This may look like your standard-issue “Oh, there’s a two-for-one body splash sale at Victoria’s Secret, so lemme go hook that up” kind of haul.
Totally not.
Instead of being motivated by a good deal (which is my usual motivation for spur-of-the-moment beauty buys), this purchase was brought on by tiny monsters.
Specifically, flying insects.
Specifically, insects that buzz around your house and sink their proboscis into your unsuspecting flesh in the middle of the night. I’ve been getting devoured by what I think are mosquitoes…
THANK GOD. And I say that because for a while there I thought they might be bed bugs. But now I’m pretty sure they’re mosquitoes.
I think it’s because the contractors who replaced our furnace, water heater and AC left the front door open the whole day they were here. Consequently, a gaggle of mosquitoes came into my house, and they’ve been biting me at night.
I’ve got bites around my ankles, on my feet (Fun fact: Mosquitoes love the scent of feet.), on my back, my tummy, on the backs of my shoulders… I’ve been very itchy, and it hasn’t been fun.
A few days ago, I started using a real-deal mosquito repellent containing picaridin at night, and it keeps them away for 14 hours. It’s helped a ton — no new bites! — but in the process of researching how to make yourself less appealing/more disgusting to the little monsters, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of information about two Victoria’s Secret scents that allegedly repel bugs.
People talk about this stuff as if it’s manna from heaven as far as keeping bugs away, and fisherman and deep-sea researchers go on and on about it. It’s Victoria’s Secret Amber Romance, and it’s supposed to be the bee’s knees at keeping gnats, mosquitoes and other flying insects away. Even the dudes on the Louisiana State Baseball team swear by it!
They had only two bottles left in the store that day…so I got both. They’re usually $16 a pop, but they were two for $18 on sale.
I also grabbed a roller ball of Victoria’s Secret Bombshell perfume, which, according to a scientific study, is almost as good as DEET at repelling mosquitoes. It doesn’t seem to have the same cult following as Amber Romance, though.
Really, I think the bug repellent I’ve been using does the heavy lifting, but if the perfumes are also helping, I’m all for that. I spritz the body mist on myself, or dab some perfume, every couple hours during the day, or whenever I’m feeling anxious about bugs flying around me, and I haven’t seen a new bite in the last few days.
Funny thing is, I actually like the scents! I was a little hesitant to try something new from Victoria’s Secret because it’s been ages since I’ve sniffed anything in there and felt moved, but both of these smell delightful, and they’re easy to wear.
Amber Romance smells like warm vanilla, sandalwood and amber to me, with a pinch of tart cherry. And Bombshell, which is apparently VS’s bestselling fragrance, also has big vanilla notes, but it’s lighter and more floral (I detect peony). I think it’s almost like a tropical fruit smoothie with pineapple and passion fruit (no coconut though). I don’t feel suffocated by either scent, and both of them last a few hours.
So…bugs. Mosquitoes. How do you deal with them? Do you ever wear insect repellent at night (or during the day)?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
FeyFrau says
August 15th, 2019 at 8:14 pmThis is hilarious; the scents sound tantalizing. And THANK GOODNESS you don’t suspect bed bugs. We had ’em once and that was traumatic. Anyway, mosquitos used to make a meal out of me wherever I lived but for some reason on the islands I’ve been spared and haven’t needed much repellant, if at all. *knocks on coconut tree*
Let us know how the VS scents work!
Karen says
August 16th, 2019 at 8:19 amYou’re so lucky! For me it depends on where we are on the island. If we’re hiking up to a waterfall (or anywhere jungle-y, really), I get eaten alive. When my in-laws lived in Kaneohe it was rough. Last few trips when we stayed leeward side I was bite-free!
I’m going to be there in November, by the way. 🙂
Rachel says
August 15th, 2019 at 8:35 pmHow interesting! This summer I’ve gotten lots of mosquito bites, but I’ve also been more places where mosquitoes are like the lake and fishing on the river. DEET is the gold standard, but it smells terrible and will melt the nail polish right off your fingers. You are smart to use picaridin, it works and doesn’t smell so toxic.
Karen says
August 16th, 2019 at 8:16 amI can’t stand the way DEET smells, ugh! Thank goodness for the picaridin!
Addie Copeland says
August 16th, 2019 at 3:39 amI always have VS bombshell and still get eaten alive! I go outsidd cor 10 minutes and I come back in covered in whelts from mosquito bites!
