Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > Yesterday, on the davana thread, I saw so many different opinions on > the same scent it amazed me. This board is full of scent specialists! > Yet even among specialists, there's such a huge range of perception. On > person's fruity delight is another's burnt tire. I am now wondering if > the more we smell, the more refine our own senses, do we inadvertently > become too bold and daring with our scent blends? > > When I think back to before I was particularly interested in scents, > most of the EO that I love today would have shocked me with their > pungency. Am I shocking people with my pungency when I wear some of > these eo blended into scents? I'm curious what more experienced > perfumers think of this and how they blend to compensate for it. > The most universally-liked odors are said to be citrus and musk, but there is no fragrant oil liked by absolutely everyone. It always surprised me to find that, in a class of 20 or so aromatherapy students, one or two would not like rose otto, and one or two would not like jasmine. Our likes and dislikes are influenced by many factors, some personal (such as associations), some cultural, some genetic. They can of course change to an extent with mood, diet etc., and I think you are right in suggesting that our perception of an odor can also change from the experience of habitually using essential oils. In a way we should try to get beyond our personal preferences, and try to see the fragrant potential of any essential oil or absolute. There have been a lot of discussions here about animal and fecal smells that address exactly this point, and of course how you dilute something, and how you blend it can make a huge difference. In a way, that's the whole game. Suggestion, expectation and contect do actually make a difference to our perception of smells. People who could not see the source of the odour tended to find fresh hyacinth flowers unpleasant (metallic), but when they could see what they were smelling...We often have a preconceived idea of what we are about to smell - what it will smell like, and whether we will like it. Smelling without expectation is harder than we might think. Whether we perceive smells in exactly the same way is an interesting question. Essential oils contain many chemicals, and because of genetic differences, most of us probably have a few specific anosmias - chemicals that we just can't smell. This will have an effect on how we perceive an essential oil containing such a constituent. But, in the end, some people just don't like some smells. Tisserand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 From: " helenae02 " <helenae@...> snip On person's fruity delight is another's burnt tire. I am now wondering if the more we smell, the more refine our own senses, do we inadvertently become too bold and daring with our scent blends? When I think back to before I was particularly interested in scents, most of the EO that I love today would have shocked me with their pungency. Am I shocking people with my pungency when I wear some of these eo blended into scents? I'm curious what more experienced perfumers think of this and how they blend to compensate for it. Hello there, I try to make scents that are for a wide range of tastes. My Nirodhaha parfum roll on and Divine Essence 3 are resinous and meditative. Some people love that and others go no that is not for me. Chantelle is an all white flower parfum..Most people love it as it is light and floral..... Divine Essence 2 is a coriander, lime, bay rum etc combination that you would think would be for men.....many , many women buy this one and wear it........ What I am saying is I have given up on trying to pinpoint what people like or dislike or what they will wear. Most people tell me they don't want the over powering stink......hence some of my fragrances are lighter. I recently have made The French Collection and the Royal Collection available in edp for the people who like a stronger scent and in a spray. Every perfumer has their own style and their own tastes. We are all different in our creations. We have people who follow us like people follow Hermes and buy all of their scents... I personally grew up with a Mother wearing Youth Dew. She reeked most of the time. She loved it and that was her personality...I therefore prefer Chanel 5, Coco Chanel, or Joy...Obsession and Ysatis were my favorites... The point is we are all different and our point of reference and nose detects things that are unique to us. Smokers often don't have the same sense of smell....women and men have a different sense of smell. Studies have shown us that we don't perceive things the same. I grew up with a French father who loved stinky cheese etc. Most people can't stand that smell......It is really what you get used to...Good analogy regarding fine wine. I have belonged to wine societys and have tasted all kinds of wine...You certainly do develop your palate and nose. That is the beauty of this art. Just make what you love......their is a buyer for the heavy base scents, the light florals, and everything in between.....Just do it....create from your heart...and enjoy the journey. Regards, JoAnne Le Bijou, a natural perfume boutique http://www.JoAnneBassett.com Bassett Aromatherapy products http://www.AromaWorld.