THE
SENSE CENSUS
FEBRUARY 2019 THE SCENT ISSUE
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Scintillating Scents
Forget the visual or the audio. The allure and msytery of scents come in the very fact that they are the sense we tend to forget about. Scent is the one thing we tend to overlook because it's not explicit. Yet, scent has the power to speak volumes. Metahphorically, scents can either be the silent killer or the elusive seducer. Studies have shown that people are judged based on the way they smell, whether they know it or not. Smells have the power to evoke and change the way we feel, sometimes about something or someone. I am always surprised by how much someone's fragrance choice differs from the outward appearance they seem to portray. Sometimes a little cheeky, sometimes daring, but always fun; the right scent can help someone expose or add an unexpected layer to their multifaceted personality. This month, we're going to be exploring the wonderful world of fragrances. From advice for Valentine's Day and the basics of perfumery, to olfactory memories, this issue seeks to make you rethink the power of smell and rekindle your romance with fragrance just in time for the annual celebration of love.
THE FRAGRANCE BASICS:
COMPOSITION & SCENT NOTES
Fragrances, like music, are compositions. Human noses have about 400 types of scent receptors and can detect around a trillion differing smells. Composing a fragrance, much like music, is about finding the right mix of smells in the right quantities and combining them to obtain the best possible combination. Like musical genres, fragrances fall into different families, too. Amongst other similarities, both music and fragrance are capable of evoking and encapsulating different emotions, so our writers decided: why not combine and compare the two? THE TOP NOTES The notes that open the fragrance, leaving the very first impression. They are often very volatile and generally light, so whilst they are responsible for majority of the smell in the initial blast, they tend to leave quickly. THE MIDDLE NOTES The buffer between the top and base notes, but not to be overlooked - they make up a majority of the blend and serve to convey the scent’s DNA - they often make the fragrance memorable. THE BASE NOTES Composing of about 10-25% of the total aroma, they last the longest after the drydown. They can linger for up to 8 hours after initial spray.
THE FRAGRANCE BASICS:
FRAGRANCES AS GENRES CITRUS
Fresh, bright and often tropical smelling with zesty ORIENTAL notes like orange and lemon. The name speaks for itself. Tropical House, anyone? Refined, something traditional and acquired like Classical AQUATICS Music. Water, salt, sand. Often ozonic GREEN ANIMALICS and whilst most people would Examples are green Musk and leather. classify them under Surf, we tea, sage and even Civet. Honestly, what- prefer something a little more cactus. Alternative. ever songs you put on sensual like R&B. in the bedroom... WOODS FLORALS Earthy, they can either be AROMATICS Florals always smell rough and wild or quiet Coffee and spices make these nuanced... with and mysterious as Psychealways have a hint of something a hint of wonder. delic Rock. playful but classic like Jazz. Soul sounds about right for this enigGOURMADS matic aroma. Edible scents, these FRUITS can go either way - eiLike the title suggests, ther cloyingly sweet or they’re sweet, often undeniably seductive. innocent and clean. But from flavours like They’re also popular. vanilla icing to alcoWe’re going with the hol, they’re as undenifun, upbeat tempo of ably sexy as the genre the great 80's Disco. of hard, good, Rock.
Scent-suality Since Valentine's Day is coming up, why not learn to engage one of the most important of the five senses? Fragrances have long been linked with sensuality and romance and it's no wonder why... think "pheromones". However, we know that navigating the fragrance world can be difficult, so in honour of this day, 1. Go for Gourmands: the scents we're offering some unsolicited advice. composed from food accords. Vanilla, chocolate, rum, cherries and honey... a great choice if you want to smell edible (and be devoured). They're also great when paired with floral accords like roses. 2. Musk is another great choice. Whilst not always as romantic as gourmands, musks are very, very seductive in their own right. Of course, knowing their origins, it's not very hard to see why... 3. If you're planning to gift a your significant other with a fragrance, buy one you think they will like over one you like. They're the ones wearing it, after all.
