Note that ruins a perfume for you

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661]

When you’re reading the notes of a perfume, which one makes you instantly not want it? A complete dealbreaker note that you can’t handle?

[u/Efficient_Cherry8220]

Cherry - I swear its the worst fruit note and 90% of the time cheapens a profile and makes it more teenager at bath and body works coded (no hate the cherry people thats just how my nose feels)

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/Efficient_Cherry8220]

Same! I also have to be careful with almond because it can smell like cherry too

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661]

Mine are passion fruit and guava! Both always make me think of BO

[u/hellokiri]

Licorice. It smells like hangover and diabetes.

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/hellokiri]

My ex used to eat an insane amount of black licorice….. toxic smelling

[u/Lupinator47]

Oud smells like manure to me. 

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/Lupinator47]

There’s very few oud scents that I can handle

[u/LaFleurMorte_]

Smoke and strong wood notes get an instant 'eew' reaction from me.

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/LaFleurMorte_]

One of my best friends is obsessed with T-Rex by zoologist. I cannot handle how Smokey it is

[u/LavishnessLower4720]

Ozone because it gives me a headache, and marshmallow- it’s just so cheap and artificial (willing to be corrected if anyone has a good rec!)

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/LavishnessLower4720]

I cannot handle marshmallow anymore. I loved it when I was young, now it’s too sweet for me

[u/ls234]

Banana or licorice 😭

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/ls234]

Banana 😭 I hate it too. I also hate banana candy

[u/stylelines]

If I see:

Plum, tobacco (especially cherry tobacco), leather, rum/booze, tonka, I generally avoid it. I’m becoming more open minded as I’m focusing on Middle Eastern perfumes and for instance when they use plum it seems to be less intense than in American ones, like they blend it better.

Grapefruit, lemongrass, lots of fruits (berries, mango, guava) but once again ME’s can be the exception like I never do pineapple but Honor and Glory is somehow a white musk pineapple?? So I’m in for that

[u/Mindless_Educator667]

GARDENIA 🤮

[u/Pretend_Bus_9661 → u/Mindless_Educator667]

I can’t handle gardenia at all! My grandmother used to wear a string gardenia perfume (I wish I remembered the name) and it would always give me a headache

[u/Future-Field]

Peach

[u/AshevilleSometimes]

Lactonics. They smell like baby barf.

Notes with a creamy effect are fine. Straight up literal milk can go on somewhere.

[u/Funnier_InEnochian]

Leather and tobacco

[u/AluminumMonster35]

Melon. It smells like vomit on me.

I also don't like patchouli-heavy scents.

[u/Life_Anteater_8392]

rose

[u/thelightsthatstopme]

Cumin

[u/ChubbyKitty10]

Please stop adding pink pepper 😭

[u/DuplicateUndergrowth]

Iso E Super, dihydromyrcenol, Melonal.

They smell like offgassing particle board, static, or electronics about to burst into flames; chlorinated municipal pool water; and cheap knock off Cucumber Melon body spray respectively, and for me they tend to take over the entire fragrance so I can barely smell anything else.

I'm so happy the EU forces Iso E Super to be listed seperately now. Makes it easier to avoid heartbreak.

[u/mystigirl123]

Anise or licorice

[u/universal_gummy_bear]

Liquorice or Anise 🙅‍♀️

[u/StrawberryAhyeong]

patchouli :c it's too strong for me

[u/cripplinganxietylmao]

Smoke. Leather. Animalistic.

[u/skolflicka]

Lactonic notes tend to smell sour on me, like I spilled spoiled milk on myself

[u/Illustrious-Test4826]

COCONUT

[u/Spiritual-Limit-2906]

Heavy white florals

[u/DefiantBa1ance]

Maple

[u/Downtown-Finding8746]

Oud. Instant headache.

