My 11 year old daughter appears to be picking up my fragrance habit. Every few months or so we go sniffing. Usually this doesn't involve buying anything, as I am on a moratorium on full-price purchases for the last year or so. I did, however, help her buy some Be Delicious several months ago, as she had some gift money to spend. Yesterday we went to Sephora and she absolutely loved the new Vera Wang Princess. I did not find anything I loved, though I have to admit I liked the Princess scent quite a lot. Browsing through Sephora, I did notice what was brought up in a recent discussion, that Sephora is becoming more geared to a younger customer base - fewer classics and more trendy scents. Too bad.

Do you think I should refrain from bringing my daughter with me? I hate to let have her adopt adult interests too early. On the other hand, I remember loving to look through my grandmother's fragrance collection as she had many of the classic scents - Nina Ricci, Youth Dew, Chanel. My own mother has no interest in perfume. (Sometimes I think I am a genetic throwback to my grandmother.) Sampling fragrances has been something my daughter and I do together every few months - something we both anticipate as "mother-daughter time". My daughter's birthday is coming up and Princess would be an easy gift. My daughter is actually pretty conservative in dress and thinking - quiet, shy, introspective. But I did notice that the Vera Wang advertisement appears to be aimed at teenage/young adult market - with a young woman in a long prom-type dress, young guy with longish hair.

How fortunate you are to have that with your daughter. Surely, she won't start out using Mitsouko....LOL (God Forbid) but I think it is a wonderful way to bond even more with your daughter. My mom insisted we use Blue Grass as a first perfume and I have fond memories of having the powder and other body products as part of my dresser top altar Of course I moved on to The Love fragrances, Eau de Love, some Avons that my mom considered "appropriate" for young ladies. Maybe you can start her out on something mild and build up a small collection. Try powders and spray colognes to start. I think Vera Wang is an adult fragrance, but that's just me......Some suggestions: Anais anais, some of the BBW scents, maybe even some of the Yves Rocher fragrances. Also, some of the Gap scents are geared toward a more youthful set. I wished I would have had a daughter to share my love of fragrance with. Have a son, who likes scent well enough, but no perfumista .

Is the desire to smell fragrances an adult interest? I can see your problem in an era where girls around eleven are constantly being given overly sexualized images to look up to I can see how fragrance could be something perceived as adult, yet thinking back in my own experience (I was also shy and introspective) at eleven, fragrance for me was an adventure and I did not consider it something seductive I admit I liked scents that were perceived as sexy at that age but for me the liking of those scents were not connected with seduction but rather they smelled good to my nose and I wanted to wear what smelled good to me. I really didn't have a perception of what was too old for me but then again my interest for fragrance at that point was for the genuine joy of the beauty of a scent. I think it is great that you are bonding with your daughter over fragrance, I guess the real question is how does your daughter view the use of fragrance?

"Sampling fragrances has been something my daughter and I do together every few months - something we both anticipate as "mother-daughter time""

Something that special deserves to be cherished and encouraged!! True, there are some fragrances that may seem too "grown-up" for her--and you as her mother are the best judge of that--but there are also many wonderful fragrances that might be appropriate for her age group. I wore 4711 when I was her age; my cousins children who are that age wear the "American Girl" things from Bath and Body Works and I gave them some Eau de Miel from L'Occitane. Be Delicious is a great fragrance, light and sweet and such a cute bottle!!

Sounds like the love of perfume is a great bond the two of you have that can grow with you over the years.

What Jenavira said. Is your daughter into perfume because of a love of scent, pretty bottles, etc. (which I would encourage at any age) or peer pressure/desire to appear sexy too early (which is not really about perfume)?

Your daughter sounds like she appreciates fragrance for what it is. I don't think you should stop taking her with you...it might lead to more questions, and the "do what I say, not what I do" conversation is truly an awkward one.

