Scented Packages?

Occasionally I've noticed this with some secondary market doll purchases, but not direct from companies/manufacturers.

Was it perfume, or Febreeze? Either way, it's not good; people are masking poor hygiene/smoking/pet smells.

 

I believe Asleep Eidolon scents their CoA? I think Xaga might, too, but the body I received from them only had a faint perfume smell so maybe it was just something added to the resin.

A few of my second hand purchases have had either a spritz or the person packing had freshly put some perfume on, and I definitely am not a fan, either. I cannot stand something smelling on myself nor on dolls, especially very sweet perfumes and I think I'd rather get a whiff of resin smell instead.

All in all, I am not totally against the idea of scenting but it has to be disclosed somewhere, especially for new dolls I think. For second hand, people are pretty good at mentioning pets and potential smoking, perfume and febreeze go into the same category I think.

 

Never received a doll that was scented with perfume, but I've received (new) wigs and clothing from Chinese artists that include little scent packets. I was rather surprised to find them, but maybe it is just a thing certain artists do? At least with scent packets, it's easy to just remove the packet and be done with it. The scent didn't really stick to the fibers in my experience, and I hope it wouldn't stick to a doll's resin, either. I feel like when the box is perfumed, if you want to keep the box, you have to leave it open to air out. I can imagine how overpowering a perfumed box must be, especially if you live in a small place or you can't just leave a window open to help air circulate.

 

I have one particular outfit that showed up reeking of Chanel Blue, but that’s because it was a replica of a Chanel suit Wang Yibo had worn from right after he did commercials for the scent. Five years later every time I come across it in storage a little bloom of perfume rises off it if it’s disturbed.

 

I know that certain blind box dolls come with scented packets. It's probably to mask strong smells: for brand-new ones, it’ll be factory smells; for second-hand ones, it’ll be smoke or animal smells.

I guess some artists might do it because they think it makes the doll more unique (Though, BJDs feel pretty unique to me)? It feels like too much of a risk to me since there are so many people with allergies and even more who hate strong smells.

The only way I could think it would be cute is by including a tiny packet of potpourri. Even better if it’s unopened, so I could just use it whenever I want — and not have my doll smell like something I might dislike.

 

Yikes! I have never really understood the concept of "scented" dolls, mostly because the smell never lasts, AND people can have major allergies to fragrances, my partner is very allergic to artificial lavender.

I have ordered a few dolls (vinyl) in the past for my OOAK projects, when I received the package I opened it and was absolutely blasted by the smell of vanilla perfume. No hate to vanilla lovers but I have a visceral disgust for the scent and I have a strange reaction to it (my skin breaks out in hives and I’ll be itching for hours).

I guess I’m just not a fan of things that shouldn’t be scented in general haha.

 

Yes, I had a problem with two separate Xaga/Alseep Eidolon doll orders that had perfume spayed on them. Fortunately it wasn't on the doll, it seemed to be on the packaging so I had to discard all that, air the box outside and bag up the COA. As perfumes are a major migraine/ cyclic vomiting trigger for me then it was not a 'nice surprise'. However I had two other orders from Xaga/Alseep Eidolon that weren't sprayed with perfume so it seems like only one of the people in the company does it when they pack?

I can see the case of buying second-hand or from an individual artist who produces their work at home that the doll might end up smelling of perfume if they use it in their home. I've definitely had things I've bought smelling a bit of 2nd hand perfume but I wouldn't be happy if something was deliberately sprayed.

Oh guds, Vanilla is the one that instantly triggers nausea & vomiting for me so that's my worst nightmare! Thankfully the perfume Xaga/Alseep Eidolon used was not vanilla and was fairly neutral so I was able to deal with it without issue.

 

Perfume allergy chiming in: I've experienced scented packages when purchasing an art doll before, and I actually had to keep the doll *outside* on the balcony in a laundry bag for a few days before I could even handle her without contact dermatitis. It's made me really reluctant to buy Xaga/Asleep Eidolon dolls (even though I LOVE their tinies) because I can't be certain that I'll be able to do that again. I've thought about putting in a request (through a dealer like Alice's Collections or Legenddoll) to tell the manufacturer directly not to use perfume or anything resembling it, but it's still a risk I'm not necessarily willing to take when it comes to something so expensive.

I do understand that the scenting makes it seem more like a luxury product, but perfume allergies are becoming more and more recognized these days, to the point my doctor's office even asks that you don't use scented hand sanitizer. And yet more than once, I've had to wait outside the office because someone in the waiting room was doused in Chanel No. 5. It makes me think it's probably much safer to just not buy dolls from a company that is known to scent things, but it also means I have to be extremely careful about purchasing second hand.

Just infuriating all around, I think.

 

Was it Angelsdoll who used to sell various scented resin? Somebody did.

I'm always having to air out doll boxes on the deck. A perfumed doll would kill me.