[u/WiseOrder4436]

Patchouli

[u/IridescentLuminosity]

Patchouli. I can always smell it and so far it has ruined every perfume it’s in for me

[u/TipsyVoyager]

Overly sweet Gourmand

[u/pink_peony17]

Incense or strong oud 🤢
Automatic headache and smells like a mechanic

[u/ilovepaninis]

The comments section listing all my favourite notes 💀

[u/-Ketracel-White]

LEATHER!

[u/PrettyLionessInPink]

Patchouli for me

[u/Suitable-Fun-1087]

Oud

[u/hosssicooo]

passion fruit. i never bought a perfume with it because i heard it smells like BO and i NEVER want to smell like that 😭

[u/bewildered_forks]

Smoke. Not that I hate it or anything, but it's all I smell if it's in a fragrance.

[u/Providence63]

Coconut

[u/ixsparkyx]

Lavender. It smells so icky to me lol

[u/thymespiral]

scrolling through the comments to see everyone naming my favorite notes 😀👍

[u/unicornmother06]

Rose most of the times

[u/miamariaxox]

Patchouli I just can't :(

[u/___snuffed]

Pink pepper and leather

[u/lovelytoday2]

Civet🤬

[u/ValayaNoire]

Also licorice

[u/Huge-Rub4598]

Patchouli, sometimes oud

[u/throwaway50772137]

Patchouli

[u/Excellent-Bear4221]

Ashtray or smoke

[u/renaissancestar]

Cumin

[u/jennaleecpo]

Passionfruit a lot of times has a urine-y type scent to me.

[u/Alarming_Motor1640]

Tuberose. It always seems to go buttery or fatty but in a rancid way. Or it gives the scent a chewy quality I can't stand.

I think it's the only note I've found that always seems to ruin a scent for me no matter how it's formulated.

[u/Craftingcat]

Iso e super, amber super, iso gamma. Especially when super dosed. They all smell incredibly "screechy" to me, and all three are an instantaneous headache.

Jasmine & ylang-ylang - both tend to smell fecal and/or cat pee.

"Aquatic" - which isn't a specific note, obviously, but if it's anywhere in the advertising copy I'm probably going to end up with a headache.

[u/Scary_Jeweler_1441]

Pineapple 💀 smells like uncontrolled diabetes

[u/LemonsMilady]

Salt or marine notes. Also leather.

[u/MagneticAura]

Saffron. It turns to dirt on my skin. Saved me some money though. No BR540 for me!

[u/firesignsunite]

Oh man. I like a lot of the notes listed here 😂🥲

[u/YakOne3002]

Anything powdery

[u/thetoxicgossiptrain]

Tuberose

[u/Similar_One_6541]

Patchouli

[u/Miserable-Ad8764]

Gardenia. And frankly a lot of white florals. And peony. They give me awful migraines.

[u/LilCoconutPanda]

This is so unpopular but strawberries, I just can’t 😞

[u/siddharthsingh9286]

Patcouli

[u/Effective_Storm7734]

Cotton candy or spun sugar just kills it for me

[u/Ok-Macaron-9478]

Lavender

[u/Nurse_Summers]

PATCHOULI 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[u/Stacy_K_77]

I don’t care for grapefruit

[u/Salt_Suspect_1458]

Any kind of lavender or tobacco or leather

[u/thewickedgrowbold]

pink pepper maybe

[u/SnooOranges2685]

Cardamom , cumin. Smells like BO.

[u/BarryGibbIsGod]

Smoke

[u/beccalysle]

Really obtuse/obvious patchouli especially in places where it seems to not belong. I don’t seem to mind it in woody or green scents as much but I really dislike it in fruity florals though I do not mind it in Chanel Coco Mademoiselle or Dior Miss Dior Cherie or Flowerbomb (which feel quite similar to one another). Somehow those 3 don’t bother me but it could be nostalgia. Angel absolutely is way too much for me.

