We know, not everyone is on board with vanilla-scented stuff -- but many of Lavanila's fragrances feature vanilla as more of a backdrop to the other notes. This vanilla-lemon combo is light and tart. (Translation: It won't trigger flashbacks to Victoria's Secret vanilla body spray). Even better -- all of Lavanila's scents are free of parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, silicones, propylene glycol, mineral oils, synthetic dyes, sulfates and aluminum. This is huge for people with perfume allergies. Though it's not a guarantee you won't have a reaction, it does cut down the likelihood, since reactions often have more to do with the combination of chemicals than the actual scent.

These scents are perfect if you want a light fragrance that doesn't smell like perfume. Clean's Original eau de toilette was inspired by soap, and it smells like you just stepped out of the shower (even if you spray it after a day at the office). If you're into the idea of smelling clean and fresh, but want to move beyond soap, the line's Air and Cool Cotton eau de parfums leave you smelling like mountain air and fresh laundry, respectively.

Like Lavanila, Clean stays away from irritating ingredients and uses hypoallergenic formulas in all its fragrances. Again, it's important to note that the term "hypoallergenic" doesn't guarantee you won't have a reaction -- it just means the brand has done some research to make it less likely.

Here's a quick perfume lesson: most fragrances are a complex blend of scents that produce a range of "notes." Like tasting a fine wine and describing the "nose" or the "finish," perfumes have top, middle and base notes. Often, people who claim to hate all perfumes are actually put off by one or two notes within a scent.

Demeter fragrances are all one note, so you can find exactly what you like -- we recommend their wonderfully fresh Salt Air,, Laundromat and Sunshine varieties.

"We make cologne, which is by definition, less concentrated," explains Demeter CEO Mark Crames. "So by exposing the consumer to less of the active fragrance ingredients, we see less threshold allergic reactions." Demeter perfumes are also free of any artificial color, extenders and preservatives. "That is why most Demeter scents are clear," says Crames. "Any color is naturally derived from the ingredients of the fragrance oil itself."

"People are often very sensitive to a perfume because the odor has a negative connotation or brings up an unpleasant memory," says Ivanica. But the same logic applies in the opposite direction.

Maison Martin Margiela's Replica perfumes riff off the positive nostalgia people associate with certain scents. Take their appropriately named "Beach Walk" fragrance. "This soft and pure scent plays on nostalgia in particular by awakening olfactory souvenirs of sunny vacations and beach boardwalks," describes Sephora Vice President of Fragrance Brooke Banwart. In other words, unless you have horrible childhood memories of the beach, this fragrance is perfect for perfume-haters.

If you like the idea of a floral fragrance, but hate floral fragrances in practice, give this clean, springy scent a try.

"It's inspired by the scent of soaked fields of flowers and wet concrete after the first rainfall," describes Banwart. But unlike sweet, cloying florals, this airy one incorporates notes like dew and lotus to create a fresh unisex blend.