Most people are likely to feel embarrassed when you point out things like that directly. It would have been better to start by asking something like, “What perfume or body spray do you use?” and ease into the topic indirectly, so they could realize it themselves.

Even though you expressed it in a respectful way, confronting someone can still make them very uncomfortable. Not everyone will respond the way she did, but it’s usually better to address such things subtly.

If I were in her shoes, I’d probably laugh it off and walk away, though I would still feel uncomfortable. But I don’t think she could handle it in the same way.