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Girl of a thousand smells
Feb. 13th, 2008 10:56 pmIn the park in Oxford today, taking a walk in the sunshine, I caught myself pinching out a little rosemary shoot to crush between my fingers and smell. I felt a bit guilty, though clearly few enough people do this that the bush is still big and healthy. It got me thinking about smell, and how much it affects my mood, and wondering whether it affects everyone in the same way.
Just a tiny whiff of cigarette smoke makes me bad-tempered, and I also hate almost all perfumes. They are so cloyingly strong, particularly when worn by people who smoke, and whose sense of smell has therefore been destroyed to the extent that they can't smell their own perfume unless they bathe in it. On the whole, I'd rather smell moderate body odour than the disguise of sickly perfume, though non-perfumed deodorant is best. Flower-scented or sweet-fruit-scented bath and shower products can also be pretty bad, so I generally try to stick to herb or subtle citrus scents.
On the other hand, smells can be wonderfully pleasurable too, like the smell of wet earth and foliage after rain... the smell of cherry blossom on a breezy spring day... a subtle smoky smell from a wood fire in winter... raspberries... that deliciously fresh salty seaside smell (which I am told comes from rotting fish)... baking bread... old books... coffee... newly cut grass... warm candle wax... a subtle hint of vanilla... clean laundry...
In my first summer at university, I had daisy-scented shower gel, which smelt like carefree summer days lying outside on lush, slightly damp grass. It has long been discontinued. One flat I lived in had bathroom windows which opened at eye height onto a big, leafy tree. I always showered with the windows open, and when it rained the combination of the steam from the shower, the sight and sound of the rain falling onto the bright green leaves and the fragrance of coconuts from my shower creme made me dream I was somewhere exotic, like Thailand. Maybe I should spend some time and energy on hunting for a new shower gel which makes me smell happy.
Just a tiny whiff of cigarette smoke makes me bad-tempered, and I also hate almost all perfumes. They are so cloyingly strong, particularly when worn by people who smoke, and whose sense of smell has therefore been destroyed to the extent that they can't smell their own perfume unless they bathe in it. On the whole, I'd rather smell moderate body odour than the disguise of sickly perfume, though non-perfumed deodorant is best. Flower-scented or sweet-fruit-scented bath and shower products can also be pretty bad, so I generally try to stick to herb or subtle citrus scents.
On the other hand, smells can be wonderfully pleasurable too, like the smell of wet earth and foliage after rain... the smell of cherry blossom on a breezy spring day... a subtle smoky smell from a wood fire in winter... raspberries... that deliciously fresh salty seaside smell (which I am told comes from rotting fish)... baking bread... old books... coffee... newly cut grass... warm candle wax... a subtle hint of vanilla... clean laundry...
In my first summer at university, I had daisy-scented shower gel, which smelt like carefree summer days lying outside on lush, slightly damp grass. It has long been discontinued. One flat I lived in had bathroom windows which opened at eye height onto a big, leafy tree. I always showered with the windows open, and when it rained the combination of the steam from the shower, the sight and sound of the rain falling onto the bright green leaves and the fragrance of coconuts from my shower creme made me dream I was somewhere exotic, like Thailand. Maybe I should spend some time and energy on hunting for a new shower gel which makes me smell happy.