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > There's another possible explination. I use essential oils a lot for emotional healing and have found fairly consistently that if someone really needs > the properties of a given oil they don't always like it. Maybe it's that they have some resistance to what they need? All I know is that if a person > needs something, they tend to be one extreme or the other loving it or hating and 95 percent of the time if they hate it, there's a bit of foot dragging > going on. Once they deal with the issue, they like or even love the oil. > > I've had people swear I swapped oils because they couldn't get over the difference in their reaction. Not only had I not, it was the same bottle. Hiya Beth, I have to agree with you. With rose otto in particular (which Tisserand also mentioned), I believe that rose is a real heart opener. It can make a person cry if they are not careful, especially if there is a lot of underlying emotional anguish, particularly of a sexual nature. I have let a few female aquaintances of mine smell rose otto, and have watched as they recoil instantly as if they were smelling something very offensive. Each one of these women had issues around sexual abuse as children or young women. I came to the conclusion that if they really got into the smell the flood gates might open and they are unconsciously afraid they will not be able to handle the fallout. Of course this is a theory and I don't know how it could ever be proven. Another theory of mine was that these particular women had never smelled real essences and their olfactory systems were all messed up. Ruth http://www.whitewitch.ie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > There's another possible explination. I use essential oils a lot for emotional healing and have found fairly consistently that if someone really needs > the properties of a given oil they don't always like it. Maybe it's that they have some resistance to what they need? All I know is that snip I used to teach 6 different Aromatherapy classes and blending classes....Inevitably someone would not want to work with a scent. In a blending class I would let them pick essential oils from a box so they could not see the labels. A person would pick an oil and look at it and say no without ever opening the bottle. They sometimes would choose the same oil 3 times. I would tell them to take a look at this oil and what the oil is indicated for. As Ruth wrote it may be an emotional thing..... Often it was an inner child or some other issue that was buried and they liked it that way... I also have had the 80 something woman who smells Eucalyptus and recalls the trees when she was growing up. It is a pleasant response... Like Beth I have seen total love or total hate for an oil. Myself I have experienced dislike or revulsion for an oil from India...later I discover it isn't so bad and start liking it. I meditated on this and discovered it reminded me of a cough syrup medicine my parents forced me to take..the choking response was directly related..The memories are always still hidden inside...good or bad. We also have many people who have never smelled a real rose oil and they immediately have an opinion that they don't like rose. I tell them this is different and just try it. It is amazing when they smell the difference between the synth rose and the real thing....Preconceived notions ....... Enjoy the emotional full moon in Cancer.......... JoAnne Le Bijou, a natural perfume boutique http://www.JoAnneBassett.com Bassett Aromatherapy products http://www.AromaWorld.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > When I was younger, my first sniff of patchouli was pure wonder. I > wondered how something so utterly rank smelling could be so beloved by > so many. A whiff of it made me feel almost lightheaded from the potency. > Today, patchouli is one of my favorites. <snip> > > Of course, everyone has different taste, or there wouldn't be such a > proliferation of scents on the market. The question that I wonder, is > that the more 'educated' our noses become, do we lose touch with the > average person's nose? My biggest concern is that the more experienced > I get, the more varied and distinctive my taste becomes. Can this > become offensive to the public at large? There's another possible explination. I use essential oils a lot for emotional healing and have found fairly consistently that if someone really needs the properties of a given oil they don't always like it. Maybe it's that they have some resistance to what they need? All I know is that if a person needs something, they tend to be one extreme or the other loving it or hating and 95 percent of the time if they hate it, there's a bit of foot dragging going on. Once they deal with the issue, they like or even love the oil. I've had people swear I swapped oils because they couldn't get over the difference in their reaction. Not only had I not, it was the same bottle. So maybe when you first smelled patchouli you were struggling with, well, for lack of a better term, a patchouli issue. Once that issue was gone, you loved it. Same with the geranium hater, though I do tend to find that a little geranium goes a long way. One spray I make contains geranium and it has to sit a few days for the blend to mellow otherwise the geranium is overwhelming. If a person consistently dislikes