Today I Wore Perfume

Today I wore perfume.

I worked from home and wore perfume.

On a day I knew I wouldn’t see anyone else in person, I spritzed two sprays of my favorite fragrance. But I used to think this was a waste. Until I saw a TikTok that helped me to remember why it wasn’t.

I don’t remember exactly what this TikTok said, but the gist of it was this: why deprive yourself of a scent you enjoy just because no one else is there to enjoy it with you? 

In my mind, perfume was one of those things that was supposed to be enjoyed by other people. I used to think we would wear perfume so that we smell good to others. That when we would meet other people, we’d leave a positive lasting impression through the sense of smell. 

However I also used to reserve it for special occasions, like weddings, dates, or something else that required me to dress “nice” to. So it wasn’t part of my “brand” anyway, as I would only wear it sporadically. 

But then I found myself not wearing perfume at all! To many of the events I would have classified as “nice” enough to wear it for, I could easily think of a reason not to, like the event is in an enclosed room with women, and at least one of them is probably pregnant and sensitive to smell. Or I would be traveling to the event, and I didn’t want to pack perfume in case it broke or leaked and saturated my clothes.

Should wearing perfume really require this much thought? Probably not, unless you’re a perfumer.

Maybe this overthinking isn’t about the perfume. 

I light candles at home to drench my space in my favorite scents when no one is coming over. That’s a scent I enjoy with no one there to enjoy it with me. I buy flowers to place on my table, providing scent and beauty just for me. No one else knows or cares about the bouquets I buy–a freeing thought! Even with makeup, I most often wear what I want to wear that day, whether I’m seeing other people or not. This might be less about aesthetics and more about routine, but why can’t perfume be part of that routine, too?

What other deep-seated scarcity thoughts are leading me to deprive myself of something as simple and insignificant as perfume? Do I think I’m not good enough to enjoy my favorite scent?

So today I wore perfume. I won’t interact in-person with anyone today except my husband and I’m wearing perfume. And it smells good!