common here, but I would say most men do not use it on a night out, while the women generally do, some younger women use way too much.
Everyone uses deoderant though, mostly unscented or with little scent, some young men do what we call a “Turkish shower” and spray axe deoderant in vast quantities over themselves.
I am from US, so not sure you care about our answer based off the subreddit you chose.
It’s not common to wear it every day, mostly on special occasions. I like the smell of some and some make me feel nauseous.
There is also a growing consciousness of the chemicals in every American product, since the FDA does a poor job regulating. Most fragrances are endocrine disrupters, and since a huge portion of america has autoimmune disorders, I wouldn’t think we should wear it daily. I am one with an immune disorder, I try to avoid perfume unless I’m going somewhere special.
I feel like here in Greece people like to use deodorant and perfume, but some people that wear very strong/ heavy perfumes would be gossiped like: could she not wear less perfume or a different perfume? I couldn’t breathe, that perfume is so bad etc
So I would say a nice subtle pleasant smell is probably ideal (not too strong)