Question:
Creed - Original Vetiver is my number one favorite fragrance. Whenever I wear it I just sit there sniffing myself all day. I love it so much that I easily forgive it for the mediocre longevity and happily re-apply halfway through the day (only on the ears though, for reasons explained below).
But by a sick twist of fate this is also the only fragrance I've tried that I have an allergic reaction to. Anywhere I spray it I get a light rash that lasts for three days. It becomes a worse rash if I apply in the same spot before the three days are up.
The combination of my mind's love for the fragrance and my body's hatred for it has brought me to a strategy of rotating the locations on my body that get sprayed. Sadly this causes an even larger percentage of my body to have this light rash, but the pain of not smelling like Original Vetiver is greater than the pain of the reaction. The only stroke of luck is that I can apply to my ears without getting a rash (they just get all red).
Anyone else have this problem? What did you do about it? Do you restrain yourself and silently long for your true love or do you embrace your sado-masochistic relationship with your forbidden fragrance?

Answer:
I've got a lot of allergy problems, though fortunately not with my colognes. My problems are with pollen, dust and several common foods. One thing about allergies, it they CAN change over time (but not always). So you can try to avoid it for a year or two and see if your allergy to it clears up. That has worked with me for several foods. You can also try using antihistamine (internal or topical) when you use that fragrance. There are things you can try to eliminate or minimize the reaction but ultimately you are the one who has to decide which is the lesser evil.

Answer:
Oh, I feel for you! (Do you manage OK if you just apply it to your clothes?)
I'm fortunate enough not to be allergic to any fragrance ingredients, but I am allergic to lobster (no other crustaceans, thankfully; crabs and langoustines are just fine) in a stopping breathing, having to inject adrenaline sort of way. I don't know whether this is an effect that you're getting with the Original Vetiver you can't use, but with lobsters I find that I crave them in a way I didn't before I developed the allergic reaction.
Thank God lobsters don't smell great.

Answer:
well, that sucks...
buuuuuuuuuuuuut, they do say that Mugler Cologne smells extremely similar to OV (and Mugler Cologne is a great fragrance as well). Why not try that?

Answer:
Originally Posted by Redcomet well, that sucks...
buuuuuuuuuuuuut, they do say that Mugler Cologne smells extremely similar to OV (and Mugler Cologne is a great fragrance as well). Why not try that?
Very true!!

Answer:
Once I got a rash when I applied a perfume strength scent to my chest area - very weird (the scent was A.maze by People of the Labyrinths).
Although I have very few scents in perfume strength, I think my rash might've been a 1 time thing.
I remember a recent thread on BN, that a woman bought Jaisalmer (from Comme de Garcons) and applied it and within a few hours she got a major rash all over. In extreme cases like this, it was advised to her, to stay away from the scent and to NOT reapply.
That would suck. Jaisalmer is great!