4. Do not overspray! Don't drown yourself (or everyone else) in your scent, or try to use it to cover up a lack of confidence. No amount of fragrance can beat someone with great confidence. Confidence is sexy. 5. Finally, DO NOT. EVER. Spray it onto (or into) your private parts. Some people have asked the editor this question and the answer is NO. Perfumes and colognes have a high alcohol content. You won't be going home with someone, you'll be going to the A&E.
OLFACTORY
Ever smelled something and immediately thought of someone? Maybe an old friend or a past lover? Or one of your parents or relatives? Aromas (or odours for that matter) have the ability to encapsulate memories and smelling them again makes us relive the memory on a molecular (quite literally) level.
MEMORIES
According to research, anosmia sufferers risk having a 'blunting' of emotions that reduces their capacity to evoke and coincide with emotions. That's because scents have the ability to trigger both memories and the emotions that come with them. We decided to ask some readers to tell us about their most prominent olfactory memories...
"The most prominent scent for me is the really clean scent they have in hotels because I really like travelling and smelling that type of a scent remind me of good times." "My mum's signature perfume, because it reminds me of my family and that's comforting. I don't think anything comes close being as comforting as the smell of your family." "My ex-girlfriend's perfume. Which, in hindsight, was terrible, by the way. Almost as terrible as she was..." "My aunt had this facial cleanser that she'd take with her on holiday - it always reminds me of the summertime, the sand and sun." "My Dad's got this very distinctive aftershave. No one else has it. At least, not that I've come across." "When I first went to boarding school, I was quite young so my mother gave me a small bottle of her perfume and told me to spray it on my pillow when I missed her... so it would feel like she was close and I'd feel a bit better." "The smell of the old book store I went to when I was younger. It's closed now, so there's nothing left... I still think of it everytime I smell something like it. It's sad." "The smell I'll never forget is the smell of the rainforest from when I went on a Geography trip. I never knew the smell of a rainforest was so distinct or strong. You could never come close to something like that where I live!"
FRANGRANCE Weekend. It was gifted to me at a time when I needed a new push in a better direction; smelling it reminds me to take a second breath to calm down and gives me a boost of confidence. I think about the person I want to become. I think of NASA by Ariana Grande - both of them help me to tap into a sense of self-love and happiness. Wearing fragrance reminds me to take care of myself. -Corey It depends on my mood but for a signature, it's Noir Pour Femme. It's not overly feminine; it's borderline unisex which makes it sort of alluring to me. The character wearing it would be someone in a smoking suit. Formal with an edge. Someone a little rebellious, quite private, with a lot of secrets. The song I always think of is Don't Tell by Royal Blood. Both of them have some mystery about them and that's always fun. -Lynn
I use Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. It's quite a flowery fresh scent so I'd say it smells quite like a girly-girl... but porobably (and hopefully) one that has class. If it were a song it would be One in a Million by Neto. It makes me feel good about myself because I smell good. It's also quite versatile - I can wear it for both formal and informal occassions and it's generally quite the crowd-pleaser. -Yasmin Sauvage. Smelling good? 7/10 in terms of importance. Just personally. Makes me feel a bit more confident and relaxed. You don't need to wear cologne to smell good, just take good care of yourself, really. I reckon quite a mysterious person would use this. Neil Caffrey from White Collar? He's a conman who manages to charm his way out of things. A song... make Luv by Jay Pryor. -Josh
FAVOURITES Platinum EgoĂŻste. Someone who prefers to lead in life. Someone who lives their life according to their own rules and doens't care too much about other people's opinions. A rebel, probably. If it were a song, it would probably be Brainstorm by Arctic Monkeys. I feel undressed if I don't wear cologne. It gives me a sense of presence... I think smell can make you more noticeable. Helps in many situations, too. -Fil I'm a little bit obsessed when it comes to smelling good. It's a must and it's also one of the greatest compliments someone can give you, in my opinion. I have a lot of favourites but the one I will love forever is Pretty Petals. I first bought it when I was 13 and fell in love. It's a 'Spring Time' type of fragrance. For someone who likes wearing flowy dresses and flower crowns? I think of Tale by Melomance. It makes me feel content and warm. -Zoe