something, that's a different story. It's just preference. Same way if you like one supplier's version of something or one particular species and not another. But if they alternately hate and love the same bottle of lavender, there may be something else going on. Just a thought. Beth -- " Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. " - Belva " It's kind of fun to do the impossible. " -- Walt Disney " Live every day as if it were your last, because one of these days, it will be. " -- Schwartz " If you can DREAM it, you CAN do it. Always remember, this whole thing was started by a mouse. " -- Walt Disney " You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however. " -- From Illusions by Bach Clicking on http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com helps abandoned and abused animals at no cost to you. ComicSutra http://www.comicsutra.com http://www.elizabethmorgan.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 --- JoAnne@... wrote: I would tell them to take a look at this oil > and what the oil is > indicated for. As Ruth wrote it may be an emotional > thing..... > > Often it was an inner child or some other issue that > was buried and they > liked it that way... > > Like Beth I have seen total love or total hate for > an oil. Myself I have > experienced dislike or revulsion for an oil from > India...later I discover it > isn't so bad and start liking it. I meditated on > this and discovered it > reminded me of a cough syrup medicine my parents > forced me to take..the > choking response was directly related..The memories > are always still hidden > inside...good or bad. > Enjoy the emotional full moon in Cancer.......... > JoAnne When I finally figured out my dislike of tuberose was because it reminded me of the lilies in the room when my mom was dying of cancer, I was suddenly able to let go of my negative association and begin to enjoy tuberose. Ruth had just written her lovely description of tuberose absolute and she mentioned the lily note and it hit me. I put a smidge of tuberose abs. on a scent strip and carried it around and just kind of lived with it for a while. I still don't love tuberose, but I'm able to appreciate it more. __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > I have to agree with you. With rose otto in particular (which > Tisserand also mentioned), I believe that rose is a real heart opener. It is -- or at least that's the concensus among folks doing emotional work with essential oils. > It can make a person cry if they are not careful, especially if there > is a lot of underlying emotional anguish, particularly of a sexual > nature. I have let a few female aquaintances of mine smell rose otto, > and have watched as they recoil instantly as if they were smelling > something very offensive. Each one of these women had issues around > sexual abuse as children or young women. I came to the conclusion that > if they really got into the smell the flood gates might open and they > are unconsciously afraid they will not be able to handle the fallout. Yup, I've seen that several times, too, both with rose otto alone and some blends incorporating it for release/healing work. > Of course this is a theory and I don't know how it could ever be > proven. Lots of people in a survey? > Another theory of mine was that these particular women had > never smelled real essences and their olfactory systems were all > messed up. That's possible, too! The other thing I tend to find with rose otto is that people who are very sensitive psychically can't always handle it even if there is no abuse in their background. Rose otto supposedly has a very high vibration so I suspect it overloads them. I love it and jasmine -- but they're hard on my wallet. :-) I've also found a possible correlation between people who have no sense smell (I mean long term, not short term due to a cold or sinus problem) and severe denial or emotional blockage. One friend of mine said " they don't want to smell their own emotional shit. " :-) Beth -- " Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. " - Belva " It's kind of fun to do the impossible. " -- Walt Disney " Live every day as if it were your last, because one of these days, it will be. " -- Schwartz " If you can DREAM it, you CAN do it. Always remember, this whole thing was started by a mouse. " -- Walt Disney " You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however. " -- From Illusions by Bach Clicking on http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com helps abandoned and abused animals at no cost to you. ComicSutra http://www.comicsutra.com http://www.elizabethmorgan.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 <The epiphany was just how different my sense of smell has become over the years, since I started playing with EO. When I was younger, my first sniff of patchouli was pure wonder. I wondered how something so utterly rank smelling could be so beloved by so many. A whiff of it made me feel almost lightheaded from the potency. Today, patchouli is one of my favorites. I can sniff a really old patchouli and go into spasms of ecstasy. It's so round, smooth, earthy, etc etc. My scent taste has done a lot of changing, and I attribute it to having better educated my nose.