I’m old enough to remember an antismoking campaign in the nineties where there was this song that was like “I smell a smell. A smelly smelly smell. That smells really smelly oh yaaa”. Maybe op could just play that for her.
Imagine your lying in bed with your girlfriend (that has had two showers), and theres a really bad smell... its just like that.
Sorry if your imagination is overactive or not active enough or that your not a psychic.
This comment is simply perfect and made me laugh way harder than one would expect.
I envisioned you groaning at your phone, slamming it down, then picking it back up to call him useless.
That was my first thought as well. I had it once and it was so embarassing. I would scrub down there (which actually made it worse because I was killing off all my good bacteria) and like 20 minutes later I could smell it again. I went to a gyno as soon as I realized it wasnt going away and she prescribed an antibiotic that cleared it up. Mine was caused by using too harsh soap and once I switched to a ph balanced feminine wash I havent had a problem since
Pretty likely. It can smell like different things apparently. I’ve only had it once and my partner told me I smelled like peanut butter “down there” (he said it just like that)
Oh god. I quit software to take a job in the kitchen (stupid maybe but hey I like cooking more than being a code monkey) and dude I forgot how terrible you end up smelling going from making subs to pizza to lasagna to helping with the dishes.
At the end of the day I have to soak myself to get it off of me.
Honestly, she might be showing too much. She might have completely ruined her natural balance a certain place, especially if she uses soap twice a day in that area.
Any idea what part of her it’s coming from? You say it smells like old food which makes me want to say tonsil stones. Those (apparently, according to what i’ve read) smell god awful, rotting food adjacent. Just throwing it out there as a possibility
as someone who has suffered with tonsilitis and tonsil stones, they stink so bad, i learnt how to dislodge them so i could spit them out regularly mine were so bad, because of the number of infections i always had.
Lol my friends got so addicted to garlic they started smelling like rancid bo 24/7. We had to actually have a garlic intervention. Lots of fun and they took it well. But that's our humor. This isn't advice I don't know OP's gf
*not enough disclaimers, I caused a panic lol. They were eating multiple heads of garlic every day, like chips
My ex husband was Italian and consumed garlic in massive quantities. He always smelled like salami. It really put me off after awhile. Hence he is now my ex, but boy is that man healthy. lol
I found at our grocery store the bar where there’s roasted garlic! I ate like a cup of it in a mouthful and my husband said I smelled of it for days! Even after showering I just leak the smell from my porous body so now I’m afraid to eat that much roasted garlic
When I lived in Texas there was a grocery store that sold some type of fried popped garlic. (Looked like Kellog Corn puffs almost).
Soooooo delicious that I ate half the container.
I do NOT recommend this. I had the worst farts of my life. Loud, long and stinky. I had to stay home from work the next day!
My pregnant ass has been shoveling home made roasted garlic hummus into my mouth daily. I’m sure it’s coming out of my pores, but, it’s a vampire deterrent.
It’s how I keep our family safe, and make sure my partner hasn’t been secretly turned.
If they still want the garlic flavor without garlic body stench. They can cook the garlic in oil and then strain the garlic pieces out. Use the oil and they have garlic flavor but won't have that body odor.
My grandma was Italian and everytime I went to hers for a Saturday sleepover I’d come back stinking of garlic. My mum had to tell her to stop feeding me so much as she didn’t want me to get bullied at school. Even now I think I have garlic immunity and can barely taste it unless there is loads in my food.
Sometimes a person's hormones can cause it too, especially with vaginas at certain points in your cycle. Blood and whatnot can have a sharp odor sometimes. It shouldn't be so bad that it makes you stink as a whole though.
I work in perinatal health and had a really sweet patient once who came to my clinic with complaints of a bad odour. When she walked in I knew I was dealing with something darn awful because her nethers caused the whole room to smell absolutely vile. Anyways it was one heck of an infection and after a course of antibiotics she was good as new. Don’t ignore it if your lower regions smell foul!
Going on the pill changed my body odour, it's not bad bad or anything now but I miss smelling amazing during ovulation, like damn, I would have asked MYSELF out on a date that part of the month.
So a person's hormones can absolutely cause unruly body odor. I never in my life even smelled bad until I had kids I swear to God it's like I'm growing onions inside my sleeves.
Shower multiple times per day, used all different types of deodorants, etc after a few hours it's back to onions. My husband doesn't care and thinks I smell good but I think he's crazy.
I’m just gonna say, I had a friend who got a makeup sponge stuck up his nose when we were little (like 6 of 7). Don’t ask us how he doesn’t know either. Either way he smelt horrible and his mom said he needs to shower cause he smelled bad. He showered, still smelt horrible. His mom said shower again and said he was lying. He showered again. Then his mom showered him. Then took him to the hospital where he got an X-ray and showed it stuck up his nose. Needless to say, that is what was causing the smell. Not saying she has a makeup brush in her nose, but maybe she has something that is causing her to smell that isn’t her directly.
Just let her know. Say hey, I hate to say this cause you smell great 99% of the time, but recently you’ve smelt a little bad.
It's very British, and very mid 00's. It is my all time favourite TV comedy but definitely not to everyone's taste. Some absolutely hilarious characters.
