the nose knows

It is general knowledge that scent is one of, if not the, the strongest senses. Feelings are often directly linked to particular scents, and therefore smells alone are able to elicit certain emotions. A person's scent makes a strong impression on others, and therefore one must be very aware of what they smell like before leaving the house.

Now, I'm not saying "take a shower every day and make sure you use soap" or "ladies, don't forget the perfume"- I'm just advising to be careful of exactly WHAT you use which makes you smell oh-so-pretty.

In general, you will associate a smell with an experience or feeling, and that association will usually stick with you for years, if not your entire life. For example, I love the smell of markers or machinery because it conjures up the memory of spending time at my father's machine shop. I also dislike the smell of lipstick (odd but true) because it reminds me of my first boyfriend (when I started wearing make-up).

The same holds true for the actual scents associated with people. Since many people, especially women, chose to wear a spray, perfume or cologne over their natural scent, one must be especially considerate of how they want to present themselves.

I chose my perfumes and body sprays like I chose my clothes. They have to be classic, casual and a little different. The only signature spray I have been trademarked with is Bath & Body Works' Cucumber Melon. I once had a boyfriend who was so familiar with the scent that, if he was in the same room with another woman wearing the same scent, he would immediately start looking for me.

While I am much more of a fan of body splash than I am of perfume (I prefer to be a little more quiet and earthy than trendy and expensive) I do have a weakness- Dolce& Gabbana's Light Blue. But that's just me.

However, since we're talking "college kid budget," let's keep in mind the fact that a good body spray is MUCH cheaper than a good perfume. While perfumes can average around $80/small bottle, body sprays don't generally go above @20.00. Even some of the better brand names, like Bath and Body or Victoria's Secret, stay within a coed price range.

As for what I mean by "good perfume"....well....just think of that one aunt in your family who always wears too much lipstick, only talks about her cat and can never quite remember your name. Yes, the one in the corner. Her smell- in a bottle- that is the definition of cheap perfume. My only advice: don't smell like that.