> I've had the same experience. I was not impressed with either ylang ylang or clary sage, I thought they smelled really dry. I love both of them now. There have been others that I didn't like at first too. But I find that my " pallette " just keeps expanding and expanding, especially since I have been experiencing newer essences, a lot within the last month! <Of course, everyone has different taste, or there wouldn't be such a proliferation of scents on the market. The question that I wonder, is that the more 'educated' our noses become, do we lose touch with the average person's nose? My biggest concern is that the more experienced I get, the more varied and distinctive my taste becomes. Can this become offensive to the public at large?> I've been concerned about this too. While my tastes are wide and varied in the scent department, and I think this just basically comes from the fact that I love scent(and this goes for taste for me as well), so I like all kinds of scents. In art too, I like all kinds of colors. I think when you get into some arena, you get into that arena and a lot of its c0mponents and aspects. That being said, I think the average person is not generally experienced with the wide variety of experiences of scent, taste, color, etc. Especially when it comes to scent I think people are SO used to the synths, real stuff just smells too " real " to them. But in general, I find most people like my blends(its usually essences on their own that people sometimes have issues with). __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > >.....Of course, everyone has different taste, or there wouldn't be such a proliferation of scents on the market. The question that I wonder, is that the more 'educated' our noses become, do we lose touch with the average person's nose? My biggest concern is that the more experienced I get, the more varied and distinctive my taste becomes. Can this become offensive to the public at large? Perfumes are unlike other connoisseur items. A fine wine, a gorgeous cuban cigar, a breathtaking abstract painting are items appreciated from the privacy of solitude or among like-minded connoisseurs. Perfumes are to be displayed, shown off in public, flaunted before all within the scent radius. Perfumes cause people to react, both negatively and positively, it assaults the senses or it soothes them. Yesterday, on the davana thread, I saw so many different opinions on the same scent it amazed me. This board is full of scent specialists! Yet even among specialists, there's such a huge range of perception. On person's fruity delight is another's burnt tire. I am now wondering if the more we smell, the more refine our own senses, do we inadvertently become too bold and daring with our scent blends? When I think back to before I was particularly interested in scents, most of the EO that I love today would have shocked me with their pungency. Am I shocking people with my pungency when I wear some of these eo blended into scents? .......> I have thought about this a lot as well. I did come to the conclusion, that whatever I decide I want to wear in natural perfume, couldn't possibly as offensive as what is often displayed in public. First, it's just not as loud. Not long ago, I moved away from a really, really offensive scent in a store -the bottle it came out of most likely claimed it as perfume. I had to employ far sight to spot the source, since I wasn't able to get too close-never saw the face of the lady, only a general outline, then tried to estimate the distance where I wouldn't smell it anymore -had to be at least 40 feet, but it still came through. This is not a joke or something made up. we're all familiar with incidents like that. Natural Perfumes just don't do that. Ever. That is what some feel is a down of natural perfumery. So you can relax with whatever you love, because much like music, food, clothing and all of the personal things, it really IS personal. As long as you like it, feel comfortable, use it in moderation (I guess anything can be used in excess, even natural perfumes) then all is well. Not everyone will like it, some will love it, but it's something shared in private, not forced on others. Music being one of the best examples - loud enough to hear and enjoy, not loud enough to force others to listen to it, you can listen to whatever you like. Yes, being involved in natural scents changes you forever -for the better. Just like using almost only herbal treatment, results -for me, as well as someone I know- in a really low tolerance for synthetic medications. Whenever this is inevitable, I sound the alarm, making sure it's understood and in the records. I think this all leads back to vibrations again. We resonate with nature, get numbed by too many chemicals. Much like the difference of sound on a mass produced plastic instrument compared to good wood and expert workmanship. ne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 > Yet even among specialists, there's such a huge range of perception. On > person's fruity delight is another's burnt tire. I'd rather go with the burnt tire, LOL! > I am now wondering if > the more we smell, the more refine our own senses, do we inadvertently > become too bold and daring with our scent blends? There were a few interesting points raised in this discussion (and thank you, Helena, for bringing it up!). First of all - Yes, we do refine our sense of smell the more we work with the materials and get to know them. I