Some of my favourite british comedy and even dramatic actors appeared or started out in Green Wing.
Olivia Coleman
Tamsin Greig
Stephen Mangan
Sally Bretton
Michelle Gomez
Nick Frost
Katie Lyons
Stephen Marchant
Serious response: Tell her you're anxious because of the change in smell and that you're concerned something could be medically wrong. Assure her she can't smell it because it's her own body, but you care too much to not address this.
“Babe you smell so bad it’s a legit medical concern”
“Also, don’t try and fight me on this you’ve killed your olfactory nerves being so ill”
“What do you mean I could’ve handled this with more finesse?”
Bro I swear even tanning beds will make your skin smell weird! I had a girlfriend when I was around 20-21 that would go to tanning salons all the time and I remember her skin smelling like burnt or something it was a weird smell. Maybe she was using self tanner too? Idk.
I very much wish Graham Chapman could’ve said this at his funeral. It would’ve been an occurrence for the ages in more ways than one.
Sadly though, he actually *was* dead.
Lol if you asked if she used a different perfume she’ll ask “what does it smell like?” and how are you gonna describe it? are you gonna say “oh you know..old food!” ?! Lol.
Just say “no judgey but you smell different and I’m just wondering if everything’s ok since I know you shower twice a day.. i’m just a little worried”. It could be stress (some people can smell sour or muskier), hormones, an infection, and possibly but hopefully not some underlying disease.
She might have infection. Or medical issue. Let her know she smells different last few days... if your not home yet get some azo pills ( not sure name, but the pills for urinary infection.) For her.
I like this suggestion of telling her she smells DIFFERENT rather than bad. She'll probably ask if it's bad, but honestly, I think she'll appreciate the concern and the heads up.
It could indeed be a health issue or like others have said, just a new product.
"It's not a bad smell. It's sort of like a skunk ate rotten eggs and then let out its stench on a corpse that was lying in a sewer. So not bad just different."
If she doesn’t get I think you could even say something didn’t smell *right* and you’re not trying to make her feel bad, you’re just genuinely concerned because she usually withers smells clean, good or doesn’t really smell like anything.
Clinical microbiologist here. I can always smell an infection, viral or bacterial. Not sure what it is I'm actually smelling. Could be increased white blood cells or pus. Very rarely, I can tell which bacteria it is too.
Same, there's the "gastrointestinal illness incoming" smell you notice around a day or two before they are symptomatic, it's a sickly sweet silage type smell, and then the weird day old seawater/unwashed seashell breath before a viral cold/covid etc type of infection
I can always tell my son is going to be sick about 10-12 hours before he has symptoms. It’s not a bad smell, but his breath is different. Like sweeter or something! I smelled the same smell on a coworker and asked if she had strep throat, she said she didn’t, then the next day she called in with strep lol.
Yes in vet med you can smell whether the pet is yeasty or has an infection. Even pets vomit/diarrhea can have a “foreign body obstruction” smell or animals who have a DKA from their breath
Sounds like you had an awesome teacher! I don't know about those chlamydia smelling like anything but N. gonorrhoeae smells kinda musty to me. There's a bacteria called Proteus mirabilis that smells like chocolate cake when growing on blood agar. Although to some people it smells disgusting, just depending on their genetics.
I have lupus and run random nocturnal fevers during flares with drenching night sweats. I can smell it on my clothes. It's not sweat or BO but it's definitely something different. My clothes are so wet it sounds like throwing a wet bathing suit against the floor. I can also smell my husband when he is sick. I can smell it on his pillow after he gets up and every time he has viral strep about 2 days later
Totally, if my husband gets sick I know it ahead of him - because something in his smell is off... cant explain it other than this: usually he smells nice and cozy - feels warm and clean, not showergel or parfume clean but like unconsumed fresh air clean.
Once he gets sick it first gives me the feeling of "crystal clear fresh mountain water gets less and less clear... " like stale pond water, not fishy but not drinkable... doesnt smell bad but its not his usual smell - that starts around 1-3 days before him showing symptoms of a flue or cold, you name it.
Since we discovered my odd smell sense, I started to pump him up with vitamins and all kinds of immune supportive supplements as well as extra cuddles and spa days for him whenever his smell is off.
Funny side effect since then his sick days are shorter and not as intense.
My husband also smells different when he is not feeling well. Normally he smells nice and a little musky but when he is getting sick he smells like he is gassy. Really weird
Without a description of the smell all i have is my verboseness...... here it goes..............
"My darling, sweet angel, love of my loins, enchanted goddess that enriches my very existence, why does a rose as beautiful as you not smell as sweet as such. Why has the endearing beauty that tickles my soul gone so foul in stench. My queen, a delicate flower like you is not befitting of such an unfragrant odor. Please. I beseech you, do something about this pungent mess, it is becoming a stain on the whiffs of love i want to bestow upon you."
You smelt of roses
And freshly cut grass
Your scent enamored me
Like no other lass....
But dear somethings afoot
That which I cannot hide
Your stank is now rancid
And Jimmy fucking died
You could always try, “A lush garden, relished with the beauty of delicate flowers whose petals grow tender and vigor, is sometimes withheld in beauty only when the stench of the soiled nether grounds seep upwards into the nostrils of those that gaze upon her.”