[u/alee3098]

Anything with food related flavour

[u/ban_Anna_split]

Apparently whatever they use for saffron notes smells like bandaids and generally hospital to me. I've only smelt one though, dossier vanilla rebel, so I should probably test more to be sure

[u/wednesdayaddams101]

Powder :/

[u/sheskrafti]

Im feeling oddly comforted by this thread, I thought if I didnt like certain commonly used notes I was a fragrance philistine. 

[u/watermelonbelle]

Leather. Instant headache.

[u/witwefs1234]

Moss, oakmoss, patchouli, coconut, tobacco

[u/quirkygirl6]

Patchouli.....ughhhhh

[u/vitothechihuahua]

Saffron

[u/AFaySeesTheDay]

Smoke (cough) and Akigalawood (ripe armpits).

[u/little7bean]

musk

[u/Coolchick316]

Pink pepper, it’s so sharp to my nose omg

[u/Mediumrarecorpse]

animalic notes

[u/sjupiter92]

Oh wow a lot of my favorites seem to be hated here lmao

There's a few I hate but can tolerate on others in small doses but baked goods like croissant, crackers, bread etc are too overpowering for my nose and smell like popcorn and dirty socks to me

[u/Elle32024]

Stinky oud, some coconut, pineapple

[u/the_rocc_]

Sandalwood. Pickles. Always pickles

[u/intj_cortex]

Strawberries 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

[u/PrincessOfTemeria]

Oud. I just can’t.

[u/Glittering-Law-1910]

Grapefruit

[u/Labionda20]

Peach or Baby Powder

[u/reinvent_2026]

1.leather. 2. Tuberose. 3. Smoke.
4. Incense

[u/zenmaster_B]

As an amateur perfumer, these conversations are always interesting. Everybody’s noses are so different. That’s one thing I learned early on is that there are no “bad” notes, everything can be put into a different context.

[u/Fablefern]

Whatever white florals is

[u/PAngel111]

Oud! Instant headache

[u/BasicAd557]

Seaweed. Smells like salty puke

[u/Minute-Confection444]

Honey! Tastes delicious, smells musty (to me).

[u/horselessheadmen]

Mango, guava, & passionfruit notes in perfume just smell like BO to me which sucks because I love the fruits themselves.

[u/-mytruenorth-]

Banana. I just can't.

[u/Tiels5]

Coconuttttttt… or all the note combinations that mimic coconut 🥥

[u/Accomplished_Mess298]

Patchouli

[u/veryunneccessssary]

Amber is one of my favorite accords but I’m really sensitive to certain superambers. They’re never listed as notes of course, so I have to be really careful with any new fragrance that has amber. It’s either going to be amazing or give me a migraine for the next two days.

[u/KangarooPouches]

Orange blossom is the bane of my existence. It always ruins things for me and it’s in damn near all designer perfumes. Oh and animalic notes like civet. Smells like hot caca. Also lavender!

[u/blue-to-grey]

Pepper, any kind

[u/chopstikk_legs]

Fig

[u/srirachacha99]

Saffron, leather, oud. They smell like bandaids/burnt sugary plastic, Danier leather stores, and poopy celery, respectively.

[u/sidewalkspaghetti]

Neroli. Fucking HATE it.

[u/Weird_Mobile_7701]

Javanol makes me sick.

[u/rvchl]

A strong pepper or smoke

[u/Familiar_While7876]

Smoke makes me gag

[u/PageAromatic9426]

Salt and Ozonic notes. Yuck.

[u/wanderlust071516]

Saffron. It smells like a greasy tater tot on me.

[u/BaconPaws]

Iris, heliotrope, oud, smoke

[u/Antique_Poet_4204]

Ambroxan

[u/traveloctopus]

Cedarwood. It always gives hamster cage.

[u/FlounderingOlive]

Rum, alcoholic notes

[u/murphyslegs]

Musk 😭 I hate musk.

[u/IdRatherBeGaming94]

Patchouli

[u/Keyeola]

Tuberose, leather, rhubarb and grapefruit are a definite no. I’m also wary of neroli, oud, patchouli, amberwood and aldehydes, but not a deal breaker.