can now tell the difference between synthetic jasmine or rose to the real material (something I wasn't really aware of before I became perfumer), and not only that - oils from different sources, different vintages, different distillation processes smell completely different. Personally, I don't have that many scents that I truly dislike. Just a few (and most of them are not among my building blocks anyways) - the oils I find really hard to work with are tomato leaf absolute and angelica. Very sharp green to the point of sickening. Now, I doubt that this means I *need* these for my well being (emotional or other). They really make me sick. Either because of conditioning (both remind me of fainting - or rather " seeing black " and this happened quite often to me - in the terrible sun while working in the garden as a young girl, and the scent of particularly stinky weeds and green fava been which makes me nauseous to this day) or because perhaps they are exactly what my body doesn't need. It is known that aromatherapy synergies and notes are more effective when they also are perceived as pleasant to the person that is trying to get healed. So I am sorry but I can't buy that Now, as for intensity (i.e.: the intensity of essential oils and perfumes) - I have to agree. I think that the layman would perceive these, for the most part, as very strong. Most people's olfactory bulb also gets fatigued faster than mine. That's why we need patience with people who are not accustomed to the scents. Perhaps diluting them in oil rather than alcohol for testing would be better than inhaling them straight with all their force (for custom-work)? Regarding patchouli, which was brought up several times - I was never a real fan of the scent (nor was I one of the haters either), but now that I have acquired some amazing patchouli oils - particularly aged patchouli (from Aftelier) and the many varieties that Eden Botanical offers (my favourites being the dark and the iron free), and White Lotus' patchouli absolute - these are incredible and rich and complex and so different from the patchouli essential oil you find in most aromatherapy and health food stores! Ayala Sender www.AyalaMoriel.com www.SmellyBlog.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 On Jan 3, 2007, at 11:57 PM, Ayala Sender wrote: > Personally, I don't have that many scents that I truly dislike. Just a > few (and most of them are not among my building blocks anyways) - the > oils I find really hard to work with are tomato leaf absolute and > angelica. Very sharp green to the point of sickening. > > Now, I doubt that this means I *need* these for my well being > (emotional or other). They really make me sick. Either because of > conditioning (both remind me of fainting - or rather " seeing black " > and this happened quite often to me - in the terrible sun while > working in the garden as a young girl, and the scent of particularly > stinky weeds and green fava been which makes me nauseous to this day) About a zillion years ago the Gap introduced a line of mono-scents that they presented as 'pure' and 'natural' and which were sleekly marketed in plain, frosted glass bottles, etc etc. They had a fragrance which I think was called 'Grass' and which was a synthetic version of the smell of newly-mown grass. It smelled like newly-mown grass, fairly, and I had a coworker who wore it in vast, choking quantities to the office each day. He just loved the stuff, and used to spray it on himself repeatedly throughout the day (thinking that because *he* could no longer smell it that the rest of us could not). He once came over and offered to spray me with it and I told him not to. I took the opportunity to explain to him that for unknown reasons, probably buried in my primal years, the smell of newly-mown grass was very, very upsetting to me (I still don't know why) and so if he could tone it down I would really appreciate it. The next morning he approached me with the little spray bottle and actually sprayed me with it several times and told me that he was sure that if *I* wore such a wonderful smell I'd feel great! He said 'Why would anyone not like this smell? It's pure and natural and wholesome and it's supposed to make everyone feel good, and centered - " (shpritz shpritz). I started to get dizzy, and just before I lost consciousness I managed to find a chair and sit down before I fainted. The next thing I knew, as I came to, the entire office had gathered around. The boss told my coworker not to spray perfume on anyone anymore, and furthermore, he should not wear the grass fragrance to work anymore because he had overdone it so much that everyone was revolted by it. My co-worker complied, but for weeks afterwards he kept muttering 'there's nothing wrong with such a nice, pure, natural fragrance...I'm sure you would really love it but just aren't letting yourself believe how much you like it...' blah blah blah, and that the fainting was surely not due to the smell - 'I mean, how could a smell make you faint!!?' I don't think he ever understood how powerfully - and unpleasantly, or even terrifyingly - evocative a smell could be, and that the strong smells we smelled at the time of a trauma could ever be the trigger to unlock the horror of it all again. He will probably never know exactly what it was that he did to me by coming at me with that