Is Shailene Woodley’s ‘offensive smell’ upsetting her stylist & designers?

Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley’s sunshine vagina needed a bit of a break, but I’ll catch up. These are photos of Shailene and Theo James from the Madrid premiere of Divergent. Shailene wore a gorgeous red Donna Karan Atelier dress, and Theo suited up in Calvin Klein. Shailene’s hair is already growing fast. Maybe I should swallow some clay too. Just kidding!

Shailene’s interviews have grown notorious. This week’s print issue of Us did a “Who said it?” feature comparing quotes to those of Matthew McConaughey. For example, Shailene says, “Supermoons are very powerful,” and Matthew says, “If you want your hair to be thickest, cut it when the moon is about to be full.” Shaliene asks, “We’re alive right now, right? to Matthew’s “Space is so dark. I like being near trees, man.” They’re so similar.

Shailene made a new entry into the tabloids this week, and the story is about hygiene. She has admitted before that she only shampoos once per month (“the oilier, the better“). It stands to reason that her pits might be oily too. If this week’s issue of Star is to be believed, Shailene is quickly developing a reputation as a stinker. Her “essential oils” are also ruining designer dresses:

The smell of success isn’t always sweet, at least not for hippie-dippie Divergent star Shailene Woodley, whose funky fragrance is turning off Tinseltown. “Shailene rubs these essential oils all over her body, and they aren’t very welcoming scents,” whispers a tipster. “Her smell is totally offensive, and it’s gotten so bad that her stylist is having a hard time borrowing designer outfits for her to wear because she makes the gowns stink!”

The 22-year-old actress has touted her love of natural beauty methods — including eating clay and sunning her vagina to ward off infections — and while her eco-friendly ways may be good for the Earth, they’re hell on the fashion industry. “There is absolutely no way to get that stench out of those expensive fabrics,” says the spy. “Designers don’t want their pieces back after Shailene is done with them!”

[From Star, print edition, April 21, 2014]

I don’t know how true this story is, but she kind of set herself up for it, right? Shailene freely admit to not using commercial deodorant. She’d rather make her own beauty products. This might not present a problem in dresses with spaghetti straps, but the longer sleeved gowns would be affected. Designers should know what they’re getting into with Shailene. If the dress isn’t that expensive, letting her ruin it on the red carpet is something of an investment. But yeah, anyone who wears “essential oils” as a deodorant shouldn’t be allowed to borrow a $10,000 dress.

Shailene was also quoted this week as saying, “I don’t care about fashion. I have a stylist that does care about fashion and tells me what to wear. I own 3 t-shirts.

Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

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62 Responses to “Is Shailene Woodley’s ‘offensive smell’ upsetting her stylist & designers?”

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  1. Alex says:

    I’m really tired of her being mainstream

    • Crank says:

      She drives me cray, but I usually like what she says about style and clothes. Like she seems like she’s not into glamming every other day, but still does for red carpets and such because she knows it’s her job. I don’t like her, gets on my nerves, but she seems professional and I think she’s a decent actress…I just wish she wasn’t everywhere, all the time, being the ‘next big thing’. As for smelly pits, that’s gross…I don’t care how ‘natural’ you are, don’t smell like crap. Essential oils and stuff make my head hurt, I have gotten so many migraines after smelling them. I’m the same way with a lot of cologne and perfumes though, so I’m probably just overly sensitive.

  2. mel says:

    Why on earth would any one want to cc Kristen Stewart. Its so boring and valley girl. ugh.

  3. Happyhat says:

    I like her now that she smells bad – somehow that makes it OK.

  4. Erinn says:

    I like that red dress.
    Mixing oils and expensive fashion must be a nightmare for those lending the dresses though. Especially those that don’t follow her constant interviews.

    • AlexandraJane says:

      that red dress is amazing. hope there are some ‘homages’ available on the high street soon!

    • Shannon says:

      The oils used for such purposes are absorbed into the skin before she puts clothing on. Not all oils are equal. It’s not the same as rubbing cooking oil from your kitchen on your armpits 😛

      • Elle Kaye says:

        But essential oils ARE oily and a leave residue. And if she uses a carrier oil for dilution, those are oily as well. The smells are very strong, and are hard to remove, especially from fabrics that cannot be washed.

  5. new here says:

    Not getting who is trying to make FETCH, er Shailene happen..and she looks like Kathy Najimy in the face.

  6. blue marie says:

    Aww come on, you mean to tell me not everyone loves the smell of baked bread? Yeah that was gross and I’m sorry I even said it.

    And just because you don’t use commercial deodorant doesn’t mean you use nothing, there are alternatives out there.