 

Close, it was Angell-Studio!
I remember a friend actually picking the scent option back then, but it didn't really stick for long

 

I once received a brand new beautiful outfit direct from a dealer that was heavily scented like this. The smell wasn't unpleasant but it was just jarring. Even after all the years I had it, when I opened the box, I could still smell it.

I think it might be common in Asia, at least it used to be and I just don't think they thought about allergy sufferes unfortunately, though their intentions might have been good.

 

I think I got a few wigs with scent packets. But never a doll! But seeing this thread definitely has me thinking about being careful when I do list anything for resale - I'll be sure to not wear any scented lotions or perfumes when it comes to packaging up sales.

 

I've never gotten a box sprayed with perfume, but I have had some secondhand sellers (who are trying to be thoughtful!) wash clothing before sending it along in scented laundry detergent - and that smell has never dissipated. Luckily I'm not allergic or super sensitive to scents, so it didn't bother me. I very much appreciated that they wanted everything in the package to be clean, but it made me consider making sure to get unscented laundry detergent if I'm ever washing doll clothing that I'll be sending to someone else, just as a precaution.

 

So far I’ve just had a really strong resin smell, mercifully.

I grew up with asthma. “Hold your breath on the detergent aisle or you can’t breathe after” level asthma. Thankfully way better now (yay living in good air quality!) but I still get headaches from febreeze/perfume/essential oils scents. A perfumed doll would not go well for me.

I would avoid any seller known to include perfume or scents. Not worth it. I also live with my family and my mother is even worse than I am. She’s got the nose of a bloodhound.

 

I'm not allergic but I am very sensitive to scents, and I would avoid ANYONE who scented their products. I tend to wash doll clothes if they smell like anyone in the house smoked ever- I can smell that. Or detergents. Or if they just smell funky.
As a seller I would never scent my stuff just because I try to send it as clean as possible- no scents, as little exposure to Dog as possible, lint rollered and fresh without dust. People DO have issues with scents!
For a company, adding it as an option people could select could be nice but having it as default would be a deal breaker for me.

 

I'm in the "not allergic, but..." camp. It varies from day to day, but some scents can trigger migraine and nausea and sometimes I am very sensitive.
Luckily, I've never had any BJD come with a scent beyond the unavoidable smell of a freshly cast doll. This includes two Asleep Eidolon tinies I got a few months ago (I went to sniff the CoA to make sure after what cobaltconduct said to make sure, but they just smell of paper.)
I have had wigs and clothes come with a scent, but it's hard to tell if they are intentionally scented, or if it's just some product used during production. So far I've been able to either air it out or wash it out, but I'm not a fan.

I know things like elaborate packaging and extra gifts and all that makes for good box opening content, but to include anything undisclosed that could contain an allergen seems like a stupid risk to take.

 

I can't recall now, but there were several companies that specifically seemed to include a jasmine scent packet in with the doll bodies I had ordered new. It might have been DFA or DFH a ways back since I have bought some recently and they didn't have that.

I was not a fan. Even if all you have to do is throw away the packet and wait a bit for things to air out, still seemed like a bad practice for all the various reasons people are mentioning.

 

oh my gosh finally someone who gets it
I’ll never understand people who think most vanilla fragrance smell good when sprayed on anything other than fabric/skin.
I literally have the SAME nauseous reaction to vanilla, and I think it traces back years ago to when my mom decided to spray some Harajuku Girls (Gwen Stefani’s perfume) on my dolls and it literally smelled like what we call "cat pee" bushes here in Canada. I never touched those dolls again

 

I have seen videos of people using perfume on stuff they pack for sale and they are proud of what they do. Dolls and other stuff. Never understood why. Apart from allergies and asthma there are people who simply dislike a lot of perfumes. I think the chance of getting one customer who likes your specific perfume in their home is so small. Which is the reason why there are so many different perfumes in the world. Would be easy if everyone liked smells in general and one and the same smell in particular, right? For reals, if I want something to smell, I can spray my own favourite perfume. Although I never thought I need the dolls smell of anything.

 

I've never receive any new scented dolls/packages straight from companies or dealers, but I've received scented thrift clothes/wigs/dolls and it smelled HORRIBLE. They used too strong and too sweet perfume to scent the packages and I cried a lil bit 'cause the smell made my eyes felt spicy

I think it's fine if they want their packages smell good, I'd love it too if my arrived packages smell like fruits or some herbs, but they really should consider other methods, maybe use a scent bag or just drop a small amount of shampoo at the corner of the box.

 

I’ve had wigs made by a certain Etsy seller arrive smelling of mild fragrances and doll clothing purchased 2nd hand that has either been washed with fabric conditioners or has been sprayed with something like the evil that is Febreez (as someone who has worked with animals I loathe that stuff, it’s deadly, it kills and should be banned!!). Not pleasant at all. I know those responsible think it’s nice but it can be incredibly dangerous for humans and pets, some animals such as birds and reptiles have incredibly sensitive respiratory systems that are easily damaged by airborne particles than would not necessarily cause a reaction for a human. It can be fatal.