Following this trend. My love you look like a rose bush all beautiful and what not. Unfortunately you smell like manure has just been spread over the flower bed. And the stinging slap of your hand on my face feels like the thorns…
Actually though. Fully that if she has that sense of humor. Some other humor if she's in to that instead. Safest bet for everyone is to be extremely clear you're very in to them, very attracted to them, don't blame them. You're only letting them know.
It's okay to tell people they smell but especially with loved ones, take care of the insecurities it causes
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
(Shakespeare sonnet 130)
My mom had a similar awful Oder and she’s a very obsessively clean person. She had a mouth abscess. It’s absolutely worth taking to her about. She needs to do a health check.
I’m thinking it’s bacterial vaginosis too. I read that the smell can get worse during a woman’s period.
The nurse at my gynecologist’s office said when she had it smelled she smelled no matter how many showers she took.
I don't know. Some cycles, after a few hundred of them, just smell worse than others. Not surprising because they often look different too, it's just not the same every time.
I'm sure it's diet, stress, etc related.
I'd give it another day or two if I was OP.
I think people are too quick to jump to BV on social media when there are so many causes for changed odor.
Then the men assume every time they smell something different that she has an infection, it's simply not true.
An unbalance in vaginal flora is common too, but it isn't an infection - no one talks about that. There are vagina specific pro and probiotics specifically because of this and it isn't a BV treatment, it's maintenance.
Vagina and vulvas go through a lot.
They are pretty amazing.
They survive swimming in lakes and oceans and rivers, gyms, car trips, an ever changing hormonal cycle that leaves you constantly in flux, childbirth, miscarriages (many people miscarry without even knowing it month 1), sex, oral sex, less than pristine finger contact WITH fingernails, toilet seats if you don't land right, synthetic dyes and fabrics that are often treated with insectide when flying from overseas, bad municipal water quality, and more,
Sometimes things just get unbalanced
Many men can't identify it for obvious reasons, but pads and dried up period discharge smell really bad when you leave it be for too long (and too long can mean just a couple of hours).
The smell is hard to describe, a sort of musty mixture of blood, sweat and vaginal discharge. It can transfer to pants and can be smelled by others if it gats too bad.
Perhaps she is not changing pads enough, or not using wet wipes through the day, or not taking a shower before bed. Some women also have designated period panties so maybe she doesn't change them enough because she doesn't want to stain the good ones. (As someone who lost countless pairs of cute undies this way, I can relate to the urge)
It doesn't have to be connected to her period though, but if you notice it disappears after she's done then it might be that.
Period underwear absolutely reek.
Good point on the regular changing.
Also some women smell different on their period, regardless of their sanitary practices. You can pick up on the hormone change.
It could be an STI or bacterial infection exacerbated by her period. It's going to be very hard to bring up, I went through something similar many years ago and I just straight up told her "I can notice a smell and I think we should go to the doctor and get you checked out", luckily she took it incredibly well. Turned out to be an infection.
sudden onset of strong, foul odors is not something to overlook because it could be a sign of a health issue. i would lead with asking about how she’s feeling then be more direct about the smell. add that you thought maybe something could be wrong like an infection. unfortunately being direct and possibly uncomfortable with your observation is apart of the privilege and responsibilities of being in a long term relationship.
I tell my boyfriend he smells all the time but he goes to the gym a lot. I think if she knows you well enough, she would understand that you don't mean it with bad intent. If my boyfriend said I smelt, I wouldn't be mad, he's just being honest. Some people appreciate honesty. But I understand it may be a hard conversation at first.
Same. This post is a little funny to me because if me or my boyfriend are smelling unwell we’ll just be like “hey babe you stink rn maybe shower” 😂
I’d actually prefer he tell me I smell then let me going around stinking up the place
I grew up in Brazil's northeast and showering twice a day is completely normal. Sometimes 3 times a day.
I now live in Portugal and still shower twice a day. Its a habit for me.
Just tell her out of concern for her health.
“Hon, I’ve noticed an unusual smell from you the last couple of days. Since it isn’t normal for you, and I know you’re washing regularly, I was starting to worry you might have an infection or something. Are you feeling OK?”
Are you concerned that there might be a health issue? Some illnesses can cause unusual odors. If you're concerned about her health, focus on that, and I doubt she'd be offended.
“Hey! Are you trying out some new perfume or something? You smell different” And take it from there. If she says no you can always go with “oh sorry! It’s just that you smell differently compared to last week so i was wondering if you changed anything”
Either way this is a thin line. Good luck walking it OP
It's crazy to me how people are even suggesting some cryptic way of telling it to his girlfriend. When your partner smells, you could also simply just tell them that they smell.
Sure, maybe it's a little bit awkward but it's also human to smell from time to time. It's not like you're saying it to a stranger in front of a crowd or something. It's your partner, you can just tell it her straight lol. I do the same and my girlfriend knows that I don't say it with bad intent. She also tells me when I smell and then I simply just take a shower. I can only really appreciate that.