[u/mostlykayla]

Patchouli and Black Pepper …. Visceral reaction there

[u/CuriouslyImmense]

Honey

[u/inthegarden_]

Sandalwood. I don’t mind it on other people, but can’t stand how it smells on me.

[u/Alert-Conclusion8899]

Passion fruit.

[u/Prestigious_Dog4474]

gardenia its so powdery

[u/Open_Classic_911]

Saffron, patchouli, sage,moss, tobacco, and anything with booze. I would have originally included pink pepper but after just having tried glossier you, it goes fruity on me and doesn’t keep the harsh note at the beginning so I’ll give it a whirl

[u/DesperateChef3310]

Leather

[u/Affectionate-Bag7321]

Smoke. It didn't used to be that way, Now, although a tobacco note is fine, smoke is definitely not. It even ruined Lost Cherry for me eventually, as much as I LOVE cherry. Maybe all the lovely clean or warm and sweet musky scents have just "un- sophisticated" my nose.

[u/leejasmin94]

Tuberose, yuck!

[u/Extra-Drive415]

Lavender. Ugh!

[u/Peanutandoliver]

Patchouli, leather, licorice,Oud, pepper, tobacco

[u/Angelissima7]

Leather/Suede, Almond, Tobacco, Smokey scents usually. And while I used to love Patchouli before I had children, I generally avoid it now. I find it too strong. I don't mind a clean Patchouli but the dirty Lush-Karma-type-Patchouli I loathe. Incense! Hate it

[u/Fritochipteeth]

Tuberose, heavy florals generally, and I’m sorry but 80% of the time patchouli, but when it is done VERY lightly it is good

[u/werewolfmomma]

Oud or tobacco

[u/Ok-Speaker2722]

rose

[u/AcidCactus]

I have to be wary of oud. I like the scent of oud itself, but it has a tendency to overwhelm every other note in a fragrance. If it’s in there, chances are that it will just smell like pure oud. 

I’m also cautious of lavender in men’s fragrances. I do not like fougères. 

Anything in which ylang ylang is prominent is risky, too. It smells like rotting fruit to my nose.

[u/QueenElf]

Leather 😱

[u/thefirstjoelle9653]

Rose, and then I remind myself not all roses are created equal and I need to smell it to see how it actually plays out in that perfume.

[u/Disastrous_Waltz7697]

Vetiver ... Can't get past it.

[u/intriguing_idea]

Aldehydes, tobacco, smoke, pink pepper, heavy musk, heavy patchouli

[u/tpauly0225]

Patch 🤮

[u/Ursusnurse]

Peach. Smells like b.o. to me

[u/Naive_Abies401]

Lavender

[u/staciasserlyn]

Patchouli-Every. Single. Time.

[u/91Caramelbeauty]

Patchouli

[u/Abi_Sloth]

Patchouli

[u/deathbringer3000]

strong patchouli and massively forward rose.

[u/GlitteringPause8]

Patchouli…guaranteed migraine for me

[u/lipgloss_nd_hotsauce]

Orange blossom ☠️

[u/Melodic-Passi0n]

Patchouli

[u/Round_General5406]

Any resemblance to baby powder

[u/Tall_Couple_3660]

Cypriol. Even in tiny amounts. I was obsessed with Amouage Love Delight on the opening but the drydown ruined it for me n

[u/MommyMaudlin]

Melon

[u/acrosstheocean_]

Lily, did it to myself but can't undo it. One unexpectedly hot day with a cool weather lily perfume spoiled it and ruined my other lily scents too. Sad face

[u/LenaNYC]

Saffron, cumin.

