ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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    • I remember Love’s Fresh Lemon. And Love’s Baby Fresh (? something like that — smelled like baby powder). I had a Love’s Fresh Apple in a lovely apple shaped bottle. Ah, those were the days.

        • Loves baby powder scent was something the lambs loved. the bottle fed ones would go right to where I had it on and lick it off. They tried to climb me if I was sitting to feed them. 🙂

  3. aww. love you guys. So sweet. Lemony. 🙂

    I have been sick so I just smell like halls menthol and cough syrup. #gross

  7. Beats heck out of [nose wrinkled] “What is that SMELL??”
    Or “I’m having an allergic reaction to something…”

    Noses are funny things. [I will not sing you the sad ‘allergic to chemical/artificial scents, and don’t get me started on laundry detergents’ song of my people. It’s like Wagner’s RIng cycle long.]

    • We are of the same tribe!! Also allergic to shampoos, and lotions and makeup and metals, so no jewelry. Girls nights suck for me.

      • Gabby, if the only metal you’re allergic to is nickel, you might want to try out Simply Whispers. It’s all nickel-free, and my mother and I can testify their earrings do not make our ears itch or hurt. My mother had only one pair of earrings that she wore for years until we found this source.

        If it’s more than just nickel, please accept my sympathies, and good luck to you!

        • I am of the “can’t wear cheap jewelry” tribe as well, and have been in love with Holly Yashi jewelry since I was in high school and saw my mom wearing a pair of HY earrings. They have such lovely colors and are so light (heavy earrings give me a headache). I have to save up and buy the stuff I love on sale because I am not made of $$, but they are gorgeous and last forever AND they’ll replace lost earrings. You can even order extra hooks to put on your other earrings so you don’t have to lose a pair you like just because the hooks have bad metals in them. https://www.hollyyashi.com/guides/metal-allergies.html

      • I’ll second the recommendation for Simply Whispers. I could also always wear jewelry items that were labeled BOTH “hypoallergenic” AND “nickel-free,” but not generally things labeled as just one or the other. And I found that sterling silver is safe, or else I can use a cord instead of a chain.

        The past several years I’ve been much less reactive to metal. I still have a lifetime habit of avoiding metal jewelry, so I still usually replace necklace chains with sterling silver and restring bracelets onto cord.
        My friends have almost always been really supportive; I hope you have friends who will buy you a necklace because they saw it didn’t have any metal in it and also it was your style, I hope they have girls night with clothes and other accessories so you’re always included. (And if not, you might give them some suggestions! It seems silly, but people who don’t have allergies don’t have to think about that, so it might not have occurred to them that you’re being excluded from things non-voluntarily, and that with minimal sacrifice, they could include you!)

      • Metal allergy?

        Sorry to laugh, but the timing. I am rereading Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson and Omega series atm. So I am mentally picturing the scene with the CANTRIP agents in the lawyers office and the one is part fae, has a nickel allergy and doesn’t know he is part fae. 🙂

    • There used to be a guy in my group who sat across from me. His cologne or aftershave or whatever it was was RANK, at least to my sniffer. Ugh. So foul. So disagreeable to my olfactory receptors. It bothered me so much that I used to sit at my desk and rub a perfumed beeswax (“Milk” by K. Hall Designs) right under my nose, the way detectives rub stuff under their noses when they have to confront decomp.

      • Yep. Totally there. Getting in close elevator first thing in the morning with too many cheap scents. Death. Just death.

        • Almost as bad is getting into an empty elevator and trying not to breathe as someone put whatever it was on so strong and it still lingers (and chokes me up!) I remember the worst thing I ever reacted to was “Poison” with “Obsession” being a close second.

    • Here’s another one allergic to perfumes! I have several different reactions, depending on the chemical base, I suppose:
      – sneezing (very rare)
      – headache (common)
      – burst into tears for no reason (especially if the person next to me on a plane opens a tub of perfumed body butter)
      – blood pressure drops so low that it doesn’t register on a machine, I want to groan, I can’t speak, I feel nauseous
      At least I don’t get all of those reactions at once.

      • I had a terrible reaction to a receptionist at medical clinic (coughing, sneezing and eye-watering). The stuff she was wearing was like a cloud of death surrounding her. I’ve no idea what it was and couldn’t stay close enough to ask. It was probably based on tear gas with a finish of pepper spray.