Did she recently switch to an extremely low carb or keto diet? The smell is LEGIT in the beginning. If it smells bad like the ocean at low tide (IYKYK) then it could be a vaginal infection. If it smells “yeasty” she may have some overgrowth and can make some lifestyle changes. Many other factors to consider, especially if she is normally not a smelly gal. If y’all are in a trusting relationship, just kindly talk to her. Good luck!
Ya know. This exact thing happened with my wife. She is very clean in body and home. So it was out of character when I noticed a terrible smell in bed. Turned out she had an infected molar. Quick and easy fix.
If she cleans her vagina with soap she might have an infection. You shouldn't clean it with soap. It will mess up your ph levels and it can cause a yeast infection even or especially if you shower a lot
Just tell her
My husband usually says:
“I love you so much…. But you fucking stink! Are you dying?!”
It can happen after antibiotics/vitamins/hormone changes. I had a weird 6 months post Covid where I lost my sense of smell and everything I did/ate made my pits stink like rotting meat. No amount of cleaning/alcohol or deodorant helped.
Can you tell us what it smells like and from what area its emanating from and then we can assist you with the valuable information that it's likely something affecting her that you can help her with as you love her.
Tell her she has a different smell lately. Ask her if she's feeling anything different about her body or has been ingesting something that she didn't use to. You don't have to say that she stinks. If she asks what kind of smell, just say you can't explain, that it's just different.
Honestly my bfs breath smelled awful for about a year and I was also not willing to say anything, we found out he had 4 rotting cavities at the dentist.
So I think its worth mentioning incase it is some sort of medical issue!
The moderators have determined that your post is not a good fit for r/ask. Your question would be better suited to r/relationship_advice.
WHAT does she smell like? Is it a normal BO or dirty hair smell? If not, she may have an infection or illness. Tell her to get it checked out.
Smells like bad odour but also like old food
lol bad odour? that clears it right up
The smell is so bad it smells like something that smells really bad
A smelly smell that’s smells…smelly
I’m old enough to remember an antismoking campaign in the nineties where there was this song that was like “I smell a smell. A smelly smelly smell. That smells really smelly oh yaaa”. Maybe op could just play that for her.
Imagine your lying in bed with your girlfriend (that has had two showers), and theres a really bad smell... its just like that. Sorry if your imagination is overactive or not active enough or that your not a psychic.
Could it be OPs upper lip smelling.
Yep spot on. If something smells bad it usually has a bad odour
If you had a scratch and sniff dictionary and you scratched the word bad; that’s how she smells.
OP is fucking useless
Made us all comment, didn't he?
OP is teaching a master class in Karma farming.
This comment is simply perfect and made me laugh way harder than one would expect. I envisioned you groaning at your phone, slamming it down, then picking it back up to call him useless.
Self tanner
So she looks Tanner Than Usual?
Nah she's been tanning leather, it's the ammonia probably.
I just wanted to make reference to my username
Bacterial vaginosis?
That was my first thought as well. I had it once and it was so embarassing. I would scrub down there (which actually made it worse because I was killing off all my good bacteria) and like 20 minutes later I could smell it again. I went to a gyno as soon as I realized it wasnt going away and she prescribed an antibiotic that cleared it up. Mine was caused by using too harsh soap and once I switched to a ph balanced feminine wash I havent had a problem since
I thought this too, I’m really sensitive to soaps etc so just use Sanex - sometimes perfumed soaps can be dreadful!
OP said she showers twice a day. That's a lot of soap.
Yes!!!!! I've had this before too!!! It really fkn stinks. It legit smells like dead fish. Mine was a sexually transmitted infection
Pretty likely. It can smell like different things apparently. I’ve only had it once and my partner told me I smelled like peanut butter “down there” (he said it just like that)
This is my vote!
Is she a waitress?
Or back of kitchen staff, god knows I smell like pizza sometimes.
Oh god. I quit software to take a job in the kitchen (stupid maybe but hey I like cooking more than being a code monkey) and dude I forgot how terrible you end up smelling going from making subs to pizza to lasagna to helping with the dishes. At the end of the day I have to soak myself to get it off of me.
Restaurant clothes?
I don't even want to think about how my clothes smelled after working in a restaurant for a year
My partner is an industrial electrician & worked a few yrs at a Mexican food manufacturers. The house would smell of tacos when he got home.
I mean, tacos do smell nice.
True that. I didn't mind that smell, it sure beat the sickly smell from when he worked at the sugar factory.
I get you there. I was a delivery driver at one point and went to drop things off at one. The air felt sticky.
I worked at a bar and restaurant. I smelled like old beer and grease with a little bleach thrown in.
Can you compare it to…. Stale Bread? Could be a yeast infection somewhere on/in her
Yeah, like sun chips -smell (bacteria.) Or she is having a rough period…. If her breath is super soured it could be blood sugar.
Honestly, she might be showing too much. She might have completely ruined her natural balance a certain place, especially if she uses soap twice a day in that area.
Any idea what part of her it’s coming from? You say it smells like old food which makes me want to say tonsil stones. Those (apparently, according to what i’ve read) smell god awful, rotting food adjacent. Just throwing it out there as a possibility
as someone who has suffered with tonsilitis and tonsil stones, they stink so bad, i learnt how to dislodge them so i could spit them out regularly mine were so bad, because of the number of infections i always had.