    • Jenna says:

      You DO understand I now have to throw the bread dough I had rising in the kitchen away now, right? There is no way I can have the house smell of bread baking until Monday at the earliest without fear of serious gagging because of that thought.

      Oh well… guess that just means I should go play with sugarveil instead. No weird smells to worry about – but I’m holding any weekend weightgain as your fault!

      • blue marie says:

        Ha, I’m sorry but it was my first thought. If it makes you feel any better I had to throw my lunch away. (sub sandwich)

        And I pledge to eat double the sugar so I will gain more!

    • j.eyre says:

      *j. rethinks her lunch plans at Panera*

    • That’s what I was thinking–plus, if she does use alternatives, then her pitts should have adjusted by now…unless she started a new regimen.

      • FLORC says:

        Outside factors here.
        Change in diet, stress, weather.
        And maybe she had to use real deodorant or a substitute of sorts for a bit while promoting the movie. If she had to make the sacrifice of having a cell phone i’m wondering if she made other changes.

        And to the articles point. Straps versus long sleeves doesn’t matter. Sweat doesn’t stay put. And if she’s 1 of the 1 in 4 females that do sweat a lot there’s no saving that fabric.

    • Isadora says:

      Yes, there are alternatives. And essential oils don’t necessarily smell like some hippie den/patchouli/incense stics. People would be surprised how “commercial” some blends smell.

      I have no idea if the smell of essential oil blends is harder to get rid of than the smell of conventional perfume, so I can’t say anything on that.

      If she’s smelling sweaty and unwashed than that’s horrible, no matter if she uses essential oils or perfume to mask it up. However those designers can’t tell me that no celebrity ever sweated through their deodorant and ruined a dress/suit – you see sweat stains all the time on red carpets and especially those dresses with synthetic nets or lace under the arms are prone to induce sweating in a person that is inclined to perspire more than a fruitfly (esp. with spotlights and probably the wearer being a bit nervous). You would need insane amounts of extremely unhealthy Aluminium to stop that.

      • Elle Kaye says:

        I think the problem is her lack of hygiene. If she isn’t a frequent fan of washing, then the smells would accumulate and become intense, even if she were using store-bought deodorant. There are those who have problems with sweating, and that is one issue, but hers sounds like a conscience decision to not wash and only use her homemade products to mask the smell.

      • Sarah says:

        Higher levels of aluminum are found in autopsied brains of people who died of Alzheimer’s disease, but that was determined to be a byproduct of neuronal death, not causation. Unfortunately, the myth that aluminum causes dementia-related illnesses (cell death in the brain) is still touted by pseudoscience.

        Unless you’re allergic, wear your deodorant with pride, ladies.

        I personally believe in a combination of Eastern & Western medicine, but in this case, having worked for an NIH/NIA-funded lab, it’s important to note that the hypothesis of aluminum causing Alzheimer’s was disproven years ago.

      • E-v-E says:

        @Sarah,
        my professor’s friend is an oncologist and has witnessed a huge rise in cancer among female population, especially young girls (!), especially breast/lymph cancer (in teenagers even) and in his opinion it is being linked to aluminium cholorohydrate in deodorants. He himself told her not to wear anti-perspirants if not really neccessary as Al deposits in the organism and whatnot.
        I’ve tried the simplest alternative just to see if it is working, and that is applying some coconut oil aftershower, and voila, I’ve been odourless for the day. Other options are I think lemon juice with distilled water and such simple tricks that have been known long before cosmetic industry ruled the world. Also, I don’t get any stains on my clothes (ofc you wait for oil to dry) as oppossed to anti-perspirants leaving white marks etc.
        So as much as ‘pseudoscience’ goes even worse is this smell-shaming of people who found much kinder ways to treat their bodies and nature.
        (p.s. sorry for misspelling and grammar, not a native ;)))

  7. Loopy says:

    I’m sorry if you want to be hippie and skip to the beat of your own drums by all means, but if you are going to be around people especially in a professional environment borrowing expensive clothes you need to be considerate other wise go live in the woods.

  8. AlmondJoy says:

    She’s so kooky 😜 The more posts I read about her, the more I like her.

  9. Abbott says:

    They are STILL promoting this film? I feel like no one cares anymore.

    Not surprising she probably smells a bit rank.

  10. Kimberly says:

    I saw Divergent last week. It was somewhere between ok and good.

  11. ~Z~ says:

    Well….Gotta say, this gave me a laugh….Hippy types aren’t usually known for their fresh scent!
    VAPORub to the rescue!!!
    Happy BALLS Friday everyone! ♥

  12. Dani2 says:

    This is from Star you guys, I don’t like Shailene much at all but I’m taking this with a whole bowl of salt.

