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Friday Fun Thread for April 17, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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How do you deal with your nose becoming acclimatized to the specific scents, and to scents generally?

Presumably you pick one because you want to smell it, and smell like it, but as the days go by, it fades into the background of your perception, and you either unconsciously start applying more to compensate, or else get to appreciate it less. Do you worry about becoming one of those people suffocating everyone else in the elevator? How do you gauge the strength on a daily basis? (your wife, sure, but she probably gets used to it too)

Ambroxan, which is a synthetic form of ambergris, tends to induce temporary anosmia, but then comes back to you later. The key is not to bathe in the scent. I remember my older brother in high school got a hold of my bottle of Polo, which in those days was what the southern girls loved (or claimed to.) When he stepped from the bathroom, presumably going out to do something social, it was as if he were trying to gas us all. It shamed me to be the author of his effort, having been the one who bought the stuff to start with. Anyway the point is don't overdo it. Put the stuff on and forget about it.

  1. I cycle my perfumes across the week, while some remain more used than others.
  2. I am not sure if this is what you are asking: perfumes/fragrances, the ones being talked about, have different notes (the initial, the mid, the late). These perfume oils reside on your skin and mix up with your body (skin) oils and that combination is what comes out as the smell. Over time, the perfume releases different sets of oils and the combined mixture keeps on changing over the course of the day, so your nose doesn't actually get acclimatized since there is no single type of scent. This is why some perfumes sit absolutely great with you while not so good with some other people. Also, depending upon your own moods and aura and other mystical elements (which we cannot pinpoint), the effect of a particular perfume also changes with time. eg. (personal anecdotal experience) - when I am stressed, X EDP perfume (2 sprays) would completely vaporise over 3 hours, would have less intensity and less attractive; while if I am very relaxed, in bright mood, the same X EDP perfume (only 1 spray) would work all day (9 hours), would smell much much better. Contra this with the colognes or deo sprays - which tend to have only top notes. in those, you will have the acclimatization problem, both over the course of single day, and across multiple days.
  3. Perfumes are for yourself or someone who gets in very close to you (like low talking volume level or whispering even, or slow dancing!). becoming a perfume bomb is not a good idea. if you are feeling like that, then time to stop using whatever you are using, in the way you are using. Better not to wear any scent then.

Do you worry about becoming one of those people suffocating everyone else in the elevator?

Becoming?

I kid, it's a valid concern. I work from home 90% of the time, so I just spray my wrist or elbow to keep the scent from overpowering my nose. When I have to go to the office, I make sure to not overspray.