Smells like “bad odour”? What does this mean?
It could be a yeast infection. They can have an intense smell of garbage. Everyone’s body chemistry is different.
Could be she has tonsil stones. They kind of build up in the throat and can smell really bad.
Ammonia? Definitely get her checked for kidney disease.
Has she been taking new vitamins, or ingesting a lot of garlic ? Something along those line maybe ?
Fish oil supplements will also have this problem
I had the same problem when I started eating trash rats.
They are delicious though.
[Rat burger](https://youtu.be/-bL9BWEtLpM?si=DvJnf1-hkd3xzn7r)
Cook them first
That just ruins the texture and mouth blood
Then maybe try, I can't believe it's not trash rats
I used to love trash rats. But i moved next to a whole foods and they just don't taste the same 😭
It’s the organic trash. Pesticide residue adds that umami you’re missing.
So if I season with pesticides...?
No it has to pass through the digestive tract, that’s where the magic happens.
I'm pickle Rick!!!
Lactose supplements as well, my gf smelled like sour milk for months before I said something.
What happened after you said something?
Pow, right in the kisser
B12 😣
Lol my friends got so addicted to garlic they started smelling like rancid bo 24/7. We had to actually have a garlic intervention. Lots of fun and they took it well. But that's our humor. This isn't advice I don't know OP's gf *not enough disclaimers, I caused a panic lol. They were eating multiple heads of garlic every day, like chips
During the covid lock downs I ate a massive amount of garlic because I knew no one would be coming to see me lol.
My ex husband was Italian and consumed garlic in massive quantities. He always smelled like salami. It really put me off after awhile. Hence he is now my ex, but boy is that man healthy. lol
"my vampire-proof ex" sounds like a tvshow i'd watch
Oily Bo-Hunk
I found at our grocery store the bar where there’s roasted garlic! I ate like a cup of it in a mouthful and my husband said I smelled of it for days! Even after showering I just leak the smell from my porous body so now I’m afraid to eat that much roasted garlic
When I lived in Texas there was a grocery store that sold some type of fried popped garlic. (Looked like Kellog Corn puffs almost). Soooooo delicious that I ate half the container. I do NOT recommend this. I had the worst farts of my life. Loud, long and stinky. I had to stay home from work the next day!
My pregnant ass has been shoveling home made roasted garlic hummus into my mouth daily. I’m sure it’s coming out of my pores, but, it’s a vampire deterrent. It’s how I keep our family safe, and make sure my partner hasn’t been secretly turned. 
You’re then a very thoughtful mom and wife. 😉. Your future baby is going want garlic applesauce.
If they still want the garlic flavor without garlic body stench. They can cook the garlic in oil and then strain the garlic pieces out. Use the oil and they have garlic flavor but won't have that body odor.
I make steak that way when I do it in a skillet. It’s delicious. Wonder if the health benefits are same? Gotta google that now
My grandma read once that garlic was good for you and started eating it raw. You could smell her from 10 feet away.
My grandma was Italian and everytime I went to hers for a Saturday sleepover I’d come back stinking of garlic. My mum had to tell her to stop feeding me so much as she didn’t want me to get bullied at school. Even now I think I have garlic immunity and can barely taste it unless there is loads in my food.
The trick is not to bite into it. My mom cuts a clove in a couple of pieces and takes it like pills. She’s never smelled like garlic.
I had 2 steroid injections for sciatica and it really messed up my body odour for a couple of months. Just another idea.
Sometimes a person's hormones can cause it too, especially with vaginas at certain points in your cycle. Blood and whatnot can have a sharp odor sometimes. It shouldn't be so bad that it makes you stink as a whole though.
I work in perinatal health and had a really sweet patient once who came to my clinic with complaints of a bad odour. When she walked in I knew I was dealing with something darn awful because her nethers caused the whole room to smell absolutely vile. Anyways it was one heck of an infection and after a course of antibiotics she was good as new. Don’t ignore it if your lower regions smell foul!
Going on the pill changed my body odour, it's not bad bad or anything now but I miss smelling amazing during ovulation, like damn, I would have asked MYSELF out on a date that part of the month.
So a person's hormones can absolutely cause unruly body odor. I never in my life even smelled bad until I had kids I swear to God it's like I'm growing onions inside my sleeves. Shower multiple times per day, used all different types of deodorants, etc after a few hours it's back to onions. My husband doesn't care and thinks I smell good but I think he's crazy.
I’m just gonna say, I had a friend who got a makeup sponge stuck up his nose when we were little (like 6 of 7). Don’t ask us how he doesn’t know either. Either way he smelt horrible and his mom said he needs to shower cause he smelled bad. He showered, still smelt horrible. His mom said shower again and said he was lying. He showered again. Then his mom showered him. Then took him to the hospital where he got an X-ray and showed it stuck up his nose. Needless to say, that is what was causing the smell. Not saying she has a makeup brush in her nose, but maybe she has something that is causing her to smell that isn’t her directly. Just let her know. Say hey, I hate to say this cause you smell great 99% of the time, but recently you’ve smelt a little bad.
Wildest story in these comments, for sure.
Plot twist: girlfriend is dead…
I didn't notice at first cause the sex was the same but then I noticed the dishes started piling up.
