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Which Scents Define You?

Last night I watched an unusual and captivating movie called Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I love historical mysteries and as this movie was based on Patrick Suskind’s Das Parfum, I thought this might be right up my alley. With the exception of one scene I could have done without, it was. Try to imagine a combination of Les Miserables and a Hannibal Lecterish physiological, serial killer-type thriller (without Dr. Lecter’s penchant for eating people). I was especially impressed with the camera work, which brought both the noxious and luxurious scents of 18^th century Paris. And I love the costumes of that time period too! Now, I only recommend this film if you can handle a mixture of the seductive, disturbing, and extremely creepy.

Regardless of the fact that I had already stayed up way past my bedtime, I started thinking about the individuality of scent. From our perfumes to our lotions to our shampoo, we like very distinct smells. Even the candles we light can vary dependent on the season or our mood. We also tend to change our favorite scents from time to time. For example, I wore Anais Anias for years and then, without any reason, decided that it wasn’t the smell I wanted to define me.

So let’s trade the perfumes, colognes, and lotions that we’ve used for years. The olfactory hints that remind others of us. What does your pillowcase smell like? Your clothes? Your hair? The center of your wrist? Here are my favorites:

Perfume – Happy by Clinique (it really buoys my spirit and smells fresh, light, and festive)
Lotion – Moisturizers with a hint of aloe
Cleaning Products – Lemon or orange scented dish soap and air fresheners
Flowers – Gardenias. I just melt over the smell!
Food – An apple crisp cooking in the oven during autumn
Candle – Any of the triple fragrances by Virginia Candle Company. If you enjoy layers of scent, check out this website!

How about you? What scents would you fill in?

(And thanks to all of those who answered my poll about buying books last week. You really allowed me to sigh with relief over not having a Facebook page! I really appreciate your feedback)

14 Responses to “Which Scents Define You?”

The problem these days is to find at least a few unscented products so all the perfumes don’t clash. You really have to hunt for a neutral laundry detergent.

Perfume: Arpege, for decades.
Flowers: hyacinths in the spring–amazing
Food: anything baking, with or without apples

by Sheila Connolly on February 16th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I agree with Sheila. Some products are so heavily scented that they are overpowering. I love the scents that have a hint of vanilla in them, or a baby powder smell.

Perfume: Shalimar
Lotion: Cashmere
Flowers: roses, hyacinths, purple petunias
Food: cinnamony smells, baking bread

by Kate on February 16th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Everything unscented - except food, of course - for me. I have allergies to the chemicals used in scents. I do wish people who use strong scents would realize that a little goes a loooooooooooong way.

Cheer free - liquid - wonderful!

by Karen B on February 16th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Good point, Karen. I believe that if your scent is literally leaving a trail behind you, you’re wearing way too much. I rad an article by a woman who creates perfumes and she says that a dab on each wrist, at the center of the collarbone, and one in her hair (hair retains scent longer) are all that you need. Any more beyond that is killing the purpose of the perfume and aggravating the olfactory abilities of those around you. I totally agree with that.

by JB on February 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Ah, I love hyacinths. We should be seeing some in about 6 weeks or so. Can y’all believe how early Easter is this year?

by JB on February 16th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I agree, JB. Perfume is best when lightly scented. I know that I can’t stay in the “Scent-a-rama” stores for very long. All those scents from sprays, body washes, candles, lotions, soaps, etc seem to rise up in a huge could of “Strong Smell.” No longer scent. They’ve morphed into “smell.” If I stay in those stores too long, I’ll get a headache.

by Maggie on February 16th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Fun blog topic, JB! Here are my favorite scents:

Perfume- For everyday, Warm Vanilla Sugar or Coconut Lime Verbena Body Splash by Bath & Body Works. For evenings & special occasions I wear Oscar by Oscar de la Renta & lately Sunset Heat by Escada.

