The smell from an e-cig depends on the flavor of the juice. There are hundreds of different flavors. Strawberry smells like strawberry. Snozberry smells like snozberry. Menthol smells like mint. Usually the smell is not even very strong. With some flavors you could blow vapor right into someone's face and they wouldn't be able to smell it. Others are stronger. I personally have not come across a flavor which smelled "downright terrible." More often than not the smell is pleasant.

Source: Vaping on my Lavatube right now with Spa Day juice.