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.

Maybe if you started fake sneezing a lot and wiping your eyes and saying that your allergies are bothering you.

My ED wears so much perfume that I can find where she is in the building by sniffing her trail.

It doesn't help with the halitosis.

Man, I got out of the habit of wearing perfumed anything years ago. Working outdoors with the bugs and bees is not conducive to smelling like a flower. I even have to be careful of what kind of bugspray I use. That lemon eucalyptus stuff seems to be nummy to bees.

my house right now smells like a flower bomb and I am so happy I am not bothering anyone with it. I swear I could live in a hyacinth filled room with vases of stargazer lilies and gardenia plants around and I'd be thrilled.

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.

I had to do this years ago, not because my co-worker's perfume gave me migraines, but it was aggravating. I just said "I think I'm allergic to your perfume. I don't think it smells bad! It's lovely but it makes me sneeze." She responded well to it.

And I think I'd rather someone tell me to my face then go to HR.

Maybe if you started fake sneezing a lot and wiping your eyes and saying that your allergies are bothering you.

She would probably never pick up that it was her perfume you were talking about. It probably smells great to her!