I use Bulgari Man. If I had to pick a character to represent or wear the fragrance, I'd say it's probably worn by a person who wants to dress to impress. If I had to pick a song to represent it? Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits. It makes me feel more confident. -AJ
I have a pretty sensitive nose so I'm not a fan of when people wear too much perfume or cologne or just don't smell very good. Daisy Dream is my favourite. It makes me feel clean and put together. It's a very light, fresh and springy scent. Worn by someone optimistic, bubbly and without worries... relatively young and free. A song would be Sunflower by Rex Orange County. I've worn it forever so it's a part of my personality. -Lauren
THE NEW WAY OF SMELLING & SELLING:
Unisex, Unique & Universal "Pour Homme. Pour Femme." For Him and For Her. How often do we see scents being divisive or seemingly marketed only towards certain groups? Scents should be dependent on unique preference but most are sold as exclusives for specific audiences. The way in which fragrances are marketed is often a rather sad reflection of what society deems attractive or suitable; or as one person mentioned, "good enough" to wear them. This year, I saw the first campaign that featured a woman of colour as the object of a man's desire in the newest Bleu de Chanel campaign. Yet, seeing anyone who is not wildly attractive, a seductress or a man who seems to access multple polyamorous affairs in his oddly expansive amount of free time (with multitudes of money flowing to him despite his lack of working) is rare in the marketing of fragrances. Moreover, perfume advertisements are often overpromoters
of masculinity or femininity, using the stereotypical card of sex appeal to the opposite gender. However, many masculine scents have become appealing to the modern working woman and vice versa. In fact, more and more fagrances are being created as unisex and sold to both genders, with marketing focusing on the mood the scents create or the ingredients that don't become divisive on the basis of gender. In an experiment, we had subjects blindfolded and give us their interpretation of 10 fragrances. One of the most popular men's colognes was assumed by all 3 subjects to be a women's fragrance. A fragrance aimed at teenage girls was also assumed to be for women aged 50 and above. Marketing will always be idealistic and try to sell you an idolised idea. However, perfume is personal so find one that appeals to YOU and ignore the 'face' the ad is trying to sell. Clearly, they've got it all wrong.
DID YOU KNOW?
Fragrances are fun but they're not always that simple. From the way they are produced, to the way that the ingredients are curated, fragrances have a world of their own. But it isn't just the bottled fragrances, smells like natural odors and aromas - from the sweat we produce to the scent of food - have their own fascinating backgrounds. Did you know that we are capable of smelling fear? That's because the secretions of sweat produced when we are anxious can be picked up by those around us - forget liquid courage, colognes and perfumes can actually help you disguise the smell of fear. Another fun but perhaps discturbing fact is that musk was traditionally obtained from the gland sac... of deer. Thankfully, most modern musks are chemically reproduced using synthetic and plant materials, so the animals are saved and so are our internal gag reflexes. Ever wonder why fragrance counters always provide coffee beans? It's becuase they help renew and recover our noses from testing overload.
NO FRAGRANCE? NO PROBLEM. Not everyone is a fan of fragrances. One of my friends Ava can't wear them because of allergic reactions to the alcohol content. Still, Ava likes to give the impression she smells good so her tips include bringing dates to cafes (free gourmand scents galore) and the obvious - shower often and thoroughly. Alternatively, she says that on days where she feels like being left alone, she makes sure to eat lots of garlic and onions, wind-inducing vegetables (to be adequately released) and forgoes the shower... to each his own.
CENTS AND SENSIBILITY It's no secret that perfumes and colognes are costly. To make them last longer and better, use an odourless moisturizer beforehand, don't rub the fragrance (you destroy the top notes and its longevity) and keep the sprays to a minimum of around 4-5 at most. Most importantly, buy one that YOU love and will wear all the time... (not one that's supposedly 'popular').
CONCENTRATIONS The Eau Fraiches last about 1-2 hours, with a concentration of 1-3%, followed by the 2-4% concentration of Eau de Colognes. Eau de Toilettes have a 5-15% concentration and 3 hour lasting power, whilst Eau de Parfums take the cake with 15-20% concentrations and last about 4-5 hours on the skin. Pure Parfums? Even longer, up to 8 hours.
CAN YOU GUESS THE FRAGRANCE?