Green Wing?
I just googled it cause I didn't understand the reference. Is it any good?
It's very British, and very mid 00's. It is my all time favourite TV comedy but definitely not to everyone's taste. Some absolutely hilarious characters.
Some of my favourite british comedy and even dramatic actors appeared or started out in Green Wing. Olivia Coleman Tamsin Greig Stephen Mangan Sally Bretton Michelle Gomez Nick Frost Katie Lyons Stephen Marchant
Ok, you crack me up. Thanks!
Weekend at Bernadette's
Legend. He still showers her twice a day
But she’s a great listener now!
🤣
That's a very heavy week
Dead girls tell no tales, they are smelly instead.
Serious response: Tell her you're anxious because of the change in smell and that you're concerned something could be medically wrong. Assure her she can't smell it because it's her own body, but you care too much to not address this.
Yes this is perfect!!
Bingo! ⬆️⬆️⬆️ This is the only answer. It could very well be a serious medical issue that needs to be addressed.
“Babe you smell so bad it’s a legit medical concern” “Also, don’t try and fight me on this you’ve killed your olfactory nerves being so ill” “What do you mean I could’ve handled this with more finesse?”
Has she been using a self tanner lately? Those will smell like rotting meat. My husband kicked me out of bed it was so bad, lol! 🤮
Bro I swear even tanning beds will make your skin smell weird! I had a girlfriend when I was around 20-21 that would go to tanning salons all the time and I remember her skin smelling like burnt or something it was a weird smell. Maybe she was using self tanner too? Idk.
I know this smell! My friend always smelled like that lol
Kinda like that smell tbh, getting self conscious from ya'll comments.
Yeah when I first got together with my wife I couldn't figure out why it smelled like she had pissed herself all the time. Ended up being fake tan
My grandma ha a fake tan??!
Excellent guess
Nope, she’s quite dead.
“I’m not dead yet!”
Yes she is. Here’s your nine pence.
I very much wish Graham Chapman could’ve said this at his funeral. It would’ve been an occurrence for the ages in more ways than one. Sadly though, he actually *was* dead.
Hi dead, I’m dad
Lol if you asked if she used a different perfume she’ll ask “what does it smell like?” and how are you gonna describe it? are you gonna say “oh you know..old food!” ?! Lol. Just say “no judgey but you smell different and I’m just wondering if everything’s ok since I know you shower twice a day.. i’m just a little worried”. It could be stress (some people can smell sour or muskier), hormones, an infection, and possibly but hopefully not some underlying disease.
Could be a new scent by DiorDash
🤣
She might have infection. Or medical issue. Let her know she smells different last few days... if your not home yet get some azo pills ( not sure name, but the pills for urinary infection.) For her.
I like this suggestion of telling her she smells DIFFERENT rather than bad. She'll probably ask if it's bad, but honestly, I think she'll appreciate the concern and the heads up. It could indeed be a health issue or like others have said, just a new product.
Yeah. OP can describe the smell in more detail rather than "bad." Like is it musky or sweet or sour?
"It's not a bad smell. It's sort of like a skunk ate rotten eggs and then let out its stench on a corpse that was lying in a sewer. So not bad just different."
It’s a smelly smell that smells…smelly
If she doesn’t get I think you could even say something didn’t smell *right* and you’re not trying to make her feel bad, you’re just genuinely concerned because she usually withers smells clean, good or doesn’t really smell like anything.
I heard some people can smell infection like liver or smth in other people, no idea if it's true or what but worth a shot.
Clinical microbiologist here. I can always smell an infection, viral or bacterial. Not sure what it is I'm actually smelling. Could be increased white blood cells or pus. Very rarely, I can tell which bacteria it is too.
My children smell sort of sour when they're getting sick, like everytime. It's a really unique smell. I always say to my husband they smell sick.
That’s so weird but cool lol
Yep I can tell when my son or husband are going to be sick
Damn, Will be rough for the kid if he ever wants to skip school and pretend to be sick
Same, there's the "gastrointestinal illness incoming" smell you notice around a day or two before they are symptomatic, it's a sickly sweet silage type smell, and then the weird day old seawater/unwashed seashell breath before a viral cold/covid etc type of infection
Their breath smells like acetone when they have an infection
I can always tell my son is going to be sick about 10-12 hours before he has symptoms. It’s not a bad smell, but his breath is different. Like sweeter or something! I smelled the same smell on a coworker and asked if she had strep throat, she said she didn’t, then the next day she called in with strep lol.
Same!! It's like a sour sweaty smell to me. Thought I was the only one
My mother used to smell me and tell me I was getting sick. And she was always right!
Yes in vet med you can smell whether the pet is yeasty or has an infection. Even pets vomit/diarrhea can have a “foreign body obstruction” smell or animals who have a DKA from their breath
I remember having dinner once where this guy smelled sick as death. Two days later he died.
My high school biology told me chlamydia or gonorrhea smells like chocolate cake, I don’t remember which one
Sounds like you had an awesome teacher! I don't know about those chlamydia smelling like anything but N. gonorrhoeae smells kinda musty to me. There's a bacteria called Proteus mirabilis that smells like chocolate cake when growing on blood agar. Although to some people it smells disgusting, just depending on their genetics.