spray bottle that day. *I'm* not even sure either, but I do know that it did not do anything at all to release me from whatever this unknown terrifying association with the smell of newly-cut grass is. To this day, the smell of newly-mown grass - artificial or real - still disturbs me to the point where my heart races. I haven't fainted from it since then, but then no one has come at me with a spray bottle of it since then either. This coworker (long since gone from my work environment, thankfully) also could not understand that just because *he* loved the smell of something didn't mean that everyone else would. I think he was truly astonished by my reaction to what he felt was a perfectly innocent act - I don't think he was malicious about it at all, but he certainly was none too insightful, either... Feh! alfred in San Francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I think the reason scents can cause some unusual - even violent - reactions from people is because the sense of smell is the only sense that is experienced entirely inside your own head. We interpret all our senses from past experiences inside our minds, but they can be shared with others, and the experience can be affected by those around us (see a movie that isn't so funny and you will find yourself at least smiling from everyone else's laughter; listen to music with people and the experience will be different than if you listened alone; enjoy food with good company; touch another,etc). When we smell, we do so truly alone. Nobody can share the smell with you. They can smell the same thing but will not experience it the same as you. And we can never find exactly the right words to explain what we experience when we smell something. It remains forever an internal, lonely experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 " that the more 'educated' our noses become, do we lose touch with the average person's nose? " Hi ne, You have certainly hit that nail on the head. Perfumers, in general, are not used in market anaysis for scented products because they have largely lost the like/dislike hedonic response to scents that the public at large has. In my NP classes I ask particpants to try to put aside their personal hedonic preferences to the scents and look at them as keys on a piano or paints on a palette. Eventually, some of them come around and understand that one person's stink bomb is another's scented slice of heaven. Gradually, novice scent crafters learn that all of the scents in NP have a place somewhere for someone. My best wishes for a healthy and happy 2007 for all my fellow/sister NP travellers. Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 [cut and paste] When we smell, we do so truly alone. Nobody can share the smell with you. They can smell the same thing but will not experience it the same as you. And we can never find exactly the right words to explain what we experience when we smell something. It remains forever an internal, lonely experience. This talk about our sense of smell reminded me of a book I really enjoyed: son's Organ: And the Remarkable Nature of Smell by Lyall . It is full of wonderful info, scientific and eclectic , and a joy to read. Nelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 --- alfred <uruziam@...> wrote: They had > a fragrance which I > think was called 'Grass' and which was a synthetic > version of the smell > of newly-mown grass. It smelled like newly-mown > grass, fairly, and I > had a coworker who wore it in vast, choking > quantities to the office > each day. Alfred, I probably shouldn't admit this, but I used to kind of like Gap Grass back in the day! It was a guilty pleasure-- like Twinkies or soap operas. I used to spray on a little when I went in the store and, unlike most synths, it didn't make me sick! He > once came over and > offered to spray me with it and I told him not to. > I took the > opportunity to explain to him that for unknown > reasons, probably buried > in my primal years, the smell of newly-mown grass > was very, very > upsetting to me (I still don't know why) and so if > he could tone it > down I would really appreciate it. > > The next morning he approached me with the little > spray bottle and > actually sprayed me with it several times Unbelievable! You set clear boundaries and he really crossed the line. I can't believe someone would do this-- especially in the workplace! I started to get dizzy, and just before I > lost consciousness > I managed to find a chair and sit down before I > fainted. Amazing how powerful a negative smell association can be. > To this day, the smell of newly-mown grass - > artificial or real - still > disturbs me to the point where my heart races. This must be difficult to live with. Never move to suburbia! In my old neighborhood, people were completely obsessed with their lawns. That would be just awful for you. This may be the wrong time to mention this but I have been trying to find a natural way to mimic the smell of cut grass. Nothing I have found seems quite right. Any suggestions out there? (Just don't read them Alfred!) __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 On Jan 4, 2007, at 4:59 PM, Glazer wrote: > Alfred, > I probably shouldn't admit this, but I used to kind of > like Gap Grass back in the day! It was a guilty > pleasure-- like Twinkies or soap operas. I used to > spray