Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11
The Use and Abuse
of Modern Perfume


I%I have used them," said a prominent
RS17zS6I authoress the other day, who is noted
t@egs.J for her individual ideas on men and
things. "I simply have not the time to bother
with them. Nevertheless, see no objection to
them when they are employed in moderation"
AGGRESSIVE SCENTS DIsTAsTEFU L
"I dare say It is fact that many girl has
killed her lovers admiration Of her by an unfor-
tunate liking for aggressive scents; but the rea-
son is easy to find. She began, no doubt, by
using very delicate perfumes which were barely
perceptible. Constant use of them so dulled her
sense of SMELL however that she unconsciously
took to a more and more liberal use, until, while
still thinking the perfumes she used were as mild
as those of her earlier choice, her lover found
them to be absolutely obnoxious. Surely, though,
you will give the average girl credit for sense to
drop the perfume habit the moment she finds it
is distasteful to her iance.
Sometimes perfumes are used to scent the
water in finger bowls, and that is the only way
in which l. personally, appreciate their use. L
think we Americans might take lesson from the
French, who use perfumes far more sparingly
than we do.
SCENTS IN QUEEN ANNES DAYS
"I fancy. however, that in Queen Anne's days,
when perfumes first became popular, no man
would have married a woman who did not use
scents, for pomades were employed very freely as
dressings for the huge heads Of hair in vogue at
that period, and, as they were not so scien-
tiically made as they are nowadays, they
began to turn sour. I know it is disagreesble
to suggest that perfumes originally intro
duced to neutralize unpleasant odors, but there
is the fact, and the days of defective pon,ades
are past, one would suppose that the need for
perfumes is gone also"
Perfumes are charming" declared fashion
able bachelor, when used as the real lady knows
how to use them. There are men, of course,
who have an unaccountable dislike for perfume
of any kind, and I can recall one instance, at
least, of acquaintance who asked his sweet
heart to free him from his engagement to her
because she was persistent a patron OF penny
in-theslot scent machines. He hated the per
fume, to begin with, and he judged, in the second
place. that this little extravaganza was indica-
tive Of chronic state Of wastefulness which he
would never be able to afford
"But perfumes have their good uses, too. One
may pretty well gauge woman's character by
the quantity and quality of the scents she favors.
One does not look for the artistic temperament,
for instance, in woman whose coming is herald
ed by great of perfume which is almost
overpowering. He does somehow expect it.
though, in lady who brings just the faintest
suggestion of Queen Alexandra's favorite scent
essence of violets.
THE SENTIMENTAL SIDE
again in many cases perfume is capital
aid to memory. Many man remember his
first love only by the particular kind Of per
fume she was won't to carry. He remembers it
long after he has forgotten the color of her eyes
or her hair, her little tricks of expression, her
mannerisms, and so FORTH
"Pefume is the surest bar to marriage, though
when it is used by The moderate
of good scents is dainty little weakness which,
to be quite frank, l believe the average man
likes to see in woman. But it is effeminate,
bear in mind, and, if I know anything at all about
ladies, it is this-that they detest nothing so
much as effemnacy in man."