Lotion- Matching B&BW scents & industrial strength lotions with aloe for dry skin–did however use a coupon recently for Jergen’s Original Scent Lotion, on sale at WalMart. Smells like cherries and almonds and reminds me of one of my favorite aunts!

Cleaning Products-Lemon, Orange & Pine

Flowers-Gardenias, Freesias, Roses, Daffodils, Magnolia Blossoms, Peonies. Love fresh flowers.

Food- Apple Cinnamon/Vanilla baking aromas; but my kitchen smells most often of garlic, onions & ginger! (I’ve been on a ginger kick of late)

Candles (& Potpourri) - Depends on the mood & occasion, but we mostly use Creme Brulee, Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon or Gardenia, made by a local company called Country Creek Candles. I often make my own potpourri, using their scented oils. Smells wonderful!

by Texas Lynn on February 16th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
JB, Happy is my favorite, too. Wear it all the time.

Love grape hyacinths, roses, cinnamon, vanilla, and garlic, too. Mmm.

by Heather on February 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Oh, and I LOVE the scent of a Subway store.

by Heather on February 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I think I’m a perfume junkie. If only you caould see my bathroom cabinet! My fav of the moment is Mary Kay’s Bella Belara. Runner up is Mary Kay’s Affection (did you guess that I’m Heather’s “debbie?”). BUT…..the list goes on….with Calvin Klein’s Eternity, Oscar’s Volupte, Nina Ricci’s L’Air de Temps and let’s not forget about Liz’s White Diamonds, which is my ALL time fav. Don’t even get me started on the B&BW collection!

I love love love the scent of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.mmmmmmm

The cleaning products must be of some citrus variety and the candles now are Mandarin Cranberry and Clean Cotton.

I also, oddly enough, love the smell of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the local Chinese Take-out store as I drive by.

Now I’m hungry……….

by debbie on February 16th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
JB,

I just got an e-mail the other day saying Clinique is coming to QVC. As for me:

# Perfume – Floral scents are my favorite, but I also have a baby powder perfume and chocolate perfume I love. If I weren’t boycotting Bath and Body Works at the moment, I’d be shopping there like crazy. I can spend hours in there and come out smelling like a little bit of everything. I never spend less than $50 when I go there.
# Lotion – Suave Exhale or Bare Escentuals Bare Lavender. They are the only two that don’t make me want to wash my hands the second I put it on.
# Cleaning Products – Swiffer dusters, Febreze air freshener, the new Shout set-in stain remover, and Tide to Go
# Flowers – Roses and calla lilies
# Food – seafood (especially crab, lobster, and shrimp), bruschetta, and even though it’s technically not a food, I’m loving those Life Waters and Vitamin Waters at the moment as well as V8 fusion.

by Traci on February 17th, 2008 at 1:34 am
And I forgot about Dior’s Poison, though I rarely wear that one.

And Swiffer Wet Jet, Tide to Go pens, school supplies, pumpkin picking, pink sweetheart carnations, daisies and tacos.

by debbie on February 18th, 2008 at 9:14 am
The best perfume, to me, is NONE AT ALL.
I am so sensitized, so sensitive, to airborne anything that the fragrance of a stranger’s perfume hits me over the head and ruins my day.
Fortunately, the chorus I sing in has other people like me and it has a rule: no scents at all.

These things come in like poison gas and spin around and I find I must leave the room or the car or the elevator or whatever lest I lose consciousness.

I don’t understand this passion for scents. I can understand the cookie fragrance, and its feel-good time travel effect, but the synthetic odors are toxic to me. Literally.

And I wish people would be more scents-itive about this, because it affects many of us.

Now, if they could make some of those products on QVC WITHOUT the darn odors in them, like those candles, for instance, I’d buy them.

Wait a minute. Good thing they don’t.

by Carol-Lynn on February 19th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Saw Perfume recently, well done in general, good character building, the story moves along at a good pace… it says a lot about human nature as well.

by patrick on February 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Which Scents Define You?

14 Responses to “Which Scents Define You?”

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