We are taught growing up that we have five senses: taste, sight, smell, touch and hearing. It was originally believed that we could identify around 10,000 different smells with our nose. However, today scientists believe that we have the capability of smelling, although possibly not identifying, approximately a trillion!
Of the five basic senses smell is the most powerful. Think about it. How many times has a particular aroma transformed you back to a memory? For instance, the power of aroma plays a very important role in wine tasting. Wine sensory kits are a fun way to test your sense of smell and aromas can range from “new mown hay” to “violets”. My husband often comments when first smelling a particular wine that it reminds him of the violets his grandmother use to grow on her window sill.
Your sense of smell plays an important role in food as well. For chefs, creating an appealing aroma for what they are preparing is a key factor on how well the food will taste. Generally speaking if it smells good you are already committed to it tasting good.
The perfume industry has not let this go unnoticed either. These perfumes are developed to specifically heighten the desire of attraction through an array of emotions. Perfumes can convey power, relaxation, desire and vitality. Where one particular scent is attractive to one person it can at the same time elicit an overpowering or sickly response to another.
Your body chemistry has a lot to do with how a perfume will smell as well. A particular perfume could smell wonderful on me but create a negative response on you. That’s why I always recommend visiting a store that will let you take home a sample to try in your environment. Trying them in the store can be fun but after smelling a couple of those fragrance strips your nose is overwhelmed and confused.
Whether we realize it or not the power of scent does influence everything we purchase and consume from household to beauty products. So on you’re next shopping trip see what aromas transcend you back to a cherished memory.
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