Smelling Good, Makes Me Feel ‘Like a Boss’ 2025
- Feb 10
- 4 min read
By Carol Gee
“You smell good.” said the guy holding the door for me at my local gas station. Where I’d just filled up my gas tank. And, okay, bought lottery tickets. Was he hitting on me? Perhaps. However, this is a typical compliment from colleagues, friends, and strangers, alike.
I’ve always adored fragrance. Growing up, I’d dab on the dregs of perfume left in the bottle after my mother had tossed it into the trash. Then raced out to play. As I recall, my mother’s favorite perfume was Joy. Comprised of “rose, peach, tuberose, and other notes” according to the bottle’s descriptions, it was reserved for church and special occasions.
While Blue Waltz, a fragrance bought at Woolworth’s (think early Walmart), was her everyday fragrance. Besides recalling how my mother smelled, I can still recall how the other women in ‘my village’ smelled. You know, the factory workers, laundry workers, and others. Confident they smelled ‘good’ each carried herself with grace and dignity, despite her status or stature.
Recently, a particular scent wafting throughout the air, reminded me of my second grade teacher. Mrs. Yarborough, whom for years had taught hundreds of second graders throughout the Adams-Morgan school system in Washington DC, looked beyond the backward slant of my cursive writing, to recognize the creative individual she predicted I’d someday become.
Before discovering what fragrances worked with my body’s chemistry, I went with the classics. You know. Chanel Number 5. Este Lauder, etc. Lauder’s Youth Dew fragrance was a particular favorite of mine, at one time.
So, how did I discover what scents were me? You’re probably thinking that I hung out at perfume counters, huh? Dabbing multiple perfumes on my wrists with wild abandon? Okay, I’ve done this!
In fact, you might say that I ‘leaned’ into fragrance. Doing a bit of research. I learned that fragrances fell into several categories. Cologne, Parfum de Toilette, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, and Parfum.
Likewise, I learned that there were four main types of fragrances, warm, woody, oriental and fresh. And that each was composed of a combination of those scents. That those from the 1950s through the 1970s, labeled ‘Eau de something’ or other, were just less concentrated versions of the original scents. Who knew? Now, I did.
Much like men, through the years, I’ve loved a number of fragrances—for a time. For example, discovering the fragrance Wind Song, I once wore it on a date. Knowing that I was smelling great, had enjoyed what I’d considered a great time.
I never heard from that guy again! So much for Wind Song ‘staying on his mind.’ Alas, I suppose ‘smelling good’ can only do so much.
Figuring it was his loss, I continued to wear Wind Song for time. However, my expectations of its powers had diminished.
Emboldened, I tried mixing scents. You know, creating a scent that was totally my very ‘own’? Okay, I confess there were some mishaps. For instance, mixing one of my favorites together with another I really liked, ended up smelling a wee bit like RAID. You know, the bug spray. Washing it off and applying a tried and true scent, I went merrily on my way.
Then, one day I strolled into Bath and Body Works at my local mall. Immediately, I was enthralled. There, shelves upon shelves were filled to the brim with great smelling scents with such names as Dark Kiss, and One Thousand Wishes, beckoned. Man. this must be what Heaven smelled like, I thought!
With a mesh tote hanging from my arm, I couldn’t put select shower gels, body lotions, and cologne sprays in it fast enough. My frenzied selections resulted in my getting three items of my choice free. Can you believe it!
Applying items in the same fragrance, guaranteed I’d smell good all day, without reapplying. That many contained bothShea Butter and Vitamin E, bonus!
These days, those perfumed papers found in magazines, are also my ‘go to’ fragrance sources. Rubbing them on my wrists, I prance around the house, vacuuming and frantically busting dust bunnies. If it still smells good on me after that, much like a person on Crack, I’ve just got to have it.
Today, after showering, my thoughts run to my ‘scent du jour’. Will it be something clean and sophisticated? Something flowery with a hint of musk? Or a combination of all the above? My ‘signature’ scent? Whatever I am wearing at that moment. Whatever, uplifts my mood, and puts me in a particular head space.
“You smell good. What are you wearing, today?” asked my co-worker, whom long ago had ‘created’ her ‘signature scent’ thus, always smelled great. Wearing a different scent daily, I sniff my wrists. “It’s La vie est belle.” (Life is beautiful), I reply.
For that little girl whom once dabbed on the dregs of perfume from bottles found in the trash, the joy of being able to purchase, and wear such delicious fragrances, life is indeed beautiful.
More than simply smelling good, I also consider it to be my super power! In truth, smelling good makes me feel strong! Fearless! Confident! Confident enough to dip my toes into many streams. And when you feel confident, you can do almostanything.
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