Kim says
August 16th, 2019 at 4:37 amWe live in mosquito, black fly and tick heaven and I’ve always been a magnet so I’m normally doused in Deep Woods Off if I’m outside in the evenings. It seems to do the trick for me. But you’re right that it smells awful. HAHA! I’ve never liked any VS scents but I’ll check out Amber Romance and, if it smells better than Off, I’ll give it a go. 🙂 The boys were eaten alive when we were in Maine and they said that the Off didn’t help them at all. It wasn’t as bad for the grown ups around the campfire but the kids were playing lawn games and it was brutal. Those suckers bite right through your clothes! I’m always looking for a better bug repellent so thanks for the recs!
Rachel says
August 16th, 2019 at 7:29 amTry Picaridin! I think it works just as good as DEET products without the yucky smell! I have also used Permethrin based products. You just spray it on your clothes and it works for up to 6 weeks (even through washes) at repelling mosquitoes and ticks. I’ve used it on my shoes and socks too if I’m out hiking or camping.
Karen says
August 16th, 2019 at 8:14 amThanks for the heads up on the Permethrin. Getting some for our shoes because we live in deer country!
Kim says
August 19th, 2019 at 7:46 amThanks, Rachel – I’ll give it a try!
Karen says
August 16th, 2019 at 8:15 amSeconding the vote for Picaridin. I use the one by Sawyer, and it works!
P.S. Did you know that mosquitoes will bite you through your stretchy pants? This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way.
Kim says
August 19th, 2019 at 7:53 amThanks! Yes, I find they’ll bite through most summer clothes. And I’m not sure what their actual reason for existing is. I think birds could find other food! 🙂
Michele says
August 16th, 2019 at 7:15 amI feel your pain! The mosquitoes love me, too. Hubs and I like to garden several times per week and if I go outside without applying some repellent, I will be miserable for days. I have been using Avon’s Skin So Soft oil (I have it in a spray bottle) before going outdoors and it works like a charm. The smell is a little strong and I am on the greasy side after I apply, but it’s better than itching for days on end. I will have to try your Victoria’s Secret fragrance tip, too. If I can repel bugs without being oily, that’s a win-win!
Karen says
August 16th, 2019 at 8:15 amI’ve heard about that and tried it once and got eaten alive! I know that lots of people love it though.
With the Victoria’s Secret scents, I’ve read that frequent reapplication is key. They work, but only for about two hours.
If you haven’t already try Picaridin. It doesn’t have a scent and it works!
Jennifer says
August 16th, 2019 at 11:44 amThanks for the Amber Romance tip.
If you get tired of using it, get yourself to the local nursery (plant) and buy a few rue plants–NOT MEADOW RUE–you want the ancient herb that is rue–Latin name is Ruta graveolens. Sometimes it’s called Herb-of-Grace. It is excellent at keeping pesties away. I also tie a few sprigs to our beds and over the doorway to the house. We have a lab who occasionally gets fleas despite the flea meds he’s on.
Let’s move outside, if you have rose bushes and get a problem with Japanese beetles–put a pot of rue next to them. The beetles hate rue.
More importantly–do you have a list going for the Rouge sale?
Jennifer recently posted … The 3 Yoga Props You Really Need and (the One to Skip)
Jocelyn nesbitt says
August 16th, 2019 at 6:31 pmI was being bitten by mosquitos in my sleep. I used water, white vinegar in equal amounts and put that in a spray bottle with 4 drops of Dawn dish liquid. I spray it on my sheets and pillows before I get in. The smell only lasts a minute. No bites since.
Lexi says
August 16th, 2019 at 11:54 amGood to know and luckily I LOVE
Amber Romance!
Tracy says
August 16th, 2019 at 11:54 amWe bought one of those bug zapper light/lightbulb combs and have it on in a standing lamp in our bedroom. It works like a treat.
CL says
August 16th, 2019 at 7:16 pmI’ve lived in the same area for 46 years, and the mosquitoes only became noticeable around 2000. I blame the proliferation of poorly-maintained swimming pools. An aerial shot of my neighborhood shows about 90% of the houses have in-ground pools. Probably only 10% had them in 1973.
I put a hat that resembles beekeeper gear (it has a mesh net all around from the brim to the neck area) on when I go outside at dusk to water my garden. I add an insect-repellent bandana I got from LLBean to my neck area. I also use Deep Woods OFF on my hands, arms, and feet. This helps greatly. I’d like to try the Sawyer product so I can avoid Deet.