    • Unscented deodorant, unscented baby shampoo, “free and clear” laundry detergent, unscented moisturizer without lanolin, shea butter or tea tree oil, no dryer sheets, no make up (fragrance in mascara?), unscented chapstick…
      Some idiot at a perfume and cosmetics specialty store walked out into the mall, spraying as she came out of the store. She had 2 different scents and got me with both. They might have smelled nice – I couldn’t tell.
      I had to go home, throw my clothes in the wash, shower and wash my hair twice. I complained to the store management and the mall management. I hate getting people in trouble, but that could be a problem.
      Yeah, it’s a really sad, boring song. It’s just easier not to bother these days.

      • The perfume clerks are supposed to ask you first, and then spray the sample on those tissue squares – not directly on people. Poor instructions from poor management. Yes, you have a right to speak up and defend yourself!

      • Me too, I can’t even walk into Bed, Body, and Bath without sneezing a lot. Seattle has a place though called Romanza that is all natural. Scented candles, soaps, wick air freshener dispensers etc. I wish they sold essence of store. Its on Market St in Ballard.

        We are the canaries in the mine that should be a dreadful warning. If you read the list of 20 most common ingredients in perfume, many of them have to be disposed of in a toxic waste dump. Trade secrets are what lets them use them. Its don’t ask, don’t tell. No safety testing either. So many immerse themselves in a miasma between all the different personal care products and laundry soaps. I predict there will be a class action lawsuit someday about the damage being done heathwise by constant low level exposure..

        re metal allergies. I had to quit wearing a watch. It ulcerated my wrist with all the hand washing the medical profession does. I had a nice twist and flex that also would snap out and break the thermometer I was trying to shake down..

    • We are millions,,, someone asked me once why I hate to fly, hate to shop, etc. etc.
      In an airplane, you’re a captive audience ,,, sick as a dog by the time the plane lands.
      Did you ever wonder why they stick the only unscented product halfway down the laundry detergent aisle, why the pharmacy and department stores put make up and perfumes by the entrance?

    • I am not allergic to the really good (aka expensive) perfume. My skin is tricky since what would smell good on one person, smells like very cheap perfume on me. I love Chanel number 5 since it smells of my mom. That was her go to perfume. On me, it smells yuck and it burns on my skin. 🙁

      My go to perfume is Chanel number 19 (this was Coco Chanel’s perfume). It smells woodsy/mossy on me (like I walked through a forest). No Eau de toilet stuff for me. 🙂

      • One of the very few perfumes I could wear was (of all things) Jungle Gardenia. My poor husband wheezed and coughed and had an asthma attack for the first time in years before I could find a bathroom to wash it off. Luckily, I had just tried a tiny dab at the perfume counter and not bought any…
        If I wasn’t allergic to something, he was. I gave up scented things before we got married almost 50 years ago. He’s been gone for two years, but it just isn’t worth the bother.

    • Also a member of the scent allergy tribe and have family members with metal allergies.

      All I could think as I read the description of the lotion is, “I’m probably allergic to it.” Although if it truly were a lemon scent, particularly a natural lemon scent, it probably wouldn’t be a problem for me.

      I can’t even go in, or walk too closely to, that store in the mall.

      That said, I love fragrances! I just can’t be around, or have, most of them.

  12. My Hubby: „Mmmhh, caramel …“ and takes a big bite of my Lemon Cheesecake….to be fair, my lemon curd IS rather dark, but still…?

    • [My brother-in-law once dumped a heaping spoonful of apricot mustard on cake, assuming it was caramel sauce… appearances can be deceiving.]

      • I once put vanilla extract into meatloaf gravy thinking it was gravy master (basically just colors the gravy, adds a tiny bit of flavor). Vanilla meatloaf gravy is no bueno.

  14. Sigh? unfortunately scents are one of my migraine / neurologic triggers. I can’t enjoy perfumes, literally hold my breath when walking through parts of stores that have things that make everyone else happy don’t get me started on the laundry isles. There are a few essential oils I can use; tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and the peppermint oil that helps with my migraines somewhat. I do like natural lemons but artificial scents smell like chemicals to me.

    • I totally agree. Since avoiding perfumes and chemicals, when I get near someone who is wearing a perfume that I assume must be very pleasant, all I can smell is the chemical underbody.

    • It might also help if people used a lighter hand with their scent. Human noses get used to a scent and folks think it’s worn off – so they put more on. They were already “over scented”, so eventually the perfume, cologne, or after shave is a choking cloud around them.
      People don’t smell bad without artificial scents. A little bit is plenty.

      • I always think that when the perfume, aftershave, or whatever “walks” in the door before the person, the person either bathed in it or they put in on again before going to a room. Gives me a headache sometimes. ? (this is what I feel when that happens)

        • If your laundry cant smell fresh without perfume, its not clean. I use borax in most loads to get a true fresh clean. rock Crystal deodorant is unscented and I use that. It works.