Personally I dislike fragranced items as I have what is known as BoP or Balsam of Peru allergy, Balsam of Tolu allergy and fragrance allergies which were triggered by hormone shifts caused by menopause, a pair of jeans that had been treated with chemicals probably to stop creasing and the fact I worked in an environment where I was in contact with a lot of essential oils but some people develop it just through over exposure to modern living and the obsession with smells or household cleaners.
These allergies tend to come hand in hand and cause huge problems as effectively when you develop them you react to the chemical compounds that occur naturally in a huge chunk of plant life so seeking the ‘natural’ option can be even worse that the synthetic!
Any plants that are used for essential oils and particularly fragrances are a no go as are those used for spices, waxes and resins…..citrus oils also become your enemy, for example Lavender is used in a lot of products to soothe skin irritations but for me Lavender causes bad painful rashes now. Many of these compounds are also used in food production, medicines, toiletries and cosmetics. At my worst even walking past a bakery made my lips and nostrils swell and blister, my face break out in a severe rash than often bled as many foodstuffs also become a nightmare. Touching orange peel caused severe swelling and blistering of my fingers and using toothpaste containing eugenol (compound found in cloves and common in dental products) made my gums bleed. The reactions have calmed down greatly over the years but the constant threat is still there. I only had a throat swelling experience once due to a cold medicine that had lemon in it but many aren’t as lucky and severe anaphylactic shock is a problem.
Never underestimate allergies or play down the severity of the reactions they cause. Sorry for going a bit overboard but if reading this makes even one person think twice about scenting products then it’s worth it.

Like @BubblegumTea and a few others I have always found certain fragrances, especially the cheap or synthetic versions of them, nauseating and headache inducing…..Vanilla and certain Jasmine mixes especially. While working for Lush though I realised that purer, good quality vanillas and such didn’t scream at my senses so much as they’re much softer however that’s not the point of this thread.

 

Totally agree! I can tolerate the smell of vanilla body sprays (I remember because my friend had a vanilla sugar cookie body spray from bath & bodyworks). I think the intolerable ones may have something to do with more concentrated scents or cheaper ingredients, combined with spraying it on things you shouldn’t (hair, wigs, technically clothing, and other synthetic materials).
I’m so sorry about your health issues, while I can’t relate to having such a rare condition I can relate to having severe allergies (for some reason to dogs, but not cats).

 

Just opened my new DFH 65cm body (received last month but didn't open until now) and can confirm. There was a jasmine scent packet I had to throw away in there. So FYI when you order from them may want to add "no scent packet" in the comments.

 

It doesn’t bother me to get packages like this. I’m a big perfume person. Still, I would never dream of doing this to a package I’m sending out! What if the buyer is allergic? What if their ex wore this same perfume and now their new doll smells like their ex?! What if they just hate this scent and I sprayed my expensive perfume just for them to hate it? I feel like the pros just don’t outweigh the cons, so it’s better to just play it safe, especially with how well resin holds smells.

 

I have MCAS so I'm terribly allergic to a whole random host of scents. Ironically, the more natural the scent such as non-synthetic essential oils, the worse it is for me. At best, I get hives and a bad migraine. At worst, I get an asthma attack, anaphylaxis, and a trip to the ER.

I guess Luts used to send a potpourri or a scent pack thing at some point because I saw it in an unboxing video before I ordered my KDF. Luckily there was none now when I got my boy in February. I also have a DFH body I got last year and there was no jasmine packet, so I guess they're inconsistent with that or it's new...

But I definitely wish people had to disclose whether or not they do these things at the very least for people who want to avoid it. Ideally, I really wish people would stop scenting everything on the planet! They recently changed the dish soap I used to be scented. Why do my dishes need to smell like laundry? It's silly...allergies aside, everyone has their preferences and when people's houses smell like 100 different scents at once because every product has its own perfume, it's no longer appealing anyway.

 

I believe the 2005 Narae came with a scent or spot for it - the head back has a hole just below the crown. Fortunately, if my Maisie had a scent in her noggin, it was gone by the time she came to me.

I have asthma and fragrance is my primary trigger, both natural and artificial scents. My home is as close to scent as is possible in 2025. I haven’t had an issue with new or used dolls but new and used doll clothing has been problematic.

In addition to masking pet and smoke, there are folks who think something has to be scented to be clean.

 

I don't have any allergies to flowers/oils, but I'm pretty sensitive to a wide variety of smells and thus is why I don't wear any kind of cologne nor do I use scented deodorizers or such things.
I would find it very troublesome if I received a heavy scented package but, luckily for me, that hasn't happened to me yet.
This is a very interesting topic and one important thing to take into account when selling/buying BJDs and accessories.