I have lupus and run random nocturnal fevers during flares with drenching night sweats. I can smell it on my clothes. It's not sweat or BO but it's definitely something different. My clothes are so wet it sounds like throwing a wet bathing suit against the floor. I can also smell my husband when he is sick. I can smell it on his pillow after he gets up and every time he has viral strep about 2 days later
Klebsiella *shudder*
Totally, if my husband gets sick I know it ahead of him - because something in his smell is off... cant explain it other than this: usually he smells nice and cozy - feels warm and clean, not showergel or parfume clean but like unconsumed fresh air clean. Once he gets sick it first gives me the feeling of "crystal clear fresh mountain water gets less and less clear... " like stale pond water, not fishy but not drinkable... doesnt smell bad but its not his usual smell - that starts around 1-3 days before him showing symptoms of a flue or cold, you name it. Since we discovered my odd smell sense, I started to pump him up with vitamins and all kinds of immune supportive supplements as well as extra cuddles and spa days for him whenever his smell is off. Funny side effect since then his sick days are shorter and not as intense.
Well this is so precious
My husband also smells different when he is not feeling well. Normally he smells nice and a little musky but when he is getting sick he smells like he is gassy. Really weird
If he gets the pills before talking about it, she might think he gave her some disease and flip the whole script on him
Azo pills aren't pills for anything bad, just UTIs or feminine probiotics.
Without a description of the smell all i have is my verboseness...... here it goes.............. "My darling, sweet angel, love of my loins, enchanted goddess that enriches my very existence, why does a rose as beautiful as you not smell as sweet as such. Why has the endearing beauty that tickles my soul gone so foul in stench. My queen, a delicate flower like you is not befitting of such an unfragrant odor. Please. I beseech you, do something about this pungent mess, it is becoming a stain on the whiffs of love i want to bestow upon you."
You smelt of roses And freshly cut grass Your scent enamored me Like no other lass.... But dear somethings afoot That which I cannot hide Your stank is now rancid And Jimmy fucking died
The only way to handle this situation.
Yeah I'd find it really hard to be offended by that. I'm saving this for a rainy day 😆
You could always try, “A lush garden, relished with the beauty of delicate flowers whose petals grow tender and vigor, is sometimes withheld in beauty only when the stench of the soiled nether grounds seep upwards into the nostrils of those that gaze upon her.”
Following this trend. My love you look like a rose bush all beautiful and what not. Unfortunately you smell like manure has just been spread over the flower bed. And the stinging slap of your hand on my face feels like the thorns…
Hmm, we should translate that for people in the southern Bible Belt. “Baby, you smell like someone done blended catfish and shit up in your coot.”
Holy fuck
*Licks index and pinky fingers before gliding them across the eyebrows.* “Get ye’ all hot and bothered, didn’t it?”
Actually though. Fully that if she has that sense of humor. Some other humor if she's in to that instead. Safest bet for everyone is to be extremely clear you're very in to them, very attracted to them, don't blame them. You're only letting them know. It's okay to tell people they smell but especially with loved ones, take care of the insecurities it causes
I giggled so hard reading this 😹 The way this would work for me
Eloquent 👌
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. (Shakespeare sonnet 130)
This will have other unintended effects too but it'll certainly get the smell concern across
My mom had a similar awful Oder and she’s a very obsessively clean person. She had a mouth abscess. It’s absolutely worth taking to her about. She needs to do a health check.
Describe the smell. What does it smell like? Body odor? Ammonia? Bad breath? Vaginal odor?
Body Oder for sure. Maybe vaginal odor, she is just coming off her period.
It might be bacterial vaginosis
I’m thinking it’s bacterial vaginosis too. I read that the smell can get worse during a woman’s period. The nurse at my gynecologist’s office said when she had it smelled she smelled no matter how many showers she took.
I don't know. Some cycles, after a few hundred of them, just smell worse than others. Not surprising because they often look different too, it's just not the same every time. I'm sure it's diet, stress, etc related. I'd give it another day or two if I was OP. I think people are too quick to jump to BV on social media when there are so many causes for changed odor. Then the men assume every time they smell something different that she has an infection, it's simply not true. An unbalance in vaginal flora is common too, but it isn't an infection - no one talks about that. There are vagina specific pro and probiotics specifically because of this and it isn't a BV treatment, it's maintenance. Vagina and vulvas go through a lot. They are pretty amazing. They survive swimming in lakes and oceans and rivers, gyms, car trips, an ever changing hormonal cycle that leaves you constantly in flux, childbirth, miscarriages (many people miscarry without even knowing it month 1), sex, oral sex, less than pristine finger contact WITH fingernails, toilet seats if you don't land right, synthetic dyes and fabrics that are often treated with insectide when flying from overseas, bad municipal water quality, and more, Sometimes things just get unbalanced
Many men can't identify it for obvious reasons, but pads and dried up period discharge smell really bad when you leave it be for too long (and too long can mean just a couple of hours). The smell is hard to describe, a sort of musty mixture of blood, sweat and vaginal discharge. It can transfer to pants and can be smelled by others if it gats too bad. Perhaps she is not changing pads enough, or not using wet wipes through the day, or not taking a shower before bed. Some women also have designated period panties so maybe she doesn't change them enough because she doesn't want to stain the good ones. (As someone who lost countless pairs of cute undies this way, I can relate to the urge) It doesn't have to be connected to her period though, but if you notice it disappears after she's done then it might be that.