    • Even though I am on preventative meds and have sumatriptan for attacks I don’t even bother trying with perfume. I do a safety check sniff on deodorant, soap, shower gel and detergent before buying. I can get away with wearing an occasional spot of pure unadulterated rose on special occasions or if I can guarantee washing it off after an hour and hopefully no other triggers then maybe some vanilla oil (it starts nice and then gets heavy). It’s weird how alot of the menthol based smells are so strong yet often not as triggering for migraine and can even be soothing.

    • I have the same problem, perfumes =migraine. Also scented soaps, loition, detergents..ect. Whats interesting is scents that occur naturally I.E. roses, vanilla beans..ect don’t bother me.

    • I get Ocular Migraines, Migraines with aura and migraine headaches. I have been using migraine supplement that has worked really well. It’s called Migraine Stop. Has 3 kinds of magnesium, B6, B3, Folic acid, Zinc amino acid chelate, Viburnum Opulus (Cramp Bark) and passionflower. I rarely have any migraine issues anymore. It took about a month for me to see the changes. Have been taking it for almost a year. I got it online. Google it and you will find it. Most migraine supplements have stuff I can’t take. This one I’ve had no problems with!

  16. So I see a description like that and I can’t help but think… “So what does the Non-Alcoholic Vanilla, Non-Sparkling Sugar, Stale Jasmine, Chunky Sandalwood version smell like?”

    It’s like when Wendy advertises hand-cut fries. I don’t want hand-cut fries; what if the person cuts himself? Give me machine-cut any day of the week. Seriously, what’s the marketing rationale behind advertising the fries are hand-cut? They don’t advertise the burgers as being hand-assembled.

  18. I tried a new tart warmer, was supposed to be a light floral. Husband walks in, takes a whiff and asks me if I have been painting. DOH! ~(_8^(/)

  19. I make my own scented lotions by buying fragrance oils to add to my lotion. I can’t handle most body sprays or colognes because they contain alcohol, which I am apparently allergic to.
    The funny thing about fragrance is your own body chemistry will dictate how it will actually end up smelling on you. What it smells like in it’s container & how it actually smells on you are sometimes two totally different things 🙂
    Always test a product before buying if possible. Give it about 10 minutes to see just how it will actually smell on you. Then if you still like it go for it. I laughed when Gordon said mmm, lemony…From your description you should have smelled like vanilla. But that’s the beauty of body chemistry 😉

  20. Personally, I prefer the “Non-Alcoholic Vanilla, Non-Sparkling Sugar, Stale Jasmine, and Chunky Sandalwood” lotion.

    I find some marketing pitches hilarious. “Intoxicating” vanilla? And how is sandalwood “creamy”? You can pulp the hell out of it, but does that really enhance the scent?

  23. In an attempt to keep some moisture in the air, I’ve had a pot of water on the stove with cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, orange, and lemon simmering. My house smells amazing.

  24. I love perfume. When I’m home for the day, I spray with abandon. No matter what I wear, my DH thinks I smell “good.” I’ll take it. When I go out, I wear light scents and spray lightly. People generally have no idea I’m wearing perfume unless we hug!!!!!

    • I always notice and scuttle backwards. A child I know needed help on homework. she changed into some of my kids stuff and hers went into a bag before I could get near her. A friend borrowed a shawl that smelled so much afterwards I just gave it to her. Perfumes are hard to wash out.

  25. I’m so happy there’s something on Friday. *sigh* It’s hard to break an addiction and it’s nice to see the BDH out and about. I agree about the body chemistry thing. I can smell a lovely perfume…on someone else…and 20 minutes on me and I need to go shower!! 212 is an old one that I found that worked, and doesn’t make me crazy. It’s almost out of the stores, so I’m going to have to figure out a new one soon.

    • EarlineM, I looked up “212 brand fragrance oil” in Yahoo Search & found quite a bit. So if you are willing to take a chance you might find something comparable to 212 🙂 Etsy & eBay had a lot of ads for 212.

  26. How do you get the avatar in the little circle thing. I was cool onoe day and made one, and now I can’t figure out how to use it.

  28. As a former dental hygienist it was pounded into our heads about no scents when you are working. While not allergic, thankfully, I am strongly affected by candle stores and make up counters. It just seems polite to go with no fragrance. My son-in-law is very allergic to scents so I am glad that I learned early about perfumeless products. I was surprised that Gordon got a lemon scent from the list you gave but it is good that you smelled like what he likes to smell

    • Ha! Never thought I’d ever be allergic to a smell, but turns out I can’t stop sneezing around Red Door perfume….now imagine you were at the dentist & had that happen ay yi yi! So thank u dentistry person, for going odorless!

