It’s All in a Smell!!
The persuasive power of smell cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs and it fills us up and most often defines us. Smell is one of the five ways humans connect with the environment and its absence can have a profound impact. Our fragrance is more of a signature that something one will remember more than the dress we choose to wear.
Fragrance is a comforting gift; it reminds people of us even when we are not around. Smell is an integral part of human nature and it is highly emotive. It seeks to convey a vast array of emotions and feelings; from desire to power, vitality to relaxation. On a more personal level, smell is extremely important when it comes to attraction between two people. It can even help us subconsciously choose our partners.
Fragrance is all about sensations and imagery. It can evoke visions, feelings and thoughts and invoke sweet positive memories that energizes. If you are often wondering why you end up choosing the same fragrance attribute it to the unique power of smell that can kindle the best moments of our life.
It is possible for us to smell the cherry blossom spring smell sitting in deep winter and relish the sweet smell of mangoes of summer during autumn, if you have a very strong memory associate to it. And this memory associated with smell subconsciously decides the best for us.
Our sense of comfort also depends on fragrance. Our mood and actions can be manipulated, or even by smell and this power of manipulation called scent branding. The aroma of freshly baked breads in supermarkets or movie theaters that smell of popcorn where there is none use the manipulative power of smell to nudge us into shopping.
The Science Behind the Power of Smell
The olfactory bulb, in common words the part which helps us smell, is connected to limbic system, the region of the brain that is responsible for emotions. This is why scents elicit an instinctual response rather than a rational one. Also, Olfactory perception is passed directly from the hippocampus to long-term memory storage. And this is the reason that scents are linked to memories.
Certain fragrances can invoke images, some cause physical reactions instinctively. Ever got reminded of Christmas around freshly baked cookies, or have you ever envisioned the person you love just by smelling their scent? If yes then you already love the way fragrance plays with you and probably will have a to go fragrance to lift you up.
Every person has a special olfactory memory trigger. The important aspect for our reaction is positive or negative memory that is associated with it. Like for example you enjoy the smell of fresh strawberry because your mother made shakes with it at the weekend. But your friend may find it repulsive at the scent because she experienced vomiting that was made worse with strawberry.
Your Experience Is Your Smell!
These experiences create our unique olfactory identity. Therefore, the odors with which we positively connect become a part of our primary identity. This will influence the type of fragrance to which we are attracted to. It also makes it possible for us to have a perfect fragrance out there. The ingredients will be keys that unlock positive thoughts, reflect our personal traits and contribute to our sense of happiness and wellbeing. And this is how some of us get back to the same fragrance time and again and enjoy using every bit of it, every time all the time.