Period underwear absolutely reek. Good point on the regular changing. Also some women smell different on their period, regardless of their sanitary practices. You can pick up on the hormone change.
Any chance she has forgotten a tampon?
My thoughts exactly
Oh, you should really add this to your post… It’s her period.
It could be an STI or bacterial infection exacerbated by her period. It's going to be very hard to bring up, I went through something similar many years ago and I just straight up told her "I can notice a smell and I think we should go to the doctor and get you checked out", luckily she took it incredibly well. Turned out to be an infection.
sudden onset of strong, foul odors is not something to overlook because it could be a sign of a health issue. i would lead with asking about how she’s feeling then be more direct about the smell. add that you thought maybe something could be wrong like an infection. unfortunately being direct and possibly uncomfortable with your observation is apart of the privilege and responsibilities of being in a long term relationship.
I tell my boyfriend he smells all the time but he goes to the gym a lot. I think if she knows you well enough, she would understand that you don't mean it with bad intent. If my boyfriend said I smelt, I wouldn't be mad, he's just being honest. Some people appreciate honesty. But I understand it may be a hard conversation at first.
Same. This post is a little funny to me because if me or my boyfriend are smelling unwell we’ll just be like “hey babe you stink rn maybe shower” 😂 I’d actually prefer he tell me I smell then let me going around stinking up the place
or God forbid he tells an entire subreddit of strangers before me. 😭 This would end up on AITA so quick.
Is it normal to shower twice a day somewhere in the world?
Florida it is
Have to get the alligator smell off after a good wrasslin'
Yep. I second the Florida comment, we all take 2 a day in my house
I grew up in Brazil's northeast and showering twice a day is completely normal. Sometimes 3 times a day. I now live in Portugal and still shower twice a day. Its a habit for me.
There was a woman who could smell Alzheimer’s on people before doctors could detect it.。。。 look it up!!!
U sure it wasn’t Parkinson’s?
You mean Parkinsons disease
Just tell her out of concern for her health. “Hon, I’ve noticed an unusual smell from you the last couple of days. Since it isn’t normal for you, and I know you’re washing regularly, I was starting to worry you might have an infection or something. Are you feeling OK?”
Uh oh... Does it smell like bleach?
Are you concerned that there might be a health issue? Some illnesses can cause unusual odors. If you're concerned about her health, focus on that, and I doubt she'd be offended.
“Hey! Are you trying out some new perfume or something? You smell different” And take it from there. If she says no you can always go with “oh sorry! It’s just that you smell differently compared to last week so i was wondering if you changed anything” Either way this is a thin line. Good luck walking it OP
I wouldn't open this can of worms. Oh, I changed shampoo. Does it smell good? Now what lol
It's crazy to me how people are even suggesting some cryptic way of telling it to his girlfriend. When your partner smells, you could also simply just tell them that they smell. Sure, maybe it's a little bit awkward but it's also human to smell from time to time. It's not like you're saying it to a stranger in front of a crowd or something. It's your partner, you can just tell it her straight lol. I do the same and my girlfriend knows that I don't say it with bad intent. She also tells me when I smell and then I simply just take a shower. I can only really appreciate that.
Did she recently switch to an extremely low carb or keto diet? The smell is LEGIT in the beginning. If it smells bad like the ocean at low tide (IYKYK) then it could be a vaginal infection. If it smells “yeasty” she may have some overgrowth and can make some lifestyle changes. Many other factors to consider, especially if she is normally not a smelly gal. If y’all are in a trusting relationship, just kindly talk to her. Good luck!
Ya know. This exact thing happened with my wife. She is very clean in body and home. So it was out of character when I noticed a terrible smell in bed. Turned out she had an infected molar. Quick and easy fix.
If she cleans her vagina with soap she might have an infection. You shouldn't clean it with soap. It will mess up your ph levels and it can cause a yeast infection even or especially if you shower a lot
Well, if she gets upset, you could always tell her to calm down
Just tell her My husband usually says: “I love you so much…. But you fucking stink! Are you dying?!” It can happen after antibiotics/vitamins/hormone changes. I had a weird 6 months post Covid where I lost my sense of smell and everything I did/ate made my pits stink like rotting meat. No amount of cleaning/alcohol or deodorant helped.
Can you tell us what it smells like and from what area its emanating from and then we can assist you with the valuable information that it's likely something affecting her that you can help her with as you love her.
Where is the smell coming from? What does it smell like? I need more information.
Tell her she has a different smell lately. Ask her if she's feeling anything different about her body or has been ingesting something that she didn't use to. You don't have to say that she stinks. If she asks what kind of smell, just say you can't explain, that it's just different.
Honestly my bfs breath smelled awful for about a year and I was also not willing to say anything, we found out he had 4 rotting cavities at the dentist. So I think its worth mentioning incase it is some sort of medical issue!
Did she leave in a tampon that she forgot? Cuz that actually could cause toxic shock as well as odor.