I cry inside whenever anyone around me smells like anything. I know you dig it, but I just can't handle it

I can tell I'm going to have a bad day if I get in the shower and immediately recoil, before even opening a bottle of anything. And those would be the days I use Tim's bar of Safeguard or whatever, because it's the least smelly thing in the shower.

Also? I want to destroy all supplies of Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent. Jesus Christ, it REEKS and I forgot that, and washed a load and hung it to dry in the bedroom. Oh my god.

ita, in that case you might like this perfume [link] it's my favorite, and it's mega soothing. You can barely smell it until you're right up on it.

(I realize the tactful approach is to just mention the migraines, and that is my plan, but even so, I'm STILL avoidy about it and just wish she'd stop wearing so damn much.)

Yeah, you know that will never happen unless you say something direct, right? OK then.

Since I am highly conflict-avoidy, I'm trying to think of a way to tell co-worker that her floral scent is more than enough for 5 people AND it aggravates my migraines.

If you worked for a sane company, I would say go to the HR person and have them gently tell the co-worker, because that's what HR is there for. I say this having been on the receiving end of one of those talks from HR; I wasn't offended, I just felt bad that I had caused a co-worker discomfort.

DJ, I'm scared of anything that calls itself perfume, honestly.

When my family comes to visit they bring no soap and use my mainly scentless stuff. OR THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. My dad had a brainfart one afternoon and put on aftershave. Had to evacuate the apartment. And this is a guy who bitches when other people use scented soap in the shared laundry facility downstairs.

I understand, just thought I'd throw it out there.

Perfume lockets are my friends. That way *I* can smell the chocolate perfume, but I don't coat myself in it. Because I really don't want to be That Person with perfume.

(I realize the tactful approach is to just mention the migraines, and that is my plan, but even so, I'm STILL avoidy about it and just wish she'd stop wearing so damn much.)

Yeah, you know that will never happen unless you say something direct, right? OK then.

I know, I know. It's nice in Teppyland. Everyone already does everything I want them to, and doesn't do anything I don't like.

If you worked for a sane company, I would say go to the HR person and have them gently tell the co-worker, because that's what HR is there for. I say this having been on the receiving end of one of those talks from HR; I wasn't offended, I just felt bad that I had caused a co-worker discomfort.

This time, it's less the not-sane aspect, and more the part where our department (such as it is) is 4 people crammed into a poorly laid-out space, so we're all about 3-4 feet apart. If I asked the person who passes for "HR" to talk to my co-worker, she would know the request came from one of us, b/c of the proximity.

I mean, obviously it's possible that other people could be bothered by it, but Occam's Razor would indicate that it would be me or Chatty who is the most likely, since we sit the closest.

Sooooo, I just have to woman up and make the request to please not wear so goddamn much stank fragrance before my head goes all Scanners.

And...my boss's boss just walked into a meeting wearing a crapload of scent and put an already excruciating migraine through the roof. I'm lying through my teeth telling my boss I'm okay, and this is insane.

Too much scent doesn't give me a headache, but it does trigger my asthma. I always skirt the perfume counters in department stores, but sometimes even craft stores or places where there's lots of potpourri or scented candles will do it.