on a little when I went in the store and, unlike > most synths, it didn't make me sick! It seemed like a lot of people liked that one. I thought at the time that the Gap's marketing for those 'pure' scents was quite effective - they knew that they had a younger demographic who wanted something 'simple, clean, and pure'. The 100% cotton crowd. I did like the packaging, too. Quite apart from my fearful associations with the smell of cut grass, I think that it's probably a fairly lovely smell to most folks. There's certainly nothing in it that is unpleasant or too strong, such as a whiff of stale cigarette smoke or such. Purely associatively, though, it boggles my mind how powerful that is with me. Someone once tried to convince me to drink wheatgrass juice, and I tried, oh I tried, but I just could not get close to that mown-lawn smell - I could not squelch the feelings of panic, which seemed almost to arise from me automatically. The coworker definitely busted boundaries there. I was reminded of all the times I'd gone past a perfume counter and seeing salespeople going up to people (seemed like this was mostly done to women customers, and less to men, or so it seemed to me) and spraying them with perfumes without even asking. But it's amazing how out of touch people can be about fragrance - I can't remember who it was yesterday who on the list likened people wearing gallons of fragrance as being the equivalent of blasting music at someone. I have a former housemate who loved to wear perfume - he wore Chanel No. 5 sometimes and smelled quite good in it- but he also like to spray all the lightbulbs (including sneaking into his housemates' rooms and spraying *our* lightbulbs) in the house with his various fragrances, which I found unacceptable. When he finally began spraying colognes on all the doorknobs in the flat, I had to sit him down and Have A Talk. His rationale was that he liked to 'give people little surprises to add grace and sweetness to their day' and he mentioned something about the Roman emperor who used to rain perfume down on his dinner guests from holes in the ceiling. I pointed out that while the intention to add grace and sweetness to people's days was lovely, there was to be no more scenting of doorknobs in the flat unless it was the doorknobs on the inside of his room. It was especially heinous to go through the day realizing that I'd just been slammed with a doorknobful of Joop, and I had to shlep that olfactory punishment around with me all day long, no matter how many times I washed my hands. Someone onlist mentioned that we are changed by our experiences with NP. For me, after almost a year of using NPs almost exclusively, smelling the synthetic stuff is usually fairly unpleasant. And I have come to enjoy the rich progression of top-middle-base notes as they unfold gently towards the drydown - it's a slinky process missing from most synthetics I've worn. And whereas at the beginning I was thinking 'but I have to reapply?? I just put it on two hours ago, for cryin out loud!', now I enjoy coasting gently to the drydown and then enjoying the blast of fullness that reapplication of the NP brings. With my Old Kingdom fragrance, it actually takes about five hours to get all the way to the drydown when I wear it, according to some friends who smelled it on me. I don't know which of the things I put into it that has given it this extraordinarily long life, but it sure is fun to know that I can make something like that. > This may be the wrong time to mention this but I have > been trying to find a natural way to mimic the smell > of cut grass. Nothing I have found seems quite right. > Any suggestions out there? > (Just don't read them Alfred!) > > Ya never know! Still, though, I'll keep my clothespin handy. :-) Alfred who received a most wonderful surprise this afternoon from a friend returning from her family's place near Grasse - six oz of this year's essence de lavande from her father's lavender fields. Of the ten or so marvellous and different lavenders I have, this one is really my personal favorite. And there's so much!! I might just splurge and pour a few drops into a bath... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 > I have a former housemate who loved to wear perfume - he wore Chanel > No. 5 sometimes and smelled quite good in it- but he also like to spray > all the lightbulbs (including sneaking into his housemates' rooms and > spraying *our* lightbulbs) in the house with his various fragrances, > which I found unacceptable. When he finally began spraying colognes on > all the doorknobs in the flat, I had to sit him down and Have A Talk. >SNIP It was especially heinous to go through the > day realizing that I'd just been slammed with a doorknobful of Joop, > and I had to shlep that olfactory punishment around with me all day > long, no matter how many times I washed my hands. HA HA! Can't make out who posted the above, but boy does it make me cringe, I have a teenage son who once owned a bottle of JOOP! He would douse himself in it and leave a thick trail of it in his wake when he was going out the door. Once when I was pregnant, (accute sense of smell x 10) I ran after him with the bottle of JOOP! and threw it, (shock horror, pregnant women actually do feel murderous at times) I missed him LUCKILY and the bottle bounced off the pavement TG it didn't