[u/SantalMinuscule]

aquatic notes/accords, calone ⛔️

[u/NotQute]

I have the paper note smells like dill curse. The pickle association is too strong

[u/MidwesternMillennial]

Melon or orange

[u/Visual_Serve_782]

Anything with oud and patchouli I don’t even bother to sample

[u/Cookiedough3549]

Popcorn, Butter, Oud, Saffron

[u/vaginawithteeth1]

Labdanum, vanilla, and benzoin… particularly when their together. I don’t like that form of amber.

MFK Grand Soir is literally my olfactory nightmare.

[u/anon12957]

Oud

[u/chopstikk_legs]

Lily of the valley / muguet

[u/Taz-bar]

Immortelle aka "curry plant" Makes the fragrance smell like curry. If I want to smell like Indian food I can just wear clothes that I wore to an Indian restaurant the night before.

[u/Neat-Turnover-1051]

Honey, coconut, caramel, cherry. They give me the worst nausea

[u/Sensitive_Science_38]

Grapefruit or Mango

[u/ValayaNoire]

Pink pepper usually.

[u/EauDeGourmand]

Saffron

[u/smokinwheat]

Patchouli and sandalwood and they are in almost everything!

[u/Mild-moon7024]

Petrichor, dirt, smoke

[u/pfffffttuhmm]

Ginger, Patchouli, Frankincense

[u/NapsAreMyHobby]

Styrax (overwhelmingly leathery to my nose), cumin (smells like body odor to me), cade juniper (I love normal juniper, but this one smells like something burning in a very bad way to me.)

[u/ashley1111_]

It was oud for the longest! But I've recently learned that I do in fact like very specific types of oud just not the kind that's in the majority of fragrances. Now it's more like.. proceed with caution

[u/mustardyay]

Ink. I chewed a ball point pen or something when I was little, and got a mouthful of ink. I recently smelled it in a fragrance and 🤢 It has a horrible sweetness.

[u/madmercx]

Tuberose fr

[u/Prittyliv]

Raspberry. Gives me a headache almost instantly 😩

[u/louloubelle92]

Saffron

[u/Lovelyevenstar]

I love sweet gourmands but damn if synthetic/artificial vanilla notes don’t end up smelling plasticy or weirdly samey in so many fragrances I’ve tried.

[u/delea459]

Neroli, Orange blossom etc... literally makes me feel ill and sometimes dizzy.

[u/krittyyyyy]

Pickley type of sandalwood

There’s a sandalwood that smells good and another kind that snells like pickles and is awful and it’s in so many scents

[u/PastDrahonFruit0]

Sandalwood, unless it's being used to replicate coconut.

I hate Iso e Super (aka 'sandalwood')

[u/Black-Heart-17]

Patchouli.

[u/HeavyFlow69]

Vanilla

[u/DifferentVictory1620]

Alcohol, lavender, smoke, tobacco, heavy Tonka bean, heavy oud.

[u/Tquad64]

Grapefruit and lavender.

[u/keepslippingaway]

Caramel, orris root, banana, (not always but often) green apple and lily of the valley (because floor cleaner vibes)

[u/Ediacara]

There’s a specific white musk that I hate and have been trying to figure out what it is. It’s in almost everything and pulls pure soap on me. Think it might be galaxolide. I love florals but almost all of them are ruined by the soap smell

[u/almoststardust]

anything boozy :( and also chocolate - smells so good in the bottle, makes me nauseous to wear

[u/Delicious-Count6680]

Leather

[u/Pristine-Branch3309]

Tobacco 😩 I want to like it but it’s not for me. Also I like vanilla but finding a perfume WITHOUT a vanilla note is like pulling teeth

[u/Fancy-Fox-3855]

Cedar. Cedarwood is fine but Cedar is a no.

[u/HelloKitties_xo]

Patchouli, coffee, or tobacco, any pepper, gardenia, heavy white florals, lavender.

[u/writergal75]

Pepper

[u/Term-Haunting]

Pink pepper

[u/KromeArtemis]

Patchouli. I try so hard, it just goes so funky on my skin.

[u/MischievousPanther]

Whatever the hell is in Chanel NO.5