I have a really strange oddity...I am obsessed with smells. Husband would like to commit me after a shopping trip at Walmart because I stand in the soap aisle and smell all of them! And the lotions...and the shampoos...and the deoderants....etc. I love the smell of bleach, crayons, fresh paint, mulled cider candles...I could on & on.
So, what's YOUR favorite or least favorite smell?
Ive heard that smell is the strongest trigger of memory.
Some of my favorite smells remind me of growing up.
I have a box of crayons Ive saved all these years because when I open them, Im in first grade again.
The smell of cinnamon reminds me of our house in the winter.
New car smell!
The way old cars smell (not dirty ones that have been abused, but cars just get a certain smell when they get to be about ten)
Yes! Exactly! Just what I intended to say...
Great story about the crayons!
Those combined with a new tablet of paper also takes me back to elementary school!
The smell of Dial soap reminds me of my Auntie's house (I stayed there a lot as a child) -
Campfires elicit many fond memories -- of summer camp & time with my father.
I love the smell of Playtex Baby Magic -- that's what I use to bathe my girls.
Even...ugh!...the smell of smoke that has remained on my mother's jewelery...combined with a hint of her perfume...
I can remember just hating to use my crayons cause I didnt want to wear them out...LOL!
And the smell of waterbeds...not exactly chlorine...maybe sort of plastic from the mattress? That reminds me of my aunts house...
The smell of strong coffee reminds me of my grandmothers house...I used to stay with her in the summers and it was always brewing when I got there.
the smell of freshly cut wood reminds me of my grandfather because he used his retirement to build furniture...
The smell of peaches will probably always take me back to my parents' house, before any other scents were masked by the overwhelming smell of tobacco (Mom and Dad are smokers, and I never used to notice their house stunk, until I moved out...even now, as a smoker, I smoke only outdoors--or did until I quit, uh...2 hours ago, I can definitely tell that theres some smoking going on there. Before that, I smelled only peach candles.
Certain deodorants remind me of an ex. I couldn't tell you what cologne he wore, but from time to time I smell his deodorant and it takes me right back.
Aqua di Gio and Curve remind me of a carefree time in my life when I first met my husband. Those were his two colognes of choice, and either one of those is likely to send me into a frenzy...or into the backseat. LOL (except now, there are carseats to move out of the way first. Believe me, its a thrill-kill).
Anything burning in nature: leaves, campfires, heck even trash, always make me calm. There is something so soothing about fire and smoke, and campfires just make me relax, big time.
Johnson and Johnson's Lavendar Baby Lotion...takes me back to when my middle son was born, a time that was so easy and simple compared to now, and I smell it and wish myself back.
I'm in love with the smell my shine spray gives off. Its Aquage Beyond Shine. I love the smell!!
I love the smell of a freshly sharpend pencil.....and the smell of a old copy machine after making several copies...
The smell of Ivory soap and Johnson's baby shampoo reminds me of my mom. I smell the soap, shampoo, candles, air freshener...all of it, so it's not really that odd...or...I am odd too. LOL
I like a bunch and probably too many to list, but my current favorite scent for bath products is Bath and Body works cherry blossom.
A smell I miss is the smell the air gets, right before it rains.
Ahhhh yes, a trip to Bath & Body Works is scheduled for today. I have to pick up a few little gifts & have an excellant coupon to get FREE stuff. :smile: The only thing is, I usually get tired of a scent after a month or so. I enjoyed the Cherry Blossom for a while...and I still LOVE the Pear Blossom, has a nice clean scent. Nothing too fruity or too flowery -- just clean.
And their White Barn Candles...Cinnamon Stick rocks! Great for the fall-into-winter transition.
And the entire True Blue Spa line -- the hand soap with Shea Butter both smells good & feels great!
Anyone ever try their C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm? Comes in a little green tube & puts a spearmint shine on your lips - also freshens your breath!
Have you ever had smell memories?
Sometimes I will smell things that simply aren't there. Things that are unrelated to whatever I am currently experiencing. It is more than just a thought, but the sensation of an actual olfactory event. They never last long, and so far have always been pleasant.
Yes, Scump! I have! Just the other day in fact...
Anyone want to expound on this?
A good beer fart always smells good if it's coming from me.
I also like honeysuckle or whatever that is in my driveway
I love the smell of my Burts Bees lip balm!! And the foot cream, and Hubby's Tomato cologne. Smells awesome!
I thought of this thread last night when I was baking cookies for my girls...for some reason, as I removed the baking sheet from the oven, I caught a whiff of the pot holders -- combined with the smell of warm cookies, I thought of my mom.
Then again...a lot of things have been making me think of her... :(
You know, that makes me think of my son. When he was small, he had been learning about female leaders/heros all week in school. The last day, he had to think of a female hero and draw a picture and tell about her. He drew me and said that I was his hero because I love him, give him hugs and I smell nice. LOL that brought a couple tears. I have scents that I associate w/my mom as well. I wonder, what my scent will be.
Could be anything from your shampoo...to your hairspray...to maybe a candle you like to burn?
My mother wore Alyssa Ashley Musk (cheap, cheap, cheap) - but combined with cigarette smoke it elicits memories.
No matter what type of relationship we have/had with our mothers, I'm finding out that you miss them so much when they're gone.