  13. InLike says:

    This takes me back to my patchouli days. What was I thinking?

  14. Mia4S says:

    They’ve just announced they’re splitting the final book into two movies because….in a desperate voice: because we are totally as good as Hunger Games, see? See?!

    Seriously I haven’t seen it but there is a real lack of excitement around this film. Hunger Games, Twilight, love or hate them the hype was huge. No one seems to care all that much about this one. Four movies might be a mistake.

    • Franny Days says:

      Really!!? That’s a horrible decision because the last book is the WORST book out of the trilogy.

  15. Ginger says:

    I love the comparison with her and Matthew. That is priceless! Now throw some Woody Harrelson in there too.

  16. paranormalgirl says:

    I love patchouli and it smells really good on me. I use an all natural deodorant that’s a little patchouli and bergamot scented. It works and the scent is really very mild. Why can’t she just find something like that?

    • InvaderTak says:

      Because she’s more interested in the statement then actually making it work. I too use essential oil to perfume my scentless hippie dippie hair products, but it smells lovely and light. (Lemon and lavender with a touch of tea tree if anyone’s interested ) I use them as an air freshener too. But you have to do it right. I might be reading it wrong, but from the article it sounds like she put the essential oil directly on her skin. That’s a big no in eo use. And yes if she’s doing that it’s going to smell strong, stain (oils do not come out of frabrics easy and some are colored) and possibly damage her skin. You need very little of it to work, and you have to let it diffuse for it to smell properly. She sounds like she’s into all natural et al because it’s cool first, and then good for the earth. She needs to do some more research.

      • jwoolman says:

        She probably is using a carrier oil. The person quoted was just being sloppy saying she rubbed the essential oils on her skin. The essential oils are just the part that carry the fragrance.

    • jwoolman says:

      Sorry, but patchouli makes me gag and bergamot is a good cat repellant, as I accidentally discovered one day. I had used it for some forgotten therapeutic reason in one spot on my neck, and the cat came up to me, sniffed, made an awful face, and ran off. All evening she kept coming back periodically to check if it was gone!

      Anyway- just because you like a scent doesn’t guarantee that all around you will feel the same. May I suggest peppermint or cinnamon? 🙂

      • e says:

        i would suggest something milder. cinnamon can be extremely painful on the skin, if not diluted enough. peppermint can be uncomfortable also. some oils may seem mild enough, but like grapefruit essential oil, can burn the skin slightly if one goes out in the sun. i have read that only lavender, rose, and jasmine essential oil should be directly on the skin without a carrier oil.

  17. wow says:

    I was rooting for this girl, but alas she is coming off as yet another “try too hard”. Plus now apparently she reeks. Yuck! She must read “Goop” because she is starting to sound just like her. And smell like her as well.

  18. Pandy says:

    I doubt that traditional perfumes and body creams are any easier to wash out of a gown than her essential oils. My hubby sprays his cologne (JP Gaultier, not cheap stuff) on his clothes more so than his neck and I still smell it after it’s been washed and put through the dryer with Bounce.

    • jwoolman says:

      Exactly. Perfume and artificial fragrance gets deep into clothes. A perfumed friend wore my scarf very briefly and I had to air it out on the clothesline for weeks in the dead of winter. Even casual clothing from any perfumed person’s closet is saturated and requires multiple washes in baking soda and sometimes months of airing out on the line (I tend to be dressed by eBay). I even have to keep paper money and an occasional bill in a bag with activated charcoal, since perfume travels along the skin and the wearer leaves it on everything they touch (paper retains the scent as well as cloth). So I doubt very much that essential oils would be worse (although at least I wouldn’t be bothered by them!).

    • Isadora says:

      This. My (rescue) cat was with a foster family before she came to me and they used some kind of scented laundry detergent. I swear the poor animal smelled like detergent for two solid weeks. It was offensive to me, I can only imagine what it was like for an animal like her with a much better sense of smell.

      But most people become kind of resistant to strong chemical smells like that. I use only unscented detergent because I tend to get allergies from the chemical stuff and therefore I notice it much more than them.

  19. Mimz says:

    i’m sorry she’s dumb.
    All this wording is code for “I don’t shower” and that’s disgusting, that’s not being “environmentally friendly” that’s being disgusting to be around. As a Fashion Design student it irks me that someone would be so inconsiderate with my work lol…
    I barely saw one of her movies and I already dislike her and her stink.

  20. j.eyre says:

    I am neutral on Ms. Woodley – she says many things that make me laugh (at, not with) and I have rolled my eyes on occasion but overall, I don’t get upset or enthralled by her.