  30. I remember that anything by Calvin Klein smelled awful on me and Christian Dior scents gave me instant migraine. And ditto Chanel 5 it was deadly on
    me,but I was also good with Coco . And I liked Burberry Brit.
    And I loved bath and body’s White tea and ginger. Maybe because I love tea.
    Have to find something new that doesn’t make me sneeze, or get a headache .
    Ohhh what would Kate like? Maybe sandalwood and apples!!
    And remember Dina loved the mango ice cream , so maybe something with sugar and a hint of mango.
    Not sure about Maud.
    I think she would be more complex because of all the different places she lived.
    But she loves water, because it was so expensive and scarce so maybe something that smells like the sea ? !

  32. Marketing people are hilarious. How is vanilla intoxicating? And what if I prefer stale jasmine or chunky sandalwood?

  33. Alas, my allergies are triggered by just about every fragrance out there.

    The only perfume like scent that doesnt trigger it is Hermes’ Brin de Réglisse, and that’s so expensive. -_-

    At least for shampoo, I can tolerate fruit based scents, since it gets washed out and the remaining scdnt is so faint.

    I’m envious of people that can enjoy all the scents out there for perfumes, and body lotions anx more.

    ???

  35. Thanks for the suggestion. I haven’t “spiced it up for a minute”. Maybe a different sent, a extra flip in the hair, or a small heal instead of the gym shoes? Maybe I can get a longer snuggle too!

  36. My apartment smells of chocolate right now becaue I got a new chocolate mold and I’m casting chocolate for the 1st time in 43 years. Keep your fingers, toes and prehensile tails crossed folks as it all could go horribly wrong.

  37. Not a word about lemon and yet that is what he smelled. Amazing how our noses work. At least he liked it ?

  38. Taste buds too! Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey has a blind taste test as part of the competition and many of the answers are way off!

  39. At least your husband said “Yum” and liked the scent, although it didn’t smell to him anything like the florid description. Smells are very important to me. I think I must be very sensitive to them or something. I hate it when I am sweaty or dirty, and can’t wait to get a shower and get fresh and clean! I have softly scented bath stuff, that I absolutely love the smell of. My husband snuggles up after I have showered, sniffs, and says “Uggh, nothing but soapy smell! You washed off the good smell of you.”!! ??? I have no idea what the “good smell of me” is supposed to be, other than sweaty! He is the same way about makeup. He calls it my “unnecessary paint and spackling” that “covers up” my “natural beauty”. Again, ???! The only natural beauty I am covering up is a blotchy and uneven complexion. Apparently, to him I look better with the blotchy and uneven complexion. I try to smell good and look nice, and none of it is worthwhile!! Instead of taking a shower and putting on makeup, I guess I should workout at the gym, leave my hair in a sweaty and careless bun, and leave my face blotchy. Then I apparently will be irresistible to him!! Go figure! Just once, after going to a lot of trouble to be clean and smelling good, I would love to hear him say “Yum”! ? Now, any makeup or perfume or lotion, is simply for my benefit and enjoyment. ?

    • It’s nice that he appreciates the natural you, rather than only thinking you look/smell nice when all fixed up!

      • Thank you Tish. You are correct in that, and I do appreciate that he likes the “all natural “ me. But, just once, after going through a lot trying to look nice, etc, it would be wonderful to have him appreciate that too. I know I am actually lucky, and shouldn’t complain, and I would probably complain if he wanted me smelling like a rose and all dolled up all the time! ?

  40. Thrifty householder me bought whichever laundry detergent was on sale for the week, until husband said “my back hurts, but I don’t remember pulling any muscles…” Huge welts on his back. ? Switched to “unscented, no dye” version, which also cut down on the scratching and sneezing problems the dog and cat both had, from their blankets being washed in the scented detergent. (Also no scented candles because that gave the critters runny eyes.) Lessons learned, fortunately sooner than later.

  41. I make my own salt scrubs with organic coconut oil and cooking salt, but you can use any oil (olive and rice bran are also good for the skin). It leaves your skin silky soft but beware the slip on the shower floor. If there are some scents that you are not allergic to add a couple of drops.

    I also made my own perfumed lotion cause my boss suffers terribly from sinus problems. Again used the coconut oil as a carrier and added a few drops of patchouli, my ling (has a citrus scent) and lavender. Just rub the oil all over like a lotion and hey presto. Because the oil is the majority the scent is subtle but still there. All the oils are essential and from the health food store.

    Hope this helps.

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