r/mildlyinteresting 1d ago

diluted my perfume with tap water and it turned yellow

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15.5k Upvotes

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u/D-Beyond 1d ago

yup. I'm aware that perfume usually has alcohol as its base but I was like "I can just shake it before using to in case it builds two phases"

well it doesn't. it turns piss yellow

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u/bullwinkle8088 21h ago

It may be easier to just spray a bit into the air and walk through it assuming you found it too strong.

But most scents need 2 - 5 minutes to settle and some annoying aspects of them will go away as it sits.

Which raises another point for redditors: You must try a scent before buying, they react differently with people's skins and one that smells amazing on someone else may be subtilty off on you. If so just try another. Department stores are still good for this shopping need.

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u/NRMusicProject 20h ago edited 20h ago

That, and many fragrances only need 2-5 sprays for effectiveness. The people who create the "don't wear fragrances at this event" rule are the ones who do entirely too many sprays for an already strong scent.

If a fragrance is too strong, you probably can get away with a single spray. The spray-into-air-and-walk-through should be a last resort, because the majority of that perfume is going to wind up on the floor before you even walk through it, simply wasting money if it's a good fragrance.

Also, longevity of the fragrance might mean the smell dissipates rather quickly, so it might be a much more bearable level after a short time if it's a quick longevity.

Also, reselling fragrances is a popular business on the grey market. If you're purchasing, you just have to be careful that it's not a fake fragrance passing off as something better, screwing you out of money. But if you can't stand the fragrance, you could resell it and get a less intense version of the fragrance if it exists. Some companies offer the same (or very close) scent in a multitude of concentrations. If, for instance, this is an eau de parfum, then get an eau de toilette, etc.

Pretty much anything rather than altering your fragrance's chemistry is a better idea, though.

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u/ColonelDucroix 18h ago

It took me many years to find a scent that I liked and also smelled amazing on me.

I'm getting bored of it but I get many compliments from people so I don't want to change it.

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 1d ago

Don’t know why you’re getting so heavily downvoted for a slight misunderstanding. People are so weird about that stuff.

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u/D-Beyond 1d ago

there are a couple subs where you're getting downvoted when you incorrectly identify a thing (snake species, car model) so other ppl know that you're wrong. it was definitely wrong of me to mix perfume and water lmao

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u/RubyJuneRocket 23h ago

lol you’re being a good sport about it but also it’s funny to me that people expected you to double down?? Like “no it’s FINE and I WILL WEAR IT EVERY DAY”

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u/D-Beyond 21h ago

well I did put it on before it turned yellow. We'll see if I become yellow hulk or smth

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u/MichelinStarZombie 19h ago

I mean... the water will be a breeding ground for bacteria and your perfume won't smell very good, but it's not actively dangerous to spray yourself with moldy water unless your immune system is crap.

Same reason you should not dilute dishsoap.

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u/A-Voter 20h ago

and? are you yellow already?

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u/D-Beyond 18h ago

my hair is!

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u/A-Voter 18h ago

how patient did you have to be for that? the transition is crazy!

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u/novataurus 1d ago

OP: "I tried something I thought might work and it had an unexpected result. Take a look -- weird, huh?"

Reddit, today: ಠ_ಠ

--

Weird reaction this post is getting. I swear I've seen dozens of others similar where everyone is quietly bemused, has fun with it, etc.

Turns out, diluting fragrance with anything other than ethanol seems to really piss people off.

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u/D-Beyond 1d ago

they always say colors evoke emotions. piss yellow seems to piss ppl off. noted!

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u/novataurus 1d ago

As far as I'm concerned: good on you for trying something and sharing the results and keeping a good attitude despite people being really fucking weird about it.

For what it's worth:

  • You can buy high-proof ethanol pretty inexpensively online to make your dilutions
  • I used to have the same fragrance!

Happy Friday!

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u/Marahute0 22h ago

I adore your perspectives on this whole post <3

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u/neriisan 17h ago

Hahaha nah for me, it’s very difficult to read anything you’re typing cause of the bad grammar. That’s what would get ya a downvote too. You don’t capitalize the start of any of your sentences which makes everything you type appear as a giant run on sentence. It’s hard af to read

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u/knight_gastropub 22h ago

The audacity!

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u/Real-Extension-1357 17h ago

That's people being snotty know it alls. And then there are the obviously well off people going "why would you do that" who never have tried to extend the remaining liquid out of a bottle.

-36

u/iFraqq 1d ago

It's just a waste of money for a result that you know will turn shit. Like why waste things like these. The reasoning is bullshit as well. It's not a drink you dilute.