Princess is a cute fragrance...perfect for a young girl, I think. Lucky girl...to receive such a gift! :)

If she loves frags why not ? I dont see perfume as big factor in peer pressure or trying to be trendy ( however smoking , dressing immodestly , garish makeup , drugs , alcohol are bigger worries). I have brought up two girls and though I do not always love thier scent selections , I do however respect them and love the fact that they love scent and have to have thier own way with it .

My daughter-in-law had a bottle of Flower by Kenzo that she wasn't sure was one she liked on herself. My granddaughter, then only 6 yrs. old, loved it and kept sneaking a spray. So my DIL just ended up giving it to her. I don't think you can ever be too young to appreciate fragrance.

Even as a little girl.........I had the interest. The bottles and the wonderful scent mezmerized me. My Mom indulged me with a few little bottles of my own. I LOVED it. I remember wearing perfume to school very young.

Zephyr you sound too dramatic and alarmed! I don t consider perfume "adult interest"! 11 is great, she might develop an amazing olfactory sense and become a nose!!
I 's like playing an instrument, the younger the better. Don 't see perfume as something seductive but see it as educational for your daughter, see scents as scents but not as ladies perfumes!
There are too many young teenagers who have sex and do drugs, you 're fortunate your daughter has an olfactory interest.

Hear! Hear! I go along with this.

Are you kidding? I started using Chanel No. 5 (my grandma's perfume) at age 6! Grandma gave me a mostly empty cartridge she didn't finish. My other grandma gave me Tabu, my very own bottle, for Christmas. Tabu is the fragrance she wore as a young girl, and the ads were racy then. I have loved Tabu and Chanel No. 5 ever since. And yes, they were grownup perfumes. Barbie perfume didn't yet exist in 1965.

My daughter Megan got interested in my collection as soon as she could walk! She was around 13 months when she dumped my bottle of Giorgio Red on the carpet. Now, at age 10, she has her own collection of fragrance minis including Giorgio Red.

Don't worry about certain fragrances being too adult for her. At this age, they don't wear fragrance seriously, they experiment. They're starting to differentiate the scents from each other. It's an experience. I prefer that Megan play with perfume than illegal drugs; that's where I draw the line. She doesn't wear makeup or dress like a tart--I won't let her.

It's the adult price tags I'd be worrying about ;)
I smell the start of a newborn perfume addiction. Don't worry about scent. As long as she doesn't overapply it, it's fine.

I started my daughter on body sprays and went from there. At almost 18 she has at least 20 perfumes in her collection.

You will not stop her if she has the interest. I can't remember a time when I wasn't into my mother's or grandmother's perfumes. As a teen my gifts were often scent gifts.

I have not yet children, but if I had a daughter who shared my interest in perfume, I would be so proud! You could offer her a perfume she loves and teach her not to waste too quickly her bottle.

If I can get given a bottle of joy perfume from a penpal at the ripe old age of 8, and my parents were happy for me to have it - I see no problem with when your daughter starts to join in the delights of wearing perfume.

They make childrens' perfume, I guess you are really wondering wear to start her at? She likes your taste. I have a friend whose daughter loved her mum's perfumes too, but her mum decided to buy her sets from the Body shop to start with, aimed at the younger market. Her daughter loved them.

Still, I have no problem with when a parent feels it's right for a daughter to go with them to purchase a perfume. You know your daughter the most, as is already proven.

It was fun for me to be forbidden certain perfumes when I was that age. "No, not for you! That's for mature ladies." It made Shalimar and Jolie Madame and such seem very exotic. Meanwhile, I was happy with my Jean Nate, Daisies Won't Tell, etc.

I think it's great that you have this shared interest. I don't think there is an age limit involved.

I don't think you need to worry about age things...you may find that her nose is great (often the case with young people) have fun exploring and learning.

I was thinking, at that age, even though you already love your mother's perfumes, you may well still be happy to be given something that is more suitable to her age. Starting her somewhere will be a thrill for her.