break, can you imagine having a smashed bottle of JOOP! on your door step? I think I would have moved out! Ruth http://www.whitewitch.ie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 > It was especially heinous to go through the > > day realizing that I'd just been slammed with a > doorknobful of Joop, > > and I had to shlep that olfactory punishment > around with me all day > > long, no matter how many times I washed my hands. > HA HA! > Can't make out who posted the above, but boy does it > make me cringe, I > have a teenage son who once owned a bottle of JOOP! > He would douse himself in it and leave a thick trail > of it in his wake > when he was going out the door. Once when I was > pregnant, (accute > sense of smell x 10) I ran after him with the bottle > of JOOP! and > threw it, (shock horror, pregnant women actually do > feel murderous at > times) I missed him LUCKILY and the bottle bounced > off the pavement TG > it didn't break, can you imagine having a smashed > bottle of JOOP! on > your door step? I think I would have moved out! > Ruth, I can just imagine all those Joopy footprints in your house! That stuff never washes off! I had a boyfriend once who wore it .... And your poor pregnant sense of smell. By the way, that was Alfred above. He's had a lot of synthetic scent trauma! And bringing the subject back to naturals: He also made the sheep tincture-- Alfred, tell us more! I was planning to try one of these myself but haven't got around to it? How did it turn out? Is it very sheepy? I love the smell of wool and lanolin. __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 alfred <uruziam@...> wrote: When he finally began spraying colognes on all the doorknobs in the flat, I had to sit him down and Have A Talk. His rationale was that he liked to 'give people little surprises to add grace and sweetness to their day' and he mentioned something about the Roman emperor who used to rain perfume down on his dinner guests from holes in the ceiling. Alfred I have been sitting here giggling like a school girl with your descriptions..... I think the Roman Emperor was Nero and he fiddled while watching Rome burning ! so not much of the grace and sweetness there :-)) Janita back to the swathe of emails ps.... the lavender sounds wonderful . Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 ....Another theory of mine was that these particular women had never smelled real essences and their olfactory systems were all messed up. Ruth Hi Ruth, While not discounting any of the other ideas about the source of people's scent reactions - I think they are all valid - I also think you've identified a major issue here. People's taste in food and other sensory experiences has been turned toward really bad stuff and this is all they know. On the other hand, I think a change in public awareness in these areas may now be accelerating and we are part of that... Best, e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Sorry I missed so much of this conversation. I've been doing some research into the sense of smell and it is truely amazing. I'm going to write an article for the next ANPG newsletter (yes, Anya, I'm on it!) Unlike all our other senses, scent is wired directly into the brain, with only 2 brain synapses between the nose and the brain. The messages go straight to the most primative part of our brain, then to memory, and finally the frontal cortex, where we consciously experience the scent. That is why scent brings such powerful memories and emotions. As perfumers, we should be aware of the power of our perfumes, and understanding of the complex feelings that they evoke. Maybe this is why some people do not respond to our fragrances as we would like. It could be a bad association, rather than a problem with our creation. My theory is that some responses to natural fragrances are hard wired into our brain, which makes natural fragrances (as opposed to synthetic fragrances) more powerful and important. After all, our sense of smell evolved with us as we interacted with our environment for millions of years. Artemisia Natural Perfume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 " My theory is that some responses to natural fragrances are hard wired into our brain, which makes natural fragrances (as opposed to synthetic fragrances) more powerful and important. After all, our sense of smell evolved with us as we interacted with our environment for millions of years " Hi, Decent theory, as we don't yet fully understand just exactly how and why olfaction works the way it does. Keep researching, you will uncover some amazing stuff. Like odorant receptors are part of a family of genes that are 800 million years old! olfaction is the first sense that evolved, and some scientists theorize that the rest of the brain developed to help sort and catagorize the information gathered by the original smell nerve. Pretty far fetched to imagine that the brain developed because the sense of smell came first. The immune sytem arises from the same gene family as olfaction and I posit that a healthy and well functioning sense of smell is good for immunity. There is so much out there. Don't forget to check nobel.org to read about the prize for medicine won in 2004. Have at it and have fun. Best, Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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