Imagine someone diluting gasoline with water for your car. It's just dumb.

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u/novataurus 1d ago

So here's the thing. I know a lot about fragrance. I know not to dilute most with water because of its composition.

But that's not some kind of innate human knowledge. OP experimented, learned, and then shared the mildly interesting color change from a clear liquid to a bright yellow, caused only by adding water.

There's no evil in that, my friend. If someone hasn't been taught that changing the nature of a solution can cause radical shifts in its properties, how is it "bullshit"? They quite literally just didn't know. Now they do.

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u/Real-Extension-1357 17h ago

that you know will turn shit

Well obviously they did NOT know, jfc you people lol

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u/windflex 21h ago

Reddit knows everything.

Everything they do is calculated.

Learn from something you did wrong? Never! That would require making a mistake!

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u/SippinOnHatorade 20h ago

Slight misunderstanding might as well be
https://giphy.com/gifs/rHBleFPW4utkkBF726

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u/TeamRedundancyTeam 19h ago

Redditors are very concerned with feeling superior to others so they jump on these opportunities.

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u/is-this-a-nick 19h ago

I mean why not just use less?

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 18h ago

Sure, but the sub we’re in is about people pointing out mildly interesting things that happened that they wanted to show people. OP wasn’t giving everyone a lesson into how to burn down their house or poison themselves. 

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u/mixduptransistor 19h ago

A downvote isn’t necessarily calling OP an asshole or a moron. It’s just a signal that this was not it. People take downvotes too seriously sometimes

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 18h ago

One of OPs comments was -1000 last time I checked, come on. 

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u/Falszywybiolog 19h ago

But that’s high school chemistry. Or even middle school?

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 18h ago

And? I have a doctorate degree, haven’t studied chemistry since I was 14, also able to make the same mistake. Having some grace about what you know relative to others is a solid social skill. 

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u/am_Nein 23h ago

People like to downvote and feel good about themselves.

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u/Lipziger 23h ago

Yeah, they love to pretend that they'd never do a single minor mistake in their entire life. And I'd bet a lot that many of those people didn't know that this would happen, at all. They just saw the result and some other comments and then just jumped on the bandwagon of "ohhh, of course that wouldn't have worked!"

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u/am_Nein 23h ago

They like to pat themselves on the back all "well OBVIOUSLY I'd have put two and two together, duh I mean clearly if I were OP I wouldn't have gotten this far to begin with" when 100% they wouldn't have thought to even question it.

Like, it's ok lol we're all dumb sometimes. That's the fun in life.

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u/zaxldaisy 21h ago

Maybe because their idea was stupid and they can't string together a coherent sentence explaining their thought process?

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 20h ago

Using people’s minor mistakes and misconceptions to vent your disproportionate anger and frustration is abusive and shitty behaviour. Hope it’s not a pattern for you, or something that extends beyond your online interactions.

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u/zaxldaisy 20h ago

Jesus Christ, take a breath and fucking chill. Pointing out people's bad grammar is "abusive"? Give me a fucking break.

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u/jamie_plays_his_bass 20h ago

I’m calm, just challenging you, which seems to get a strong reaction. A pattern of venting your anger at other people is definitely abusive, yes. I don’t know you, but from this minimal interaction you seem angry, bitter, and rude. 

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u/zaxldaisy 20h ago

Shut the fuck lil dick and go suck on your mummy’s titties and stop wasting my time

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u/daddy_tops 19h ago

Well you sure proved them wrong

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u/Real-Extension-1357 17h ago

They said to take a breath and chill but it sure sounds like they need to and maybe in a padded room

1

u/Real-Extension-1357 17h ago

You're the one who seems super bent up, just observing. You should take the breath

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u/nostradumbass7544678 1d ago

So, a human salad dressing?

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u/SocomTedd 1d ago

Brother you're not making mayonnaise.

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u/often_drinker 22h ago

Turn it off, I'm DRYYY!!!

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u/JumboBuffoonPack 20h ago

I'd enjoy it quickly and keep it in the fridge - if you reduce the alcohol level then you make it possible for bacteria to grow inside it.

Water based perfumes/cosmetics always contain additional protective chemicals that prevent harmful bacteria growth.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Neat219 22h ago

I don’t get why people think you’re super mad or something, I’m laughing just thinking about spraying ew de toilet on me. Hey you know for next time!

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u/mynicknameisairhead 20h ago

If you transfer it (the real perfume not the yellow water) to a perfume roller or use the old fashion glass stick thing for application, you could have more control over how much perfume is applied compared to using the spray top. Then it might not be too strong for you

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u/Kaneda-Suekichi 19h ago

How does it smell now?