Quote from: SunnyInFL on October 14, 2006, 12:52:49 PM
I thought of this thread last night when I was baking cookies for my girls...for some reason, as I removed the baking sheet from the oven, I caught a whiff of the pot holders -- combined with the smell of warm cookies, I thought of my mom.
Then again...a lot of things have been making me think of her... :(
I bet its tough. One of my really close friends lost her dad 2 years ago, a month before her 30th birthday, to cancer. She took it terribly tough, and still has a difficult time. She had a baby boy last December, and she has not been to her father's grave since she first became pregnant with her son. She just can't bring herself to go, and its only 15 minutes away from her house. I dread having to go through that myself.
Can't lie, Daisy...it IS tough. I have gone thru all of the classic "stages of grief"...and often go back & forth between them.
I have days like today where I just wish the phone would ring one more time. I didn't have this problem when my dad died.
For me, losing my mother was much harder.
That's my advice to you -- don't leave anything unsaid because you just never know.
I know. That's not always easy, though.
Oh, I definitely know that. I guess I was fortunate enough to know that my mother was dying and to be there when she took her last breath. So, it gave me a few months to say quite a bit.
Can't live with guilt or regrets either.
Just have to get thru the tough days...
QuoteYou might call it muzak for the nose. The latest technique for putting consumers in a spending mood is to fill the air with a seductive scent. That's why Select Comfort, a nationwide chain of 400 bedding stores, is in the market for one that will soothe shoppers browsing for bedding. ScentAir, one of several firms that design scents for retail settings, has suggested a mix of cashmere wood, amber, cardamom, cinnamon and bergamot. The blend, it says, will convey quiet repose.
The demand for these olfactory services--by stores, hotels, casinos and even museums--is stimulated by a growing body of research that demonstrates how smells affect consumer behavior. Advertising studies in Martin Lindstrom's book Brand Sense suggest that although most contemporary commercial messages are aimed at our eyes, many of the emotion-triggering moments people remember on a given day are actually prompted by smell. And scents, experiments have shown, can evoke an array of sensations. Citrus notes, for example, are perceived to be energizing or invigorating, whereas vanilla can suggest warmth and comfort.
Scents and Sensibility Time Magazine Oct 16th, 2006 (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1543956,00.html)
I saw this today and thought that it was related to this thread. I guess we're the one's they're targeting, huh? :smile:
:yes:
Ah, just returned from putting the garbage out & smelled the most fantastic air...took me back to summer camp -- slightly damp, muggy, with a fog all around -- hint of cedar, a touch of grass, and the slight chance of rain to come.
Love the smell of the rosemary in my herb garden, and the basil swaying in the autumn wind spilling seeds for spring.
Hate the smell of the carcasses drug around by the dogs :rolleyes:
Quote from: SunnyInFL on October 13, 2006, 09:19:49 AM
Yes, Scump! I have! Just the other day in fact...
Anyone want to expound on this?
i get that highschool 'mimiograph paper' memory every time there are handouts at the project meetings at work.
Quote from: awol on October 30, 2006, 12:50:48 PM
i get that highschool 'mimiograph paper' memory every time there are handouts at the project meetings at work.
You're old enough to remember mimiographs? :-\ I used to love the smell of fresh mimiographs LOL Perhaps that's what's wrong w/me. :biggrin:
One of the things I miss the most about living back east, is the smell of a wood burning fire drifting through the air. It gets cool here, but I haven't smelled that scent since I moved here. I'm not sure why.
It is amazing all the wonderful smells you miss when you smoke. Now that I have quit I am enjoying smelling all kinds of wonderful aroma's.
Can i just HUG you, FCM? I am so proud of you....
And I bet your granddaughter enjoys the way you smell much better, as well. :wink:
Quote from: SunnyInFL on November 04, 2006, 02:42:09 PM
Can i just HUG you, FCM? I am so proud of you....
And I bet your granddaughter enjoys the way you smell much better, as well. :wink:
Yes you can.....and Yes she does! :yes:
I know that my 4 year-old notices the way her grandmother 'smells' when she comes over...especially when she hugs her. Not that she loves her grandma any less, but still...
I know how she feels, I told my man friend that now to me he stinks........you got it......he quit last week! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
WOOOHOOO!!!!! That's EXCELLANT news, FCM!!!! :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
:yes: :biggrin:
So...I was just walking through Staples with my girls...and the overwhelming paper-product smell took me back to the first day of Kindergarten...I can remember it as if it were yesterday...
One of my elementary teachers used to buy the "smelly" markers for her classroom - she had to have been independently wealthy! I buy one set a year and love each one. Yellow smells like lemon, red like cherry, turquoise is a neat smell but I can't remember what it is. I use them for my stuff! I don't let the kids use them. I think sniffing them were our first high experiences! haha
My new house has a smell of the people that lived here before. I need to figure out how to make it my smell!
Ahhh...isn't it Cotton Candy?!?!? Wow, I almost forgot about those things! LOL! I used to have a set of my own, too...heck, they may be around here somewhere "tucked away"!
I know what you mean about the smell...our house is nice, but has many odors that we can't get rid of. Blech. Everything from moisture/mildew in the lower level (even with dehumidifier/purifier/paint)...the closets are retched (and they've all been painted)...the carpet has a slight dog odor (even though it was just installed a few months before they moved out & has been Stanley Steemed)...
Good luck! :biggrin:
...ahhhh, the smell of freshly cut grass blowing through the open window....