Is it normal that i smell...

I smell them to make sure it doesn't reek and other people can notice.

Why would you want to put that near your nose and mouth?

I mean it's bad enough the deodorant ones stink already - and that's just from an arm's length away.

I think it's absolutely normal. You're just probably curious about the smell of your pad or tampon.

Personally I used to small mine because I was worried about if people around me would be able to smell it if I didn't change the tampon frequently. It may be awkward but it's alright to do. And I used to smell the unused tampons before I inserted them because some of them had some funny fragrances.