    However, I really like her quote “I don’t care about fashion. I have a stylist that does care about fashion and tells me what to wear. I own 3 t-shirts.” – I think this is the best reason to have a stylist and it is a good reasons for stylists to be around. It shows Ms. Woodley is savvy enough to know dressing the part is important and that it is not her strong suit (pun may have been intended.) From what I have seen here, she does not phone it in, she wears the clothes well and shows them in a good light on the carpets so good for her- and good for her stylist.

  21. Size Does Matter says:

    I never really thought about how she smells, but I guess it’s a shame all the free spirited hippie harmlessness has more of a mushroom scent rather than clover. Icky.

  22. Tania says:

    It’s a business. In the same way that she realizes she has to get glammed up for events, wearing makeup or hair products she normally would not use, she also needs to ensure that she is clean and will not soil the dresses being lent to her. If that means a swipe of antiperspirant, so be it. This is business.

  23. pantanlones en fuego says:

    Two things:

    1) Just because she doesn’t wear conventional deodorant doesn’t necessarily mean that she stinks.
    2) I would think that white cakey commercial deodorant would damage expensive fabrics more than natural or no deodorant.

    But what do I know? My wardrobe is from ModCloth and Old Navy. :p

    • Tessy says:

      I remember reading once that the workers painting the cars on the manufacturing line were told not to wear deodorant because the white cakey stuff would drop off them as they sweated and ruin the paint.

      There are natural non-chemical deodorants that are as effective and not harmful. But you still have to bathe or at least wash once in awhile.

  24. Aly says:

    I believe this 1000%

    My little sister is the exact same way. All natural, bathes once a week (if were lucky) and barely washes her dreads. Instead of bathing she rubs essential oils on her body. By body I mostly mean arm pits, and the smell is horrifying. Just a gross mixture of bad Bo and lavender oils.

    I’m sure Shailene is the same way. Just looking at her i imagine she smells disgusting, no matter how many fancy dresses you put her in.

  25. Yellowshaba says:

    I doubt that she smells I make my own deodorant and my beauty products too and never smell or been told that i do. I commend her for her idealisms and yes her methods arent mainstream but im on her page and its refreshing to hear about clay and oil pulling rather than conformist nonsense. You go shailene

    • Isadora says:

      Plus how many people that actually use commercial deodorant stink nonetheless? I don’t have a car and use public transport all the time and it’s quite suffocating at times.

  26. Lina says:

    Well I must be an exception then, the only reason I stopped ruining my clothes because of commercial deodorant was homemade deodorant with essential oils and the like. And no I don’t ruin my clothes and I don’t smell-I know because I’ve asked the one person that isn’t shy to tell you when you stink, my mother.

  27. tealily says:

    I’ll bet that her lack of hair washing etc. is why it’s growing so quickly!

  28. Katija says:

    Hope she’s using a carrier oil! My earth-mama friend is an essential oil fanatic too. They’re actually NOT MEANT to be applied straight to the skin – mix that shizz with coconut or jojoba oil, AKA a carrier oil. You won’t smell overwhelming and it will actually soak into your skin.

  29. Mean Hannah says:

    I don’t wear any deodorant – though I have used them here and there in my teens and twenties. I don’t smell – and in fact, I’m told I smell nice quite frequently, after hugging people. I feel like deodorant is an American thing and most people I know who grew up in other countries aren’t so fixated on deodorant and BO. I think deodorant stains, perfume and body lotion scents, etc. are far harder to remove – and to me, nothing is worse than cooked in (by washing, drying, dry ckeaning, and ironing) deodorant stain and scent, mingled with body odor, left on clothes.

    You know when I smell? When I skip a shower or gain some weight.

  30. lambert says:

    There are plenty of deodorants that are environmentally friendly and are not commercial that work. She should try some of those.

  31. Jag says:

    It is possible to make your own beauty products and not stink to high heaven. There are natural deodorants out there, as well as recipes for making them yourself. (I don’t use deodorant with aluminum in it because my grandmother died from Alzheimer’s and I don’t want to ever go down that same road. No, I don’t use tin foil or eat things from aluminum cans, either,)

    It’s possible to help save the world without making everyone around you wear a gas mask. You just have to research and either buy or make appropriate products. (Dr. Bronner’s organic liquid castille soap in lavender, and also organic virgin coconut oil, forever!) 🙂

  32. Karl says:

    Ironic, since she’s the main star in DETERGENT franchise.

  33. E-v-E says:

    she’s kind of a Lawrence-Portman hybrid with a dash of McCounaghey, isn’t she? 😀 I think I’ve only seen her in some indie flicks and she striked me as a good actress, maybe even more than JLaw ever did and I find her more likabe despite crazy press she’s getting. Dunno.